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[indent][indent]Oliver had been trying to mingle around the venue since Stella had kissed him. He had tried to find Raven, but it had seemed that she had decided to leave early. He could have sworn he'd seen her earlier, but hers wasn't the only face he couldn't find. The venue was starting to empty as people made their way to their cars. Standing up from his chair and tossing his cup into the nearest garbage can, he made a lap or two around the inside of the club looking for his date. 

Fortunately, it didn't take that long for his eyes to find her. As he made his way over, it occurred to him that maybe Stella didn't feel the same way about the kiss that he did. Then again, he was the one that had initiated the kiss, right? Walking up behind her, Oliver gently tapped Stella on the shoulder, which caused her to tense up and jump only slightly into the air as she made eye contact with him.

[Color=gray]”Hey Stella?”[/color], he asked, his tone slightly shy. [Color=gray]”Are you ready to go?”[/color]

[color=pink]”Oh, it’s you, Oliver!”[/color] 

She was relieved in a way. She hadn’t been able to find him so she ventured a quick walk to the parking lot, hoping he’d find her at some point. After her talk with Penny ended and she failed to find him, she gave up hope, but lady luck was on her side yet again. 

Warming up to him with a smile, though it was clear on the way her smile was a little less as wide as it usually was. [color=pink]“Y-yeah. I think it would be best we just left,”[/color] she admitted, not yet engaging in the [i]talk[/i] she knew she had to have with Oliver but it was so awkward and hard for her to be the one to bring it up. Maybe he would so she didn’t have to. 

Always a gentleman, Oliver led Stella to the car and opened the door for her to get in. Making his way to the other side and climbing in himself, the young man began the journey to Stella's house after programming the GPS through the awkward silence. Thought swirling madly in his head, it took all of five minutes before he brought up the subject at hand. 

[Color=gray]”So… uh…,”[/color] he began before having to clear his throat, suddenly feeling parched. [Color=gray]”What was… why… Why'd you kiss me, Stel?”[/color]

There was a part of Stella that wanted to pretend he hadn’t said anything. She could play it off as not hearing him and just react absentmindedly. People say she did that a lot with her not being aware of it. So it’s not like it would be out of the ordinary. Anyone who knew the girl knew about her tendency to flake in and out of conversation. She sometimes lost seconds and didn’t know how it happened. 

But that didn’t change how she suddenly grew a little quiet. And it seemed like lady luck decided she was taking a break because they hit a red light. Stella knew it wasn’t that far from her house. Three blocks and she was home free, but if this was how the ride home was going to be like, she knew she couldn’t just avoid the question. Something had to be said. “Would you believe me if I said I was aiming for your cheek?” She responded, looking at him. She knew it was a totally ridiculous response. She knew it in her mind. And seeing him look at her the way he was for a long moment, she knew he knew it too. 

Stopping promptly at the red light, Oliver waited for her response, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter when she did. [Color=gray]”I… yeah. Sorry Stella, but not really,”[/color] his voice sounding a little angry. [Color=gray]”I just… I'm not mad at you or anything, I swear. I'm just… a little confused. That's all.”[/color]

[color=pink]“Confused?”[/color] She repeated his word back to him. She was somehow finding herself feeling the same. [color=pink]“I’m sorry, Oliver. I just--”[/color] She paused again, seeing the shade of green hit the windshield. [color=pink]“Light’s green!”[/color] She announced, breathing out a small sigh of relief as car horns from behind them went off. 

[Color=gray]”Don't be,”[/color] he responded, still lost in a daze as the cars started to honk. Turning his attention back to the road, he took a deep breath before explaining. [Color=gray]”I… St…. Look. I'm gay, okay. That's why I'm confused. Because I've always liked guys and then you come along and I keep smiling at my phone like a fucking idiot and getting anxious when you don't text back. I adore that dimple in your right cheek when you smile. I'm confused because you're a girl. Not that there's anything wrong -... It's just that I've been really gay for a really long time and I think I like you, Stella, and it's confusing,”[/color] he explained, taking another deep breath.

The words had come out of his mouth in a nervous rush. Stella was the first person that he had actually come out too. Granted Martha knew, but she had just guessed. Oliver hadn't actually sat her down and explained it to her or anything. To say that his nerves were shot was a near understatement. 

As he kept driving, Stella sat there as still as a pole, saying absolutely nothing and doing absolutely nothing. She couldn’t process it. Yes, the rumors were true. And all of the teasing Kavi had done to her had proven to be true, but there was also something else she knew to be true - something that, despite all signs pointing on way, a hidden path on the level of the game she seemed to be playing - had revealed itself to her and only her.

He liked her. [color=pink][i]Oliver Grayson liked me.[/i][/color]

In her mind, she tried to come up with the right thing to say, but nothing she thought of seemed to be right. And what she felt was suitable for such a response from him never made it out of her mouth. Why was she having such a tough time trying to get a single response out? She honestly didn’t know and what was even worse, he had pulled up to her house. She looked to her house, seeing the lights still on and then she brought her nervous eyes to Oliver. How he must’ve been feeling since she said practically nothing. 

She coughed a couple of times, looking at him again and still looked at him. [color=pink]“Oliver, I--”[/color] She stopped herself, the trembling sensation of anxiety passing through her body, already making her voice a cracking mess.

Why did she have to live so close to the damned country club? Attempting to swallow the lump in his throat, he shook his head. [Color=gray]”It's fine, Stella. You don't have to say anything. I uh… Unless you want me to walk you to the door, I guess I'll leave or whatever.”[/color] 

She tried her hardest not to feel like she was in the wrong or that the kiss she gave him was what made the energy between them tense, but she couldn’t help it. It was because of the kiss that whatever was between them right now was awkward and it was because of everything that came afterward - her being swept away by Penny and then not talking to him immediately about it, her being as evasive as she could when he asked her a direct question - everything was, as Sonny might say, fucked. She wouldn’t use the word herself, but she knew of no other word that summed up what she was feeling about Oliver, about what she did.

It was fucked up and she hated it. 

She gave him one more once over, choosing to smile as she shook her head. [color=pink]“I’m a little exhausted, but I’ll be fine,”[/color] she told him, forcing the widest smile she could. [color=pink]“I’ll..I'll text you tomorrow.”[/color] The words left her mouth without her even realizing it. 

She had half of a thought to lean in and kiss him, but that would’ve been out of her own habit of how she liked to end dates or her just being genuinely friendly. After all that happened tonight, she knew that wouldn’t be a wise thing of her to do. 

Stella opened up the passenger door and had a literal foot out the door, but then she turned around back Oliver. [color=pink]“You know, before the kiss, I was having a lot of fun. It had been a while since I had a date that didn’t end with me on the opposite end of rejection. So, thank you for that, Oliver,”[/color] she said to him, a warm, glowing smiling girl genuinely happy with her date.

Oliver let out a soft chuckle, the right side of his mouth tilting up ever so slightly into somewhat of a half smile. [Color=gray]”I really enjoyed tonight too, though I have to apologize for dumping all this on you. Who knows. Maybe we could hang out again sometime.”[/color] Watching her as she climbed out of the car, Oliver found himself with one last thing to say. [Color=gray]”Just promise you won't tell anyone? I… I haven't even told my parents. I know that people assume, and I don't blame them for it, especially considering that the assumption is correct. But I'm just not really ready for everyone to know quite yet. I… have some things to work out first,”[/color] 

She looked back at him, nodding. [color=pink]“Of course! Your secret is safe with me!”[/color] 

That was the last thing she said before she bolted for her house, clutch in hand and key in the other, the sound of Oliver’s car speeding off as soon as she made her way into her house.
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