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Being a senior isn't really going how Kate thought it would. For one thing, her best friend Cassie moved halfway across the country a month before the epic road trip they'd been planning since middle school. There were so many decisions to be made that Kate felt like she was drowning in them. Spring break was the bang they were going out with, she supposed. Her friend (ex-boyfriend, actually) and his brother had planned some big beach trip, and what would the party be without Kate? She was gonna be the life of that damn party. She would rock being the only one of them really old looking enough to use her fake id. She would miss Cassie, and maybe Clint, but just a little bit. Not enough to admit it.
America was an unseen variable of the trip. Apparently, America Chavez was a good friend of Billy's who Kate had never met because she went to a different school.
Apparently, Billy could only hang out with drop dead gorgeous people.
Kate had already been a little tipsy when they were first introduced, and America had been wearing her bikini, still damp from her swim.
And so began Kate's minor crisis.
Oh, and the icing on the cake? They were gonna be roommates.
~
David had said that staying for five out of the seven free days might be cutting it close. As he was prone to do, Tommy had quickly talked him into it. And then they'd claimed the room with the biggest bed.
And Teddy and Billy claimed one of the two queen sized.
And Noh-Varr had claimed the room with two twins for him and Loki, understandably reluctant to share.
Which had left Kate thinking she'd get a queen to herself.
Oh, how wrong she was.
If there was a time of her senior year Kate was going to have her bisexual crisis, spring break seemed like the most convenient time.
Except this crisis was begun by America Chavez, and she wasn't about to try anything with her, for multiple reasons.
Reason one: America was infuriating. They weren't outright fighting all of the time, but they butted heads more often than not. Something about the other girl made Kate feel like she could see right through her. It was unsettling, to say the least.
Reason two: Kate was, in just those first two days, starting to have, god forbid, feelings for her. It was dumb. She'd just met the girl, and yet, there America was, rolling over to kiss her in her dreams just as she rolled out of their too small bed in real life. There she was, heavy on Kate's mind as she tried to hook up with some random guy she'd met on the beach. Back to reason one, then. Infuriating.
Reason three: America was out. Like, full-fledged, wearing-the-rainbow-snapback-i-got-at-pride out. And that kind of terrifies Kate.
So no, she's not gonna try anything. She's not even gonna flirt.
Okay, that might be a little much. She can't really help but flirt.
Around the same time Kate tried in vain for a random hookup, America forgot all about them practically being strangers, and all about privacy. She's taken to changing clothes right there with Kate in the room. This is what hell feels like, Kate thinks, when America almost catches her staring.
Terrible, terrible bisexual hell.
~
Things somewhat escalate the night before they drive home. They're all drinking, passing bottles back and forth and talking. Tommy keeps bringing up how they should have made this week a reality tv show, like mtv used to do.
Teddy and Billy are having some weird karaoke contest that might be some type of foreplay or the result of more alcohol than either of them are used to. Either way, Kate doesn't really wanna see it. Or hear it.
Regardless, it's going as most of the nights have.
Then Noh-Varr has to go and mess it up.
God, why was Kate still friends with not one, but two of her ex boyfriends? She needed to get her shit together.
Noh-Varr made some off handed comment about wishing he'd gotten a chance to hook up with that lifeguard at the hotel pool. Pretty much everyone stopped and looked at him.
"So, you're like, bi right?" Tommy asks. Noh-Varr shrugs. "More or less, yeah."
"Fucking called it. Babe, Loki owes us twenty bucks."
"Wait," Kate said. "am I the only one here who's straight?"
"Princess, I've seen the way you look at me. You're not that straight."
Okay. That was true. And maybe a little uncalled for. Kate didn't know what else to do but roll her eyes and take another drink.
~
Kate was getting ridiculously emotional about spring break being over. Going back to school for these last few weeks was going to be hard. She wants it to be over with, but at the same time she never wants it to end.
