Chapter 12 Sloane
Sloane
“You’re wearing sneakers!”
Eden looks down at her feet and then back at me. “Well, yeah. Aren’t they good for walking, or something?”
I shake my head. “No, no. They’re great. I’m just a little surprised.”
That’s an understatement. I really thought after I screwed up our first date, she’d be a little more…reserved? But then we messaged and officially became girlfriends. I didn’t sleep well, fyi. I’ve never lost sleep due to smiling too much.
But this is a step I didn’t see coming. After Eden’s absolute refusal to do anything above a leisurely walk, I thought I’d be in for a bigger battle.
Or maybe not.
She shrugs. “We’re doing this, aren’t we? Giving it all a good go? Might as well add this bloody 5k to the mix.”
“O-okay then.”
“But first. Shouldn’t we, as girlfriends…um, maybe have a kiss hello?”
Stepping closer, I lean in and take a deep inhale. Eden smells uniquely like her. Sounds weird, but it’s true. I can’t quite pick apart what her smell is. All I know is I’m slightly addicted.
“You’re right. Girlfriends should kiss hello.”
I’m still standing on Eden’s porch. She’s in the doorway. I’m sure her mom, dad, and sister are just a stone’s throw away. But I don’t care who sees what. All I can think about is Eden’s lips brushing against mine. Yet another intoxicating thing about her.
Our noses brush together as my tongue slips into her mouth.
Like yesterday, our make-out goes from zero to sixty in seconds.
I know it’s partly because I’m a horny teen.
But mostly, it’s Eden. Her body close to mine sets off a fuse.
I lose all rationality. It’s insane. I knew we’d be good together, but even this surprises me.
“Whoa,” a voice says from behind Eden. “Get a room. I don’t want to throw up my breakfast.”
A low growl comes from Eden’s throat. She pulls away and flares her nose. “Sorry,” she mumbles before turning around. “Jenna, don’t be rude. I know it’s your default right now, and I’ll put up with it directed my way, but you don’t get a free pass to be a jackass to guests. Understood?”
The young version of Eden flushes slightly. To save face, she rolls her eyes and shoots out a caustic, “Whatever,” before stomping away.
“She’s just getting worse.” Eden sighs.
“I didn’t think she was that bad, babe. We were sucking face in front of her.”
“Yeah, well she needs to get used to it. I kinda like kissing you, Sloane.”
“God, you’re corny.”
“You like it.” She grins, leaning back in to peck me on the mouth.
“You’re going to be late!” her mom shouts from the kitchen.
Holding up a finger, Eden heads in the house. I hear her say goodbye to her family. When she returns, she kisses my cheek and off we go. We hit the street at a much faster pace than I’m used to walking with her. We make it to school ten minutes faster than the first time we walked together.
“Hey, before we head in.” Eden begins slowing down. “How do you want to deal with this?” She finishes hooking her thumb towards the crowd of people hanging outside the school.
“Frankly, I want to shout it from the rooftops, but that’s just me.” I smile.
Her smile stretches from ear to ear. “Okay then.” She holds out her hand for me to take. Which I do enthusiastically.
An ear-piercing scream echoes across the parking lot. Eden jumps and grips my hand tighter. I laugh as I see Becca running towards us, clapping and whooping like a crazy person. Her antics have drawn the attention of everyone.
“Finally!” she screams. “Oh my god, how? When?”
Eden clutches her chest dramatically. “Jesus, is she always like this?”
“I am when my bestie gets with the girl she’s been after for three years. Fuck, I never thought it would happen.”
“Well, it did.” I laugh. “Can we talk about it later? When we haven’t got half the student body staring at us. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Are you wearing sneakers?” Becca demands, ignoring me completely. A murmur of voices ripple through the crowd.
“Bloody hell, it’s not that big a deal,” Eden gruffs. She’s cute when she’s grumpy.
“Eden, what are those?” Pia says coming up to stand next to Becca. She has one hand on her hip and the other pointed at Eden’s feet. This is turning into a circus.
“Okay, everyone. The interrogation into our lives and Eden’s choice of footwear can wait. The bell’s going to ring any second.”
