"Hey, Thalia! How was school?" Teagan asks as I walk inside the house. Elliot had a basketball meeting and we had to shift our plans. Now, she's going to come over after her meeting and I am going to make us hot chocolate.
"It was actually pretty great. How are you feeling?" I sat with Elliot and her friends for lunch and they were all so welcoming and cute. Apparently, I had met them all yesterday night. It was fun and I didn't even feel like an outsider. They included me in all their conversations.
"I barely drank last night. I was just tired and someone had to stay back with Tara. She was a mess all morning." Teagan rolls her eyes, following me inside. I find Tara lounging on the couch, watching Vampire Diaries.
"Hey, Tara." I greet her before collapsing on the armchair. She looks up at me with a wide smile.
"How was school? Did you make new friends? Or did you miss us so much you were miserable?" She wiggles her eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes before looking at my sister.
"Can you make me a cup of tea please?" She nods and walks to the kitchen area. Our house is a two story house. My mom's room is down here with an open plan kitchen, dining area and living room. We painted our walls alternating dark and light blue. It contrasts well with our black and dark brown furniture. Teagan's room and mine are upstairs with our own bathrooms which is a big improvement from our house in DC. It was way smaller than this one. We had a common bathroom and a really small kitchen.
"Why are you avoiding the question? Tell us!" Tara slaps my hand. I pull it back and frown at her.
"Okay! Sheesh! No need to get handsy!" I grumble. "I did make new friends. And no. I didn't miss you two at all. I just wished you would've been there with me too."
"Who did you hang out with?" Tara asks, her curiosity bubbling over as she leans towards me. I blush under her intense gaze.
"Promise me you won't tease me…" Teagan joins us in the hall, standing behind the couch that Tara is lying on as they stare at me suspiciously.
"We won't." Tara says and I am pretty sure that is a lie.
"Well… Elliot Fernsbury found me in the library during my study hall and offered me coffee and then explained what happened. We also have history together and we will be doing the assignment together. So, then I had lunch with her group. They are such awesome people. Elliot and I were supposed to get coffee after school but she had an urgent basketball meeting. So, now she's coming over in an hour." They stare at me with their mouths wide.
"Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" Teagan is the first to snap out of it first.
"She sought me out first. I was just minding my own business."
"Did you meet Jaxx? Did they say anything about last night?" Tara asks, now completely in my face. I look at her with wide eyes. Jaxx is Elliot's best friend. They are proudly non binary. They are so genuinely sweet and kind. I have never met anyone as pure hearted as them. They have gorgeous forest green eyes and light blue colored short mullet that actually looks like someone placed a mop head on their head. I knew Tara had a crush on them but I had no idea it was this serious.
"Uh… the subject didn't really come up." I watch as her blue eyes dull down and she slumps away to the couch. "Sorry, Tar." I apologize looking at my hands in my lap.
"It's not your fault. It's a long shot anyways. They are so popular, I am a commoner. It's a far-fetched dream of mine." She shrugs, looking down at the ground, "But at least you get to be friends with Elliot! That's something good." She smirks at me and I roll my eyes.
"You guys were right. I'll give you that. She is definitely my type. She's so hot." I sigh dreamily.
"Looks like our ship might sail after all." Tara and Teagan share a high five and I roll my eyes.
"Shut up." I roll my eyes and take the cup that Teagan offers me. I get up, grab my bag and start upstairs, "When is mom coming home? And Tara are you staying the night?" I ask, peeking around the corner.
"Mom is not coming back for at least 4 days now. She is off to Housten with Sam and I am grounded for not going to school today. I don't think she understands what grounding means though. And yes. Tara is staying because her parents aren't in town either."
"Mom knows what grounding is. I suggest you check your credit card." I smirk at her before continuing up to my room.
"She froze my card!" Teagan yells, making me laugh out loud, "I didn't even touch alcohol last night. Thalia got high on weed. Her credit card should be the one that's frozen!"
Walking into my closet (Yes. I got a walk-in closet too this time.) I grab the first hoodie I see along with a pair of blue shorts with unicorns on it. Generally when I get home from school, I read and maybe, write but today is stalk Elliot.
"Eli_fern12?" I giggle as I see her profile photo. "Could she be any gayer?" It's a photo of her grinning at the camera with the lesbian flag around her shoulder like a cape. My phone pings with a message before I could continue stalking her.
