144 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫

117...

...hours left.

VINNIE AND LAKE BARELY SLEPT when they returned to their houses that night. Lake only thought about all the hours they were wasting sleeping. Vinnie kept thinking about how weird he was forcing himself to act, could Lake tell? And why didn't she feel close enough to him? He felt anxious about seeing her again. He rolled over in bed. Lake. He rolled over again. Lake.

He had to see her again.

160 hours later.

Lake was at his house and he was thinking about what kept him up a few hours ago. Her, ironically.

"So what should we do today?" She huffed with boredom , "let's just chill." He said as she nodded in agreement.

"Netflix?" She asked looking for the remote, she laughed finally finding it. Vinnie stepped in front of her, blocking the tv.

"Move clown." She ordered as he didn't move from in front of her like he usually did. Weird.

"Make me."

Lake sat on his bed looking up at Vinnie with practically puppy dog eyes and a frown. "What're you frowning for?" He laughed, it was cute. Cute? Cute. Her mind clicked in response. You're leaving. But they don't talk about that. Lie lie lie.

"Just how dumb you look with that hat on." She lied like her brain had told her to as she faked a laugh. His laugh was real and barely faded out. He removed the beanie from his head and placed it on hers.

His curls danced over his eyes before he ignorantly pushed them back. Vinnies hand moved over to lakes birch wood colored face again, her stomach sang. Kiss her. I can't. He pulled the hat over her nose and eyes. She shouted in excitement. She couldn't see anything but she could imagine vinnies stupid grin.

She floated backwards letting her back hit the mattress. "I guess I'm staying like this now I never have to see your dumb face again." That joke hit the both of them in the gut like they never knew. They laughed it off, there's no problem. I'll actually never see his face again.

"Well now I don't have to see you roll your eyes for everything." He laughed in a cutting way. Then his hand curled up next to her torso. She tried to imagine what position he was in at this point but it wasn't long before she knew. The boy was half bent over her, their torso face to face. His fists holding his body up as if he were doing half a push up.

Their lips were mirrored. Lake removed the hat from her face. Vinnies eyes immediately met hers, he was waiting for her to look at him. To tell him what was going on. Why stop or a shove, a direct order to back up wasn't being used in this moment.

And lake was wondering why he did stop? Did he start as a joke? Was he realizing he took it too far? What's wrong? What's wrong with her?

"Lake." Vinnie cleared his throat. His fists could barely hold him up anymore. The hat was sitting on lakes head, that hat wouldn't even be enough to soak up the awkward tension between the two of them. Lake cleared her throat, the whole year she had been her bold and bubbly self like she was filling out some imaginary New Years resolution. That's just how she was with vinnie. But ever since she'd fallen in love she broke a pattern inside herself.