STARGIRL

67. Dependence

Morgan was busy using her index finger to rub off the tiny sesame seeds from the top of the bagel she stole from the teacher's lounge.

A few curious pigeons suddenly surrounded her, and she couldn't help but laugh at how they effortlessly bobbed their heads up and down.

Arabella saw her from a distance and thought she looked a little crazy, but she still laughed.

Morgan was sitting on a bench right outside of the administration office and was bundled up in an array of warm clothes.

Arabella approached her with both of her hands tucked into the front pocket of the hoodie she had borrowed from Maddox.

She paired the oversized black hoodie with light blue baggy mom jeans ripped at the knees and a dirty black and white pair of Air Jordan 1's.

Arabella smiled widely at her, "Having fun there?"

Morgan's face lit up when she saw her, "You better sit down and tell me everything."

Arabella pulled her phone out to check the time.

"Class starts in like five minutes."

Morgan shrugged, "So?"

"Give me a bite, and I'll think about it," Arabella prompted as she sat down beside her.

The campus was full of students outside sitting on the picnic tables or standing around with friends waiting for the three-minute warning bell.

Morgan held out the bagel and waited for her to tell her what had happened over the weekend.

"I think we're dating," Arabella said to her as she examined the bagel's bite, "Like, officially, but we haven't said the words boyfriend or girlfriend at all."

Morgan knew that her heart must've imploded at that. She dramatically covered her chest with both hands and imitated the sound of a bomb exploding.

"You just killed me," Morgan said as she draped herself over Arabella's lap, "I'm dead, and you'll have to carry me to class."

Arabella put the bagel on the crook of her back after she decided she didn't want any after all.

"Dude," Morgan sat back up, and the bagel fell onto the floor where some pigeons began to eye it. Wary of the two girls who.

"I need details, and I mean everything don't leave out the r-rated shit either - I read fanfics so I can handle anything."

Arabella momentarily glared at her, "You're sick."

She lightly shoved at Arabella's arm, "Come on!"

Arabella pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, "He didn't ask me directly, but I asked him if he'd hold my hand here at school, and he said yes."

Morgan frowned. What kind of middle school shit was that?

"Arabella, I don't want to be that person, but that isn't being a couple. Aren't you bummed he didn't ask you out like, directly?"

Arabella looked a little shocked at that, offended almost.

However, she forgot that Morgan had little insight into their history together and realized how shitty it sounded on his behalf.

Arabella made it sound like she begged for him to show affection toward her publicly.

Arabella remained silent as she nuzzled herself into the hoodie and briefly smelled the notes of his familiar cologne - bergamot and amber wood.