“Becca.” Emmy’s voice echoed through their small apartment and into the room where Becca was attempting to get homework done. “Door.”
Groaning, Becca slammed down her pencil.
When Emmy appeared in her doorway with a pleased grin Becca groaned again. “Em, I told you that I wasn’t going to do any more of your blind date set ups. It’s too embarrassing. Go tell whoever it is you convinced to meet your deadbeat roommate and tell them I am a lost cause.”
Emmy only laughed and disappeared out in the living room. Becca vaguely heard her say, “She’s in her cave.”
Seconds later Chad’s broad frame entered her tiny room. “Trying to imitate a swamp monster is not a good look on you, BeccaBee.”
“Ugh, it’s you. Go away. I have homework.” Becca turned away.
“You would spurn your bestest of best friend of 9 years for homework?!” He growled.
She only had a brief moment to turn toward him before he scooped her out of her chair and slammed down on her thick purple comforter. Her bed bounced under their sudden weight.
“Chad! Get off!” She tried to worm her way out from under her hulking best friend. She managed to get one of her arms free and walloped him as hard as she could. “I am not one of your football buddies. You can’t just come into my room and tackle me.”
“Aww, don’t worry BeccaBee. I didn’t suddenly go insane and mistake you for a big muscly guy. Besides, you are way too light to be taken seriously as a hulking footballer.”
“Hey! I may not be as big as you but I am just as tough as you.” And slugged him in the same arm she’d already hit in order to prove it, hard.
Instead of getting off and moving away, he began to tickle her instead. She screamed.
“Oh, definitely just as tough.” He laughed and kept on tickling, barely giving her a chance to breathe. “I only said you were lighter, not that you weren’t tough.”
“S..s…st…stop!” Becca finally managed. She gasped as she couldn’t stop laughing.
With one final tickle, Chad withdrew and flopped into her chair.
“Why are you even here?” She asked when she could finally breathe, still sounding winded. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a date or something? It’s night time and you are not dead.”
Chad shrugged and looked away. Immediately Becca sat up and moved to sit closer to him. “What’s wrong?”
When he looked back her way his grin was back full force. “I came to rescue you from yourself. I knew you’d be studying, so I am being the friend you don’t know you need right now and dragging you out of the house.”
Becca peered at him with narrowed eyes for several seconds before she groaned and flopped back on her bed, pulling her comforter over her head. She felt rather than saw him collapse onto her small bed next to her.
“You gonna change?” He whispered next to her covered head.
“No!”
The bed shifted and she didn’t think much of it until she felt arms underneath her, then she was airborne.
Trying to get the comforter off her head, she squirmed. “Put me down.”
He matched her tone perfectly as he shot back, “No.”
“Chad!”
“You gonna change?” He sang out while laughing and spinning her around.
“Fine. Just put me down.”
After extricating herself from the purple fabric twisted around her she glared at her smiling friend. “Get out.”
“What? No!” He moved to grab her and she jumped up onto her bed and out of his reach.
“Yes. I’m not going to change with you in my room.” She shot back.
Instantly he moved to the door. “Two minutes.” He shook his finger at her as he closed the door. “Then I’m coming in. And fix your hair. You really shouldn’t stick a big old blanket on your head when you are planning to go out and have fun. It’s a mess.” He waved his hands above his head as if he could show her how crazy it looked. She laughed and pointed him out the door.
Quickly throwing on some skinny jeans and a shirt that wasn’t a mess but not too fancy, Becca was out in the living room with time to spare.
Chad opened his arms with a laugh. “There’s my BeccaBee. Let’s go have some fun.”
Becca joined in laughing with him as she ran into his arms, half heartedly trying to knock him back onto the couch. He didn’t budge an inch and easily caught her in a hug.
As they moved to leave, Emmy called out from the other couch. “Why don’t you two just date already? Your coupley cuteness sickens me, it’s so sweet!”
Chad stopped and looked back at Emmy with a stunned, almost shocked look on his face before turning to Becca. He bowed low. “Ahh, if only BeccaBee would agree.”
At that, Becca tripped and ended a graceless mess on the hallway floor.
She was too dumbfounded to laugh at her klutziness but Chad had no such inhibition as he nearly bent over in half with laughter. He hauled her up and held her close as she stared up at him.
“You’d want to date me?” She couldn’t tell if she was angry at him for making a joke about her lack of a dating life or if she was hopeful that he actually meant what he’d said.
The door to her apartment had slipped close in the commotion and they were alone in the hallway. He stopped laughing and gave her a soft smile.
“BeccaBee, you are my best friend and always will be. You’re smart and amazing and beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want to date you?”
“You’ve never asked.” Becca shook her head but didn’t step away. Chad had always made her feel safe, now was no different.
“I didn’t want to ask until I knew for sure that I wouldn’t lose you even if your answer was no.”
“And are you sure?” Her head tilted to the side.
“No.” He whispered. “It just came out. But I’m not going to lie and say I don’t want to.”
