lost love by elizabeth fritz (the lemonade war series TXT) 📕

you alright babe?”
Babe? Babe? Since when did he start calling me that? Oh right… now.
“Umm… yeah I’m alright… Michael.” I said, using his real name.
“Good now give me my hug” he demanded, raising his arms.
“I think that I might be sick now, I just looked in that cupboard of yours…”
He laughed, “I like your germs.”
I shrugged but went up to him and gave him his hug. He was warm, but wet and smelled like shower gel. I don’t know why he couldn’t wait till he changed, but whatever. Anyway, I pulled away and stepped back.
“Hey I wasn’t done!” he whined.
“Yeah, and I’ve already gotten wet once today, and I think that enough.” I said quickly.
“Fine,” he said and took out some clean clothes to wear. He took out some and put them on, not bothering to hush me out of the room. I guess he didn’t really care, so before I saw anything, I turned around, “Yeah, you could have warned me you know?” I said.
“About what?” he asked completely clueless, “Oh, oh sorry.” He said in the least apologetic voice. I waited for a bit for him to change, and then when I heard no more noise, I looked back, and he was already right behind me.
That made me jump, and lose balance; thankfully he caught me before I could fall.
“Easy now, baby,” he said softly, but I was still annoyed that he was not calling me by my proper name. He pulled me back up, and this time he was wearing clean clothes, so he was safe, and he came closer to me. I wanted to get away, but by then he was holding me close to him, and tightly, so I couldn’t move. Then he lowered his lips to mine, and started kissing me fiercely. And I let him. Not that I had any other choice, and he wouldn’t let go of me until he got something in return. So I kissed him back, with the same power that he put into it. But he still wouldn’t let go. And I wasn’t letting him get too far…
I pulled my face back as much as I could, “Okay, I think that’s enough.” I said. He actually looked kind of sad. Then came the guilt. “I’m sorry,” I said and put my arms around him and kissed him again, but then after a few seconds, we both pulled away and…
Sneezed. SICK !?!?!??!

His eyes widened, “Oh, no, no, no, no!”
I smiled, “How do you like my germs now?”
He took a deep breath, “They’re okay.” He shrugged.
“Yeah and we have a match to participate in tomorrow!” I said.
“Crap! Okay, okay, we’ll both get plenty of rest and take good medicine, and just try not to get sick, this is gonna be a great match…” he said all panicky.
“Yeah, alright. I better get going then” I said.
“Yes. No, wait I’ll drop you off,” he said and I smiled, “or else you might just get a cold.” Then the smile vanished, “And, it would make me a bad boyfriend if I didn’t.” he said at last.
“Fine, let’s go now.” I said and started heading towards the door. It was just a sneeze! I thought. We got into the car and he drove me safely home.
“Bye, see you tomorrow.” I said, taking off the seatbelt.
“Okay, I was overreacting, I don’t know how anyone can get sick because of a dirty cupboard, it’s just that this match means a lot to me. And it was just a sneeze.” He said.
“I understand that,” I said trying to be polite.
“I knew you would, babe.” He said, and then he was kissing me yet again. I was too tired to kiss back, and then I guess so was he because he let go of me.
“Bye,” he said and I went out and into my house.
I opened the door to see Justin had brought home his little Angela, and I smiled at them as I had nothing else to do.
“Hi, you must be Angela” I said.
“Yes, and you must be Shannon,” she said, “right?”
“Right, I’ve heard so much about you! Justin talks about you all the time.” That was the best lie ever. I don’t like to do two things: Lie and make people feel bad. But if it is Justin it changes everything!
He glared at me to show that he was angry. I smiled at him.
“You do? That’s… nice.” She said.
“Oh, um yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his head.
Then the funniest thing (funny to me…) happened. Okay so, she was all happy that her boyfriend speaks about her at home, and she moved her face to his, so they were making out and Justin’s face turned all red, I smiled at him and patted Angela’s head and walked away. Oh my god, you should have seen him!
Anyway, I went to my room and lay on my bed, thinking of Luke. I fell asleep very quickly. The sound of the doorbell woke me up. I felt really tired and my head felt heavy.
I went downstairs and opened the door. I smiled and look at who it was.
“Oh hi Luke,” I said trying to look my best.
“Hey are you… feeling okay?” he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
“Yes,” I said quickly, “why do you ask?”
“Um, well first, you sound like you’ve had a frog for lunch, and your face is all red.” He said.
“Oh sure” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Go check for yourself then…” he said.
“Okay… come on in.” I said moving back to let him come in.
