Double the Crush, Double the Trouble

The air in my room, usually thick with the comforting scent of my lavender body spray and the faint sweetness of old books, suddenly felt heavy. It was the kind of heavy that pressed down on your chest, making it hard to take a full breath. Katie was sitting cross-legged on my beanbag chair, her favorite unicorn pajamas a stark contrast to the worried frown etched on her face. We had just finished our third slice of pizza, the cheesy goodness usually guaranteed to bring on a giggle fit or two. But tonight, the giggles seemed to have packed their bags and left.

“So,” Katie started, picking at a loose thread on her pajama leg, her voice barely a whisper. “You know how we were talking about James earlier?”

My heart did a little flip-flop. James. Just hearing his name sent a strange flutter through my stomach, like a million tiny butterflies had decided to have a rave in there. I nodded, trying to keep my face neutral, my voice even. “Yeah?”