"Oh, hey," I said, tapping on Sage's shoulder as she was behind me waiting on her drink.
"Opps hi." She said she was slowly turning around and greeting me with a soft smile.
"What are you doing here? It's been awhile. How are you?" I said calmly as we walked over to a small table near the cash register moving magazines to the counter and gently setting them down on the edge.
"Can we talk? There's something I need to tell you." I said to her, pulling out a chair and signaling for her to sit down.
"I've only got a few minutes, but yeah, what's up?" She said it cautiously.
I sat down across from her as my coffee with white macadamia nut cold foam was placed in front of me by the barista.
"What's up? What did you need to talk about?" She said, raising her left hand in the air and gracefully waving down a barista to get her coffee, as they walked over and handed her a vanilla mocha latte, she held it tightly in her hands after she got it. Her white, milky, almond-shaped nails shone in the morning light.
"Well- um. I've been thinking about it for a while now."
She cleared her throat and said, "Look, Claire, I've got a lot to do. I can't get into this right now. I know where this is going."
The air became thick. "I know, it's just..."
"I like you."
She tensed her whole body immediately. "And you think I don't? Claire, I've liked you since the day I met you. I didn't say anything because it wouldn't work. My parents won't let me. They want me to marry a man and have a family; I have no choice. I'd pick you if I could." She said that while swallowing a lump in her throat, her eyes started to become glossy and filled with tears.
"I know. We've gone over this. I know it's what your parents want, but what do you want?" I said to her. It's not like I'd be able to change her mind, but it was worth one last try.
"I... I want to be with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I can't. I'm sorry, Claire; my parents won't let me. I've already let them down enough."
"You haven't let them down at all. We're almost 16, and we can make it work in the future. Please. I'll wait for you." I said I was starting to get desperate.
"There's no way this will work. I love you, but I can't risk us both getting in trouble for this."
"I'll make this work; give me a minute." I said this while placing both of my hands on either side of my temples.
I looked up at her immediately as she looked out the window, and off to the distance, I said,
"You're parents let us have sleepovers, and hang out all the time. And they know we're best friends. We'll keep it very low-key and private. No one will suspect it."
"So, you're implying that we do this. But keep it secret. You're willing to do that? For me? I just can't come out right now. Especially with everything that's going on at school and grades and my brother leaving." She said while playing out the pros and cons of all of this in her head.
"I know, and I understand, that I'm willing to love you in secret if it means I get to be with you." I said, "I'm risking everything for you. And I'm ok with that. "
She didn't say anything back. I watched her look down at the table, tracing the lines in the wood with her finger, before looking up at me.
"Sage?" I said softly. Her head perked up immediately, and her dark green eyes looked directly into mine.
"Sorry," she replied.
"It's ok." I paused, then said, "So, what are we going to do about this?" I asked.
"I want you in my life, and I hate that it has to be this way. But if you're willing to keep us private, then I'll do it to be with you."
My eyes widened. "Really?" I said it as calmly as I could.
"We've spent so much time together, I can't tiptoe around this subject any longer. And it's to the point where I can't just be friends with you anymore." She said.
"Me either; this is what I've wanted to talk to you about. I didn't know how to bring it up or if you even felt the same way. And-"
"Stop." She said that, reaching over for my arm and abruptly getting up from the table, I uncrossed my legs and got up immediately, trying to pull my skirt back down casually.
The rubber protectors on the bottom of the chair squeezed on the marble floors, which caused a few people to turn their heads and look. There was a tall man with a short white beard and a reddish skin tone that gave me a dirty look. I accidentally made eye contact with him, so I mouthed "sorry," smiling nervously. He rolled his eyes and then went back to looking at his newspaper.
Sage, still gripping my wrist tightly, continued to walk with her head down to the bathroom.
"Are you ok?" I asked, and she didn't say anything.
She closed the one-stall bathroom door behind us and locked the door.
I looked around before she placed both her hands on my cheeks and pressed her lips against mine. It was for just a split second before she pulled away.
"I've wanted to do that for so long." She said, smiling, my tinted lipgloss transferred to her lips and just below her nose.
I smiled at her, then pointed at the mirror. She turned around and looked in the mirror. She looked back at me and rolled her eyes, then innocently smiled, letting a little laugh out.
"So. It's official, you're my-"
"Girlfriend," she interrupted.
I smiled, "Yes!"
"It's been a long time coming, she said, opening the door."
"It really was." I replied as we walked out the door, a cool late-November chill greeted us as we stepped out the door.
"Wanna go on a walk at the beach?" I asked; it was only about a 5-minute walk from us.
She nodded before saying, "Bet I'll be there first."
"Heyyy!" I said this while trying to catch up with her.
The end :)
1092 words!
(A/N)
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