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[color=darkgray][indent]As Shawna trudged towards the school, wondering just how she was going to find anyone else, her problem was solved for her. 

[center][color=7ea7d8][b]Please tell me you're here. Don't leave me alone on our last first day. :( I'll be waiting for ya at our table. <3 [/b][/color][/center]

With Sunshine texting her, Shawna breathed a sigh of relief. [color=E81B00][i]I guess if she’s here, she can keep me somewhat on the path towards not flunking out. At the very least, she’s a reason to actually show up instead of ditching and just smoking under the bridge or something.[/i][/color]

The tall girl worked her way around towards the entrance, and it was very hard to miss her best friend. Sunshine was clearly giving the full effort for the final beginning. Shawna honestly felt a little self conscious for giving the bare minimum this morning, and being more concerned about making her tarts pop as opposed to her eyes. Still, Sunshine wasn’t the type to point that sort of stuff out. It’s part of why they worked.

Shawna gave a wave as she approached the table. [color=E81B00]“Hey Cookie,”[/color] she greeted, throwing in Sunshine’s alternate nickname just to change things up. Plus it seemed to make sense that Cookie followed Cupcake. [color=E81B00]“Did you really think I was going to leave you here by yourself?”[/color] Shawna held her hand over her heart. [color=E81B00]“I’m so hurt! ...Seriously though, I’m glad you texted.”[/color] She slung her bag onto the table and took a seat.

[Color=7ea7d8]"I admit… it crossed my mind,"[/color] she said making a frowny face and scrunching up her nose. [Color=7ea7d8]"I wouldn't blame you for skipping the first day back. Aaaannnyway. How was the rest of your break?"[/color]

The tall girl let out a huge sigh. [color=E81B00]“Honestly? It did not compare to New York,”[/color] Shawna admitted. [color=E81B00]“I mean, I guess I was able to take some time for myself and try and think about some stuff. Even comparing where I am now to this point last year, it’s almost insane when you think about it. Of course, after that I just got high and watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine, so you know. It’s all a big circle.”[/color] She leaned forward on the table, resting her head on her fist. [color=E81B00]“I will say, I definitely feel a little more inclined to be here now than I did before the trip.”[/color]

Curiosity peaked and as clueless as ever, Sunshine just didn't want to up and assume that Shawna’s reason was herself. But if there was a chance - any chance - that the reason was what she thought, should she go ahead and get clarification? Butterflies in her stomach, Sunshine brushed her hair back behind her ear as she began to speak. 

[Color=7ea7d8]"New York was [i]amazing[/i]. I'm really glad you were able to come with me."[/color] She took a deep breath, deciding how to word the rest of what she had to say. [Color=7ea7d8]"Can I ask…."[/color] she hesitated for a moment, her voice slightly shaking. [Color=7ea7d8]"What did that kiss mean? I mean, was it like a drunk induced one time thing or are we exploring possibilities or are we just gonna drop it and pretend it never happened?"[/color]

Shawna struggled to keep herself upright. She had to blink a couple times, as if to reset her brain. Sable was really going there… 

It wasn’t like Shawna hadn’t thought about it. Indeed, she thought about it a lot, going over it in her head, even trying to get council from her friends about it just to gain perspective she clearly lacked in this situation. Chrissie was very pragmatic, wanting to make sure that this was actually about Sunshine and not just about replacing the emptiness in her life with just anything before ultimately backing whatever she chose and Ariel… Ariel offered clarity in her own way, distilling the situation to something akin to a flow-chart.

[color=E81B00][i]Do I like Sunshine? Yes, obviously. Is there potential to smash? Apparently there is. Do I think she’s pretty?[/i][/color] Shawna blinked again, as if to confirm what her eyes were telling her. [color=E81B00][i]Yes. Yes she is. So I go for this, right? Devil logic confirmed?[/i][/color]

Shawna cleared her throat. [color=E81B00]”Um…”[/color] It should have been that simple. But she was clearly stalling. There was one tiny detail that was holding her back, and it was something she had been thinking about during the break. The one person complicating that kiss, and that was the other member of their autumn trio. The one no longer here. 

It had been less than a month since Kellie Anne left to return to California. Less than a month since their relationship was capped. A part of Shawna still wanted to hold onto that hope that Kellie could break away from her family and come back to Palm Beach. That there was more time to figure out everything that happened after that day in her bed. There were still so many unresolved feelings there.

But Sunshine had been there almost as long. Through some sort of divine arrangement, she had been there. It didn’t take much to become Shawna’s best friend, not with the lack of contenders, but in a short time Sunshine had managed it. And she eclipsed it. She was here. She was looking out for her. She was keeping her sane and away from the spirals. Enough to keep her from doing something really stupid.

But what about Cupcake? Was it so wrong to want to take a shot at another relationship so soon after ending a previous one? There had to be some sort of math equation to calculate the right amount of time from the termination of one tryst to the beginning of another. Or did it even matter given what had already happened on New Year’s Eve? 

