A Second Chance At Life

Fine

"Well at least it isn't a twin," Ella said with a sigh.

We both glared hatefully towards our feet at the end of my full sized bed. Our thighs brushed when we laid on our backs.

"Did you mean, 'at least you're not practically in my lap'?" I said bitterly.

"I don't know, that would be kinda hot," Ella teased.

I turned towards her on my side. At least this way we aren't touching, I told myself, as though it would stop the urge to reach for her. "Oh, you would be into that kind of thing," I said, smiling. I closed my eyes, determined to pretend she wasn't in my bed.

Ella turned on her side to face me, and our knees bumped. Damn it. "There are lots of things I'm into that you don't know about," she hinted cryptically.

I peeled one eye open to give her my trademark 'uhuh' face. "Well according to Lucy and every movie involving girls' sleepovers, you have to spill any and all secrets." Her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of blue green. I squeezed my eyes shut again. Ugh.

"A true magician doesn't reveal her tricks," Ella taunted. Too bad for you, I thought, this girl has two thumbs and isn't biting on lines with cheesy hooks.

I flinched when I felt something warm brush behind my ear, and reached up to meet Ella's hand.

"You had a stray piece," she whispered, and my stomach felt like a garbage disposal with a spoon caught in it. It wasn't quite a puke-y feeling, but it wasn't altogether a good one.

I rolled onto my back, and her knees and arms rested against my side. "Do you ever worry about everything all at once, but nothing is really going wrong?" I mused, watching my ceiling fan rotate slowly. I felt Ella turn to the ceiling as well.

"That's a sign of anxiety, you know," she teased. "Really though, are you alright?"

I felt her head spin towards mine to search my face and flopped onto my side, facing away from her. "I just have no idea what I'm doing," I admitted slowly. "I don't think I'm making the right choices about anything."

"Well the good news is you're a teenager," she said, patting my shoulder, "and you don't have to have everything figured out right this second. You're beautiful, and smart, and funny. The world is open to anything you choose to do, and even if you change your mind, it's perfectly fine."

I yawned and pushed my hair out of my eyes. "You think I'm beautiful?" I said, my eyelids drooping.

"You're tired already?" Ella asked, avoiding my question.

"No," I mumbled. My eyes were already closed.

"Of course you aren't," Ella murmured, brushing her hand along my arm.

I shivered and felt her pause, fingertips barely making contact with my skin. I desperately wanted her to keep going.

When Ella was certain I was asleep, she scooted closer to me and laid her arm over my waist. She buried her nose in my neck, and I felt an overwhelming urge to giggle every time her breath tickled the back of my ear. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of her steady heartbeat.