After Those Years

TWO

Two   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Ricky | sixteen years old |⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  

"Where's my favorite Harley Quinn?" I asked as I knocked on Chloe's front door. We were about to go to Josh's Halloween party, and just as Chloe and I discussed; we would be the cliché suicide squad characters.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Well actually, I wanted to go as batman and catwoman, but Chloe was all into this whole Suicide Squad movie, that I gave in and agreed to be the Joker tonight.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Just come in," she yelled from her bedroom and I rolled my eyes while opening her door. "Cocky, like always" I said as I walked inside. "I need your help" She said, motioning me over on her bed.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Well god dammit" I whistled through my teeth, "look at my hot babe" I grinned. "That's some hot stuff right there" I chuckled, taking a seat next to her on her bed.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You must be confused. No, Chloe and I aren't dating. We've been best friends since the age of what... four? And it's like we spend every single day together. Whenever you ask for Chloe, you see me there as well.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Ricky, shut up and help me" she demanded. Like I said; cocky, right? "Okay okay, what?" I asked. She turned her head and gave me her red lipstick. "Here, help me put it on." She said.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I cocked an eyebrow and stared at her lipstick, then at her, "what?" I asked, "I guess you're the expert in wearing lipstick, not me." I laughed.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah I know," Chloe said, "but Harley Quinn's lipstick is like spread all over her mouth, so that's why you need to gloss my lips with it," she said.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Auwtsch, Chloe," I said, faking a hurt facial expression and holding my hand on my heart, "are you assuming that I'm bad at doing make-up?"   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She laughed and rolled her eyes at me, something she always does when I make any kind of 'bad' joke. I love it when she does that.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I'm not saying that," she said shaking her head, "but I can't put on make-up doing it wrong by purpose. I'm a professional." she said, holding her head high. "Fine" I murmured, sighing a little.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I put her chin up and took her lipstick, frowning as I tried to gloss her lips. "So serious," she whispered, and I felt how my cheeks turned a darker shade of pink as she said so.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I don't know why, but ever since last year; I feel like Chloe and I grew closer. And not just friends, or at least that's how I feel about it. I want to call her beautiful instead of 'hot', I want to walk with her through the park, our hands laced.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I want to hug her from behind and hold her so that she can't escape, I want to kiss her, feeling her pink lips on mine.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I want to call her mine.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But I know that's never going to happen because we're best friends. And what if these feelings aren't mutual? What if I do make a move, and she rejects me? I can't ruin a friendship of years.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I just can't.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ricardo" Chloe whispered. And now I realized that I've been staring at her for the past few seconds. I swallowed and blinked a few times, shaking my head shortly. "What's up?" She asked, giggling when she said it.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I uh-" I said, turning my head away a little so that I'm not staring at her anymore. "I was just..." I stuttered, "I was just thinking that- uh..."   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"you look amazing," I said, a small smile appearing on my face, "I swear that you're going to kill it at the party tonight, you'll need a bodyguard to push away all the dirty, naughty guys." I said.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chloe laughed and pushed me back on my chest, "guys like you" she laughed. I pulled her down with me and she rolled on top of me on her bed, and our faces were inches apart.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"luckily you have your personal bodyguard right here" I whispered. Our lips almost brushed each other when I spoke, and it felt like we stared into each others eyes for an eternity. "you know I love you," she said, and for a moment I thought my heart would jump out of my chest, until she said the words I've been hearing my whole life already.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're my best friend."

   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ END OF CHAPTER