Remny

As Taylor and I went upstairs, he excitedly showed me his collection of food-shaped rocks. I picked up a glossy red one that looked like a tiny apple, impressed by how cool it was. While Taylor stepped away to the bathroom, I kept examining the rocks until Remy unexpectedly appeared in the doorway. She asked where Taylor was, and I told her he was in the bathroom. To my surprise, she thanked me before noticing the rock in my hand and complimenting it, saying it looked just like an apple.

I was taken aback by her kindness, especially since she usually ignored me or made snarky comments. Remy smiled and even joked about not letting Taylor convince me the rocks were anything more than they were. I couldn’t help but smile back, feeling less intimidated by her than usual. She gave a casual wave and walked away, leaving me wondering if I was seeing a different side of her.

When Taylor returned, he teased me about Remy, and I laughed, still processing the encounter. “She was actually nice for once,” I said, and Taylor, surprised, joked about it. As I glanced at the rock...

Later that night, Taylor and I sat in the living room, ready to dig into a plate of steaming pizza rolls. The barbecue had died down, and most of his family was either cleaning up or relaxing in their rooms. The house felt calm now, but I was still replaying my earlier conversation with Taylor about Remy in my head.

I was about to pop a pizza roll into my mouth when I felt the couch shift. Glancing to my left, I nearly choked—Remy had sat down next to me. Not Taylor. Me.

My heart jumped in my chest. She didn’t even say anything at first, just leaned back into the cushions, her attention on the TV. I glanced over at Taylor, nudging him with my foot under the table. Help me, my eyes begged him.

Taylor turned his head, and when our eyes met, I saw that smug, mischievous glint again. He smirked like he was enjoying every second of my discomfort.

Then, with an exaggerated groan, he got up. “Man, those pizza rolls got my stomach bubbling,” he said, rubbing his stomach dramatically.

I shot him a look of pure panic, silently pleading with him not to leave me here. He just grinned, completely ignoring my silent pleas.

“I’ll be back,” he said, heading toward the bathroom with a suspiciously casual stride. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I sat there frozen, my face heating up as I realized I was now alone with Remy. She still hadn’t said anything, her gaze focused on the TV like nothing was out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, my brain was racing. Why did she sit here? Why didn’t she sit by Taylor? What am I supposed to say?

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing steady. The silence between us felt louder with each passing second, and I had no idea how to break it—or if I even should.

You sat at the table, the remnants of the cake in front of you. Your fingers fidgeted with the edge of your plate as your eyes stayed glued to it, trying to focus on anything but the tension in the air. Remy sat across from you, and the silence was becoming unbearable. Finally, she broke it, her voice a soft, almost teasing tone.

"Do you want a slice of cake?" she asked, her eyes flicking to your plate, noticing it was nearly empty.

You hesitated for a moment, but the sweetness of the cake tempted you. "Yes, please," you replied softly, keeping your gaze on the table. Remy stood up and, without a word, cut you a very large slice, bringing it back to you. "Thank you," you muttered, still not meeting her eyes.

She leaned forward slightly, studying you with curiosity. "Why do you look so afraid to fix your plate?" she asked, her voice gentle but probing. You swallowed hard, your mind racing.

"I'm just shy," you answered quickly, the words slipping out before you could stop them. It was true, but there was more to it than just that. The truth was, Remy intimidated you. Her confident demeanor, her presence, it all made you feel small and unsure of yourself.

Remy raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanning you. "Shy?" she repeated, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "About food?" She leaned back, clearly intrigued by your answer. "It’s just us here. You can take whatever you want."

You were about to speak, but the words caught in your throat. You took the opportunity to ask something that had been on your mind for a while, but you couldn’t quite understand your own feelings. "Is there anything I’ve done to offend you?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Remy was silent, her gaze fixed on you. You could feel your heart racing, a wave of panic sweeping over you. You wished you could crawl into a hole and disappear.

She finally spoke, her voice softer than before. "No. Why would you think you offended me?" she asked, clearly surprised.

Relief flooded over you, but it was quickly replaced by embarrassment. "I don’t know," you muttered, your gaze still fixed on your plate. "You just seem distant sometimes. I didn’t want to upset you." You stole a glance at her, but quickly looked away, feeling the heat rise in your cheeks.

Remy let out a small laugh, her voice warm. "You haven’t done anything wrong," she reassured you. "Maybe I’m just... not good at showing when I’m not in a great mood. But you’re good. Don’t worry about it." She smiled, but there was something in her eyes that made your heart race again.

You felt a sense of relief, but the underlying tension didn’t go away. You had always thought Remy was cute, but you had never really allowed yourself to acknowledge it. And now, in this moment, you were finding it hard to ignore. You were confused—after all, you had never been with a girl before, and this was all new territory for you.

"Is there any milk?" you asked, trying to change the subject, your voice betraying your nerves. "I just... want to swallow the cake easier." You quickly covered your mouth, hoping to hide the blush that was now impossible to conceal.

Remy didn’t seem to notice, or if she did, she didn’t mention it. "Yeah, you need some?" she asked, standing up and pointing to the fridge. Just as you were about to respond, Taylor appeared, smirking at you as he walked past.

He made his way into the living room, plopping down in front of the TV, but his smirk never left his face. You could feel his eyes on you, and it only made the situation more uncomfortable. Remy grabbed a bottle of aloe vera water mixed with coconut water from the top shelf, her body towering over you as she reached up. You tried to focus on pouring your milk, but the tension was thick in the air.

"Do you need anything else?" Remy asked, her voice calm and steady as she grabbed her drink and stepped back from the fridge. You shook your head quickly, still too embarrassed to say much

As Remy walked out of the kitchen, she turned to Taylor, telling him she was about to "hit the hay." You watched as she gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, but Taylor dramatically wiped it off, causing her to laugh. You couldn’t help but feel a little relieved that she was leaving, but at the same time, something inside you wished she would stay.

When she disappeared up the stairs, you hurriedly sat down next to Taylor, arms folded tightly across your chest. You kept your eyes fixed on the TV, trying to ignore the fluttering in your stomach.

Taylor, however, wasn’t going to let you off the hook that easily. He slowly turned his head toward you, his mischievous smirk returning. "So..." he said, dragging out the word like he already knew something was up.

"Shut up," you muttered, still not looking at him. "You left me."

That only made Taylor burst out laughing, his amusement echoing through the room. "You’re such an easy target," he said between chuckles. "I could hear you freaking out in there. You okay?"

You didn’t respond, still trying to process everything that had just happened. The teasing, the strange feelings, and Remy’s sudden closeness—it all felt like too much. But for now, all you could do was sit there, pretending to focus on the TV, while your mind raced with thoughts of what just transpired.