Archelle couldn't believe it that she actually said it! She was so nervous that as soon as she confessed her love to Marcus, she ran away without even waiting for his reaction. No, she was not ready to see what might be the reaction that Marcus give. She was not ready to face any possibility of being rejected.
She was not ready. That's all.
She was so focus on getting away from Marcus that she never saw someone walking the opposite direction, and ended up bumping with each other and fell to their own butt. Both of them groaned in pain, and then both of them became silent as they heard their voices, which sounds familiar.
Archelle opened her eyes and gasped loudly when she saw the person that she bumped into just now.
"Oh my God," she whispered in awe-struck. The other person just stared at her, with moist suddenly form in her eyes.
"Archie?"
Archelle blinked several time before reality struck into her. She was facing her bestfriend - ex-bestfriend to be exact.
"Brie?" Archie said in low tone, while getting up from the grass below her. She rub her bottom a bit and cringed in pain as a result. Brie was on her side in a second.
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry I didn't see you," Brie said softly while hesitating of whether she should hold Archelle or not, and in the end decided against it as she still doubted that her ex-bestfriend already forgot about the incident.
Archelle shook her head. "No...no, it's my fault. I was running away from something and didn't see you," she explained in a rush, and took her deep breath. She stared at figure form of Brie and noted that Brie looked different from the last time she saw her. Brie wore her hair longer, had a very suit make-up on her face, and is wearing a chic-kind-of clothes, which she never saw Brie wore before. She knew Brie as a casual-type-of girl, always wear T-Shirt and Jeans, and according to Brie, dresses are her biggest turn-off.
Brie sensed that Archie is assessing her, and she tried hard to fight her blush but failed miserably. She cleared her throat, pulling Archelle from her own musing. "Owh...sorry... mm you look.... different," she said, stammered. She is actually feeling nervous of meeting Brie after not seeing her for so long. She was planning on seeing Brie, but she never expected that the chance is coming right now, so she didn't prepare any of it (well, she never prepare for ANYTHING today) and makes her become tongue-tied. Brie, still not completely get over her feeling toward Archelle, is feeling warm all over her body at just seeing Archelle, and she cursed herself silently for letting her feeling overtake her.
"Nah.... I looked the same," Brie waved off Archelle's word with her right hands, and shrugged. "YOU look different. Your eyes are shining and your cheeks are so red. Are you just having a date with Marcus?"
The mere sound of his name makes Archelle choked up and coughed several times. Brie once again just going to put her hand on Archelle's back and do backrub but then she stop herself. She cursed again. Once Archelle settled down, she took a deep breath and answered Brie, "Umm, actually, I.....I did....ran away from....Marcus."
"Oh?" Brie raised her eyebrows, curious. "What have you done to him?"
"I....." Archelle fidgeting on her feet while clenching and unclenching her fists. Before she could continued, someone is calling her and it make her heart stop the moment she recognize the voice.
"Archelle, wait up!" Marcus is running toward the girls. He was gasping for air by the time he was on their side. 'I thought I couldn't catch you up...oh, hi," he noticed Brie who was just standing rigidly. "Are you Archelle's friend?"
The simple and innocent question is enough to make Brie's world shaken for a moment. She didn't know how to answer that so she just remain silent. Archelle sense the tension in the air, so she volunteer to save Brie from answering Marcus. "Yes, we are friend. Best friend, indeed. I thought you remember her, Marcus."
Marcus just stared at Brie, tried to remember if he ever see her before, then a memory flashed of Brie punching his face at Pizza Hut about 4 months ago when he was just getting to know Archelle. "Yes, I still remember the first girl that punched me so hard that it bruised for a week," he recalled with a grin. Brie blushed furiously, embarass at the memory of it but then she sighed inwardly as she recalled that at the same night her friendship with Archelle was cracking because of her stupid mouth.
"Sorry for that," she muttered. Marcus just shook his head.
