Charlotte F/F

Sally, excitedly, got to her feet and walked to the center of the room. And Charlotte took a seat beside me on the edge of her bed, for some reason wrapping her arm around my shoulders, like she was trying to comfort me. "Why so scared Megamind?"

"I'm not scared."

"You're shaking."

"Shut up." I wiggled away from her hold.

"Okay okay," Sally said, opening the envelope. "First we have..." She examined the top of the paper. "Lora."

I took a deep breath. Ever since junior year, the lowest grade I ever had was 96. And I studied for this exam more than I ever did before. I knew I didn't miss a single question. I was expecting a hundred. An A+. A sure victory. A 100.

"97."

I actually screeched upon hearing it. "No." I whined. "But I--"

"Hush hush..." Charlotte brushed me off. The only thing keeping me together was the slightly, equally worried look on her face. She was worried. It was unlikely she got more than that, impossible even, and she knew it. She said, biting on her thumbnail, "What about me?"

Sally took the second paper from the envelope. She took a breath as she stared at the top of it, then she looked up at us, a wince on her face.

Both I and Charlotte just waited in silence, as Sally looked at us. It took us some time to realize she was prolonging this for no good fucking reason, then we both shouted, "Get on with it cunt!"

"Fine." Sally recoiled. "...A 100."

My stomach plummeted, and I started seeing spots. I jumped to my feet and strode towards Sally. "Liar." I snatched the paper from her hand. Here it was. A big fucking A+ with a big fucking 100 right beside it. Not a single X was found anywhere on the paper.

My legs trembled and I could barely stand This wasn't happening. A gentle fake cough made me close my eyes, before I finally managed to open them again and look towards Charlotte, who sat there on the bed with her legs crossed and her socked foot dangling, the biggest victorious grin on her face.

"So..." She drawled as she rose to her feet. "How you wanna do this." Her eyes suddenly widened like she'd gotten an idea. "Oh you should wear lipstick."

"That's a great idea!" Sally said. My best friend was too damn excited about my debasement.

"I'm not wearing lipstick." I shook my head, avoiding looking at either of them. I crossed my arms and looked at the floor like a salty kid.

"No...?" She pouted sarcastically at me. "Pity. Would've loved to see the outline of your lips on my cheeks...where it belongs."

Even Sally seemed a bit disappointed. I tried to give her a disdainful glare, but she just smiled at me and shrugged. None of them thought much about what was happening. I did. I couldn't do it. This was too much for me. And I really loathed Charlotte by this point, almost as much as I loathed my stupidity for getting myself into this situation.

"Okay then," Charlotte sighed, with her hands on her hips, and nodded in front of her on the floor. "On your knees. I hope you remember the words."

I remembered them. They were pretty much all I thought about for days, but I couldn't. "I'm not gonna do it." I mumbled. My arms tightened around my chest as I looked at the floor.

"Come again," Charlotte snickered. "What?"

"I'm not doing it." I said, only clearer and louder.

Charlotte said nothing, but looked at Sally.

Sally gave me a shaming look, like she was saying 'come on.' She whined, "Don't be like that Lora. A bet's a bet."

"It's a stupid..." I said through gritted teeth. "A stupid... childish bet. And I'm not doing it." I shook my head. "Sorry."

"..." Sally sighed.

Charlotte half smiled half frowned. She didn't like what she was hearing, but she didn't care that much. But it must've told her something, the fact I was going back on my word for something as silly as this, told her that it wasn't that silly for me.

"Not cool." Sally said. "Not cool at all."

"What!" I whined. "It's not big deal. Just pick something else."

"Like what," Charlotte sighed.

"Something less embarrassing."

"Where's the fun in that." She rolled her eye and shook her head. "Chicken."

My head only grew hotter. A wimp. I looked like a wimp. I didn't like that. But I preferred it better than getting my lips anywhere near her bottom. It would be the most humiliating thing I did all my life, with or without the creaming on top that were the praises she'd have me sing for her.

"Fine..." Charlotte said. "I'll give you something else."

A surge of hope ran through me, and, surprisingly, I felt somewhat...disappointed. I had no idea why. It felt like I avoided something I wasn't supposed to avoid. Like I cheated my way out of what I rightfully deserved, which, was I guess an accurate way to describe what just happened. But of course the dominant feeling here was relief. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Aha..." She nodded, and her smirk put me at unease.