The Shawna of 2018 probably would have driven herself crazy trying to come to a logical solution to all of this. The Shawna of 2020, though? The time was running out to think it through, so it was time to make a leap.

[color=E81B00]”Sunshine,”[/color] she started, trying to make sure she got the words right for both their sakes. No rough drafts here. [color=E81B00]“You are my best friend. You know that, right? I don’t think I’ve even been able to say that in the past, that’s how much I value the fact that we got to that level in such a short amount of time. You are fucking amazing.

...And that kiss? I can’t pretend that it didn’t happen. It confirmed too many things for me. Enough to know that it’s not just about drunk Shawna giving in to her lesbian side. That lesbian side is part of who I am. It was enough to know that I probably need some more practice at kissing, to be honest. And given that I just ruled your other two options out…”[/color] Shawna dropped her hand from her chin and placed it on top of Sunshine’s. [color=E81B00]”It’s enough to confirm that door number two is the option I want. I treasure your friendship so much Sunshine, I hope we’re not jeopardizing that,”[/color] The brown-eyed girl stared into those orbs that seemed to match her own. [color=E81B00]“But I’m willing to bet there was more to that kiss than just a random-ass countdown. I think you know it too. So, I’m down to see just what it means. If you’re with me.”[/color]

Oh no. Hesitation. That wasn’t good. 

But then again, Sunshine realized that she had just bombarded Shawna with a major question out of absolutely nowhere, which meant that while the other girl had to take time to sort through thoughts of her own - so did she. 

It wasn’t as if Sunshine hadn’t thought about the kiss and what it meant practically for the rest of winter break. In fact - it had pretty much been the only thing she [i]could[/i] think about. Did she mess things up? Would Shawna avoid her? Was Shawna still hung up on Kellie? (Not like it would really matter if she was, but Sunshine was trying to be respectful even if she did just jump the gun). Was it going to be something real, or was Shawna just looking for something more playful, or nothing at all? Did she just jeopardize whatever they had by being so blunt? 

Once Shawna began to speak, Sunshine felt her heart speed up. Thankfully, the more the other girl talked, the more the thoughts slowed down in her own head. 

[color=7ea7d8]”Yes, of course!”[/color] she blurted out. [color=7ea7d8]”I know I’m worried about us potentially screwing things up too, but…”[/color] she bit her bottom lip in concentration, thinking of what to say next. [color=7ea7d8]”I’m not going to say that I don’t care about that, because I do. But at the same time, I think that we would also regret not seeing where this could go. So yeah. I’m in.”[/color] 

Shawna smiled, both at Sunshine’s confirmation and at the fact that she had successfully read another human being and made what definitely felt like the right call. [color=E81B00]“Well, at least if we both know we don’t want to fuck things up, we can both be aware of the situation in case things go screwy,”[/color] she offered. [color=E81B00]“Least I know I got someone who cares enough about me for that, huh?”[/color]

Sunshine laughed. [color=7ea7d8]”Exactly. And of course we can both work at a pace that isn’t too fast or slow for either of us. I know that Kellie… I know there was something there between you guys, even if I didn’t know all about it. So while I don’t see it as me being in competition with her or anything - I still want to be considerate of any feelings that were or still may be there.”[/color] She paused for another moment, mildly regretting bringing up their old friend. [color=7ea7d8]”And I know that bringing that up was probably a bad idea, but I feel like we should head into whatever this is with everything in the open so… yeah?”[/color] 

Bringing up Kellie did cause Shawna to look away from Sunshine for a moment. The reason for her previous hesitation didn’t need to resurface that quickly. But Sunshine had a point. It was going to be a thing. If Kellie ever found out, it was probably going to be a thing. There would be questions. On both ends. 

Shawna was visibly flustered, but she pressed on. [color=E81B00]“No you’re right,”[/color] she admitted. [color=E81B00]“And it is going to be hard. Kellie… she got so many of my firsts, you know? It’s hard to compartmentalize those feelings. But I have to be able to. If only to… well, break myself out of this cycle. Otherwise, I’m not going to be able to enjoy anything else.”[/color] She looked back at Sunshine. [color=E81B00]“And you are someone I definitely want to enjoy to the fullest extent. So I can’t promise I will be 100% all the time, but I will definitely give it my all.”[/color] Shawna was almost surprising herself with the kind of determination she was showing. It was something that she thought had been all but drained out of her. The heart and brain make a weird team sometimes.

[color=7ea7d8]”Good. I’ll try my best too, ya know? Now come on. We’ll be late for class if we don’t hurry.”[/color] 

[color=E81B00]“Right, that shit. Knew there was some reason I didn’t want to come today,”[/color] Shawna joked as she got up from the table, still keeping her hand on top of Sunshine’s, not wanting to let go just yet as the two made their move towards the school. [/indent][/color]