" the semester is approaching fast, everyone. I'll be discussing final projects in more detail, but I posted the rubric online for you to read over and get a head start on planning. I would've hoped you all began..." My studio professor droned on as I finished cleaning my paintbrushes.

My fingers itched to check my messages, but my hands were covered in paint. Sitting in class today was painful, and it seemed I'd become dramatic and impatient overnight.

I packed my bag and hiked out of the art building toward The Coffee Shack. There weren't any new messages from Elijah, aside from the one he'd sent this morning about thinking of me all night. Little did he know, I fell asleep giddy as though he was my first kiss.

Reclining on the couch with a coffee, I dug my computer from my backpack and worked on random assignments until my friends joined me.

"Penelope is joining us today," Reva said, sitting across from me with Penelope to her right and Iya and Lucy on either side of us.

"Hey, Penelope. It's nice to see you." I smiled. "How was your dinner last night?"

I didn't know whether they were calling it a date, so I settled on dinner. The girls looked at one another and shared a smile that they only understood the meaning of. It made me smile.

Reva got home late, which didn't give us the chance to talk and I was gone for the studio before she was awake, which meant I didn't get to hear about her date and she had no clue Elijah and I kissed in the car.

"You need to come out with us, Penelope!" Iya cheered. "That would be so much fun."

"A girls' night is much needed after that long break away from each other," Lucy added.

"It was a week."

"It was almost nine days, which is nine too long."

We laughed at Lucy's dramatics when suddenly her back straightened and I followed her gaze to where the four guys from dinner last night stood beside our chairs, my stomach dropping as I had gone down the steepest rollercoaster.

My attention focused directly on Elijah.

"Haven't seen you, ladies, in a while," Brant grinned, his eyes honing in on Lucy. The instinctive part in me wanted to tell him she was off-limits, but I would not cock block one of my best friends.

"Could say the same for you," Lucy cooed. "No more party invites."

"We're going through a dry period now," Jayce chimed in.

Lucy conversed as though she had spoken to them hundreds of times. She introduced Reva and Penelope because I was too busy keeping my mouth shut and heart at bay.

"You guys should have come to dinner with Sadie and us last night," Aiden said, and my four friends broke their necks looking at me. I swallowed. Lucy and Iya were smug, Penelope looked lost and Reva's expression was confused beyond belief. I was going to be berated by questions after this.

"They showed up at Ruby's at the end of my shift and forced me to join them."

"Oh, come on, you wanted to," Elijah teased. His voice made my skin buzz.

"No, I wanted to go home and shower."

None of the guys questioned our banter, and I realized they looked as oblivious as my friends. Elijah didn't tell them anything. He had kept our kiss private. I fought the urge to smile.

"Well, if you want to hang with us, we're going to Brew Factory this Friday."

Brew Factory was practically a club disguised as a bar, and it's where most students went after they grew out of house parties.

"Oh, we will definitely be there," Reva answered immediately. "When is your next home game?"

Jayce said, "Next Saturday."

"We'll be there too."

I shot a look at Reva. What the hell was she doing? The guys made excited sounds and said they would drive us Friday if we needed a ride and then left the cafe.

"Were you going to tell us about your dinner with the tight-pants posse?" Reva asked.

I sipped my lukewarm coffee and watched Elijah walking away through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the cafe. "It happened less than twenty-four hours ago, yes I was going to tell you."

It wasn't a full lie. Of course, I was going to tell them about dinner, but I didn't plan on saying anything about the car just yet. "Anyway, why are we going to a game next Saturday?" I asked.

"Because we rarely show our school pride, and it will be fun to eat hot dogs and popcorn," Reva said nonchalantly even though I knew what game she was playing.

"That way Sadie can watch Elijah in action and maybe—" Lucy made a vulgar gesture with her hand, and I whacked her on the arm but she still added, "In the dugout for good luck"

"You're going to scare Penelope," I said, but Penelope threw her hands up.

"I have three brothers. Nothing scares me anymore."

"Well, I'm scared of you guys right now." Laughter poured between us but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep whatever was going on between Elijah and my secret for long. They knew me too well.

And I wanted to share my happiness. Though I was fearful if acknowledged it too soon, it would slip from my fingertips faster than I found it and I wanted to hold on a little longer. So, my friends would have to wait.

I texted back under the table.

My chest tightened. I looked away from my phone to re-engage in the conversation with my friends while also thinking of what to reply to Elijah. We had only kissed once. I didn't think I was ready to wear his jersey. But how could I say no?

"Lucy," a familiar voice called and for the second time today, I watched a group of men stroll over to where we sat. Except for this time I didn't smile as I stared at Dustin and his frat brothers with a flat expression. Why?

"I haven't seen all of you together since the date party." Dustin's eyes flickered to where I sat, slightly squinted, and our eyes locked. I shifted in my seat when he looked back toward my friends. What the hell was that look for?

"Well, there is more to life than partying. You know, like school," Iya said, pointing to her textbooks on the coffee table.

"So, you're going to be doing work this Friday night? Can't come to the annex?"

"I think we're going to the bars instead." Reva protruded from her lower lip. I felt the annoyance radiating from her. "Thanks for the invite, though."

Dustin mentioned his offer stand and then looked at me again. I hadn't said a word since he arrived, and from the way he continuously glanced in my direction, it seemed he'd wanted me to. But what was I supposed to say? That I wasn't a fan of how he'd only cared if I was taken in order to back off? Yeah, no.

When nobody else entertained his presence, he left the cafe.

apartment, my shoulders slumped from the sound of silence and lack of frat and baseball players.

Reva tossed her backpack on the ground and sunk onto our couch. "Did you have a good time last night?" She asked nonchalantly while she scrolled on her phone. I didn't feel the accusatory demeanor she had at the cafe.

"I did, actually." The thought of Elijah's lips on mine flashed in my mind and I refrained from touching my mouth. "Did you?"

"I did. Penelope and I talked about labels..." she paused and my eyes widened.

"You did? And?"

"I think we're officially a couple now."

I froze and waited for her reaction. Was she uncomfortable? Happy? When she couldn't hide her smile, I jumped from my seat and made a screeching noise. "Reva! I am so happy for you. Tell me everything."

Sitting back in the armchair, I pulled my knees to my chest and listened to Reva explain her evening. I realized we hadn't talked like this in a while, and my heart swelled. I have been so preoccupied with Elijah and school; I haven't given my best friend enough attention.

Hearing how happy she is with Penelope made me relieved, because—like me—I could see how much her love life affected her.

"What about you? Anything interesting happen last night with Mr. Elijah Preston?"

There was the question of the year.

"I don't know," I said, giving myself time to think. "I think I have feelings for him."

Think was an understatement. If only she knew...

Her face fell. "Seriously? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'm really nervous about the whole thing, so I'm taking it slow. Promise to keep this between us?"

She grinned and said, "I promise."

─── • ───

: Are you watching any good shows?

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annasteffeyy

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