𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Fourteen

    "Okay, so, that's over. That's cancelled," Nora groaned as the three of them sat in a booth at Diane's after school like usual. "I hate romance so much. Why is it so difficult? When has it ever been this hard? I literally just wanna, like, kiss her and then have her in my arms because she is so much shorter than you always think she is and it's my favorite thing I love being tall to someone. Stupid Mason and his six feet, useless. Waste of a cute, tall boy."

    "You're a mess, here, have a sip of my milkshake," Kristen was clearly stifling a laugh at her best friend's antics as she pushed the chocolate milkshake over to Nora from across the table. "Listen, the first girl you have a crush on doesn't have to be the one you end up with. Maybe just work through accepting that it's not gonna happen and move on. Let love come to you, don't try and force it. Who knows? Maybe you just have to be single for a while."

    Nora sighed, grabbing the milkshake and taking a long sip before speaking again, "She said she likes me, too. There's something there, I know there is. She's just being all mysterious and hot. Why is it hot? I shouldn't think it's hot, she's kind of being a dick. But... still hot. Ugh."

    "You know, this really proves that you really like girls because you're talking like every desperate, single, and yearning queer girl I have ever met," Amarie joked as she put her arm around Nora. "If she likes you, like, she admitted it, that means there's something for you to build off of. However, she has made it very clear that she wants her space so it's your job to give that to her and if she changes her mind, then she'll change her mind. If not, you have to move on. You can't pursue someone who doesn't want to be pursued, it's unhealthy and can very quickly cross the line into creepy."

    "Don't be creepy, that would be awfully stereotypical of you," Kristen reassured. "Nora: The Lesbian Stalker. Blegh, sorry but I refuse to watch you become a Riverdale plotline."

    "I don't want to stay on the edge of my seat waiting to see if she wants me," Nora groaned resting her head on the table with support from her arms. Her voice was muffled from the position, but she continued complaining regardless, "But at the same time, I do."

    Amarie simply patted her on the back, musing, "Yeah, Nora, welcome to liking girls."

    "It sucks."

    "Right up until it doesn't," Kristen advised, "and trust me, you'll get there. I promise."

    Nora lifted her head and held out her pinky, with a gentle pout, asking, "Pinky promise?"

    Although, Kristen laughed and rolled her eyes, she still intertwined their pinkies as any and every best friend should always do when presented with a pinky promise. Nora smiled satisfactorily as she sat up and took another sip of the milkshake.

    "This whole "crush" thing is stupid," she complained further, emphaszing the air quotes around the word crush. "Like? Ugh. That's all I have to say."

    "Oh, is it?" Kristen raised an eyebrow while sharing giggles with Amarie across the table. "You're ridiculous, Nora. You know that right?"

    The girl scoffed, "Of course, I know that. Who do you think I am?"

    "You need to learn to be alone, Nora," Amarie advised, her voice soft and caring. "Just give her space and we'll see what happens."

    What Amarie doesn't understand is that being alone is the worst part of all of this. Nora wouldn't be able to learn how to be alone, because she had forgotten how. Even before they were dating, she always had Mason. Now that he just wasn't in her life, something still felt like it was missing. She despised that feeling and it wasn't something she could see herself getting used to for a long time. Being alone was never something Nora had been good at. In fact, it was probably her worst nightmare at this point. Sure, she had her best friends, she always had her best friends. However, there was something about romantic love that the hopeless lover in Nora craved even in her heartbreak. She knew forcing anything was not the way to go, but she was not going to be content at all with this odd relationship-intermission period she was going through.