REEE I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH NOWWWWWW

- Takes place one month after the end of Her Curse -

I watched Sora pass by my locker, her long auburn hair in an intricate hairstyle that looked really pretty. My heart fluttered, and I looked away quickly, shutting my locker and slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

1: Love was the last thing I needed, I was a freshman in high school and I would've been bullied for being a nerd if it weren't for my brother. Being lesbian didn't need to be added to that list. 2: Sora was my brother's best friend, other than Hailey. It was wrong to date the sibling of your best friend. Or the best friend of your sibling. 3: She slept with a different boy pretty much every night, and that was not something I needed in my life. 4: It was freaking Sora for God's sake. Even if I wanted to date her, she was...kinda like a sister to me. When we were really young and I hung around Lucas a lot, she was always there. Even if we did grow apart in middle school.

"Hey, Sora." I heard my older brother say. "Hey. How'd it go with Hailey?" She replied. "She forgave me...finally."

"Well you did beat up her boyfriend."

I chanced a glance over at them, and my brother grimaced, "Don't remind me." Sora rolled her eyes, and giggled. I looked away, and headed towards the exit.

Lilian approached me before I could leave. "Hey, do you wanna have a sleepover tonight?" She asked. "I do, but...Lucas is so overprotective, and I kinda have something at 6..." I replied awkwardly. "Sora's coming, and she's like your older sister, right? He'll let you go if she's there, right? And can't you come over after your thing?"

Well there goes all my excuses... I thought, giving in. "Fine, I'll come." I said. And then processed what Lilian said again. Sora was coming? I opened my mouth to take back what I said, but Lilian was smiling and already heading out the door, "Thanks! See you tonight!"

I sighed. What the hell did I just get myself into?

- That Night -

Sora sat in the bay window beside me, her hands delicately braiding my hair. "I swear, Lili, if you pour that tea over my head right now..." Sora said in a low voice. Lilian chuckled and moved away.

I was completely zoned out, my mind somewhere else and not paying attention to what they were saying. Sure, I knew what was happening, but barely. Even though I didn't want to, I couldn't help myself from remembering all the times Sora and I spent laughing together. The memories were so pleasant, but they...they hurt. Just being friends with her hurt. But how did that work?
I was so smart, I would admit to that, but I had no idea why I was in such pain because of my memories. Then I thought of something: if there weren't so many...obstacles, then what would happen if I could be with her? The first thing that came to mind was of her kissing me, and the thought of that alone jolted me out of my thoughts in fear.

"There, done." Sora said, pulling back, smiling. She held up a handheld mirror, and showed me. I didn't...hate my hair braided, surprisingly, but it made me look a bit more nerdy than I already was. Even so, it was kinda cute.

"It's cute." Lilian admitted, and then splashed hot tea onto Sora. SHe yelped in pain. "Jeez, Lilian!" She said, rubbing at her skin where the hot droplets had landed on her arm. "Hey, you good?" was all I could think of to say. Damn it brain, why are you only good for magic and school?

"Dude, relax. It's just tea." Lilian said. "Yeah but it's freakin' hot!" Sora said, standing up and going over to her bag to get her spare change of clothes. "Meh, I've had hotter." Lilian replied, sipping the remaining tea from her cup. "What are you, a demon from Hell?" I asked. "Maybe." She shrugged. She looked the part at least...

After Sora was changed, we stayed up to watch some movies together. I kept finding my eyes travelling over to Sora, and I couldn't help it. Every time, though, I would exhale carefully and look back at the movie. Something about the way she smirked at certain parts of the movies, or tell us to toughen up when the occasional two characters decided to have sex was...endearing, to say the least.

It was about the third movie, when I felt myself start to drift off. Biting my tongue, I kept myself awake. Then Lilian fell asleep. Per the cliche, I took a sip of water when Sora said, "Y'know what would be funny? If Lilian actually was a demon from Hell." WIth a laugh, I nearly choked, and Sora looked at me in concern, although she was attempting to keep herself from laughing.

Finally forcing myself to clear my throat, I looked up at her and gave her the "ok" sign with my hand. Tears were in my eyes, and my throat stung. Sora finally let herself start giggling, and she put a hand on my shoulder, the look of concern on her face still there.

My impulses took over, and I leaned in, kissing her mid-giggle. My heart soared, the feeling new and amazing. She pushed me away in surprise, and I felt my soaring heart suddenly crash to the ground in a burning and broken pile of debri.

Realizing what I just did, I moved away in fear, covering my mouth with the back of my hand, afraid to even look at her. I. Didn't. Need. Homosexuality. In. my. Life.

"Cora, did-" She was halfway through her question when I stood up and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. The tears came, and I didn't stop them, slowly falling down to the ground. The cold tile felt strange against my warm skin, but I barely felt it, holding my head in my hands as I sobbed. "What've I done?" I asked nobody in particular.

There was a knock on the door, and I bit my wrist to stop myself from making any noise. My teeth were abnormally sharp, my jaws too strong, and I tasted blood, but I didn't react. The taste of blood wasn't unusual; I had a very bad biting problem since I was young.

I was...straight. Or, so I thought. Why couldn't I just not think about her? I thought it'd just been the hairstyle that made me notice her beauty, but my feelings seemed like...they'd been bottled up for years.

"Cora, you...you okay?" Sora asked. The concern in her voice was so...so genuine and real that I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. Or maybe I had but lied to myself.

But to answer her question...I was fine. I was peachy. Along with figuring out I was lesbian and raised by homophobic parents, I was also in love with a girl who didn't even seem interest in the concpt of loving another girl in the first place. So I was just perfect.

Even though I tried to keep the noise inside, a sob came up from inside me and out into the air. The wounds on my wrist grew deeper as I bit into my arm harder. I didn't want to hurt myself, but it was the only way I could keep myself from screaming out the emotions I didn't understand.

"Cora.." I heard the sound of sliding from the other side of the door, and I assumed Sora had slid down the door and was on the ground too. "Please...open the door." She said. Her voice sounded close, inches away. Only the wood separated us.

But I couldn't. Her voice was pleading, tugging my heartstrings. But I couldn't open the door for her. I was able to say, "Go away."

"Okay..." Sora sounded sad, but I heard the sound of her nails on the door, and the floor as she moved away. My heart hurt. I was a nerd, I was a teacher's pet, people expected things of me. Being..."Little Miss Perfect" would be the end of me, wouldn't it?

The sob that clawed its way from my throat hurt like hell, and I pulled my wrist from my mouth, uttering a healing spell in my mind. My wound sealed shut.

I remembered the concern that'd been in her voice, and I wondered if it was an act or if she really was as worried about me as she'd seemed. She was so good at acting...and drawing, but acting was the point.

Whether she was acting or not, my heart was in pain. Taking a shuddering breath in, I tried to stand up, but my legs gave out, and I fell back down again. My tear ducts ran dry, and a few hours later, I'd cried myself to sleep, the mess of emotions in my head still not sorted out.

@taekookbtsyoonminbts thank you for reading this for me, and for confiding your...whatever the heck happened that you told me that will stay confidential.