Gemma finished the buttery treat in her lap, deciding not to go back for more. The bowl was sitting on the couch between Caitlin’s legs, and that seemed way too risky. Instead, she reached for the bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms on the coffee table and tried to keep her eyes concentrated on the screen in front of her. Gemma jolted, feeling a brush of skin against her own. Her gaze snapped up to find Caitlin leaning toward the coffee table as well, as if they had been drawn by the same unspoken impulse. Cailtin’s cheeks flushed, but Gemma didn’t dare try to guess at their meaning.
Somewhere past the halfway mark of the movie, Gemma realized that Caitlin had shifted closer. So close, in fact, that there was barely an inch of space left between their thighs. Theworld around Gemma seemed to freeze, the sound of the movie fading until all that remained was the beat of her own heart and the girl sitting beside her.
On the screen, Sandra Bullock and the other beauty pageant contestants were walking across the stage in bikinis. Usually, this scene would have had Gemma’s full attention, but even Sandra Bullock didn’t stand a chance as she felt Caitlin angle her body against hers and rest her head on Gemma’s shoulder.
Gemma held her breath, afraid that even the slightest flinch would cause Caitlin to change her position. Having Caitlin so close felt effortless, maybe even inevitable. It was as if her shoulder had been waiting for years to hold the weight of Caitlin’s head—to give her a place to rest. In that moment, Gemma knew there would be no coming back from this. She was utterly, hopelessly lost in this girl.
After that night, their friendship returned to the way it had been before Christmas break. Pretending like the night at Troy’s house had never happened, Caitlin and Gemma fell into a new routine.
During the school week, they would swap between their houses for homework sessions that always seemed to devolve into fits of giggles. On the weekends, the two would take bike rides to the park together, weather permitting, or sprawl across a couch for another rom-com marathon.
Gemma’s days dissolved into a montage of laughter, of late-night whispers, and the kind of moments that feel infinite at the age of fifteen.
FOURTEEN
Spring Semester, Sophomore Year of High School
WEEKS PASSED, AND WARMER WEATHERrolled in, marking the beginning of the friends’ ice cream adventures. Gemma always went for chocolate chip cookie dough, and Caitlin defaulted to caramel swirl. They vowed that by summer’s end, they would taste every flavor that the local creamery had to offer. For Gemma, each moment with Caitlin was a treat, sweet and innocent. She cherished every second, not knowing how their story would end and doing her best not to worry about it.
The second semester of Gemma’s sophomore year passed in a haze. May was nearing its end, and Gemma couldn’t wait for summer break. She just had to get through finals first.
On the Sunday night before their first exam, Gemma headed to Caitlin’s house so that they could study together. Gemma never knew what—or who—to expect during these study sessions, and the uncertainty had her on edge while she waited to find out upon arrival.
Stepping through Caitlin’s front door that evening, Gemma walked into the living room and scanned for signs of life.
“No Troy tonight?”
In Spanish class on Friday, she had overheard Troy ask Caitlin if they could study together over the weekend, so Gemmahad assumed he would be there.
“He was busy.”
Strange. Maybe Gemma had misheard.
Caitlin didn’t elaborate, but Gemma grabbed her backpack off the floor and followed Caitlin further into the house without another thought. When Caitlin led her upstairs instead of toward the basement like usual, Gemma felt her nerve endings ignite one by one. The change felt charged, deliberate, and her pulse thundered in her ears.
Crossing the threshold into Caitlin’s private sanctuary felt like stepping onto the field for the championship game of the World Cup. Or at least, that was how she imagined it—adrenaline roaring through her veins, every sense sharpened, and a calm stillness overtaking her.
“These are cool.” Gemma pointed to Caitlin’s display of cheerleading ribbons and trophies, trying to absorb every detail of the bedroom.
“Thanks,” Caitlin said shyly. “I did a lot of competitions growing up.”
“Mm-hmm.” Gemma carefully looked at each photo stuck around the border of Caitlin’s mirror, buying some time to compose herself.
“What was that for?” Caitlin almost sounded annoyed.
Gemma hadn’t meant for the sound to slip out. Her mind was whirling, and being in Caitlin’s room was only making it worse. She was acutely aware of the fact that Caitlin had closed the door behind them. Did she close the door when Troy came over?
Stop it, Gemma.
She kept her eyes fixed on the photographs, most of them featuring Caitlin throughout the years, and tried to steady herself. Little Caitlin, in her tiny cheerleading uniform, was inexplicably adorable. She focused on that child, doing her bestto ignore the feelings rising inside of her for the young woman standing nearby, watching Gemma closely.
“No, no, I just mean… it just explains why you’re so good at cheerleading, that’s all.”
Caitlin’s mouth quirked, and Gemma realized that she had slipped up. “I am, am I? So does that mean you’ve been watching me at the games?”
Gemma couldn’t hide the violent blush that was suddenly scorching her cheeks.
“How the tables have turned,” Caitlin teased.
