at least im trying

     Sterling waits around for what seems like forever for 5:30 on Saturday to roll around. April's mother is supposed to be dropping her off at the Wesley residence any minute now and Sterling is about ready to jump out of her skin. She can't believe that she's about to have one on one time with the girl who's clouded up all of her thoughts for the past few days. The anticipation has been building since they declared their partnership in class and it's nearly about to boil over when Sterling hears a car door shut from their driveway. 

     She skips to her bedroom window to see Mrs. Stevens' Dodge Durango parked in front of her house. April begrudgingly slid out of the passenger seat and started towards the front door. Sterling looked like a baby deer as she ran down the hallway and down the steps. She couldn't get to April fast enough. The doorbell barely started to ring and she threw the front door open. 

     "Hi! You're here." 

     This startled April. "I'm here." 

     Sterling couldn't help but stare at the beauty in front of her. She's so used to seeing her only in their school uniforms or her Sunday best. Seeing April in such casual attire came quite close to taking her breath away. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail, she was wearing a white blouse that was tucked into her jeans that were cuffed at the bottom, met with a pair of Sperry's that looked next to brand new. Her top showed the right amount of collarbone; just enough to make Sterling lose her mind. 

     "Sterling," April's voice interrupted Sterlings current thought process. "Are you ready to get to work or was this a mistake agreeing to be your partner?" 

     "No! I- No. I'm ready to work."

     "Good." April pushed past Sterling and walked into the house "Then let's go."

     "Oh! The wood-shop is right off the garage. It's the last door on the right. Past the mudroom." 

     "I remember where it is, Sterling. I've been to your house before. I'm not brainless." 

     "Right. Sorry." She scurries after the shorter girl to catch up. Sterling is silently impressed that April remembers the layout of her house after all these years. But this is April Stevens, after all. She remembers everything. 

     Through a cloud of saw dust and over the whirring of the table saw, Sterling tries to yell out to April. "You are so good at using that saw." Truth be told, watching April lean over the work bench and cut pieces of wood was easily the sexiest thing Sterling has ever seen. 

     This compliment doesn't seem to phase April good, bad, or otherwise. "Thanks." 

     "Luke tried to use this once to make me a pair of wooden flip-flops and he almost took his finger off. And then, he cried and threw the flip-flop and didn't calm down until I gave him a bowl of mac and cheese." 

     "Never send a man to do a woman's job." 

     You got that right, thought Sterling. She thought of a few more things that she knew April could definitely work better than Luke, but she wasn't letting her mind stray that way. Not yet, anyways.  

     Sterling caught herself staring again. But how could she not stare? Her eyes were darting all over. She couldn't pick on spot to focus on. She stared at the way April's fingers worked to sand down the piece of wood, she stared at April's cross necklace swaying off her neck, she stared at April's jawline that was even more extenuated with her hair pulled back. 

     "I never really got what you saw in Luke. He always seemed a little..." April was trying to choose her words very carefully. "amorphous... for you." 

     "He was really sweet and kind and loving but... yeah, after a while, I did want someone with a little more... morphousness." 

     Sterling knew that April was just that. Mentally she was her equivalent. They balanced each other in that aspect, whereas she most certainly outweighed Luke in that department. She made up for what he lacked tenfold. 

     "Remember when Luke ate his own chapstick?" 

     "Yeah." This memory from all those years ago brought a smile to Sterling's face. "You were reading Mere Christianity in the fifth grade." 

     "How do you remember that?" 

     "Well, he ate the chapstick, choked, gagged, threw up, and then you quoted C.S. Lewis to him." 

     April almost seemed satisfied at the recollection of the fact that even in the fifth grade she still had to make her point known and proven. "God will not love you any less if you happen to be born with a second-rate brain." 

     "That's it! My gosh, you were so smart." Sterling had always thought highly of April's intelligence. For as long as she could remember, April's intellect has been a cut above everyone else's. Even in the fifth grade Sterling couldn't how she stood out among everyone else. April Stevens was amazing. She has always been amazing. She will always be amazing. 

     The two carried on with their project into the evening. They had light hearted conversations here and there but nothing too intense. Sterling felt the need to pull back after being afraid that she was insensitive towards April's situation with her father after bringing up her own. 

     Closer to 8:00, Sterling decides to break the silence and speak up again. "Hey," she clears her throat. "Are you getting hungry?" 

     April slowly looks up from the piece of wood she was priming and she simply shrugs. 

     "Well, uh, I haven't eaten since lunch and I'm getting kind of hungry and I figured we can order take out or something but if you're not hungry I can just make a sandwich. Like, a peanut butter and jelly is never a bad idea. Unless you are hungry, then we can order Chinese. Oh, shoot. Maybe you don't like Chinese. Do you like Chinese? You know what? I'll just make a pea-"

     "Sterling. Please, for the love of God, slow down." 