'I am here. Can you open the door?'
'You are way earlier than I thought.' I text back as I start walking downstairs.
'The meeting got over early.'
"I want you both to be on your best behaviour. Please do not embarrass me." I tell the idiots on the couch as I walk past.
"No promises!" Teagan yells and I hear scrambling. I roll my eyes but open the door.
There stands the bane and boon of my existence decked out in her basketball team jacket, looking effortlessly gorgeous as she stares down at her phone.
"Hey." I greet, making her look up. She shoots me a gorgeous smile that makes my heart stutter, "You changed." I take in her joggers and the black jacket with ice blue bands on the sleeves with the school's mascot wolf logo under the right collar with her surname.
"Hey! Yeah. I thought we had try-outs today so I changed beforehand but we didn't." She rolls her eyes at me, putting her phone in her pocket.
"Oh. Well... Come on in." I gester inside. I close the door behind us.
"Hey, Elliot!" Tara and Teagan yell. They are leaning against the couch's back. They both sport creepy grins on their faces.
"This is Teagan, my twin and Tara. She goes to our school. These two ship us. So… just a heads up." I explain seeing Elliot's creeped out expression. Realization dawns on her face.
"Ah… okay. Hi guys!" She waves at them and they wave back, "I think I have seen Tara in classes. Do we share any?" Tara just nods back vigorously. I roll my eyes and take Elliot's hand.
"Come on. Let's go upstairs."
"So… we have a lot of wars and civilizations this year. And we have to select any history related topic. Do research on it. Make a presentation and present it in class." Elliot explains as she sets her backpack down near my bed.
"I have never done a presentation in front of the class. Makes me anxious. Teagan generally does that." I mumble, playing with the sleeve of my hoodie.
"We'll find a way to work through it." She assures me before sitting down on the bed. I flash her a small smile, trying to assure myself too.
It's going to be a wreck of an assignment.
"Nice room, babe." She grins at me. I blush and look around.
My room is pastel blue with a vintage dresser, a king size bed, a desk and a bookshelf. A lot of small nick nacks are scattered around the room like a few succulents, small pride flags around, and posters. There is also a big rainbow flag over my bed. There's a balcony attached to my room that my mom specifically wanted because I stargaze when I can't sleep and she doesn't like it when I stay out in the backyard so late into the night.
"Thanks. I painted it myself." I say, proudly, "So, have you thought about what topic you want to do?"
"I was thinking about Suffrage or the overall LGBTQ+ struggle. But what about you?" She asks as I take a seat on the floor before the bed, facing Elliot. Elliot gets up and sits, leaning against the bed.
I play with the threads of the golden rug under me before shrugging.
"I have always been interested in Greek civilization and history but we can do the history of Pride parades. I mean they are hugely misjudged and misunderstood." Two fingers grab my chin and tilt my head up. Elliot smiles softly and my breath hitches. So close… I mean I just have to lean up a little bit. My eyes flicker to her lips for a split second before meeting her eyes again. Her eyes seem to be unfocused for a moment before they refocus on mine.
"That is a good idea and you can look at me and tell me about it. I won't eat you even if it was a bad one." She chuckles before letting me go.
"I am not used to working with people other than Teagan and my best friend from the school I was in in DC. People thought I was too boring, remember? I told you."
"Well… You can think of me as your sister if that makes you less nervous." She suggests but I can see that she doesn't really like that idea much. I smirk at her, raising my eyebrow at her.
"Do you really want me to think of you as my sister?" I ask, watching her fidget and look everywhere but at me. She looks so uncomfortable, it's funny to watch.
"I mean… If we have even the slightest of chance, then no." She whispers, leaning in. Her confidence seems to be back to normal. Something about the lazy smirk on her lips makes me feel confident too.
"So… if I said no, you won't fight for me?" I ask, leaning forward as well. Her eyes darken as they flicker down to my lips before glancing up again.
"If I fight, I'd win, babygirl." A shiver runs down my spine at her husky voice.
"Maybe you should fight then." I mumble, quickly leaning in and kissing her cheek. I feel her gasp as I pull back and get up. I extend a hand for her to take.
"Come on. Let's make hot chocolate." She still looks stunned as I drag her out of the room and down to the kitchen.