Wait A Minute

Chapter Twelve: Reviewing Pages

a/n: yawll's comments make my heart sing

- - -

Larry's own exhaustion betrayed him as a long yawn slipped past his lips. All three sets of eyes turned from the television to glance at him. The brunet snickered and stretched an arm over the shoulders of Sal, who sat beside him on the couch. "Are you already falling asleep?" Ash teased from the other end of the sofa.

"Oh, no," Larry rebuffed. His fingers absentmindedly toyed with Sal's shirt sleeve. The shorter male rested his head against Larry's shoulder, and the brunet gave his shoulder a slight squeeze. "It's just been a long day is all."

"All we've done is lounged around and ate chips," Todd joined in, taking Ash's side. A smirk pulled at the girl's glossed lips as she raised a manicured brow. Larry grimaced, glaring at both of them. His hold around Sal tightened.

"Okay, sue me, I am a little sleepy," he deadpanned. Todd let out a snort and returned to watching the television in front of them. Ash's grin broadened, and Larry's eyes flickered down to her teeth, noting the red stain across the top row. "You have lipstick on your teeth," Larry stated, free hand gesturing to his own mouth. Ash clamped her mouth shut as she swiped her tongue across her teeth.

"Better?" Larry squinted his eyes as she flashed another grin. Not being able to pick out any remnants of makeup, he gave a curt nod. Ash's smile softened as she sank back into her seat of the sofa.

"Since when did we discuss makeup at our sleepovers?" Sal grumbled into Larry's side. The taller male barked out a laugh alongside Ash. Todd shot all three of them angry stares, just wanting to become immersed with the movie they were supposed to be watching. Larry held up his hands in mock surrender at the glare before placing them around Sal again. He rested his chin on the top of his friend's head, eyes shifting to stare at the movie but not really watching it. He felt Sal let out a deep sigh from under his prosthetic, bringing a question back up to Larry's mind that he had been evading for two weeks.

Had he and Sal been this close as friends before their friendship had been briefly muddied?

Larry's mind screamed at him, yelling no. Like always, he shook the thought off. When he had went over to Sal's apartment two weeks ago and apologized for everything, it was like a switch had been flipped the next day. They both slipped right back into their friendship, pretending like nothing had ever happened between them. However, Larry knew that everything wasn't as peachy keen as it seemed. Any contact between them always lasted a second too long, and whenever they jumped into a sarcastic argument, a new kind of tension hung in the air. Larry had ignored it all just like Sal had chosen to, but it was proving to be increasingly difficult. The brunet's inner debate was broken up as he felt his friend shift closer to him and rest a hand on his thigh. The gesture was innocent, but it made Larry want to scream until he lost his voice.

"Do you guys even realize what's coming up in a couple of weeks?" Ash questioned. Larry could've sobbed with thankfulness for the distraction, finally freeing himself from his turmoil. Todd slumped back onto the couch and yanked the television remote out from where it was stuck between two cushions. All attention was on him as he jabbed a thumb at the pause button, and the television fell silent.

"Oh god, please tell us what is so, so important that it must interrupt my movie," Todd seethed. Ash simpered as she swung her legs up on the couch, so she could sit criss cross. The redhead's stare turned from her, to the other two, and back to her before he dropped the remote. "This is the last time I ever invite you heathens over for a movie night."

"Todd's tantrum aside," Ash snickered, "Have y'all seriously forgotten what's happening in fourteen days?" All three boys looked up at her with blank stares. Her mouth gaped, and she smacked a hand against her own forehead. "You guys are ridiculous. It's prom! Prom is coming up," she gasped out, words tumbling over themselves in excitement.