     "Oh, yeah, right. I'm sorry." Sterling swears she catches the tiniest, little smirk form across April's lips but then again, she has to be imagining things. 

     "I can eat. And before you have any more word vomit, I'm down for Chinese." 

     "Really?" 

     "Yes. I'll have the sweet and sour shrimp and a side of the steamed vegetable dumplings." After a slight pause, April spoke up again. "Make sure to get the fortune cookies. My mom never reminds them and they always forget. It's not Chinese take out without fortune cookies." 

     "You like fortune cookies?" 

     "Of course. Who doesn't? I like to think that every fortune I get has a chance of coming true. If a cookie tells me to relax and enjoy myself, I'll consider it a win because not much else gives me that type of motivation. Plus, they're vegan so..." 

     "You're a vegan?"

     "Failed vegan. The Chick Fil A on the way to school was way too tempting." The corners of April's mouth turned up at this. She was her own favorite comedian. 

     After about 20 minutes of waiting, Sun Garden had delivered their food. The pair sat at the Wesley's kitchen island; April with her sweet and sour shrimp and Sterling with her General Tso's chicken. They sat in a comfortable silence with the only sounds coming from faint chewing and forks hitting plates. 

     Sterling made sure to remind the guy taking her order, not once, but twice, to make sure they remember to include their fortune cookies. She didn't want to disappoint April. Sure, they were just cookies. To Sterling, though, they were so much more. She wanted April to know she would always go the extra mile for her. She would do whatever it took to make her happy. Even if that happiness came in the form of a cookie. 

     The evening went on with minimal conversation here and there. Both girls were dialed in on their project. At around 10:00, April and Sterling both decided to call it a night and just watch some TV while they wait for April's mother to come pick her up. By 11:30, Sterling realizes April may not be getting picked up after all. She only notices just exactly how late it was because The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon had just started. She looks over at April sitting on the loveseat. She had fallen asleep with her head leaning on the arm rest and her mouth opened ever so slightly with her chest slowly rising and falling. She was turned away from Sterling with her dirty blonde hair a mess across the chair. She looked so at peace. Sterling wanted to capture this moment and hold onto it forever. The girl sitting across the room from her was possibly the most beautiful person she's ever laid eyes on and quite frankly, she didn't want to peel her eyes away. But, much to her dismay, she had to. 

     Sterling carefully walked across the family room and slowly approached April. She gently rocked April's shoulder to get her attention. "Hey. It's getting late. Late me take you home." 

     Much to Sterling's surprise, April didn't seem shocked when she was woken up. She was expecting a jolt or something of the sort but instead, April seemed to relax under Sterling's touch on her shoulder. "It's okay. My mom's coming." 

     "It's close to midnight. Really, it's okay. I'll take you home." 

     April didn't have much debate against this. She was exhausted and couldn't come up with a single argument against accepting a ride home. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she found a sense of comfort in the Wesley's home. She felt safe and secure, oddly enough. With no fight at all, April quietly gathered her belongings and met Sterling at her car. 

     "2841 Vernon Road. It's-"

     Sterling quickly cuts April off. "I know where it is. You seem to forget we used to be friends, once upon a time." She leaned back against her seat while tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. She could feel April's eyes on her, but pretended not to notice as she put the car in reverse and pulled out of her driveway. 

     The two girls sat in a pleasant silence for about ten minutes. Made For You by Jake Owen softly played from the radio and filled the air between them. Street lights and store signs lazily flashed past and before they knew it, they were at April's house. Sterling shifted into park and let her car idle in the driveway next to Mrs. Stevens' Durango. She was home, and yet she didn't have the time to pick up her daughter? Irritated, Sterling glanced over at the outside of the house. It looked exactly the same as she remembered it from all those years ago. It was big, with immaculate landscaping. 

     "Thanks for the ride." April brought Sterling's attention back to her. She grabbed her bag off the floor and pushed the door of the Volt open. 

     Sterling nodded and smiled. 

     "See you, Sterl." A small smirk tugged at the corners of April's lips. The little nickname nearly made Sterling's heart burst into flames. Before she had a chance to respond, April slammed the door shut and started up her driveway. 

     Sterling turned the music down and rolled down her window. "Hey!" Sterling called out and April slowly turned around. "Are you going to church tomorrow?" 

     "Uh, I think so. My mom wanted to go to the 10:00 service." 

     "Do you want to come over after? I figured we could work on the project some more. I can give you a ride." April's smile faltered a tad and Sterling knew exactly what she was thinking. "Blair won't be there, by the way. She'll be out with Miles." 

     "Yeah. Yeah, that'll work. I'll see you tomorrow, then." 

     "See you tomorrow, then." 

     Sterling couldn't wait to get home and get to sleep so that she'd get to see April sooner. The mere idea made her jittery. As though she'd just thrown back a double espresso.