𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᴬˡᵉˣ ᴬᵐᵉˡⁱᵃ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴱˡᵉⁿᵃ

The living room was filled with laughter and the soft hum of a rom-com playing on the TV. It was a typical sleepover—popcorn strewn across the floor, blankets everywhere, and the three of them, Elena, Amelia, and Alex, sprawled out on the couch, trying to relax after a day of hanging out. Elena had been debating whether or not she should tell her best friends, but after the kiss with Mason, it was becoming harder to keep it a secret.

Alex was scrolling through his phone, completely unaware of the inner debate happening in Elena's mind. Amelia, on the other hand, seemed to be hyper-aware, her eyes glinting with curiosity as she watched Elena, who was biting her lip nervously.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "So, Elena... what's the deal with you and Mason?"

Elena froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't meant to give anything away yet, but the way Amelia was looking at her made it impossible to hide.

Alex, sensing the shift in the air, looked up from his phone. "Wait, what do you mean, 'what's the deal?' Are you guys dating or something?"

Elena bit her lip, trying to figure out how to respond. She glanced at Amelia, who was grinning from ear to ear. Elena couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Yeah," she muttered, trying to hide her smile. "We're dating now."

Amelia gasped dramatically, jumping up from the couch. "I knew it! I knew you two were basically a thing from the way you were acting around each other! Tell me everything. How long has this been going on?"

Elena laughed, feeling both giddy and embarrassed. "It's new... like really new. But yeah, I guess we're official now."

Alex's eyes widened, and he leaned back in the couch, crossing his arms. "So what, you guys are just casually dating now? Kissing all over the place?"

Elena rolled her eyes but couldn't stop herself from grinning. "It's not like that. Well, kinda. But yeah, we kissed, okay? Happy now?"

Amelia jumped back into the conversation, practically bouncing in excitement. "Oh my god, Elena, I knew it. I totally saw the way you two looked at each other. But I gotta know—how was it? Was it like in the movies? Slow and swoon-worthy? Or was it more like 'whoops, we accidentally kissed'?"

Elena chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. "It wasn't like that. We just... it just happened, you know? One minute we were hanging out, and the next, we kissed. But it wasn't weird, it just felt right."

Amelia raised her hands in a mock victory pose. "That's it! I knew there was something special going on between you two. I'm so happy for you!"

Alex, who had been teasingly quiet until now, leaned in with a smirk. "So, let me get this straight. You're dating now. Is it like 'official official,' or are we still in the 'figuring things out' phase?"

Elena rolled her eyes again, feeling herself flush with embarrassment but also happiness. "It's official. We're dating."

"Woah." Alex put his hands up in mock surrender. "So, what are you telling me? You kissed Mason Thames, and now he's your boyfriend?"

"Yep," Elena said with a grin, shrugging nonchalantly. "Guess so."

Amelia squealed and grabbed Elena's hands. "I am so excited for you! This is honestly everything I've ever wanted for you. I can't wait to see how it all goes!"

Alex, not able to resist, teased, "So when's the wedding?"

Elena shoved him playfully, rolling her eyes. "Shut up, Alex."

Amelia laughed, throwing a pillow at Alex. "You're terrible. But seriously, Elena, I'm so happy for you. I knew you were into him before, but this is just the best news ever."

Elena smiled warmly at her best friends. "Thanks, you guys. It's a little weird to talk about, but I'm happy."

Alex, now giving her a teasing smile, said, "Well, if you're happy, that's all that matters. Just remember, I'm gonna need all the deets. Every single one."

Elena playfully rolled her eyes again. "Fine, fine. But only if you promise to stop asking embarrassing questions about me and Mason."

"Deal," Alex said with a wink, leaning back on the couch. "But seriously, if he hurts you, I'll hunt him down."

Amelia shot Alex a warning look, but Elena just laughed, feeling lighter than she had in a while. She could tell her friends were genuinely happy for her, and that meant more than anything.

With a deep breath, Elena felt like she was finally ready to embrace what was happening with Mason. They had started something special, and now, with her friends by her side, she was ready to take on whatever came next.

As the night wore on, they all settled back into their spot on the couch, the movie continuing to play in the background. But the conversation had shifted, and for the first time in a long time, Elena felt like everything was falling into place.

"Okay," Amelia said, her tone teasing again, "but you have to promise me one thing."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"No matter what happens," Amelia said dramatically, "I'm going to need you to give me the full play-by-play of every single kiss. Got it?"

Elena laughed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But only because you're my best friend."

As they all settled back in, the movie continuing on in the background, Elena knew this was just the beginning of something special.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —