Chapter 1: Prologue
The smell of pizza and soda filled Luna's dorm room, a paradise of pink and purple chaos. Posters of pop stars she swore she'd grow out of but never did, hung on the walls, alongside stuffed animals that were way too old to still be on her bed. The bed was a rumpled mess of blankets and clothes, a testament to her laissez-faire approach to life. She was sprawled on it, her blonde hair fanned out around her, a highlighter in her hand as she half-heartedly went through her notes.
Luna sighed, glancing down at her stomach. She poked at it, frowning.
"Fuck, I've been eating too much junk again," she muttered to herself, flopping back onto the bed. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on the mirror across from her. She stood up, turning to the side, and lifted her shirt to get a better look at her reflection. "Goddammit, Chad," she whispered, pinching the excess skin. "Why do you have to be so fucking delicious and make me want to eat all the time?"
A knock at the door pulled her from her self-criticism. She quickly pulled her shirt down and opened the door to find Talia, her best friend since freshman year, standing there with a concerned look on her face.
Talia was a mirror image of Luna, with the same blonde hair and curvy figure, but her eyes held a spark of ambition that Luna lacked. "Hey, what's up?" Luna asked, stepping aside to let Talia in.
Talia entered the room, her eyes scanning the mess. "You've got a lot of studying to do, huh?" she said, her voice laced with a hint of envy. Luna nodded, flopping back onto the bed. "Yeah, I'm trying to get through this shit," she said, gesturing to her notes.
Talia sat down next to her, her eyes flicking to Luna's stomach.
"You know, you don't have to be so hard on yourself," she said, her voice soft. "You're beautiful, Luna. You always have been."
Luna rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Talia. But you know how it is. I'm just trying to get my shit together before Chad and I... you know."
Talia's smile faded, and she looked away. "Yeah, I know. Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "It's about Chad."
Luna's eyes widened.
"What about Chad? Is he okay?" Her heart pounded in her chest, a sudden surge of worry coursing through her.
Talia took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Luna's. "He's... he's not cheating on you, if that's what you're thinking. But... he's been talking to me a lot lately. About you. About us."
Luna's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'about us'?"
Talia hesitated, then reached into her bag and pulled out a small, worn notebook. "He gave me this. It's... it's his diary, Luna. He's been writing about you. About us. About... things he wants to do with you.
To us. Together." She held out the notebook to Luna, who took it with trembling hands. She opened it, her eyes scanning the pages filled with Chad's neat, looping handwriting.
Luna's cheeks flushed as she read, her eyes widening with each passing sentence. "Holy shit, Talia. He... he wants to... with you and me?" She looked up at Talia, her eyes filled with a mix of shock and excitement.
Talia nodded, her own cheeks flushing. "Yeah. He's been talking about it for a while now. He's just... he's been too scared to bring it up with you.
He's been... conflicted, Luna. He cares about you so much, but he's also... curious. About what it would be like."
Luna's heart raced as she read more, her breath hitching as she imagined Chad's words coming to life. She looked up at Talia, her eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and excitement. "But... why are you telling me this, Talia? Why now?"
Talia's eyes met hers, a hint of vulnerability in her gaze. "Because I care about you, Luna. And because... I want to help you. I want to help us.
Help you and Chad explore this... this desire. I know it's... unconventional, but I think it could be... amazing. For all of us."
Luna's eyes widened, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked down at the notebook, her fingers tracing the words on the page. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, her body responding to the explicit details in Chad's writing.
"Talia, are you... are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Talia nodded, her own cheeks flushed. "I am. I want to help you and Chad...