Pas de Trois

Chapter 26: "Stop worrying."

Chloe tried not to hover by the elevators that afternoon. Instead she just spread her books out so it looked like she just happened to be doing schoolwork where she could see who was getting off the elevator. She counted to three each time the door chimed before she let herself look up.

It wasn't that she never got excited to see Slade on other days but that day it felt different. When she texted Slade to tell him goodnight the night before he'd texted back a picture of him and Danny tucked in bed together. But instead of feeling that sick jealous feeling she'd always felt before she just felt happy. Peaceful. And now she was extra excited to see them.

After no less than 15 false alarms, the doors finally opened to reveal the two smiling faces she was waiting to see. Just the sight of them made her relax but better still was the way they both lit up when they saw her sitting there.

"I brought you this!" Danny announced, proudly setting a frappachino on the table in front of her. Chloe stood up to hug him. He kissed her cheek.

"You're so cute," Chloe laughed. "What's this for?"

"I wanted to do something nice for you," Danny shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know," Danny grinned at Slade. "But I wanted to so I fought Slade so I could get it for you and surprise you. Since I'm always the one who remembers what you drink anyway."

"Ooh, someone's caught," Chloe got on her toes to kiss Slade. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Danny was still beaming. "I've never had a girlfriend before, I'm going to be really good at it."

"Aw, Danny," Chloe hugged him again. "You know-"

"Chloe?" Emma's voice interrupted her. Chloe turned to see Emma almost hyperventilating. "Can I talk to you...right now?"

"Oh shit," Chloe could tell Emma was about 10 seconds away from crying. Danny looked as guilty as she felt.

"Emma," Danny started to say something but Emma turned away. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I didn't know she was standing there."

"I know," Chloe gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile before she followed Emma to the girls' dressing room. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We don't have school today it's a teacher workday," Emma barely stopped one sentence before she went on to the next. "What did Danny mean? Why did he kiss you and bring you coffee? Cause you told me not to like him and he told me not to like him but-"

"Whoa, shh," Chloe had to interrupt before Emma could get too out of control. "I didn't say not to like him, I know you can't just change your feelings, Emma."

"Why did he say girlfriend?" Emma finally burst into tears. "Why would you do that to me?"

"It's like a joke," Chloe felt sick, guilty for saying that, as if it completely ruined the truth of their relationship. "Um, cause he and Slade are so close and Slade is my boyfriend so-"

"I don't believe you," Emma wiped her face and looked around. Chloe realized a few of Emma's friends were sitting nearby, watching them. "He said, and you said," Emma completely dissolved into gasping and sobbing so she couldn't speak anymore.

Chloe tried to give Emma a hug to calm her down but Emma dodged her and ran out of the room. She sighed and looked at Emma's friends.They quickly looked away, like they hadn't been watching the whole time.

"Okay, sure, I'll just go find her," Chloe rolled her eyes. It seemed obvious that was their cue to follow Emma but none of them moved.

Emma was gone by the time Chloe got back to the lobby but the door to the stairwell was closing so Chloe figured she'd taken the stairs. Slade and Danny were nowhere to be found, but the girl she'd been sitting with while she waited for Slade and Danny to show up was still at the table so Chloe figured her stuff was safe there.