He came in, and I signalled him to wait, and I rushed to the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. He was right, my face was red, and I looked horrible, my eyes were pale like my skin and the tip of my nose was bright pink. I quickly washed my face, and then went back to where he was.
Luke was looking at our family pictures on the wall, and was currently smiling at one. I walked to him and blushed. He was looking at a picture of when I was thirteen and I had braces and freckles, and I wore glasses as well.
“Hey, no, that was along time back and I told mom to take it off, it’s really embarrassing,” I said.
“I think it’s quite nice, not bad actually.”
“Oh sure… anyway,” I said walking towards the sofa, as he followed me, “what’s up?”
He sat beside me, and looked serious, “Well, remember the other day when you came home from wherever you went with Michael, you said you weren’t sure that he was the one for you… that made me think, um, what did you exactly mean by that?”
I didn’t know what to say then… “Um, I don’t know…”
“Come on Shann, you can tell me, its okay.” He said sweetly.
“Well, I don’t feel that… that we’re right for each other, I don’t know. I don’t feel that way about him.” I admitted.
“Oh.”
Then there was a pause.
“I have a few questions for you as well.” I said.
“Go on then.”
“First of all, why are you asking me this?”
“Uh, no reason, the question was haunting my brain that’s all.”
“Okay, and… when I told you that the other day, you had said that you also had the feeling before, didn’t you?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes you did Luke, go on tell me.”
“Um, I said I get the feeling sometimes, like my… ex’s” he said.
“You have exgirfriends?”
“Yeah, just one, when I was 12… it lasted for a week, that’s why I was surprised about that thing with your brother and all.”
“Oh, alright. And… why did you save my life that day at the beach?”
“Oh, because that’s well, my job, and you’re my friend so…” he said.
“Yeah, I get that, but…” Why did you do it and didn’t let Michael? I’m sure he could…
That’s what I wanted to say, but I thought it would sound a bit rude, “never mind, I’m still very grateful for that.”
He smiled, “Okay, is that all the questions you wanted to ask?”
I thought for a moment, “No, um one more.” I said, and I really wanted to ask this one. “Luke, do you really like Kelly?” I asked very nervously.
He was silent for a moment, “I’m sorry you don’t need to answer…”
“No its fine, I… don’t know if I do, I don’t think I like her in that way.”
I wasn’t expecting that answer, but I guess it was obvious. “Then why did you ask her out?” I asked.
“Oh I ask anyone out, really, usually I get a no-no or it lasts only for the day, I would have even asked you out” he admitted. I looked really surprised.
“Really?”
“Oh sure, but Michael told me that he would so I stepped back, yeah.” He shrugged.
Oh Michael! Why did you tell him!? Why?!
“Ah, I see, and then that day when you gave me a ride to school, you asked for advice to ask someone out, so how did Kelly take it then? I just wanna know, that’s all.” I said.
“Oh, I didn’t even do that for her, I just went out and asked her, not like I didn’t want your advice, its just that she isn’t the one I was gonna use it for.” He smiled.
I was so shocked; I didn’t know what to say.
“Okay, uh, that’s all for now.” I said.
“Alright… so you don’t love Michael do you?” he asked.
“No, of course I don’t!” I said too quickly.
He chuckled, and I blushed. “Yeah, okay then.”
“Yeah, a few years ago he let out his secret love for me, and I explained to him that I didn’t wanna be more than friends, and we were okay with it then. And then… one day I just bump into him, and drop my books, he invites me for just a night out, and then later on he wants me to be his girlfriend, and I… I was really tired, and wanted to go home, and I just said that I would give it a try…” I paused, and started to think why I was telling him all this.
“It’s okay, I understand,” he said soothingly, patting my back.
“Thanks, Luke,” I said, and I reached up to kiss his cheek, because that’s just normal when friends do it to each other, we always do. But as I was going he turned his head around and I ended up kissing his lips.
Big mistake! Oh yeah, but as wrong as it is, it felt so right.
When I noticed that it wasn’t his cheek, which took like two seconds, I quickly moved away, “Ohmigod! Sorry, it wasn’t meant to be there!” I said so embarrassed.
Unlike me, he was calm, and smiling, “It’s okay, just forget about it, I moved my head.”
“Okay,” I said but I was still embarrassed.
And then I sneezed once. Then twice. Then another few times. Bad sign, very bad sign…
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Um… no I’m not.” I said.
“You’re not okay?”
“That’s what I said, you see I was just at Michael’s place for a while. Oh, man, his room is like hell on earth! I did not know what was living in there. I don’t think I’m okay, neither is Michael, I just need the game tomorrow to be just fine.” I said it all