#aghprompt28

GRACIE: 

The last twenty-four hours was a whirlwind, but only one word seemed to matter to Gracie Wood anymore -- love. Love, love love, lovelove love love love love. It was all that was on her mind; she’d even temporarily forgotten about Quidditch, although she didn’t have practice again until Thursday, so she had time to adjust to her newfound feelings before it came time to hit the pitch again. For now, though, she was happy in her whirlwind... and even happier about the fact that she was about to get married to the love of her life, Justin Diamond. Life was short, so why wait? 

It had been the worst two days of Becca’s whole entire life. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this miserable; every second she spent without Oliver was like a crushing weight on her heart, leaving her feeling hopeless and miserable.

She’d tried so hard -- she’d begged, she’d pleaded, she’d tried to remind him of just how magical their relationship had been. But no matter how hard Becca pushed, the love of her life just kept pulling away, shutting her down... making her feel worthless.

Becca didn’t even know where to turn for comfort anymore. Kelsey loved her, but she was stuck in detention all week for a prank she’d pulled on Professor MacNair. Lauren loved her, but she was in the hospital, and no matter how many Puking Pastilles she’d tried to eat to avoid going to class and facing her heartbreak head on, Nurse Prince had just kept giving her antidotes and sending her on her merry way.

And Lucy loved her, too... But how could Becca be around Lucy, remembering that her big sister was the only one the boy that was supposed to be with her seemed to have eyes for anymore?

Lonely, dejected, depressed, Becca had almost resorted to just burning everything that reminded her of how utterly inadequate she was, and how Oliver would never want her again, when David Hansen had stopped her from lighting fire to the fragments of her apparently unimportant relationship...or was it former relationship now?

Becca clutched the crumpled up Valentine that she’d been carrying around since Monday -- the one that said If only somebody loved you -- as David had tried to talk her down from her frenzied state. And somewhere along the way, she remembered letting him lead her up to his room so she could calm down and feel better.

At least David loves me, she’d thought, and the blond had no idea why the words sounded so strange in her head. Maybe it was because Oliver had said no one could love her, and Oliver was always right, wasn’t he? He was so perfect, and dreamy, and...

Becca sighed, climbing onto the bed David had pointed out as his and flouncing down dramatically. On the other side of the room, she saw Oliver’s things, and a part of her wanted to throw something at them -- but instead she crossed her arms over her chest, a pout on her lips.

“Why doesn’t Oliver love me? He loves Lucy, and I’m just like her! I love sunflowers, I have blonde hair, I have a flying Patronus, I have a winter birthday -- I have everything he said he wanted in a girl!” Becca’s voice raised to a frantic pitch as she turned towards David. At least he was nice to her, even if he wasn’t nearly as cute as Oliver. He didn’t even compare at all, but he was there, and he loved her.

“Who cares what Oliver thinks? He’s an idiot, babe,” David told her, lying down on his side next to her and brushing a strand of blonde hair out of Becca’s face. She shuddered slightly, but that was stupid, wasn’t it? No one else wanted to touch her or be close to her or love her; it was mean to push David away, wasn’t it? 

Becca didn’t want to make David feel the way Oliver made her feel, it was just cruel. Becca was better than Oliver Stupid Jerkface Hopkins, and she would prove it by not being a giant meanie to David. Besides -- it made sense in her head. She didn’t want Oliver to love Lucy, but he was doing it anyway. And Oliver didn’t want her to kiss David, so... so what was the harm in getting even?

Becca blinked, surprised that David was even still talking. She’d gotten so lost in her head, in dwelling on just how sad she felt, cursing at how much love had ruined her life... But a blush tinted her cheeks when she tuned into David’s words, realizing that he was flattering her, telling her how perfect she was, how she was the whole world to him, how if she just stopped wasting her time on Oliver she’d see that maybe he was her real love instead...

In all the stories she loved, true love’s first kiss could do anything, right?

If Oliver wouldn’t let her kiss him, then maybe David kissing her could change her mind instead. And if not, at least it would help her heart hurt a little bit less, to feel like she wasn’t all alone, to prove to that stupid heartbreaking jerk that someone was capable of liking her.

Becca turned so that she was on her side too, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she scooted a little closer to David. They were face to face, and he was staring at her lips, but Becca could only stare blankly ahead, thinking of nights spent with his roommate instead, thinking of how she’d rather be with him...

But this would have to do.

Becca scooted just a little bit closer, her knees bumping against David’s, her chest brushing against his when she inhaled... and then she pressed her lips against his, her stomach swooping, but not in the familiar way that it did when she kissed Oliver. It was more like her heart was dropping into her stomach as David followed her lead, one hand instantly going around her waist, the other coming up to cup her cheek and then tangle through her loose blonde curls.

David’s lips were rough and scratchy, like he needed chapstick. Their lips didn’t slide against each other; instead, it felt a little bit like he was trying to suck her whole bottom off of her face. It was different -- so, so different -- and even as she did her best to kiss him back with all the enthusiasm that she could muster, even as her legs tangled with his and she let him take control of the situation, Becca thought she could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

What the hell was she doing?

It was like something had switched on in her brain, and the manic feelings of the past two days disappeared. All the crazy, overdone emotions she’d been feeling, the rollercoaster she’d been on... It was all over, and all that registered in Becca’s mind was that it was February 10th, a day she’d been looking forward to spending with Oliver -- and instead another boy’s hands and lips were all over her.

Becca's lips stopped moving, and she pressed both of her hands firmly against David’s chest, pushing him off of her with all her might. She shoved him so hard that he toppled backwards off of his tiny bed, and she leapt up from her spot, gathering her bag up off the floor and rushing towards the door.

David’s eyes followed her the whole way, and through tearful gasps Becca managed to get just a few words out. “I’m so sorry, I can’t do this.”

Becca took the steps three at a time, not paying any attention to the blurred figures that she was passing on the way out of Gryffindor, or the ones that she passed in the hallway, coming back from a late dinner.

She didn’t register anything except for the way her stomach lurched at the realization of what had happened. Nurse Prince had said there was a love potion, and Becca had been so sure that it hadn’t affected her... but she wanted to throw up, because it had affected her. It had affected her so badly that was now running away from one of the biggest mistakes she’d made in her whole life, and she didn’t stop until she was tucked safely inside the Room of Requirement.