"What?"

She extended one socked foot forward, then, with her teasing green eyes staring at me, she pointed towards it. "Repeat the words, then get on your knees and give my foot a peck."

I rolled my eyes.

"What!" she chuckled at Sally. "That's better isn't it? Less embarrassing."

"..." Sally shrugged. "I guess--" She shook her head. "Come on Lora just grow some balls and do it!"

"She just came back from a basketball game!"

"I'm not asking you to make out with it." Charlotte chuckled. "Just a quick...symbolic, kiss."

My eyes snapped towards hers. Symbolic. It wasn't all fun and games. She knew this would be humiliating for me. She wanted it that way. I could see it in her amused sneer. She wanted me to admit my defeat.

But, did it really matter whether or not I admitted it. She'd already won. Girl bested me at everything. Being smarter was the only aspect about myself that I felt confident about, and today that proved to be a lie. I never felt ashamed about the fact I was so full of myself. There wasn't anything wrong with it. I was awesome. But if I admired myself for all my merits, logically, Charlotte proved herself more worthy of that admiration, more than I ever was.

That wasn't gonna change anytime soon. So maybe it was only right I grew up and admitted it, and gave her the symbolic gesture she demanded. I didn't speak. I just pulled my skirt up a bit as I sunk to my knees. Charlotte didn't say anything, just smiled with satisfaction.

But it was Sally whom I wanted to punch. "For fuck's sake" I shouted at her. "Put the phone away!"

"What...?" Sally pouted, keeping her phone in hand. "This is a nice moment. Come on, for the memories." She pointed the camera at us.

"Who are you gonna show it too?"

"Grow up." Sally brushed me off.

I grunted, knowing she was right. It was nothing. Only one who thought this was extremely humiliating was I. And, by now, probably Charlotte. I glanced at her one last time, and she nodded down towards her extended socked foot.

As I bent my back and lowered my head closer to her, my heartbeat went crazy rapid, so much so I felt my stomach empty. I inched closer to her foot. But suddenly she withdrew it.

"First let me hear it." She demanded.

I took a deep breath, trying to find breath to speak. "...Charlotte," I said, my voice shaky. "You're..." I forgot what she asked me to say. With the conflicting feelings moving through me, I couldn't remember it. So, I said what I truly felt, laying out my honest opinion of her, minus all the loath. "You're the...prettiest girl I've ever met. I've never met someone as confident, as attractive, or as smart as you. You're honestly the coolest person I've ever known. And I'm the dumbest shit for thinking I could compare."

I knew what I said was being recorded. I didn't give a fuck. I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders the moment those words left my mouth, like I'd been dying to say them since I met her.

Sally chuckled. "That's the spirit!"

Charlotte didn't make a sound however. She just put her foot forward again.

My mouth suddenly watered as my lips got closer to her socked foot. I made the mistake of taking a breath...and as if I needed more degrading, the smell of her stinky socks wafted through my nose. My stomach shrunk as I puckered my lips and pressed them against the top of her foot. Moah.

Honestly...I would've been better off kissing her ass. I don't imagine there was something that would make me feel as low as I felt right now. I froze in place contemplating the fact. I must've stayed for too long, cause Sally said. "Earth to Lora."

"Leave her..." Charlotte said jokingly. "She wants to kiss the other one." She withdrew her foot, and put the other one right in its place, under my lips.

This wasn't a part of the bet. I literally had no reason or under any childish obligation to do that. Doing it would make a completely different point. Thing was, I felt like making that point, even though I wasn't completely sure what it was exactly. I leaned down, and gave her other foot a kiss, only quicker, then I quickly straightened up while I had the power to do so. I couldn't meet her eye. Whatever tormenting look she was directing my way, I didn't want to see it.

I rose to my feet.

Things were never the same after that. For me at least. I avoided hanging out with Charlotte--and Sally by extension--as much as I could. I just grew scared whenever I thought about being in the same room with her. Something changed after that stupid bet. And I didn't know what it meant for our relationship. I was safe as long as I kept my distance.

But I couldn't keep my distance forever. A week later, Sally called, invited me to hang out at her place, said she was thinking about watching a movie. She didn't say if Charlotte was gonna be there, and I didn't ask, cause of course she'd be there. I decided I had had enough alone time. They...both of them, were my only close friends, and frankly I just wanted to spend some quality time.

