GIRL ADDICTION

Chapter 18: A Question of Inner Strength

Gwen hesitated, then she knocked on Chris' door.

Trix, only an hour ago, had just come charging in, and only now Chris was just backing away from it. She stopped and looked like she had just been caught red-handed stealing stuff.

Chris groaned and swallowed, and went to the door, yanking it open.

"What the hell do you want?" She snapped.

Gwen looked up at Chris. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then she looked at her feet.

"I kinda...I wanted to.." She began.

"Can't you see I'm just not. Like just fuck off, k?" Chris said and slammed the door in Gwen's face.

Gwen stood staring at it, mouth open. She ground her teeth and reframed from kicking the door in. She could, but so could Chris, and that kick would be aimed at her head.

She turned around, fists clenched. She walked down and out of the apartment building and just as she stepped out into the open, it began to drizzle.

Gwen looked up at the rain and remembered the night before, how Sage and she had held hands in the rain for a moment, how she'd leaned over and kissed her.

Gwen stumbled down a bit further than sat down on a street curb and put her head in her hands. She couldn't bring herself to cry, but she couldn't bare this anymore. She didn't know where to go... what to do, with these feelings. She wished she could unburden them somewhere. Somewhere.

It suddenly stopped raining. Or at least the rain stopped hitting her. Someone sat down next to her.

Gwen looked up to find Chris sitting next to her holding a huge umbrella. Chris set it so that it was propped against the curb-ledge, and still managed to cover them, then took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag, and blowing it out into the rain.

Gwen looked back down at her hands. She said nothing.

The two of them just sat there, watching the rain fall.

" I didn't imagine that I would be attracted to someone like Sage. I just want to hug her all the time. I try to keep it minimal but it always ends up as something more physical. But now Sage doesn't even look at me like I'm alive, and sometimes I think maybe even just a hug would suffice, but Sage just makes it too easy to go all the way, and every time we do it's like she drifts a little bit further away from my grasp. Like now, Sage clearly doesn't blush like she used to when I touch her briefly or react at all when I am nearby. I know I fucked up but I didn't know how to fix things" Gwen ranked as the smoke from Chris' cigarette disappeared into the sky.

"You love her," Chris said in the middle of Gwen's ramblings. The cigarette spent, she threw it on the grown and crushed it with her foot.

Gwen sat there, silent, then nodded.

"Then go get her" Chris said and looked at her "Go get her before someone else does. I know Sage. She is Sa's little cousin. The brightest and sweetest little imp of a brat. Types like you and me, we don't deserve types like her and Sa. But Types like you are strong, at least. You can change. You have it in you to love and protect her. So go do it before she slips away" Chris said and clapped Gwen on the shoulder.

Then Chris got up, leaving the umbrella with Gwen.

"Return it to me when you've told her you to love her" Chris grinned and walked back home, leaving Gwen there, staring into the distance and wondering...she knew she was strong but was she strong enough?