The World According to Susie (stemxfem)

Ch 18: For Special Occasions Only

After the pink coffee shop disaster, Georgia drives me back to campus in complete silence. I'm mentally replaying every cringe-inducing second, feeling like I might actually burst into flames from sheer embarrassment. She finally pulls up to my car—my beloved Judas Prius—parked at the far end of the campus lot, and I just sit there, stunned.

"I guess... there goes my chance with Vivienne," Georgia says with a defeated laugh, like she's trying to lighten the mood, even though we both know the pink café catastrophe will haunt us forever.

I slide out of the truck, shutting the door with all the melodrama of a tragic Shakespearean heroine. "What kind of person am I?" I mutter under my breath. Vivienne was just starting to be nice to me, I think. We could've been friends! Would I rather be friends with Vivienne or... or have whatever this mess with Georgia is?

"Susie?" Georgia's voice jolts me out of my spiraling. She sounds almost shy, which is unnerving in itself. "We're still friends... right?" She says it like she's been reading my mind.

"Yeah. Friends," I say, looking up at her as she sits in her truck, gazing down at me with this vulnerable look that could melt titanium.

Georgia bites her lip, looking like she's about to say something she'd never normally admit out loud. "Hey... so, uh, it's kinda embarrassing, but, um..." She clears her throat and avoids eye contact.

"What is it? You have to tell me now," I poke at her, trying to keep the atmosphere light. Georgia nervously chuckles.

"Well... you met Henry John, right?"

"Henry John?" I stare blankly, thinking about the guy's weed stash and those "vintage" posters in his room. I wonder if he ever left the '90s.

Georgia's still explaining. "He actually runs this... improv group, believe it or not. He's really into theater, and honestly? The guy's surprisingly decent." She pauses. "Anyway, he's putting on this, uh, show tomorrow night in his backyard. He built a mini-auditorium. It's... a whole thing." She rolls her eyes, half embarrassed and half amused.

I can't help but snicker at the thought. "Oooh, sounds fancy. Can I bring Rina? I mean, I could use a partner in crime."

Georgia goes quiet, then awkwardly coughs. "Actually... I was hoping it could be, you know, just us." She glances away, rubbing the back of her neck.

My mind goes into overdrive. Just us? What does she mean, just us? Like, romantic just us, or is this some weird theater dare? I try to keep my cool, but I know my face is beet red.

"Sure," I squeak out, and immediately cringe at the pitch of my voice. "I mean, yeah, I could use a laugh. Free backyard improv? Who could say no to that?"

"Great." Georgia's smile softens, a little too charming for my heart to handle.

I climb into Judas Prius, trying to play it cool while my mind's in full soap-opera mode. Georgia's still looking at me with that warm, slightly mischievous grin, like she knows something I don't.

"Goodnight, Susie," she says.

"Goodnight," I manage, wondering what I've gotten myself into—and if I'll even survive another day of Georgia's confusing charm.

As she drives away, I wave, my heart pounding, bracing myself for whatever ridiculous, possibly disastrous adventures tomorrow might bring.

"Susiiieeeeeeee!" I hear Rina screeching my name from a distance and turn to see her sprinting toward me, arms flailing like she's single-handedly trying to bring a plane down to land.

"Rina, you will not believe what just happened!" I squeal as we both clamber into Judas Prius, her energy bouncing off the car seats.

"Oh, I have something to tell you too!" she giggles, practically vibrating.