The Girl Next Door Pt. 03

"There's nothing any of us can say or do to bring your mom and sister back, Gracie. And I can't promise you that the pain you feel after you lost them will ever totally go away, but I know they'd be proud of the woman you're becoming. You're so strong, Gracie. Don't let anyone ever tell you differently. You chose to stand and fight for those people tonight even though you didn't have a chance to win. But you can't give up. You can't stop fighting and you can't quit on the people you care about. Your father still loves you. Reach out to him and tell him how you feel. As far as your friend goes, give them time," she says.

"Thank you," I say, looking up into those bright golden eyes.

"Of course," she says.

"Can I stay here tonight. I... I don't want to go home. Not yet," I say.

"Of course. You can stay here as long as you like. But, at some point, you're going to have to face your troubles. That's the only way you can overcome them," she says.

"I know... I just need some time," I say.

"Take all the time you need," she says. "Follow me, I'll show you where you can sleep."

I follow Bristal outside and into the building next door. "This is my place. Erin also stays here, so you're going to have to find a way to get along."

"I'll try," I say.

I follow her up the stairs to a giant studio apartment that's pretty wide open. It has wood flooring and an open ceiling that shows the ventilation system. The living room has two big couches and a giant TV. The kitchen is connected and open even though she's got an islander with a bunch of pots and pans hanging down. Her apartment has so many plants it feels like we just walked into a jungle. A big rottweiler comes roaring out from the closest bedroom. "Leila, settle down. We have a new guest who will be staying with us."

The dog looks up at me while its tongue is hanging out drooling all over the place. Bristal bends down and starts to massage the dog behind its ears. "Gracie, meet my fearless guard dog, Leila. She's so ferocious, aren't you girl? Just kidding, she's really kind of a gentle cuddly scaredy-cat. She's a rescue dog. Saved her from an abusive owner."

"It's a pleasure," I say flatly.

"I take it you're not a dog lover?" she asks.

"More of a cat person," I say.

She laughs. "I should've known with the choice of costumes."

I can't help but chuckle. I forgot how good it feels to laugh.

"My room is the door on the left, the bathroom is the door next to it and Erin stays in the next room. You'll have to sleep on the couch for now. It pops out into a bed," she says.

"That's fine," I say.

"Let me get you a pillow and some blankets," she says as she goes into her room. I can't believe I actually met Starlight and I'm staying in her house! God, Gabs would've had a stroke if she heard about this. Starlight has always been one of her favorite superheroes. Her room was filled with Starlight posters. She even dressed up like her for Halloween.

Bristal comes out with a hand full of blankets and pillows. She sets them down on the couch. "The TV has all the usual streaming platforms. You're welcome to anything in the fridge besides for anything that has Erin's name on it. She gets pretty testy if you eat any of her food. You should get some rest because we start your training first thing in the morning," she says.

"I can't thank you enough for all this," I say.

"You don't have to thank me at all. It's the least I could do. Now, I've got a few things to work on over at the gym. If you need me, just head on over. I'll leave the door unlocked," she says. I can't help but marvel at how beautiful she is. Her golden hair seems to flow so effortlessly. Her figure looks as if it was carved out of marble with curves in all the right places. Her eyes... The way they shine so brightly fills me with hope. "Oh, and Gracie... Now that you're training with me, I don't want you to go out as Tigress on your own. Okay? We're a team, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," I say.

"Good, now get some sleep," she says before heading out. I collapse on the couch, exhaustion finally takes its toll on me.

It's not long before Erin comes up the stairs. "So you're staying here now?" she asks.

"Yeah... just for now. Is that a problem?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"I... I couldn't help but overhear what you said back in the gym..." she says, shifting her eyes away from mine.

"So, you were eavesdropping on me?" I ask.

"No... I was just in the other room. Look, I'm sorry you lost your mom and sister. I know how it feels to lose people you love," she says.

"Yeah, Bristal told me about what happened to your parents," I say.

"I know, I heard," she sighs as she walks over and sits down next to me.

"Do you think their death was an accident?" I ask.

"Not a chance. I know William Shaw did something. I don't trust him," she says.

"Then why are you friends with his son?" I ask.

"At first I just wanted a reason to get inside their house, but the more I hung out with Robert, the more I realized that Robert is nothing like his dad. He's kind, smart, nerdy and he's really a good guy," she says.

"Oh... Are you two... like, dating?" I ask.

"Sort of? I don't know, it's complicated. We hooked up. I told him my secret about being Nightblade. I know I shouldn't have and Bristal definitely agrees, but I couldn't help it. I think I'm in love with him," she says.

"We love who we love," I say.

"So... I take it the best friend you're in love with isn't Kate or Stacy," she says.

"No... It's Gabriela Manzanedo," I say.

"Oh... Huh. I never would've guessed. I mean, I knew you two used to be friends. I guess I didn't really think she was your type," she says.

"And what do you think my type is?" I ask.

"Damarco," she says.

"I like Damarco. He's a really nice guy, I just... I mean, it's not like I don't find him attractive. Well... I don't know. It's all confusing. It's just, I definitely don't feel the same way about him as I do towards Gabs. She makes my heart melt. It's hard to breathe when I'm around her and my knees feel weak. And when I'm with her I have a sudden urge to kiss her. I definitely don't feel that way towards Damarco. But she doesn't feel the same way about me," I say.

"How do you know?" she asks.

"I may have confessed my feelings for her and then proceeded to kiss her earlier today," I say.

"No fucking way... Really? I take it she wasn't into it," she asks.

"I don't know. I thought she was at first. She started to kiss me back, but then she pulled away and she actually looked sick as if kissing me was this disgusting act. I felt so embarrassed and I just wanted to crawl into a ball and die," I say. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

"Ouch... That sucks. Although, maybe she was just shocked. You didn't really give her a chance to think about it," she says.

"I doubt that. Her reaction was pretty clear. I totally misread the situation. I thought she felt the same way and I was wrong. I don't even think I can face her. That's why I'm hiding here. I feel I'm better off trying to make things work with Damarco. At least he likes me. I wish Gabs felt that way about me."

"I wouldn't give up just yet. You never know. Maybe she's just discovering her feelings. Who knows. I would talk to her if I were you," she says.

"I don't know if I can. Being around her hurts too much."

"Sometimes the things that matter most to us bring us the most pain," she says. "Well, I'm going to bed. You should too. Bristal's training can be a bit intense," she says as she gets up and heads to her room.

"Good night," I say.

"Good night."

Thank you for reading my story! Please let me know what you think in the comment section below. Also please give it an honest rating and add me to your favorites. Don't forget to check out my profile for more content!