Work Text:
*Spring break, junior year*
It was a beautiful, clear day. Sharon had Connor's latest car, a convertible version of the Bugatti in which she'd learned to drive, and she and Angela had been debating where to go for dinner, in no particular hurry to decide. The afternoon had been spent at the mall spa, so they were both feeling limp and relaxed, their skin tingling and new, their thoughts languid to match their movements. Angela enjoyed the warm breeze playing with her hair, gazing at her friend, watching the way she glowed. Angela knew she had her own glow, both from the day of pampering, and the fact that she was secure and in love.
Angela reached for the radio dial, moving it slowly through the static and noise until she heard a voice, sweet and clear, leaving the song to play.
*Let me know. Let me know...*
She rested her head against the seat, enjoying being a passenger and having the chance to drowse rather than focus on the road. Angela had her license, too, of course - Aiden had made sure she was ready for the test - but it was nice to be chaufferred once in a while. The instrumentals kicked in, their dreamy quality lifting the two girls to another level.
*When I feel what I feel, sometimes it's hard to tell you so
You may not be in the mood to learn
What you think you know.
There are times, when I find, you wanna keep yourself from me
When I don't have the strength, I'm just a mirror of what I see..*
Those lyrics could've applied to Aiden at times, when he was busy with the band, unable to snap out of that mode to give Angela his full attention. She didn't resent him; music had been part of his life well before they met, and she had a feeling it always would be. She always managed to get through to him eventually, and that was what mattered.
*But at your best, you are love
You're a positive motivating force within my life
Should you ever feel the need to wonder why
Let me know, let me know,
Laaaa hahh, let me know..*
Those lines applied to him, too. He was her constant motivator, encouraging her to pursue her own interests, friendships, and dreams. Aiden was always interested in what interested her, and as the song played, she realized she should make more of an effort to thank him for that.
*When you feel what you feel, oh how hard for me to understand
So many things have taken place, before this love affair began...*
Angela remembered Aiden's ex - the one who had hurt him, only to try to come back into his life. Angela loved him enough that she would've let him go, if it was what Aiden had truly wanted. Thankfully, he'd chosen her - chosen them.
Then again, *her* ex had tried the same thing, coming back into her life to see if she'd run away with him and leave her old life behind. Angela had her own baggage from before Aiden had arrived, but she had chosen him, chosen them.
*But if you feel, oh like I feel, confusion can give way to doubt
For there are times when I fall short of what I say, what I say I'm all about, all about
But at your best, you are love
You're a positive motivating force within my life
Should you ever feel the need to wonder why
Let me know, let me know..*
Sharon thought about Kyle, how he'd gone off the deep end and had to move away after the police incident. Connor had been so great about everything, always supportive, always there for her, never judging her. She was a lucky lady. If things were still going well by the end of senior year, the plan was to move in with him full-time. It was where her heart had settled long ago, so moving her stuff from her parents' house to his house seemed like a formality.
As Aaliyah continued to declare her love for the man in the song, the light turned red. Glancing to the left, the girls saw a familiar top-knot leaned in close to an also-familiar mop of blonde curls.
Rayanne caught a hint of the melody emanating from the car, smiling up at her man as they enjoyed their outdoor table at Big Guy Burger. She'd been sober for well over a year, mostly with Brian's help. With her help, he had come out of his shell, learned to relax a little (sometimes).. People didn't understand their match, but it didn't matter; she'd never had anyone take care of her on this level, respect her, trust her..
She murmured some of the lyrics to him, pressing them into a kiss. They'd exchanged the 'L' word a handful of times, but it was still new. Rayanne wondered from time to time whether Brian still carried a torch for Angela, but there was nothing to gain by asking. This was real, this was now, and it was all hers.
Angela caught Rayanne's gaze, held it for a moment until the light turned green and Sharon drove on. There was no malice, no bitterness or regret in the exchange. For a moment, it felt like their souls merged, and all was right with the world.
"Did that spa get us, like, high?," Angela asked dreamily, and Sharon giggled.
"Maybe. Who knows what they were burning in there? At least it smelled good."
The sky was beginning to change, now tinged with all the brilliant pinks, oranges and purples of early evening. Sharon decided they'd grab food at the next drive-thru they came across, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a Dana's Donuts.
"Dessert for dinner? Are we twelve?," Angela teased.
"Nope. But we're not old ladies yet, either. I mean, think about it; how many more times will we get to be young and stupid and eat dessert first? We're gonna be seniors next year. Like, actually."
She had a point. An immature point, but a point.
They grabbed a variety dozen to take back to Connor's, because six donuts each was way too much of a good thing. Besides, they needed to be warm and served with ice cream, which Connor always kept on hand.
They were all young and in love, soon to be full of sugar and the resultant chemical euphoria. Angela had a few hours 'til curfew, time enough to make love (maybe twice) and lay in her lover's arms, baring her soul. Her friends, former and current, were happy, too, and their was so much love and goodwill in that thought that Angela felt she might burst.
*Look beyond your words (look beyond your words)
Try to find a place for me (Try to find, find a place for me)
'Cause at your best, you are loved
You're a positive motivating force within my life
Should you ever feel the need to wonder why
Let me know, let me know..*
Whether or not Aiden asked, Angela was going to let him know - right after dessert.