I’ll be there Saturday, mi capitana ;)
Caitlin’s mouth turned up, the apples of her cheeks kissing her eyes. She stared at the paper for a moment longer, not quite ready to put it away. There was something about seeing Gemma’s carefree sloping print that made Caitlin’s pulse beat faster. It also warmed her heart that Gemma had decided to respond with a handwritten reply in return to her own. Something about it felt more…intimatethan a text. She liked that passing notes was becoming their thing, a special gesture reserved just for each other.
THE REST OF THE WEEKhad passed by in a blur, ushering them into the beginning of winter break. Everyone had made it through the first semester unscathed—more or less—and all were ready for the next two weeks without school.
It was the Saturday before Christmas, and the temperature had dropped below freezing on the evening that Caitlin and her group of friends planned a cozy movie night. She had arrived at Troy’s house early, helping to gather snacks, pillows, and blankets for the night. She carefully arranged them throughout the living room as the fireplace roared to life.
Pausing for a moment, Caitlin admired the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree in the corner. It made the room feel almost romantic. She briefly considered lighting a few candles, but then she decided that that might be going too far. The lacrosse boys would probably knock them over anyway.
Once the living room was set and the others had started to arrive, Caitlin caught herself holding her breath every time the front door opened. When Gemma still hadn’t shown, Caitlin began to compulsively check her phone, worried that Gemma might have changed her mind.
Caitlin wouldn’t blame her if she had. Gemma didn’t really know any of Caitlin’s friends, after all. But still, she had wanted to include Gemma. Although if she was being honest, Caitlin had invited Gemma for her own selfish reasons. Maybe if Gemma met Caitlin’s friends and even joined their circle, the two could spend more time together.
Twenty minutes later, Caitlin had begun to give up hope that Gemma was coming.
Startling her, the doorbell pierced through the soft chatter in the room. Caitlin jumped up from the sofa and ran through the foyer, wanting to beat Troy to answer it. Not hiding a single ounce of her excitement, Caitlin’s heart attempted to leap out of her chest as she pulled open the door and found Gemma on theother side.
“Hey,” Gemma said with a soft smile, and suddenly the cool gust drifting in from outside felt as warm as a summer breeze against Caitlin’s skin.
Caitlin stood motionless, not wanting their private moment to end, but at a loss for words. She took Gemma in, standing on the doorstep in a ribbed black tank top, a small sliver of bare skin visible above the hem of her baggy jeans. A thick green-and-tan plaid flannel did little to fight off the winter air, but damn, she looked good in it. Caitlin spotted Gemma’s signature Doc Marten boots peeking out beneath her pant legs.
“Hey, I’m happy you made it!” Caitlin motioned for Gemma to come inside, who stood nervously, digging her hands into her front pockets.
Placing her palm on Gemma’s lower back, Caitlin guided her into the living room.
“Everyone, you remember Gemma, right?” Caitlin made the introduction to the group, who were huddled, ready to watch the movie.
Caitlin’s friends waved toward Gemma, who responded to the room with a warm smile. Kristie was the only one who hadn’t greeted her.
Irritated, Caitlin decided to deal with Kristie later.
Troy stood up as the two girls entered the living room. “Gemma, come over here and sit next to us.”
Caitlin felt weirdly uncomfortable as she watched her boyfriend escort Gemma over toward the couch.
“You remember my buddy, Alex?” Troy pointed at his friend, already wedged into the sofa.
Caitlin realized then what Troy was up to. Alex beamed as he looked up at Gemma, patting the spot next to him. Caitlin went rigid, the feeling of pins and needles creeping up her body. The boys had clearly discussed this plan in advance.
Gemma and Alex?The thought made her feel ill.
“Of course, the guy with the bad aim,” Gemma retorted, the other guys laughing at the dig.
Alex chuckled along, and Caitlin saw the look in his eyes. He obviously liked that Gemma had teased him.
Panic flared up inside of Caitlin as she watched Gemma fall right into the boys’ trap and take a seat on the cushion next to Alex.
Without thinking, Caitlin flung herself into the spot beside Gemma right as Troy flopped down next to her, sandwiching Caitlin between her boyfriend and her… friend. Maybe inviting Gemma had been a mistake.
Troy dimmed the lights, the living room now lit only by the glow of the Christmas tree and the TV screen as he pressed play on the DVD. The opening credits ofAmerican Piebegan to roll, Caitlin becoming suddenly aware of how close Gemma was to her.
They weren’t even halfway through the film when Caitlin’s eyes had wandered away from the screen for the hundredth time. Her skin prickled with electricity every time Gemma readjusted, brushing her arm slightly. That’s when she noticed Alex’s hand creeping closer to Gemma’s thigh. Feeling her chest tighten, she watched with increasing horror as Alex’s hand connected with Gemma’s jeans.
Caitlin turned back toward the movie, heart racing, as laughter filled the room—Jim’s dad had just caught him in a compromising position with his mother’s baked pie. Caitlin tried to refocus on the scene, to slow her breathing and push down the rising panic in her chest, but it was useless.
In her periphery, Alex’s hand crept further up Gemma’s leg, and Caitlin’s stomach lurched. Heat and nausea blurred her vision until she could no longer see the TV at all. Her pulse hammered in her ears, drowning out Oz and Finch’s dialogue.She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Acting on pure instinct, something utterly foreign to her, Caitlin seized Gemma’s wrist and yanked her to her feet alongside her.
“I’m going to show Gemma where the bathroom is,” she whispered to Troy.