And while a part of me was worried about seeing Charlotte again after last time, another part was excited, god only knows about what! It was like our relationship had restarted, on different terms. But the thing was, I didn't know those terms yet. And it was likely that it might just all be in my head. I knew Charlotte by now. She could've easily taken what happened that day as a silly bet between friends and thought nothing about it. However, if she teased me about it, like I knew she liked to do, I had no idea how I would react.

So, I stood on Sally's porch, dressed in casual black T-shirt and jeans and with the bag of snacks they asked me to bring in my hand, and I knocked. I knocked and I stepped back, preparing myself for the possibility that Charlotte might answer the door.

The door opened seconds later, and, there she stood. Her red hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore, if I remembered correctly, one of Sally's pajamas, a two-piece red velvet. She must be planning to spend the night.

"Hey." I had to look up to meet her eyes as I said it.

Out of nowhere, she sneered at me. I wasn't even through the door yet, and she was sneering at me. It was at this moment that I knew, something had changed. I didn't know whether I was excited or scared about that, but she was surely amused.

She turned on her heel and walked in and said "hey" back to me as she walked to the living room. I closed the door behind me and followed her, mumbling swears under my breath at how naturally condescending she could act sometimes.

I walked into the living room where Sally was laying on one couch flipping through the Netflix menu and Charlotte on the recliner laying sideways, waiting. I sat beside Sally on the couch and dumped out the bag of snacks on the coffee table in front of us. "What are we watching?"

"Searching." Sally said indifferently. She always took her time choosing a movie, which served as a pain in the ass for me and Charlotte both. And by the dull, sleepy look on Charlotte's face, I'd guess they'd been searching for a while.

Waiting, the three of us sat in awkward silence, or maybe it was only awkward for me. My eyes kept reluctantly turning left, to where Charlotte was sitting. I took a good and long look at her. Why did her sight have such a captivating effect on me? It wasn't like she'd changed. She was always attractive. I always knew it. But now, it was as if I was seeing her in a different light. I really acknowledged her for the beauty she was, however, not with as much spite as before. I felt like I needed to look at her.

Suddenly I found myself looking at a tormenting sight, her bare feet dangling over the recliner's armrest. I kissed those feet. That was a fact that I had to live with now. It took me a moment to realize I was staring for too long, so I darted my eyes away. I randomly glanced at her face, and fuck...she was looking right at me, smiling with her brows narrowing in confusion. She caught me staring.

I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled awkwardly like an idiot.

"What's up...Lora?" She cocked her head, as if to ask if there was something I wanted to say to her. There was, there was plenty. But it wasn't like I was about to reveal the hot mess raging in my mind.

I just shrugged and looked at the TV, my cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

Luckily, minutes later, Sally was able to find a film she liked. Neither I nor Charlotte disapproved. We didn't really care. We just wanted her to pick a damn film.

I bent down to grab a bag of chips. Sally stopped me and said she wanted to take a picture first. I wanted to say--to shout, "IT's fucking snacks. What's the picture for?" But I knew better. Sally liked her pictures.

For a while, we just lay back and watched. I was happy. This was normal. Just spending some quality time--or just...time--with my best friends. Then, out of nowhere, Charlotte said, "I'm hungry."

Both me and Sally looked at her.

"So," Sally said. "There's a shit load of snacks on the table just grab something."

"No," Charlotte shrugged. "I need real food."

"Get up and make some then," Sally brushed her off irritatingly.

"You're a great hostess by the way."

"Shsh..."

Both grew silent for a second, and I remained silent, not really wanting to get into any direct conversation with her. But I grew nervous, for some reason, feeling like there was something bad coming my way.

Sure enough, after a while, Charlotte said, "Hey Lora..."

I took a deep breath. "Yes." I said, keeping my wary eyes on the TV.

"How about you go make a sandwich for the coolest girl you ever knew huh?"

Piss off. Say it. Piss off. Two words that could work miracles. Piss. Off. Trying to dish out orders wasn't strange for Charlotte. Actually, ever since we met her, she dished them left and right. Grab me a coffee. Fetch my gym bag from my locker. Tie my shoes. Rub my feet. And, logically, I and Sally always gave her the same response: Piss off. I don't think she ever gave them seriously; she didn't expect us to just do as she said. She just gave her silly orders for fun, knowing our automatic response would always be Piss off.