Tommy was already talking summer plans as he and David left, an hour early, which threw off the already established carpool. Kate wouldn't fit with Billy, Teddy, Noh-Varr, and Loki, who were already crowded. That left her, once again, with America, who lived far enough from the rest of them to have driven by herself. Four hours, and that's without traffic, is a long time to be alone in a car with a girl you're already half in love with.
Kate is fucked.
~
"You ready for a road trip, princess?"
She really isn't.
The car they're taking isn't America's, apparently.
"It's borrowed."
"Stolen? I like your style, America."
"Borrowed, with permission. And princess, I could tell."
Kate isn't going to blush. That would be like, giving up or something. They've been on the road for ten minutes and she falls asleep. Kate isn't used to the luxury of someone else driving her around, but she is used to sleeping off her hangovers. America must've drank as much as Kate last night, but she seemed to be functioning just fine. Sometimes, Kate swears that girl is superhuman.
Her dreams are unwelcome. Mostly. They're surprisingly innocent, compared to some that America has starred in this week.
They lie on their backs in an open field, perfect for star gazing.
"One day, princess, I'm gonna be better than this."
"Oh, America. You're already the best."
~
America loads Kate's purple suitcase into her trunk.
"Chivalrous." She remarks, and thanks her with a kiss.
"I try." America says. She smiles and grabs Kate's hand.
"You ready for another road trip?"
"Always."
~
"You dreaming about me, chica?"
"Of course not. Why? Did I say something?"
Wow, nice going Kate. Don't make her suspicious.
America smirks.
"You want a coffee?"
"You know it."
"The usual?"
Kate doesn't need to think about how they've been together enough for America to know her coffee order. It's probably a testament of how often Kate drinks coffee. Or how observant America is.
~
"So…" Kate can't really think of a subject they could talk about. The trip hasn't been awkward, really, just a little… strained. Although Kate tries not to, she can't help but want America to be impressed by her. "What are your plans for college?"
America scoffs. "Have we really stooped to college plans? What's next? You wanna talk about the weather?"
Kate frowns. "I don't necessarily want to talk about it either. But I really don't want to just sit here in silence."
America pointedly turns up the volume of the radio.
Kate backtracks through the last ten minutes, trying to figure out what had caused America to be closed off like this.
"I don't know what I'm going to do either." She says, quiet, but loud enough for America to hear her and reach to turn down the volume. "I have no idea, actually. It's all just so… overwhelming. I guess I figured you'd have it all figured out cause you're so… self assured, or whatever."
America shrugs. "You know what I think, Kate? I think we'll find our way."
~
This summer is going to fly by, Kate already knows it. She's already thinking about what she'll need to take to her dorm and what she can leave behind.
According to Tommy, tonight was gonna be the party of the summer. "That's giving everybody else the whole summer to one up you."
"I've just got a good feeling about this one."
~
There are a lot of people at this party. Kate doesn't even know half of them. She catches sight of one familiar face, Billy, and then another, Teddy, sitting by his boyfriend like always, and then… another.
America.
Kate takes a deep breath and makes her way over.
She barely gets her "Hello" out before Billy is loudly saying he's sees someone he wants to say hi to, and then.. did Teddy just wink at her? Does everyone know about her stupid crush on America?
Kate sits down across from her. "So, that weather, huh?"
America laughs. "You're a real comedian, princess."
It's easier than it was two months ago. Kate isn't sure she's scared anymore.
"That flyer, sticking out of your bag. That where you're going to school?"
America asks, leaning closer to Kate's face than strictly necessary to hear her response. Kate shoves the flyer down into her bag. Tommy had already declared that this night was free of talk college and the future when she first got there.
Well, what can she say? She and America are just rebels like that.
"Yeah, it is actually."
"No way. Me too!"
"You know what, America?"
"What, Princess?"
"I think we'll find our way."
~
America pulls Kate's purple suitcase into the trunk of her car.
"Chivalrous." Kate teases her, and pulls her in for a kiss.
America rolls her eyes.
"College awaits. You ready for another road trip?"
"Always."