It Had To Be You

Chapter 4

Copyright © 2023 Cassey9

Third Person P.O.V

Pressing her feet against the wall, Lea inched her body on the bed until her head rested on the edge with her hair hanging loosely. She released a sigh of exhaustion and tilted her head to the side to look at her friend, Maddie, who mirrored her same position. They had both returned to Maddie's room after finishing their separate classes for the day. Her estimating and costing class today had been long, tiring, and boring, and getting away from the campus to Maddie's room was one thing Lea had been looking forward to.

"So how was it?"

"Good, Maddie," Lea answered, her smile growing as she recalled the previous night.

Gazing at her friend's exhausted face shifting to a radiant one, Maddie knew it was better than good and she wanted the details. "Okay. Tell me about it?"

"Well, it was nice. A quiet evening with my family, plus the cake was good."

"I can't believe you didn't save me a slice," Maddie muttered in a playful tone. "Then, what else?"

"I went to bed," she finished her recount. At the sound of her friend's groan, Lea released a hearty laugh. "What?"

Maddie turned away from Lea in an attempt to hide her deep discontent. "I...I just thought something more happened. Did she at least come this time?"

Lea's heart fluttered at the question, and she was glad that Maddie had faced away from her and couldn't see the red flush overtaking her face. "No. She wasn't at the family dinner," Lea said in a low voice.

"I’m starting to not like your..."

"But," Lea interjected, making Maddie quickly turn, "she came to see me afterwards."

Maddie quickly jerked to a seated position so fast she almost fell off the bed. "No way. She did? That's awesome. When?"

Lea sat up too and shifted to face her best friend. With her legs tucked under her, Lea continued, "I was asleep when I felt her close..."

"Aah," Maddie gushed out in glee. Just picturing the scene left her feeling excited and greatly anticipatory. "And then?"

Lea ran her hand through her hair as she, too, could barely contain her own elation. Last night had been more than amazing; it had been stirring. Her hand unconsciously went to her neck as her fingers started caressing the necklace she had received as a gift from her aunt. It was beautiful, just like their previous night.

"You're killing me with the silence," Maddie groaned. Her friend seemed lost in her own little world. Her best friend was probably reliving the encounter over and over again.

"Relax," Lea giggled shyly, "I felt her presence, woke up and she was there. Gazing down at me. Her face was so close to mine, Maddie. So close. And her gaze was… it was so entrancing and beautiful." Lea took in a deep breath as she relived the moment. The red glow of the vampire’s eyes, though fleeting, had made Lea’s breath stop and her heart ache.

Maddie bounced on the bed, unable to contain herself any longer. "Then what?"

"She moved to pull away and my hands..."

"Hi guys!"

"No! God damn it!" Maddie cursed at the intrusion. Her glare pinned the interloper on the door, who then cautiously walked into the room with her arms raised.

"Hi Valerie," Lea greeted, vacating Maddie’s bed to meet her friend.

"I bought tacos," Valerie said, pulling away from the hug, "And some chicken wings. Anyone hungry?"

“Yes! I’m hungry,” Lea jumped in as her stomach grumbled with hunger.

“That’s more like it guys,” Valerie said.

Maddie nodded and headed for Valerie. She hid her disappointment well but a quick glance at Lea, who simply shrugged her shoulders in response, made her wish she could make Valerie somehow disappear. It was just when the details were getting juicier that her friend and roommate made an appearance.

"Next time," Lea whispered to Maddie as they followed to the small study table that was often used as a dining table. "I promise," she added when Maddie neither looked convinced nor appealed.

The campus dorm her two friends resided in was cool, with two raised beds that had storage compartments underneath. A study desk was set near the huge window that was on the left side of the room. The dorm also had an adjoining bathroom. The dorm was brightly painted and the room was cute enough with her friends adorning the walls with photos, posters. The LED light strips on the cornice gave the room an otherworldly look at night.

Yet, despite the proximity and comfort residing in the students’ hall brought, Lea had opted to live at home. The twenty minute's drive back and forth wasn't as tedious as her friends made it out to be. She loved it, the driving and the moments of peace she got while she drove. Those moments gave her the time to think of ideas and projections for her works. At times, David or one of her parents came by to drop by and pick her up from school.

"You better do so," Maddie whispered, gripping Lea's forearm.

"What are you two whispering about?" Valerie questioned once she had laid out the food on the table.

"Nothing!" Both Lea and Maddie answered loudly at the same time.

"Sure, whatever," Valerie muttered and headed for the bathroom to freshen up.

As soon as the door shut, Maddie turned to Lea, who smiled at her friend’s pleading gaze. Maddie was desperate to know the remainder of her tale but was also frustrated and aware that it wasn't the appropriate time to do so.

"I promise," Lea answered, grabbing herself a taco. Of all her friends, she was the closest to Maddie. They'd known each other from high school. Junior year to be precise. Maddie had joined her high school midway through the year and their friendship had kicked off way faster than a plane on a runway.

Everything had fallen into place, and for Lea, high school became more bearable now that she had found Maddie. They were like birds of a feather and they flocked really well together. They'd done everything from skipping school to sneaking out of the house -which Lea doubted she had covertly done, since her mother was very perceptive for a vampire- to trying out weed, which turned out to be a horrible experience.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Remember when we smoked weed?" Lea asked with hilarity. Maddie smiled broadly as she joined Lea in the sweet reminiscing. "I was so high and..."

"You kept screaming and crying that a bear wanted to maul you," Maddie joined in, now laughing hard. Whilst in her dazed zone, Lea had thought that the huge plushy teddy bear in her bedroom was a real brown bear that wanted to attack. Lea had laid on the floor in a fetal position crying and shouting at the animal to get away. Maddie had been in tears from laughter but, till date, still regretted not having captured the scene in a video.

"Stop. I was petrified," Lea muttered, embarrassed when Maddie’s laughter only seemed to intensify.

"What has you two tearing up with laughter," Valeria asked, rejoining Lea and Maddie.

"Just had a trip down memory lane," Maddie answered in between bouts of laughter. "The first time Lea and I tried weed let’s say it went a little overboard. We smoked three joints back to back and, man, the results of those were hilarious."

"No way. Tell me about it..."

"Please don't," Lea begged, hiding her face behind her hands because, knowing Maddie, she would undoubtedly tell Valerie every embarrassing moment. Which was true and by the end of Maddie’s narration, the two were laughing their hearts off and Lea couldn't help but join them too. After that fateful night, Lea had sworn of weed. Its hype didn't match the experience she'd gone through that night and its smell was awful too. It had taken Lea a few tries to wash off her favorite denim jacket.

"Damn, I wish I had met you two sooner," Valerie sighed once she had calmed down. "You two are lucky to have shared all those memories together."

"Aaw," Maddie whispered and pulled Lea for a side hug.

Internally, Lea agreed with Valerie's sentiment, she was indeed lucky to have Maddie. Aside from being her closest friend, she was her confidant. The way she knew Maddie inside and out was the same way Maddie knew her. Her friend knew everything and according to Maddie she was a talkative, emotional drunk and it was on one of those plastered episodes she had tearfully spilled the beans.

Her well-kept secret had been exposed when she drunkenly answered Maddie's question on why she constantly brought up her aunt Jillian in her every conversation. Even after the drunkenness had passed and Lea realized what she'd said, Maddie continued to treat her the same.

In fact, her friend was intrigued and encouraged Lea to 'pursue' her feelings. According to Maddie, ‘technically they weren’t blood related’ and that love had crazy ways of bringing people together. Maddie was her biggest supporter and Lea felt lucky and relieved that she had someone in her corner.

"Come on. Let's eat guys.”