Charlotte F/F

Luckily, she didn't leave me hanging, and she shifted back slightly in her chair and shrugged. "Okay."

I nodded with a friendly smile, then got to my feet, all the while feeling Sally's eyes drill through the back of my head as I made my way to Charlotte's chair. I looked around, intending to find a chair that I could shift or something so that I could sit on it while I rubbed her feet. She nodded down, like she was pointing out the obvious, "Just sit on the ground."

"But she can't watch the movie that way!" Sally said through gritted teeth. "In any way actually."

"So..." Charlotte snickered. "It's a shit movie you picked anyway."

Sally took a deep breath as she smiled, and I knew she was resisting to shout.

While holding eye contact with her, and feeling my legs already beginning to tremble, I sunk to my knees in front of her chair. The sight of her soles greeted me. Having them facing me like that, this close to my face, I grew both hot and nervous. It felt humiliating. I was kneeling in front of her again, this time to ease the tension out of her tired feet for no good reason other than that she implied she needed it. I felt subservient, and surprisingly, my heart pumped harder against my chest, excited about the fact.

Her soles parted, and her face came into view as she raised an eyebrow at me. "You planning to start anytime soon?" She said it in such a bratty and commanding way I felt like lunging at her, but instead I nodded politely and wrapped my hands around her left foot, and kneed my thump into her meaty sole. I winced as the sweat on her foot coated my palms. She saw that and snickered, then got back to watching her show.

I sat there and rubbed. I never gave a foot massage before, but judging by her relaxed sighs, I was doing an alright job. She didn't shy away from directing me through the whole thing though. She told me where to rub, to switch feet, and to rub harder. I obeyed without a word. It was only right she told me how she liked her feet rubbed, since I offered.

After a while, I made the mistake of looking towards Sally, whom I'd been avoiding to look at since I began. Her eyes were firmly planted on me. She had a cold look on her face as she shook her head slightly at me, as if to ask me, "Da fuck is up with you?"

I couldn't ignore her, so I just...shrugged and gave an awkward smile then returned my focus to Charlotte's feet. What was I gonna say, "Serving our best friend makes me feel good?"

Cause simply, that was exactly it. Pleasing Charlotte was giving me joy I had never experienced before. She was the girl I thought I was, the woman I always aspired to be, as dumb as it may sound. All my life I'd been priding myself on being the best at everything. Her coming into my life and putting a quick end to that was a harsh slap to the face, but also, it gave me a sense of freedom and relief. I didn't have to worry about staying perfect anymore. All I had to worry about was pleasing Charlotte. That thought was freeing, and just as humbling.

After about fifteen minutes, Charlotte turned to her left. "See." She said to Sally. "She doesn't have a problem with the smell."

Sally pretty much ignored both of us by this point and was just focusing on her movie.

But I didn't like the point Charlotte made. "It's not that I don't have a problem with it." I snickered nervously. "They just...don't smell that bad." They did. I mean, not horrible, but they did have a noticeable faint scent--nothing compared to when she had her basketball socks on though. And, as surprising as it may be, it didn't bother that much. However I chose to keep that last bit of info to myself.

"Really?" She cocked her head. "That's weird. Are you sure? Take a deep sniff to make sure."

I saw Sally's eyes dart towards the back of Charlotte's head, full of anger. She was probably sick of her attitude now. And...to some degree...so was I. She didn't know when to stop did she!

"I'll pass on that." I'd been pushed enough for one day. And...in a weird way, I felt like I had quenched the urge inside me. I slapped my palm on the top of her foot and said, "All relaxed now?"

She pursed her lips, but smiled, seeming kind of disappointed I didn't sniff her damn feet. She shrugged. "Sure. Thanks."

"Welcome." I rose up and headed to then threw myself on the couch, taking a long, deep and satisfied breath. Sally looked my way, and smiled subtly, looking relieved I was sitting beside her again.

Soon enough, the movie ended. Charlotte staggered to her feet, looking so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. "I'm off to bed."

"Bye." Sally and I said.

I kept my place on the sofa for some time, finishing my chips and watching the credits. "Good movie."

Sally nodded.

She was awfully silent. She was rarely awfully silent, and it usually meant she had beans to spill. It would go without saying that I had no intention of hearing it right now, so I finished quickly then got to my feet. "Well I better get home then--"

A rough hand clutched the back of my shirt and pulled me back to the couch. I kept my eyes forward, feeling hers darting around my face questionably. I couldn't ignore her stare for long, so I glanced to my side. "...You wanna say something--"

"Da fuck? Lora?" She shook her head with a chuckle.

"What?" I shrugged.

"Don't what me," she said. "What're you doing?"

"Going home but you just stopped me."

"You know what I mean."

"Okay..." There was no avoiding this talk. "...I'm doing...nice...favors..." I put each word carefully, finding them as I go. "For our...mutual...friend, Charlotte."

"Never realized you're that nice." She said sarcastically. "Would've taken advantage of that in the fifteen fucking years I've known you."

"Well, you're loss." I shrugged and got to my feet again, and again was pulled back to sit. "What?" I whined.

"A week ago you couldn't stand Charlotte. Ever since you knew her you couldn't stand her--"

"And you're the one who told me to grow up and be nicer to her. You said I was too sensitive for growing hot over her every word."

"Yeah..." she nodded animatedly. "And I meant it. You had steam blowing out of your ears every time she teased you! But honey there's a middle ground. You know...normal...the kind me and you have. Don't act like you want to strangle her, but also don't run to fulfill her slightest whims. You know how bossy she can get. Middle ground!"

She was making sense, sense that was hard to argue with without looking weird. Was she really explaining to me how normal friendships worked. I knew...bitch. I just...didn't feel like having one of those with Charlotte. And Sally wasn't going anywhere. She was my best friend. I couldn't get into the details with her, but I could tell her a part of the truth. "I..." I took a breath that I knew I'd need. "I just...don't want to be in Middle grounds...right now." And I felt like I needed to add an important point. "...when it comes to her."

I mustered my courage and looked to my side at Sally's face. It looked puzzled, confused, with a questioning wince. "When you...were coming here...did you hit your head on something?"

I rolled my eyes and got to my feet. "Maybe." I sighed. "Now...me and my retarded mind should get home." I walked to the door. "Bye."

It was a big relief to me that when she said goodbye to me a puzzled smile made it to her face as she shook her head. She was confused, understandably, but she didn't think less of me, and for now I was thankful for that.