Doughnut Love

AWKWARDNESS

Grace had been waiting downstairs, tapping her foot and glancing at the clock every two seconds. Lucy was never late for their “secret mission,” so after a few more impatient minutes, she sighed, assumed Lucy had crashed from exhaustion, and decided to finish everything alone.

By the time the doughnuts were ready, she stacked them neatly into a box and headed upstairs. But halfway down the hallway, she froze. There were… noises. Muffled. Quick. Suspicious.

Grace’s eyebrows shot up.

She hurried to Lucy’s door and knocked sharply. The noises vanished instantly.

“Lulu? Are you okay?” she called, already trying to peek through the tiny gap between the door and its frame.

“I—I’m fine! Everything’s fine!” Lucy’s voice came out too quick, too squeaky, too guilty.

Grace narrowed her eyes.

She pushed the door open and stepped in with the doughnut box balanced on one arm. Her gaze scanned the room like a detective: laptop open on the bed, plushie tossed on the floor like it had just survived a wrestling match, blankets rumpled. Lucy stood stiffly, lips folded in, glasses slightly askew, looking like she had just been caught committing a federal crime.

Grace pursed her lips in that “I know teenagers” way and set the box down slowly.

“Kids these days…” she muttered with a sigh.

“Huh? Grace, what do you mean?” Lucy blurted, panic flashing behind her lenses. For a split second she wondered—Did Grace know Penny was in the bathroom?

But Grace only hummed, heading out. Just before locking the door behind her, she leaned in and whispered:

“I hope one day you get to do all that with a real partner. Not poor SpongeBob.”

Lucy choked so hard she almost swallowed her tongue. Before she could even react, Grace closed the door.

Heart still racing, Lucy spun toward the bathroom and knocked urgently.

Penny stepped out, drying her hands. “What? Are you that obsessed with SpongeBob or something?”

Lucy, still pale, sputtered and explained Grace’s comment. Penny listened, then glanced meaningfully around the room: laptop… bed… plushie.

“Lucy,” she said slowly, “think.”

Lucy blinked. “Think what?”

Penny rubbed her forehead. “Okay… seems like you’re that naive. I’ll put it simply…” She pointed. “Grace thinks you were watching porn… and humping your plushie.”

She didn’t even try to hide the grin she wore while watching Lucy’s soul attempt to leave her body.

“No, no, no—nononono—this is bad,” Lucy whispered, pacing like a tiny, panicked robot.

“So you’d rather she caught us making out?” Penny teased, grabbing a doughnut with a smirk.

“WE WERE NOT—our lips never— and get away from my snacks!” Lucy sputtered, cheeks flaming.

“Oh?” Penny leaned in, voice dropping. “So you wanted our lips to touch?”

Lucy nearly dropped the entire box.

“We shall speak of this no more!” she declared in the world’s least intimidating voice. “Nothing happened! Please leave my room!”

Penny raised her hands in surrender, though the mischievous sparkle in her eyes didn’t dim. “Alright, alright. I’ll let you sleep.” She headed for the door, then looked back over her shoulder.

“Goodnight, Huckleberry… try not to dream about moi.”

She winked before slipping out.

Lucy locked the door, leaned against it, and covered her burning face with her hands. Her mind replayed the brief, almost-kiss, Penny’s smirk, her voice, everything.

Penelope… what are you doing to me? she thought before finally collapsing onto the bed and drifting into sleep.

Down the corridor, someone stood half-hidden in the shadows. Someone who had seen Penny leaving Lucy’s room.

And they were not happy about it.

It was morning, and the house was unusually quiet. Lucy had nothing on her school schedule, so she found herself in the kitchen, carefully preparing coffee for her dad — Big AM, as everyone called him. Penelope, on the other hand, was still nowhere to be seen. Lucy guessed she was probably shy after what had happened last night, a faint blush creeping up as she thought about it.

Grace walked into the kitchen, her smile bright and teasing. Lucy felt a wave of embarrassment, imagining all the assumptions Grace might be making. Before Lucy could speak, Penelope finally appeared, descending the stairs with her usual late-morning grace. She immediately spotted her uncle and they began to talk quietly — or maybe it was something they didn’t want others to hear. As Georgia approached, their hushed conversation ended, but Lucy noticed it all.

Penny’s eyes met Lucy’s, and a wide, knowing grin spread across her face. At that moment, Lucy realized the truth: Penelope wasn’t shy. She simply woke up late. The idea settled in, and Lucy felt a mixture of relief and amusement. But the morning wasn’t over. Penelope remembered she had something important to discuss with Lucy — about Luke.

Lucy’s phone buzzed with a message from Luke, inviting her on a group outing with Zoey. She read it aloud and promptly refused. Penny, however, overheard and didn’t hesitate — she declared she would go with Lucy, practically forcing her onto the bike. The ride was tense yet exhilarating, the wind tugging at their hair as they sped toward their destination.

Once there, Zoey immediately seemed smitten with Penny, leaving Lucy to watch with mild curiosity. But beneath the surface, tension lingered — between Zoey and Luke, and especially Luke and Penny. That evening, as Lucy and Zoey went to get more ice cream, Penny noticed a man on a bike staring at them. She recognized him immediately but pretended she hadn’t.

Then, with a sudden intensity, she confronted Luke, questioning his relationship with Lucy. Luke was taken aback, speechless as Penny’s sharp gaze held him in place. She leaned in closer, her voice low and threatening, warning him to stay away. The tension broke only when Zoey and Lucy returned, oblivious to the confrontation.

Night fell, and the ride home began. Rain started to drizzle, then poured, soaking them as they navigated the slick roads. Suddenly, they were attacked by a fellow bike rider. Penelope reacted instantly, ensuring she bore the brunt of the danger rather than Lucy. Though injured, she managed to maintain her composure as they made it home safely.

Once inside, Penny instructed Lucy not to tell anyone about the attack. Despite the pain, she smiled as Lucy tended to her wound, a quiet bond forming in the dimly lit room. Penny reached out, lightly touching Lucy’s face, and for a moment, the world outside faded. Their shared silence said more than words ever could.

Finally, Lucy whispered goodnight and slipped back to her room, careful not to make a sound. But in the shadows, unseen and silent, someone had been watching again, their eyes tracing every movement.