Chapter 12: So Close

Thanks to Glace, my fever has finally subsided. Mom was still gone for her job and the teacher told me take the rest of the week off to get better. It was a Thursday morning and I woke up to the image of Glace sleeping peacefully beside me. Ever since she arrived on Tuesday night, she wouldn’t leave me alone. She said I was too sick for my own good so she stayed the night.

I’d be lying if I tell you that I wasn’t happy about it because every time I see her inside my room, small fireworks would explode in my stomach. I also knew that it wasn’t good for me since she was gaga over her mystery girl who I was beginning to hate.

My eyes drifted to her sleeping form on my left. A pillow separated us but I could still feel her warmth. The comforter was draped just below her shoulder, though I could still make out her feminine silhouette. Her full lips were slightly open, hinting that she was in deep sleep.

Gently, I removed the pillow between us and moved closer to her. She didn’t stir so I went as near to her as possible without waking her up. We were lying on our side, face-to-face. I felt her warm breath on my face. Slowly, I brought my hand up and touched her cheek. I knew that she didn’t love me, but I wanted to enjoy the little time I had with her. Even if it was stolen.

“What are you doing to me Glace?” I whispered. “Stop running in my mind all the time. If you don’t, I’ll be in freefall but you won’t catch me.”

She surprised me by sighing in her sleep. I stopped moving thinking that she woke up, but when she didn’t, I continued caressing her smooth cheek. “Dulce,” she murmured under her breath. I couldn’t help but smile. She was calling out my name. Was she dreaming of me? God, I hope so.

The action was totally forbidden, but I brought the comforter down a little and snuggled near her chest. She snaked her arms around me and tangled her legs with mine. I tried to think of her in a totally non-sexual way, but it was no use. Being the teenager that I was, my hormones were up the roof. She was wearing next to nothing too so it made the whole thing more intense I blushed furiously as I realized that I was horny for her. I’ve never felt this way before. My only knowledge about it was the one I read in books, but man it was weird. I had this strange urge to do things to her. My eyes squeezed shut. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it, I chanted in my mind. Don’t freaking think about.

“What shouldn’t you think about Dulce?”

I opened my eyes. Did I say that out loud? Fudge! “Nothing,” I mumbled and removed my arms from her. Before I could turn away, she touched my back and pushed me toward her body, not allowing me to move from her. “Let’s stay like this a little while longer,” she murmured over my hair.

“Okay,” I said shakily. My heartbeat picked up its rhythm and I knew she could feel it too. But even if she did, she didn’t ask about it and just held me tightly in her arms. “I love feeling you like this Dulce. You’re so soft. I love waking up next to you.”

I wish you love me too, I thought sadly.

“Glace,” I whispered.

“Yeah?”

“What if I?” I cleared my throat. “What if I fall in love with you?”

She froze in an instant and didn’t breathe. After like 10 seconds, she relaxed and leaned away to look into my eyes. “Are you?” she asked huskily.

“No of course not,” I lied. “It was a stupid question. But uhm what will you do?”

She inhaled deeply. “Fall in love with me first before you know the answer.” I pouted at her. “That’s not fair Glace.” She resumed her warm hug and murmured, “Well what would you have me do?”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled and sighed. “I have another question for you.” She stroked my hair gently. “Go ahead and ask,” she said.

“Do friends do this? Do friends hug each other while semi-naked?” I asked with a tone of frustration in my voice.

“Are we even friends?” she countered.

This time, I was the one who leaned back to look at her. “If we’re not then what are we?” She shrugged. “You tell me.” I heard the edge in her tone.

I rolled my eyes at her. “What kind of reply was that? You’re so confusing Glace,” I groaned. My jaw clenched in irritation. “I’m only doing what you told me,” she said.

“I never told you to make my head explode,” I remarked. “I never told you to make me horny.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Oh dear. Kill me now please.

“You are?” she asked with a barely audible voice.

“Aren’t you Glace?”

To my disappointment, she removed her arms from me and rolled out of bed. I thought she was going to walk out, but she stared at me and said, “Well yeah. How can I not be? But I don’t always have to act on my desires when it comes to you.” She strode to my side of the bed and covered my body with the comforter. “Sometimes what a person needs to do is to wait patiently for the right moment.”

She touched my cheek gently. “True love waits Dulce. You said that yourself.”

I met her eyes. “When did I say that?” She just smiled and grabbed a blue bathrobe before covering herself with it. “Your mom said you liked lasagna. I’ll make one for you now.” She walked out the door and closed it softly. Way to change the topic, I thought bitterly.

After eating the lasagna that she prepared- which was extremely good- someone knocked on the front door loudly. Its sound carried all the way to my bedroom in the second floor. Glace and I stared at each other in wonder. “Are you expecting a visitor?” she asked. I shook my head.

When we didn’t answer, the doorbell rang twice. Glace looked annoyed and placed the plate she was holding on the bedside table. “I’ll be back in a second,” she said and disappeared outside the room.

I heard argument near my bedroom door. Who the hell was that? The door swung open and a faint cinnamon scent wafted inside the room. There stood Denise with all her Barbie looks. On cue the song Barbie Girl played in my mind. It almost made me laugh out loud.

