[𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒]

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 everything in my life seemed to be going well, there was still another thing I had to take care of.

"Can we talk?" I asked Shannon, standing at the end of my old cafeteria table. We'd been avoiding each other for the longest and it was honestly killing me inside, not talking to my best friend.

"Sure," she said simply, and followed me to another empty table where we sat.

I looked my old friend in the eyes and sighed.

"I know you probably hate me but I have to get this off my chest; I'm sorry, for being a bad friend. And I really hope you can forgive me because you're literally like my fucking older sister—"

"I forgive you."

"For real?" Shannon was too monotone, which was unlike her, so it was hard for me to believe her words.

"Yeah."

"Say 'on god.'"

"I'm not doing all of that, I already said I forgive you," she said with a light chuckle. "And you're not a bad friend, Paris. Yes, what you did was rather asshole-like."

"And kind of fake," I added quietly.

"Well, yeah, but . . ." she sighed and slapped her hands on her lap. "You can't be mad at your sister forever, right?"

"Awhhh, Shannonnn!." I jumped up and wrapped my arm around her, sitting on her lap, as she wrapped her long arms around me. "I love you." I kissed her cheek.

"Love you, too," she responded.

I had gotten my best friend and sister back.

"Wait, so tell me about you and London," she suddenly requested.

"How'd you know we were dating?" I asked even though London and I were no strangers to PDA.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Everyone knows you two are dating."

"Do they now?"

"Yes, c'mon now."

"Mmm, what do you want to know?"

"Like when did you two start dating."

"Umm, the night I attacked Darion."

"Damn, okay, that's interesting. Does he know that you did?"

"Yeah. I don't think he believes that I was the one winning, though." Which saddened me a little, but whatever, that's not the point.

Shannon covered her face with her hands.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"I'm gonna cry," she sobbed, wiping her dry eyes. "Your first boyfriend, Paris!"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "It's not that serious." It was, though.

"Oh shut up! You know it is."

"Only to you. . . and me, too."

☽☽☽

" 'She is tolerable—' "

" 'But not handsome enough to tempt me,' " I recited. "Darcy gets on my nerves."

"You've read this?" London questioned.

"Yeah." I turned my head up on his chest to look at him. "My mom and my sister are Jane Austen fans so they wanted me to get into her books. So I've read Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, and Emma. Emma was the only one I could really get into and enjoy. Reading Pride and Prejudice just made me mad because of Mr. Darcy."

"Paris, what's your favorite book?"

"My favorite book?" I pondered on that. "Uhhh, I don't really have one." Normally I probably wouldn't be embarrassed saying that, but saying it London, I did.

London's one of those people who read on their own time, so I didn't want him thinking I was dumb.

"I can give you some book recommendation," London requested, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"That'd be nice," I murmured.

I leaned in to kiss him, just then my a Dad called.

"Paris! London! Can you two come here for a second?"

I rolled my eyes, sighed and pulled myself off London.

"Don't be mad."

"No because what does he want?" I snapped lowly so Dad would hear.

London and I found Dad in the kitchen with Mom. He handed London what looked like two tickets.

As London scanned the tickets, a smile crept onto his lips.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Plane tickets," he murmured, moving his eyes up from said tickets to me.

"Oh, so you can go back to California," I stated.

"And you can accompany him," Mom said.

London expressed his gratitude by hugging and thanking my mom and dad.

"Thank you so much," he said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Of course," Mom replied with a smile.

After Mom and Dad exchanged a few more words with London, London and I went upstairs. My feet were across the threshold of his room for about a good five seconds before he lifted me up off my feet.

He kissed around my face disorderly, cuing the butterfly swarm in my stomach.

"You're happy."

"How could I not be?" He began kissing along my jawline slowly, making me want to wrap my legs around his waist.

"H' ummmm," I realized a shaky sigh."

"You want me to stop?"

"No, no, not at all," I said quickly.

"'Kay."

He went back to kissing my jawline.

"London?" I managed to get out.

"Yes, Paris?" His voice was soft, which made my stomach feel funny in a good way. It wasn't butterflies I was feeling, no, it was something else. I wasn't sure what it was, though.

"Can I go to California with you."

"Of course."

My feet still weren't on the floor. There was a little space between us.

"Um," I gulped. "Another thing . . ."

"What is it, Paris?"

"Ummmm . . ."

London slowly moved his face up to look me dead in the eye. Once again, I gulped and gazed at him.

"What is it?" He asked again.

"I— I don't even remember."

I really didn't have anything to say.