Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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TIME STOPS when I see her. Pepper is standing by my locker. The school day ended a few minutes ago, leaving the halls barren and silent. There's no mistaking her lingering next to it just like she used to, staring at her phone as she waits for me.
The muscles in my face stretch until a smile conquers it. Heat spreads through my body like a wildfire, sparking flames inside the walls of my chest.
I've missed her so much.
Going two weeks without my best friend is hell.
My pace quickens as I approach her. She's wearing one of her favorite oversized cardigans, a soft cream color that compliments her complexion. All of her curly hair is stuffed into a bun with stubborn curls slipping from the top.
She's so cute.
"Pepper," I breathe her name when I'm directly in front of her and watch as she registers my presence with surprise and stuffs her phone into her jean pockets.
"Hey." The corner of her mouth arches, but it's far from genuine. Her gaze escapes mine.
"It's been two weeks."
"I know. I had a lot to think about."
Honestly, I don't care if we date at this point. I just want to see you again.
"I missed you," I say instead, speculating if it sounds more or less desperate.
"I missed you too, Luc." A spirit of words linger beneath like there's so much more to say.
What is she thinking? How does she feel? It was never apparent just how much Pepper filled my life until she was gone. We spend so much time together that a single day without her is the loneliest ever. Two weeks? That's hell. Can we just go back to my place and watch musicals until you fall asleep in my arms?
"I've thought about this whole situation." She stares at her fingers and picks at one of the three band-aids wrapped around them. Her nails are picked down to the nubs, which is odd. There's never been a day where those hands aren't pristine and manicured.
I frown and point at them. "What happened to your fingers?"
"Um...costumes. The cast list came out the other day and I wanted to get a head start."
"Oh. That's cool." I rub my neck. My heart sinks into a lifeless crevice. This is...weird. The conversation is so forced. Unnatural. Why isn't she looking at me? I want to see those eyes that I've missed so much. "Who got the lead role?"
"Elliot, but Dominic gets to perform in two out of the five shows."
"That's cool." Shit. Say something else.
"Yeah..."
I clear my throat and reach for my charm. We don't have to date if you don't want to. I just want us to stop being weird. Just be my friend again.