“Two minutes Denise,” Glace said behind her. “That’s all I’m going to give you.”

Denise turned around and stared at Glace. “You may be a big Hollywood star, but you have no right to keep me away from my girlfriend.”

From my view, Glace’s jaw clenched. “Oh she’s your girlfriend now?” she sneered.

Denise placed her hands in front of her chest. “Well are you?” she retorted.

Glace didn’t reply at the question which made Denise laugh. “You’re so predictable Frio,” she said. “Dulce is not taken yet so I’ll claim her.”

I cleared my throat. “I’m right here guys.” The two ignored me so I glared at Denise. “What are you doing here?” She walked confidently to the side of the bed where I was sitting and plopped down. “I’m here to take care of you babe. You should have called me right away. What is Ice Princess even doing here?”

“She’s taking care of me,” I said smoothly. Denise arched an eyebrow. “Why? Are you two even friends?”

“Something like that yes.”

“I don’t believe you Dulce. The Ice queen doesn’t like to get close to people.”

Glace let out a sigh from the door and walked in our direction. She went to the bed and scooted near me. When her body was pressed to my left arm, she stared at me and said, “Why not just tell her the truth Dulce?”

“What truth?” Denise and I said together.

She placed her arm over my shoulder and pressed me to her. “That we’re a couple,” she said loud enough to get the point across. I gulped, my eyes automatically darting to Denise’s face. Her mouth was opened in shock. “You’re lying,” she seethed.

“Would you like us to do it in front of you so you’d believe us?” Glace asked coldly. She pushed me down on the bed and straddled me while turning her head over her shoulder to Denise. “We’ll give you a show. You can watch but you can’t join us. Dulce is mine.” She leaned her head to me and inched her lips forward. My stomach flipped.

“Okay stop!” Denise said in disgust before Glace’s lips touched mine. “I’ve seen enough you bitch!” She stood up from the bed. “But I won’t let this lying down. I’ll ruin you Frio!” She turned to me. “Once I do, Dulce will come back to me.” She turned around and stomped out the door. A few seconds later, we heard the front door shut with a bang.

Glace relaxed and lay on top of me. “That was close,” she said in relief.

“Yeah.” My voice trembled a little and I hoped that Glace didn’t notice. Her front on my chest made me more nervous than the Denise encounter. I silently cursed my teenage body for feeling like this. “Uhh Glace can you move away? I can’t breathe,” I lied. She rolled on my left and apologized.

“You shouldn’t have said that to her Glace. Denise is one sneaky son of a gun. Who knows what she’ll do.” I sighed and grabbed a pillow.

“Frankly, I don’t give a damn about her Dulce. What’s important is she’s going to stay away from you now.” Both of us stayed silent while we thought about it.

“So what do you want to do now?” I asked after a few moments.

“Want to play strip poker?”

I glared at her and she smiled sheepishly. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” she said. “Hmm… Want to play the quotes game?”

“I don’t know what that is,” I said. She touched her chin. “Well I’m going to say a quote and you have to answer it with another one. Game?” I nodded.

“I’ll go first,” she said and thought in concentration. “Okay here goes. If you like her, if she makes you happy, and if you feel like you know her then don't let her go. That is from Nicholas Sparks.” She gave me a smirk.

“Me next,” I said. “If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were. Khalil Gibran said that.”

Glace frowned. “I don’t like that quote.” I shrugged. “You don’t have to like it. That’s my answer to your quote.”

She shook her head and stared at the ceiling. “Here’s another one Dulce. We have to allow ourselves to be loved by the people who really love us, the people who really matter, from Joybell C.” She smiled with satisfaction.

“I guess that’s just part of loving people: You have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up. Lauren Oliver,” I said with a poker face.

“You’re purposefully contradicting me,” Glace said while rolling her eyes. “What did I do?” I asked innocently. She frowned. “Here I am telling you about romantic quotes and you’re shunning them with negative ones.” She groaned. “Okay you go first this time. Let me see you try it.”

She really wanted to go there? My mouth curled at the sides. “You love me. Real or not real? Suzanne Collins.”

Glace’s jaw dropped in surprise. She mumbled something that I couldn’t understand. I laughed and touched her nose. “You don’t have to answer that. It’s just a quote.”

“But I do Dulce. I’m really in.” I placed my hand over her mouth, muffling the answer she said. “Don’t!” I said in a hurry. “Please don’t. Let me enjoy this moment before my heart breaks. When we go back to school I swear to God that I’ll forget all about this. But here and now I want to believe this lie.”

After making sure that she wouldn’t speak, I removed my hands from her mouth. “Please Glace. Don’t shatter this fantasy,” I said softly.

In response, she cupped my chin with her hand and locked her gaze with mine. She looked conflicted, but at the same time her eyes were tender. She moved her face several inches near mine and stopped. “Dulce I. . .” Her voice trembled and my heart pounded in anticipation.

She inhaled deeply and instead of doing what I hoped she would, she brought her soft full lips to my cheek. Even though it was an ‘almost kiss’ and not the -I love you so much let’s get married type- my heart still melted. Now she’s done it. I was completely hooked on her. She left me no choice. Watch out Glace, I thought with a fire burning in my heart. I’m going to make my move for you now.