He Totally Likes You!

In the subsequent hour of torment, Gwen found herself entwined in her bed, her arms clasping her pillow like a lifeline. She either sought comfort in its softness or was attempting to throttle it, maybe as a substitute for Olivia or her own spiraling thoughts. It was difficult to determine.

Regardless of her strenuous efforts, she found herself trapped on a relentless mental carousel, incessantly replaying the day's events. Each rotation seemed to apply a fresh layer of humiliation onto her already shamed psyche. It was akin to being stuck in a cruel highlight reel of the world's worst moments.

Gwen was aware that she was overthinking. She knew she was exaggerating the consequences. But was there any way to stop it? She felt ensnared in an unending cycle of self-inflicted embarrassment, an infinite loop of cringe. She wished Olivia would hurry up and arrive, if only to jar her out of this self-punishing train of thought.

However, as her mind persistently revisited the day's events, a rebellious thought sprouted amidst the chaos. Could it be possible… that Olivia was correct? Maybe Luke would acknowledge that it was all an accident? He wasn't an insensitive person, and he likely wouldn't exploit this situation against her, would he? And even if he did… was it genuinely that disastrous? Even Olivia had admitted that Luke was...was...

"WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?!" Gwen exploded, leaping out of bed as if an electric shock had jolted her. Her face felt hotter than the sun's core. Luke was...Luke was... No! Bad brain, bad!

With a deep breath, Gwen endeavored to steady herself. Olivia would be there soon, and she would assist her in navigating this catastrophe. She had to.

Gwen found herself channeling her newfound energy into tidying her room. Olivia was soon to arrive, and looking around, Gwen realized her room resembled less of a typical teenager's sleeping quarters and more of a disaster zone. Clothes flung across the floor, school books strewn about, her room looked as if a Gwen-sized cyclone had swept through it, leaving devastation in its wake.

Cleaning, although a mundane task, was comforting. It offered a diversion from her current emotional turmoil, and she desperately needed a distraction.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, until her gaze fell on a certain object. Peeping out from her partially zipped backpack was the notebook she had taken to the park earlier. A shudder of anxiety rippled through her as she gingerly picked it up and flipped open to the pages where she had ostensibly taken notes.

What she thought were notes looked more like the ramblings of a person gradually slipping into lunacy.

'What have I done, what have I done, what I have done…'

'Oh my god he's looking at me'

'I must be an idiot'

'Did I seriously just say that?'

'Why is he walking so far away… He's making this worse…'

'But I also don't want him walking too close…'

'Is he staring at my back? He must think I'm an idiot…'

'He's going to tell everyone…'

Gwen blinked, studying the scribbles in her notebook. It was as if she had been taken over by some fear-driven entity that had an aversion to attractive boys. Luke must believe she was…

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Gwen jumped, the notebook slipping from her hands and landing with a soft thud on the carpet. She raced to the door, a pit in her stomach deepening. Olivia was here. She wasn't sure if she was ready to rehash the horror that was her day.

But then again, she didn't really have a choice.

Gwen yanked open the door, almost throwing herself onto her best friend. She held onto Olivia in a vice-like hug, her face hidden in her shoulder. Olivia let out a surprised yelp, staggering slightly under Gwen's weight.

"Gwen, geez! You nearly toppled me over. What's the matter-"

"I messed up, Liv," Gwen blurted out, her voice muffled by Olivia's shoulder. "I messed up so bad, you can't even imagine."

"Alright, alright, let's go in," Olivia said, her teasing tone replaced by concern. She gently guided Gwen into the apartment, holding her as if she were a fragile piece of glass.

Once inside, Olivia placed the bag she was carrying onto the coffee table, its plastic rustling ominously in the silent room. She gestured to the seat next to her, inviting Gwen to sit without uttering a word. Her face was solemn, her eyes sharp. Gwen could see the spark of determination in them. She was ready to tackle the mess that Gwen had made.

"Okay, deep breaths," Olivia instructed, placing a comforting hand on Gwen's knee. "Start from the beginning. No rushing, no panicking. We'll sort this out, promise."

Taking a shaky breath, Gwen felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She nodded, steeling herself for the imminent conversation. "Well, we...we went to the park, right?" she began, her voice trembling. "And he made a...joke. About kissing me. And I...I thought he was asking me out. But he wasn't. And...and then..."

