Payback [ON HOLD]

Chapter 10

I'm 50% sure I remember crying a little bit while wrapping this chapter up last night. You have been warned.

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     "Yo, daydreamer, what's up with you today?" someone asked with a laugh, waving a hand in front of Lilly's face. It took her two seconds to remember where she was, and two more to register who the speaker was.

     "Ugh, honestly, Kota, I don't even know anymore," Lillian moaned after flopping down face-first into her best friend's comforter, making her sound muffled.

     "Nervous about tonight?" she heard her best friend ask sympathetically, though Lilly still didn't bother to pick herself up and face her companion again. Too mentally exhausted to care.

     "Understatement of the century!" she yelled into the bed, attempting to soothe her nerves. It didn't work. "I am scared to DEATH of what he's gonna say. It can only end in two kinds of bad: heartbreak, or embarrassment. And I reeeally wanna avoid both."

     Lillian had invited Timothy to come over for an hour or two after supper to sit around and chat. Ever since lunch that afternoon, she'd been on edge. She just wanted to know what was going on. And yet... she was deathly afraid of what the truth might be.

     "Honey, that's what I'm here for. To distract you from your problems with mine!" Dakota declared, making them both crack up. It was kind of too true.

     So, for the next two-and-a-half hours, Dakota ranted about two out of her four sisters (she was the second of five girls) being brats while her parents apparently stood by and did nothing, and her long-time crush that she was slowly but surely getting over (Christian).

     Unfortunately, it had to end, and Lilly's mom came to pick her up in time for her to not get car sick on the way home because of intense hunger. But, joke on mom, by the time they pulled into the driveway she was feeling sick from nerves.

Eating was pretty much impossible. Lillian's stomach was in knots, and there were fluttery things everywhere, making it extremely difficult to focus on anything but the thought of the boy making her nervous. So much depended on this night; it could either end in absolute disaster, or pure happiness, sweet relief. It felt like a new start, like they were meeting for the first time. And that... that was terrifying.

Lilly's mother had to threaten her with not letting Timothy come if she didn't eat, so she forced down the entire bowl of soup presented to her. Thankfully, the taste didn't make her nauseous. But her stomach still churned a little harder when the food hit it, and Lillian thought that was just wonderful. Especially when Timothy texted her what felt like an eternity later that he was on his way. It was only a ten minute drive, but GEEZ did it feel long. And yet much too short.

She was practically in a daze as she watched the car pull up. The plan was that his mother would drop him off for an hour or two, then come back to pick him up whenever she finished up with her friends in town. Girls' night or something. But, in that moment as she watched Timothy slide out of the car and walk up to the front door with his mother close behind (probably wanted to see him off), she didn't really care.

     It was like time had slowed down, and all that existed was that door, him, and her consciousness. She felt her nerves spike in a million new ways as she reached for the handle and turned it. What if this went terribly wrong...

     Coming back to her normal self by a smidge, Lillian remembered herself and opened the door just as the two reached the landing outside.

     "Hey," she said feebly, forcing her legs (apparently made of jello) to step aside and allow the guests in. "Glad you could make it."