American Sweethearts

45

"Stay still!" I urge.

"I'm trying!"

I loop Lena's hair around the curling iron, letting it form into a bouncy wave. She started doing her hair herself, but she couldn't reach the back of her head. So, she dragged me away from my textbooks and is now forcing me to do her hair.

I don't mind. I was only studying to pass the time while I waited for Tyler to come home.

"Almost done," I tell her, grabbing the final chunk of hair.

"I'm going to be late!" she complains.

"Do you want your hair done, or not?"

"Yes!"

"Then shush, and let me do this!"

She groans, but doesn't say another word until the curling iron beeps, letting us know the curl is finished. I let her hair go, quickly running my hair through it to make sure it's not too tight.

"There you go," I smile. "All done."

"Thank god," she sighs. "I'm going to be late!"

She hops off the chair, running over to the wardrobe. I pack up her makeup while I wait for her. She made a total mess in the bathroom, but I don't blame her. She must be unbelievably nervous.

Her first college date. Her first date with a woman.

If that was me, I'd be terrified, too.

"Okay!" she runs back into the room. "What do you think?"

I eye her outfit. She's wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans, with a cute purple crop top.

"I like it," I say. "Are you going for a nude lipstick or do you want to match your clothes?"

"Nude."

I dig through her stack of lipsticks, picking out a comfortable nude colour for her to wear. She packs her bag quickly, and dumps the lipstick I give her in there, as well.

She hurries out of the room, but I'm hot on her heels.

My heart skips when I see Tyler standing in the kitchen. He's watching us, but I can't focus on him right now. I need to fulfil my best friend duties and help Lena.

"Grab me a snack!" she calls, picking her shoes up off the floor.

"On it," I nod.

I worm my way through the boys, trying my best to avoid touching them. I grab her a KitKat, as well as a granola bar. Just like Owen, she's a huge health freak, so she'll probably eat the latter. I exit the kitchen, and toss them in her bag.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"I forgot my phone!"

I race back into our bedroom, scanning the area for her phone. I spot mine on my pillow, but that's not good enough. I look through the bathroom, and find hers sitting beside the sink.

"I got it!" I call, running back into the room.

"Thank you!" she cheers, heading towards the door. "I'm out!"

"Wait, Lena!" I stop her. She raises her eyebrows at me. "Don't forget to breathe."

She laughs, realising how hectic the past 15 minutes have been. I smile at her, but then she glances back at Tyler. She points between us, giving me a pointed look.

"No funny business," she says. A blush instantly rises to my cheeks. She slams the door shut, leaving me to face Tyler.

A tense silence hangs in the air, but it's welcome. It's far more peaceful than it was seconds ago. I take a deep breath, following the advice I gave Lena. Once my nervous energy has been reduced, I turn around.