gianna hugged me. like, she really hugged me. i was standing there, desperately trying to make my mind go somewhere else other than to my mom, but for the life of me, i couldn't. the two of us stood in silence until i felt her arms wrap around my neck, and she hugged me against her.
i had squeezed my eyes shut, hesitantly circling my own arms around her sides, and gianna made the process faster by doing it for me, and she tightened her grasp on me. it took everything in me not to cry right there. for god sakes, i had been here an hour before her and sobbed the entire time. feeling sorry for myself, for my mom, and even for my dad. especially for aunt cece.
"it's okay." gianna whispers in my ear, shifting her weight. hearing those two words had given me hope. i would do anything to just have five more minutes with mom. that day, when she left for work and i left for school, we hugged each other goodbye and said we'd meet at the shop at 3:30 that afternoon. it never happened.
"fuck, i'm sorry." i don't realize i'm still hugging her until her hand rubs my back in circles. this girl is definitely doing something to me.
"don't be sorry. there is nothing for you to apologize for," gianna is the one that pulls away, and she smiles brightly when our eyes meet.
"should we get to work?" she claps her hands together, looking around confidently. i nod silently. i watch her walk over to my computer, and she types, and ansel elgort's voice streams from the cheap speakers that we bought to connect the laptop to. she dances over to me.
"hey. so, there's this party.....that my friends are having at the beach tomorrow night. would you...want to come?" she sort of hesitated as she spoke, but i didn't mind. although, i was curious.
"wait...you're serious? you, gianna king the great, want to be with me in front of your friends?"
"yeah, stupid. don't make a big deal about it." she laughs it off, punching my arm.
"am i allowed to....say, sit next to you?" now, i'm just playing with her, but it's fun. she doesn't reply.
"will i be able to talk to you, or-"
"if i kiss you, will you shut up?"
"i might."