As her voice trailed off, Olivia pulled out a tub of ice cream from the bag. She popped the lid off and scooped out a small, wooden spoon. "Here," she said, offering the spoon to Gwen. "Eat. You'll feel better."

Gwen nodded, accepting the spoon from Olivia. She took a small bite, but the cold sweetness of the ice cream did little to calm the inner storm. She continued her story nonetheless, Olivia listening attentively, her gaze never wavering from Gwen's face.

Gwen's voice dwindled to a whisper, "And then... when I looked back... I saw him. Luke, of all people, his arm outstretched towards the door, mouth slightly open like he was... trying to call out to me or something." Her words lingered in the air, creating a poignant silence.

"Welp, Gwen," Olivia finally broke the silence, her expression a blend of amusement and surprise. Her grin stretched from ear to ear, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Now that's a first date story no one can top! You sure know how to make an impression!"

"Olivia! It's not funny! It's a disaster!" Gwen retorted, her face twisted with exaggerated desperation. Her mouth pulled down into a melodramatic frown, which only seemed to stoke Olivia's laughter even more.

"Alright, alright. I apologize," Olivia managed to say, her voice laced with chuckles. "But seriously, Gwen, if you step back and consider the bigger picture, it sort of sounds like... he's into you."

Gwen reacted as if she'd been slapped with a fish. "What?! No! Absolutely not!" She blurted out, her hand, still clutching the spoon, freezing mid-air as her cheeks blushed a fiery red.

"Think about it, Gwen," Olivia insisted. Her voice held a degree of seriousness, but her eyes still danced with suppressed laughter. "If Luke was truly put off by your... umm... let's call it your passionate reaction to his accidental flirtation, would he have even bothered to try and stop you when you bolted?"

Gwen squirmed uncomfortably, her counterarguments weak in the face of Olivia's relentless teasing. "But... but he might've just wanted to... apologize or something," she stammered, her voice almost a whisper.

Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically and let out a sigh. "Oh, please, Gwen. Let's be real here. He checked you out. Several times. And that arm-stretched-out thing at the end? That's not an 'I'm sorry' gesture, that's an 'I want you' move!"

"But... but he said..." Gwen's voice trailed off. She remembered Luke's words on the train, about how he'd never been this close to a girl before. She hadn't mentioned that part to Olivia. But why hadn't she?

Observing her, Olivia tilted her head quizzically. However, Gwen shook her head, deciding to keep that piece of information to herself for now.

"All I'm saying is," Olivia shrugged, leaning back in the couch, "you two would make a really cute couple!"

A groan escaped from Gwen as she sank further into the couch, her face buried into a cushion. "This is all your fault, Olivia," she muttered into the soft fabric. "You and your matchmaking obsessions!"

Still, Olivia's laughter-filled eyes remained on Gwen, her voice carrying an insistent undertone that made Gwen hide her face deeper into the pillow. "Gwen, seriously. Why else would he sit next to you in the park? And the way he looked at you when you ran off? That was totally a 'I wish you wouldn't go' look, Gwen!"

Gwen's head jerked up from the pillow, her brow furrowed. "We didn't sit anywhere in the park, Olivia."

Her fingers tapped on her chin thoughtfully as she looked at the ceiling. "Hmm...you're right. That might have been me picturing your second date!" Olivia let out a 'whoops' whistle and gave Gwen a wide grin.

Gwen let out a groan, falling back onto the couch. "Olivia! You're not helping!"

"I know, I know, but hear me out," Olivia continued, her tone still full of mirth. "Why would he have reacted the way he did if he wasn't into you? He could've just let you run off. But no, he tried to stop you. That means something, Gwen."

Peeking at Olivia from over the edge of the pillow, Gwen's brow creased with worry. "He probably just wanted to apologize, Liv."

"Or he wanted to tell you he likes you!" Olivia chirped, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Olivia!"

"Alright, alright," Olivia conceded with a chuckle, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, Gwen. Maybe there's more to this than you think."

With another groan, Gwen buried her face back into the pillow. Yet, Olivia couldn't miss the smallest hint of a smile that spread across Gwen's face. Whether she liked it or not, Olivia's words were igniting a sliver of hope within her.