7. Chapter 6: Skinny Love (1/2)

author's note: hey everyone, i'm back! i haven't had a chance to add to this story recently, but i wanted to add this newest chapter tonight. i'm aiming to work on this a lot more this weekend, so if you are interested, i should be adding to this extensively by tomorrow evening.

also, some notes i want to include on the phrase "skinny love" -

a. when velma explains the definition of a "skinny love," i had some help from urban dictionary. therefore, it is their definition which i am borrowing in this chapter.b. there are two types of a skinny love, but i didn't discuss the other type of a "skinny love" relationship since it isn't relevant to this story. if you are curious to read more, visit the definition on urban dictionary's webpage.

c. there is an amazing, amazing song called "skinny love" by bon iver. it's so beautiful; in fact, close this story now, open a new tab for youtube on your

owser, search for the song, listen to it and be amazed, and then read this chapter afterwards. i'll wait.

d. if you like that song, an artist named birdy has an amazing cover for "skinny love" in which she sings and plays the piano. as much as i love the original, the cover is just as good: it gives me goosebumps. you should look into that version next. again, i'll be waiting here for you once you're done listening to it!okay now that i have that out of the way, i also wanted to say that i had a real laugh at how velma sort of

eaks the fourth wall and acknowledges that this is a fanfic at one point in this chapter. maybe it was unnecessary, but i cracked myself up writing it.

anyway, sorry for the long intro but that is about it! thanks for reading, and i hope you enjoy! - iamacliche

chapter 6: skinny love

"skinny love." velma said, sighing with exasperation.

i rolled my eyes. "skinny love?! velma, what the hell is that? it doesn't even sound real to me!"

it was about three hours after freddy and i had our run-in, and velma and i were in a science lab located in one of the classrooms at school. school was over for the day, and i had just finished telling velma about what happened earlier. i didn't want to tell her, but i had no choice: she took one look at me and could tell that something had happened. secretly, i knew that my face betrayed all of the thoughts racing through my mind. my heart had not stopped knocking against my ribcage, and my mind felt fuzzy, as if it were wrapped in gauze. i couldn't focus on anything: i was feeling electric, like a collapsed telephone wire that smacks and sparks against the pavement after falling during a thunderstorm. what i really wanted to do was get the hell out of this school so i could calm down and process everything; however, i had promised velma that i would meet her in the science lab as she began to test the ice cream sample we received from sherry.

velma sighed impatiently again, as if she were explaining something simplistic to a child. "'skinny love' is a phrase used to describe a type of romantic relationship. in said relationship, the two parties involved are deeply in love, but are too terrified to communicate their emotions to each other. the skinny part of the phrase is rooted in the fact that neither party will express their romantic feelings. ultimately, as a result of their lack of communication, the relationship never blossoms into its full potential. as i was saying, you and fred fit the definition of a classic 'skinny love.'"

despite everything going on, my initial response was laughter. "honestly velma, where do you even come up with this stuff, romantic comedies!? i mean, do you hear what you're saying right now? this honestly sounds like something straight from a poorly written young adult novel!"

"i hear what i am saying, but i don't think you are hearing me, daph," velma said. "i am serious. i know this all sounds incredibly juvenile, but maybe you should consider how it applies to you and freddy. the most significant disadvantage of a skinny love is the fact that it never grows past a stifled friendship because both parties are too anxious to share their feelings with each other. from how you described that encounter with you and fred, i still cling to my original hypothesis; and yes, before you can even say anything, i am aware he is dating someone else right now. i think you would do yourself – and ultimately freddy, too – a disservice if you continue to keep this all bottled up inside of you."

i didn't respond to what velma was saying as i processed what she said. even though i had never heard of a "skinny love" until now, the more i thought about it, the more it was possible this fit whatever fred and i shared. even though our collision was an awkward encounter, we had obviously both felt something.

"oh, and by the way, daphne," velma said with a mischievous smile. "i don't know that 'skinny love' sounds like the trappings of a ya novel per-say, but it definitely smells like a trope utilized in a piece of fanfiction writing if you ask me!"

again, i couldn't resist

eaking out into laughter as velma cracked another grin.