But the words didn't automatically fly off my mouth this time. They were stuck in my throat. Was this another silly order, or did she expect me to comply? Regardless of what her intentions were, I wanted to do it. I felt an urge inside me to get off my ass, go to the kitchen and make her a sandwich, just cause she told me so. Refusing her just didn't feel...right... by this point. I felt like I needed to please her, this girl that I had verbally and submissively acknowledged as better.

Frankly, the only thing keeping me from doing just that was Sally's presence. What would she think of me if I ran off to obey Charlotte's order, especially considering the way she gave it.

But...all things aside, it wasn't that weird was it. I was making her a sandwich. A sandwich. It was a nice thing to do. No big deal. Fuck it.

Without a single word, I got to my feet, that damn aching in my stomach hitting me as soon as I did, and made my way to the kitchen without daring to look at either of them. I didn't just make any sandwich either. I poured my heart inside it. But in the end...it turned out just a sandwich, turkey, mustard, pickles, bread. You really can't be that artistic with a sandwich--or at least I couldn't.

When I walked back, I took a look at their lovely faces. Charlotte was...smiling amusingly, satisfied but not over impressed. And Sally was just raising an eyebrow at me. I didn't imagine she'd be this shocked if it were anyone one else. But the fact that it was me doing a favor for none other than Charlotte, was what shocked her. With a dumb smile on my face, and a knot in my stomach, I handed her the sandwich, and she took it, nodding at me as if to say thanks. And just like that, I sat back on the Sofa.

Sally was still looking at me, her eyes darting between Charlotte, me, and the sandwich I made. Then she said. "Well...I'm kinda hungry too--"

"Piss off." I said.

"Fair enough."

We continued watching the movie. I didn't feel one ounce of regret over what I just did. Hearing her yums at the food I made her felt good. For a brief moment, our eyes met, and she gave me a half amused half satisfied smile; she was pleased with my reaction. I didn't want to question it. I'd understand it later, but for now, pleasing Charlotte filled me with joy. I did wish, though, that she'd make no further requests tonight. Cause A- Sally was here, and it wouldn't take her much time to know that there was something weird going on. And B- I knew I didn't have the power in me to resist. Almost half an hour passed with my wish fulfilled, then I heard her sigh, and I closed my eyes in anticipation.

I saw her flex her bare feet and shake them around before she said, "Practice today was so intense. My feet hurt like hell."

I didn't like where this was going. I seriously considered excusing myself to the bathroom at that very moment as an escape. But I couldn't. I stayed put. The possible pleasure of fulfilling her possible demand beating the embarrassment over the weird looks I would get from Sally, who was already glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. Sally said sarcastically, a bit annoyed that Charlotte was interrupting the movie, "Should I book you a spa appointment?"

"Would they be here quickly?"

"Just let us watch the damn movie Charlotte." Sally whined, and turned up the volume.

The request I was expecting didn't come. Charlotte just watched the movie. A tormenting realization dawned on me. Was she...waiting for me to offer?

She was pushing me, maybe testing the bounds of what I was willing to do for her. Me offering would surely look weird. Especially that our last encounter didn't exactly end on the best of terms. Sally wasn't stupid; she'd know something was up. Or, worse, she'd think I was a pushover, too nice, all of the sudden, for no reason.

But Charlotte was expecting something out of me. And I was torn between meeting her expectations thus making a fool out of myself, and disappointing her, thus preserving my stupid pride in front of annoying Sally.

I wasn't sure, until I saw her glance at me, smile briefly, then look back at the TV, looking as confident as ever as she cleared her throat and pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear. She even gave her foot a light shake. It was that obnoxious confidence she had that I would comply to her unstated demand, that pushed me to my decision. "...I..." I ignored Sally's eyes that snapped to my direction. "I can...give you a foot rub... if you want to."

"I wouldn't..." Sally said. "You heard her, she had practice today. Her feet must be sweaty."

Sally please SHUSH. "They couldn't be that bad." I said curtly, doing my best not to sound irritated.

Charlotte pursed her lips, and narrowed her eyes, seeming to actually think about whether or not to accept. She looked so cute and irritating I wanted to kiss her and slap her at the same time.