Parallel ♥ Kristina Short Story

Chapter 6

"So, are you going to tell me?" Kendall insisted.

Christina found herself staring out into the ocean watching the sun slowly set. She turned to look at him as he was just a few feet away.

I told you not to wake me up. She thought.

"Chris," Kendall reached out to hold her hand.

"My parents treat me like a child," She responded. "I knew my best friend would treat me like the adult I am, the one I am becoming, and Florida was a little too boring for me."

"You're twenty-two you're in school. Why do you say they treat you like a child?" He asked.

Christina sighed, "I don't know. That's why I picked New York, it was the school farthest away from them. I need to breathe, I need to be free."

"Do you feel free?" He put on a shirt he took from the bed and sat down. But Christina was caught in the previous daydream she had where she answered him what she really wanted to say. "Los Angeles is free? Breathable? Morning pollution is the worst. Especially from all the traffic." Kendall joked.

"I want to grow. I want to travel." She said. "Paris, Rome, São Paulo, everywhere. You know why I love the moon?" She found herself walking towards the balcony as she stepped out of the bedroom. She felt Kendall walk behind her then found a spot next to her. He pressed his forearms on the rail as he looked over at her. Christina spotted the moon in the pink sky. "The moon sees everything. Sometimes, when my friends were out drinking and I was alone in the dorm, I found myself staring at it. Sometimes talking to it. I didn't feel alone. It became my best friend." She turned to look at Kendall.

"The moon replaced me?" He asked. Christina giggled.

"It brought me closer to you." She answered. She looked up at it. "I knew that the moon was looking over you too. Looking over everyone I loved, and it made it seem like they were with me."

"Now that you mentioned it, I found myself staring at it too sometimes." He whispered, she gave him a weird look. "I am not lying. I guess somehow the stars aligned and I knew you were looking at it too."

"The stars aligned," Christina laughed. "That was cheesy. I like it."

"The stars aligned." He repeated. "Was that really what you wanted to tell me earlier?"

Christina rested her head on his shoulder as his arm came around hers, reaching for her hand. Her heart beat increased as his fingers intertwined with hers. "Yes."

"So.. what should we do tomorrow?" He asked.

"Whatever we had planned for today." She looked up at him from his shoulder. Only seeing his jaw, the one she had imagined kissing not long ago. "Promise me, whatever happened tonight. Won't happen again."

"The moon part?" Kendall sighed. Christina ran her fingers through his hair.

"You know which part I am talking about." She hugged him. "You're my best friend and I don't imagine a life without you."

"I'll stop. I promise."

"No harm, no dieting. You could use some muscles if you want." She gripped his arms. "You might hurt yourself lifting the tv remote." She joked.

"I am pretty sure I can lift you." He bent over and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder as he walked back in the bedroom.

"Put me down!' She screamed as he carried her into the guest bedroom down the hall from him.

"Okay." He threw her down on the bed before realizing she had grabbed a fistful of his white shirt, pulling him down too. They both fell on the bed. "You know we've been flirting for the past hour." He spoke after a few moments of silence.

"We? Most likely you." She grabbed the pillow and hit him with it.

"Kendall?" A female voice was heard from the hallway as they both saw her at the bedroom entrance.

"Heather?" Kendall quickly stood up and fixed his shirt.

"How did you get in here?" Christina sat up on the bed.

"Spare key." Heather shook the keys in her hand.

"Look, whatever you think happened-" Christina began.

"No, it's okay. You're fully clothed." Heather nodded. Christina felt her glare rest on her. "And you're just friends." She reminded her.

"Just friends." Christina repeated.

"I'll be in the kitchen." She said before she walked away.

Kendall turned to Christina, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Christina played it off. "The spare key?" She laughed. "It's not like I need it in New York. Now go with your girlfriend."

Kendall's heart dropped. He secretly wished to stay with her, in her room. Lay in bed talk about absolutely nothing. Instead he nodded and walked out the room. To think, Dustin's little speech in the restroom this morning was about the possibility of her liking me. Kendall thought. Christina doesn't feel the same way. She can't like me back. I have to be with Heather. She's my only hope.