"It's alright. I completely understand that you are being protective to your best friend. I was such a total jerk at that time." Marcus then furrowed his brows. Come to think of it, as far as Archelle was concern, he rarely heard nor see Archelle hanging out with Brie again since that night. He still wonder whatever happen to both of them, and sometimes he thought maybe it was his fault for entering Archelle's life and replacing Brie in a best-friend-spot, but he never raised this concern to Archelle because he don't want to cross Archelle's personal line.
Brie became uncomfortable as minutes ticking by. She can't stand this anymore so she make an excuse of leaving them alone. She was supposed to go meet her roomates in about 5 minutes and she didn't want to be late. Plus, she didn't really want to observe the romantic mood between Archelle and Marcus. By the look of Archelle, who is still flushing, she can tell that Archelle might already confess to Marcus. Who are you kidding, she is best friend with Archelle for 5 damn years!
"Brie, I'll text message you later," Archelled said to Brie's retreating back. Brie just wave without turning to them and keep walking.
As soon as they were left alone, Archelle didn't dare to look into Marcus' penetrating gaze, so she sticked her eyes on the grass. Marcus put his finger on her chin and forced her to look at his eyes. "Archelle....."
Suddenly, a panic burst into her. "I....I need to go, Marcus....."
"But-"
"We will hang out tonight then we will talk okay? I....I-"
Before Archelle could even complete her babbling, she was quieted with a touch of her lips with his lips. Marcus kissed her tenderly at first, protrude his tongue at her lips, asking permission for her mouth to open up. She then gradually open her mouth and their tongue are met, and fell into deep, passionate kiss. They broke the kiss when they lack of air to breathe after about a minute.
"Don't run away from me again, huh?" Marcus whispered to the still moist lips of her. She just nodded and smiled sheepishly. They hugged each other tightly as if they never want to let go. "I love you, Archelle Stevenson," he whispered in her ear. She jerked up, and let go of her hug and stared at his eyes to make sure that she didn't hear it wrongly.
"You....really.....love me?" she said slowly. Marcus smiled tenderly and put his thumb on her lips.
"Yes. I do love you, since the first time I saw you entering that damn class," he said with such full of love that it make Archelle want to cry.
Archelle feel like want to scream out loud. She was so happy that Marcus love her as much as she loves him. She hugged him again and kissed his neck several time and repeatedly utter "I love you" to him.
From the distance, Brie watched the scene with tears in her eyes. She has some kind of mix emotion when she watched Marcus and Archelle kissed. She feels happy for her best friend for finally found the one for her, and at the same time she feels sad because she really wish that she was on Marcus' shoes at that moment, but she shook her head at the mere thought of it. It will never happen, Brie. Face it up! The phone ringing startled her, and she answer it immediately.
"Where are you Brie? We are hungryyyyy," drawled out Maria.
Brie smirked. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Jeez, it's not like the food will run away from us, ya know?" she said sarcastically.
"Get your ass here now!" Bella now. Brie just laughed at her roomates' antic, shaking her head and ending the call. She glanced at the newly couple for the last time with a sad smile before she retreated to the impatient duo roomates.
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"What's taking you so long, chica?" Bella said in a slightly annoyed tone when finally Brie reached them. Maria is sulking that she didn't even acknowledged Brie's presence.
Brie has a darken, sullen look on her face and it grows concern out of both of her roomates. Maria, forgetting her sulking act, was immediately on Brie's side. "What's wrong, little girl? You look....devastated."
"And pale too. Are you having a fever or something?" Bella put her back of her hands on Brie's forehead and felt that there is no rising in her temperature. Brie just stared at both of them with vulnerable look. "Tell us, Brie. What happen?" Bella urged, her concerned growing more and more now.
Brie just shook her head. "I'll tell you guys later okay? Right now we got to fill somebody's stomach in before it started to throwing tantrum," she attempted a weak joke, but still is enough to bring a smile on her roomates' face.
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