“Hey, UK,” Bryce calls from his car. “Cool if I sit next to you again in art?”
Eden gives him a thumbs up and pulls me past everyone. “I feel like I’m on display.”
We head to the lockers. Eden waits while I pull out the books I need. Then, like the soppy lovebirds we are, I follow and wait for her to do the same. With exactly thirty seconds to get to our classes, Eden steals three quick kisses.
“See you at lunch?”
I float into algebra.
The best start to senior year. Ever!
“Yo, Sloane. So, you and UK are really a thing now?”
This is like the tenth person to approach me since I arrived at school. “Hey, Bryce. Yes, we’re dating.”
“Cool. She’s chill. Kiera isn’t going to be happy. That girl is legit crazy jealous.”
Ah, I forgot about her. “Did you need something, Bryce?”
“Actually, I think I’ve got an idea how to help you get Eden moving.”
“What?”
“The whole school is interested. People are even taking bets,” he says nonchalantly.
This wasn’t my intention when I came up with the 5k run idea. I just wanted to spend some time with Eden. Now her life is becoming the school gossip mill property.
Looking at the sky, I sigh. “Jesus.”
“Relax, S. Nearly everyone is rooting for her. Anyway. Does Eden game?”
“Game? Like Xbox or something?”
“Yeah. If she does, you’re on to a winner. My brother was getting chunky over summer. He’s a gamer. Spends hours on his ass eating chips. My mom wanted to get him a trainer, which would have sucked. Mainly because anyone she hired would have tried to sleep with her.”
This is getting awkward.
“I talked my little bro into using games to get him moving. Meant he could still game but burn off some Cheetos at the same time. Maybe that’s the way to go with Eden? Make it fun.”
Huh. “That’s…quite helpful. I’ll do some digging. Thanks, Bryce.”
“Eden’s helped me loads in class. I’d like to do the same.”
Wow, that’s…touching. I wonder if Eden knows she has so many people at her back.
Bryce fist bumps me. “See you in gym.”
The weather is nice enough to eat outside.
Becca and Bella are alone at a table. My first instinct is to leave them alone because I’m still in the dark about what exactly is going on between them, but Pia doesn’t have the same reservations as me at all.
She dumps her bag on the bench and empties her lunch onto the table.
“Hey guys.” I smile at them all. Becca flushes. “How’s everyone’s day so far?”
“Uneventful. Unlike yours, I’m guessing.” Pia laughs.
Eden appears and slumps down next to me.
“Hey, babe,” she says, giving me a kiss.
Our friends stare at us open-mouthed. “How is it front page news that I’ve decided to wear sneakers?
” Eden continues, unaware of Pia and Becca, who have snapped out of their shock and have resorted to making kissing faces.
“Eden, you’re totally infamous for giving Mr. Parker shit,” Bella says. “I’m surprised you never got suspended, to be honest.”
“Nah, my girl is too clever for that.” Pia grins. “She participated. Barely, but it still counts.”
“That doesn’t explain why everyone is so bloody interested in me.” She holds her lunch between her thumb and index finger. Her nose is wrinkled. “Why can’t this school make a proper veggie burger? What is this?” She drops her usual flat-as-a-pancake lunch on the table.
Pulling out my lunch, I slide it over. “Mom made you a wrap. She’s got a ton of leftover veggies from the picnic.”
“That’s super nice. Your mum rocks.”
“Plus, it’s a helluva lot healthier than the shit you usually eat,” Pia adds. “Even the veggie burger is full of unidentifiable preservatives.”
“Are you both ready to tell us how this came about then?” Becca asks. She’s taken several chips off Bella’s plate. They’re very comfortable with each other.
Eden defers to me. After I’ve caught them up, Becca squeals again. “It’s like a fairytale.”
Eden snorts. “You need to lay off the coffee.”
“You don’t think it’s a little fairytale-ish?” I ask her. My hand snakes across her jean-clad thigh, causing her to jump and bash her knee on the underside of the table.
“It took us three years to admit we liked each other.”
Becca nods. “She’s not wrong, S. You were so dumb.”
Time to move the conversation on. “Eden, do you play video games?”
