Cloverfield

9: Cold coffee

Emily's eyes blinked to adjust at the daylight. As her senses hit her, she felt an arm laying on her stomach and Ali's breath close to her neck. She suddenly felt those freaking goosebumps.

"She's like a monkey," Hanna said above her.

Em stiffened and looked up abruptly. "You scared me," she hissed, trying not to wake up Alison.

Hanna shrugged. "Sorry."

There was no need to apologize, Emily thought. Her friend clearly hadn't meant it. "So... good morning."

"Morning," Alison whispered in a raspy voice.

"O-oh, morning, Ali," Em stuttered. She tried looking at her, but she was just so close, Emily had to press her chin to her neck to catch her face.

Alison opened her eyes, Em being her first sight. She smiled. "You look funny."

"Right?" Hanna ruined the moment. "Her face is flushed!"

Ali had first thought of something snarky to say, but she restrained herself. "It actually is," she said insead, checking her out. "Are you sick?" She placed her hand delicately in Em's forehead.

"No, I'm just... too hot."

"Oh, sorry." Alison pulled away, instantly missing the contact.

I didn't say I minded, Em thought. Was this normal? Not wanting your best friend to let go off your body? They were just cuddling, right?

Ali's stomach growled. "Ugh, don't you guys want to bring me breakfast? I'm way too comfy."

"I would," Emily said shyly. "But I don't really wanna leave, either."

Alison looked at the girls with puppy eyes, popping out her bottom lip. "Pleeeeease?"

Spencer was sat by the farther side of the bed and since she was the tallest, she could easily glance at Ali and Em. She had an annoyed look on her face, something Alison often saw when she talked about Melissa.

"Sure, Ali," Hanna said, crawling to the end of the bed. She had always looked up to Alison, for some reason. Maybe it was because Hanna was insecure and Ali was the opposite--or at least, that's how Ali had made it look lately. Or maybe it was because Alison had quite some knowledge of fashion and Hanna was obsessed with it--she studied more Teen Vogue magazines than books for tests. Well, the reason didn't matter. What did was that Hanna was doing what she'd asked.

"Thank you," Ali mumbled after almost forgetting to say it. Hanna was already out of the room. It's okay, you can tell her when she's back.

"Did you guys finish the book for English? It was so romantic!" Aria gushed.

"Yeah," Spencer answered. "But did you know Dickens originally wrote another ending?"

"Don't ruin it, Spence." Alison stretched her arms and legs on the mattress, her tone not sounding too friendly.

"You guys already finished it?" Emily asked in disbelief. "You don't, like, enjoy the book?"

"So much we finished it in days," Aria laughed.

"For the record." Ali turned to Emily after resting one arm on her forehead and the other on her stomach. "I haven't. Old English requires my whole concentration and Jason's party didn't help."

Em smiled at the slight comforting statement.

"Well, I'm gonna grab breakfast, unlike some lazy people," Spencer hissed.

Aria looked apologetically at them. "I'll come with you."

As they left the room, Emily focused back on the blonde, her blue eyes clearer than ever with Ali wearing a white see-through top, half covered by the sheets.

"Is she mad at me?" Alison asked. Things had been great between her and Spencer. Was she really that annoyed about her not getting up?

"You know her. She probably just needs her morning coffee."

Mhhh... coffee... Right now, it sounded good. Right now, it felt good gazing at Em's brown eyes. Coffee-like.

Emily suddenly felt so nervous, her insides spiraling. Why was Ali looking at her like that? Wait, was she looking at her like anything? Was Emily just being paranoid?

Then, their stare-off was broken by loud footsteps in the hallway. Alison sat up and then climbed to Spencer's bed. Emily stared at the empty space next to her. She had felt a breeze. She wanted to climb, too. But Ali remained on the border. She stretched, and got up and sat by the far edge as Hanna entered the room with two cups of coffee. She gave one to each girl. "Thank you," Em said.

"Yeah, you're big!" Alison chimed good-naturally.

Hanna looked uncomfortable, but she guessed by Ali's smile as she tasted the coffee that she hadn't meant that in any other way.

"Oh, my god, I love you. You remembered I liked it with milk!"

Hanna smiled back. Maybe her obsession with Ali was a little too much, but she just loved learning about her friend.

Emily suddenly had a bitter taste in her tongue, and it wasn't because of the coffee. Before falling asleep, Ali had told her she loved her, too. Had that meant anything? Did she just throw I love yous around? Hopefully not. Hopefully it was just a simple slip.

She hadn't put much thought into it, and this would probably sound selfish--sorry, mama Fields--but Emily wanted Alison to love her. Her and only her.

But in what way?

Do I love her as more than a friend? How she felt seemed like those movies where a boy meets a girl, he gets to know her, like her... and kiss her. Emily wanted the same as that boy: The girl.

But girls didn't like girls, right? Girls wanted to trade clothes, share makeup tips and talk about boys... not girls. Not want girls. Not be with girls.

But then why did she feel like this? Why did she want Ali, want to protect her from harm's way, want to be with Ali? Was there something wrong with her? Was it weird that she'd never really been attracted to a boy? Was it weird that she got the so called butterflies with the thought of her? The pull on her stomach when she thought of how kissing her would feel like?

Emily didn't realized Ali had already finished her coffee until she left her trance. Emily had only taken a few sips.

Alison and Hanna were talking about what they would be wearing on Monday. It's only Saturday, girls. Calm down, Emily thought. But at the same time, they were talking like normal girls. Maybe Emily is the one who should calm down.