“Um, what?”
“Xbox, PlayStation?”
“Um, I have an iPad I use for sketching. Jenna has a Nintendo Switch. Why?”
“Just curious.”
The bell rings. Eden groans because now we have a double period of gym. “Alright, Bishop. Let’s do this. I’ve got one more surprise for you.”
“What was the first surprise?”
“The sneakers.”
Becca sighs. “You two are so cute together.”
She’s not wrong.
“Okay, what’s the second surprise?”
Eden hands me her phone and points to an app. “I found this on the NHS website. It’s the original Couch to 5k app. Pain in the arse to download. Had to change the location on my phone and everything.”
“Eden. This…this is great.”
“My mum told me I play things too safe sometimes. I don’t want to do that with you, or with this exercise crap.”
Chuckling, I stroke her face. “Maybe don’t call it crap.”
“One step at a time, love,” she replies with her gorgeous side grin.
“So how does it work?” Pia asks, grabbing the phone from my hand.
Eden looks at me for a beat longer before returning to our friends.
“Basically, it’s a series of short workouts.
Starting with a five-minute walk. Each lesson the time gets longer, and you have to alternate between walking and jogging.
Eventually, you get to jogging the full 5k.
Supposed to take ten weeks, which is five weeks ahead of schedule. ”
That’s a lofty goal. But if Eden is going into this with enthusiasm, I’ll be right there with her.
“Yeah, but life happens, Eden. I’d give yourself a few more weeks as a backup.” Pia says, tapping the app and scrolling through. “Cool, you get to choose the person who narrates the lesson. I don’t know any of them. That’s lame.”
“What do you think?” Eden asks me quietly. “Is it a good idea?”
Taking her hand, I pull her up from the table. “It’s an amazing idea.”
We all head over to the gym locker room, where Eden proceeds to surprise me again. She pulls out a pair of gym pants and a different band tee than the one I know she’s wearing under her hoodie.
It’s not just me who’s noticed. Half the girls in the room are staring at her as she changes.
I, for one, am staring at my girlfriend because she is hot.
Underneath her baggy layers is a taut, wiry frame.
I’m a little sad when she puts a t-shirt back on.
Then again, she takes off her skintight jeans next, so it’s not all bad.
Her backside is covered in tight boi boxers. They have little unicorns on them.
Becca leans into me. “Damn, Sloane. Who knew she had all that going on underneath?”
“Right?” I murmur.
Daniella pokes her head around the door. “Sorry to interrupt your ogling, captain, but the squad is ready.”
Shit, I completely forgot about practice. “I’ll be there in a second.”
“I’ll get practice started. Take your time,” Becca says, bumping my shoulder. “I really am happy for you, S.”
The locker room empties, leaving only me and Eden. “You brought gym gear.”
Eden turns and leans against her locker. She’s still clad in black, but everything is so much tighter. I’m being a total perv, and I own it. She’s delicious. It’s amazing what happens when secret pining is given the permission to breathe. My hormones are completely out of control.
“I did. When I commit to something, I do it to the best of my ability. I committed to doing no exercise for years. Look how well I did that!”
“You look good. Really good.”
Eden stalks towards me with a glint in her eyes. “Bishop. I have an app to listen to. See you after practice?”
“We could be a little late?”
She leans in, resting one hand on my locker above my head. Her other hand skims the side of my cheer top. “Sorry, S. Time’s a-ticking.”
The kiss on my nose wasn’t what I was expecting. Or Eden leaving me to go and use a treadmill for its actual purpose.
When I finally pull myself together and head out, I notice Mr. Parker standing at the entry to his office staring as Eden puts her earbuds in and begins her first lesson.
He scratches his head several times. I get his confusion.
His hope was just to get Eden to take part a little more in class. This is a whole other thing.
Becca waves me over. I need to get my head into this practice. I refuse to be the girl who loses focus on her life because of a cute, slightly awkward, soft lipped…
Shit.
“Are we ready to do this?” I shout, clapping my hands.
We run through our routine a few times. I take a few minutes to alter a couple of moves. All the time I’m having to constantly fight with myself not to peek over at Eden.
I lose the battle a few times.