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Linda Monroe never liked Becky Barnes. And it wasn't for lack of trying from the redhead's side.
When they were kids, Becky was a wild and unkempt little thing, always running around, screaming, climbing trees and things like that. Linda was a tidy and quiet girl, always clean and with pretty dresses, bows in her hair, not a strand out of place. Becky thought she was beautiful, always looking like a doll. But, when she'd call Linda to play with her, the blonde girl always refused, looking down on how Becky didn't mind getting messy and dirty on her games.
Then they started growing up, puberty hit and Becky started getting interested in things like makeup and clothes. Around the same time, Linda rebelled against the way her mother wanted her to be a little doll, and she started condemning all things girly. She got a skateboard, and she'd always wear oversized shirts and baggy pants, a backwards cap or beanie hat were the only adornment allowed.
Becky thought she was cool. Everyone did, actually. Linda was the epitome of sending a fuck you to the establishment, of doing her thing and not caring what others think, and teenagers loved that. Everyone wanted to be her friend, but just a few got that privilege. Becky was not one of those. She was popular, a cheerleader, and she was everything Linda hated. She didn't even try to get close, the blonde openly hostilezed her for being "a preppy little fuck", so there was no point in trying.
Around sophomore year, Linda got her driving licence and bought a motorcycle, and just like that she upgraded from cool to cooler. Her style started changing from skater to goth, as she traded the baggy clothes for ripped jeans, leather jackets and boots, and the backwards cap was replaced by dark makeup and chokers. No cheerleader was more desired than Linda, all the boys and lots of girls dreamed of getting a kiss from the edgy mysterious blonde. Becky tried to hide that she dreamed about that too. It was just a silly crush, and Linda was intimidating. And she still hated Becky, always rolling her eyes and scoffing to everything the redhead did. And then, Becky started dating Tom, and they were great together. Around him, she didn't have eyes for anyone else.
Things changed at the end of senior year. In a party, more specifically, in Ted's house. Becky was not having fun. Well, she was at first. She was there to unwind, and it was working until Tom arrived. It just went downhill from there. She wanted to leave, but Charlotte insisted she couldn't let it ruin her night. But things only got uglier as the party went on, until Becky managed to escape, wandering off to the beach until she found a nice place to sit, hidden behind a rock. Only herself and a bottle of booze. Safe to cry as much as she wanted.
Or so she thought. It didn't last much more than ten minutes, though, before she heard footsteps approaching. She thought it was Charlotte, worried about her, so she turned her face to the opposite direction, not wanting her friend to see her crying like she was. But when the steps stopped by her side, the voice she heard was not Charlotte's.
"Ugh. It's just you." Her tone was full of disdain, and the surprise to hear that voice made Becky turn to look at the person who spoke.
Sure as hell, it was Linda Monroe there, loosely holding a bottle on a gloved hand, the other one stuffed on the pocket of her leather jacket, looking down on Becky through her heavy eyelids. The moonlight made her hair look almost like silver, but Becky tried not to stare too much.
"Linda? What are you doing here?" she tried to sound firm, despite the fact that she was hastily trying to clean the tears off her face.
"I saw the footprints on the sand and thought it might be someone interesting. I was clearly wrong." She casually sipped at her bottle, looking bored.
"You do this often? Lurk around the outskirts of parties, looking for people wandering alone?" She furrowed her brow, and for her surprise Linda let out a small laugh.
"Maybe I do." She sounded sarcastic, but it was hard to tell… of course, the mystery was part of her aesthetics, Linda rarely confirmed or denied anything about herself.
"That's creepy." Linda scoffed at her words, but the corner of her lip crept up in a little smile. "And a little sad too, actually." That made her smile fade.
"Not sadder than hiding to drink and cry alone." Her voice was harsh, and they hit just where it hurt. Becky looked away from her, staring at the sea ahead.
"Can you please mock me some other time? I'm not in the mood to put up with it."
"Really? You're polite even when you're pissed? I could've respected if you just told me to fuck off. But you're too sweet, it's disgusting."
"Do you want me to swear at you?" She looked back at the blonde, confused.
"That'd be funny, yes." What the hell did she want? Becky was starting to get irritated.
"Fuck you, how 'bout that?" She thought she sounded angry enough, but Linda just laughed again.
"That's so cute, like a chiuaua trying to bark!" She mocked, and the redhead pouted. "I didn't know you could even say fuck, though, so congrats." Linda took a final long swig at her drink and tossed the bottle on the floor, like the horrible person she was.
"Ok, you had your fun, now can you leave me alone?" Bantering with Linda was weirdly distracting her of the reason she's been crying, but she still wasn't in the mood to be taunted and mocked like that.
"No way, you got me curious now." Becky frowned as the blonde took off her leather jacket.
She was wearing just a white tank top underneath, and it was amazing how something so simple could look so good. Becky watched as Linda laid the jacket on the rock by her side, before sitting on top of it. The tank top let her arms show, and… has she been working out?
"So? What happened?" Linda's voice brought her back to reality.
"Huh?" It was embarrassing, how she got distracted like that. Thankfully, the blonde didn't seem to notice, she was too busy rolling her eyes.
"I said I'm curious. What could've happened to make a fucking Pollyanna like you be crying and cursing?"
"Oh! I… I broke up with Tom." She said that fast, like ripping off a bandaid. It didn't seem real, they've been together for so long. Yesterday she might have said they only had a fight, but she'd be lying to herself.
"Trouble in paradise? So the perfect couple wasn't as perfect as it seems, huh?" Was she smiling?
"Can't you stop being mean for just a second?" Becky felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She didn't need someone to come kick her when she was down. The smile in Linda's face was replaced by a quirked eyebrow.
"Being mean is my brand, sunshine. But tell me, what'd the asshole do?"
Becky sighed, and took a long sip of her drink, bracing herself to tell it.
"It was so silly, actually. My friend Kenn was practicing with me how he wanted to ask Carol to the prom. Then Tom walked in and got it all wrong, and he got jealous, then we had a fight and I said if he didn't trust me he shouldn't even be my boyfriend… and that's it, I think."
"That's it? It's so stupid it's disappointing." Linda took the bottle from Becky's hand to take a sip, not caring to ask permission.
"I know, right? And it was yesterday, I thought we'd work it out in no time once we cooled our heads. But now at the party we just kept fighting…"
"Who knew little miss sunshine had a fighting side, huh?" She was smiling again, and Becky rolled her eyes.
"I don't, though. I hate fighting!" She took a swig at her drink, making a face when the alcohol burned her throat.
"You're no fun... I could punch him for you." Linda's tone was so nonchalant it startled her.
"What? No!"
"Boring! Whatever, I might do it anyways." She shrugged, and Becky frowned at her. This girl was nothing but an asshole to her, for all their school years, why was she suddenly acting like that?
"You're that invested at defending my honor?" She was half teasing, half puzzled, but Linda just soffed, shaking her head.
"Honor? No, princess, I just like punching men." It was plausible, actually, everyone knew Linda didn't hesitate to throw a punch or a kick on the crotch when she felt wronged. And Becky knew she shouldn't find that attractive, but she did.
"You're horrible!" She reprimanded, but a little smile betrayed her.
"Yeah, thanks." Linda took the bottle from her again, and this time their fingers lightly brushed. "But c'mon, the guy broke your heart and you still don't think he deserves a punch? You're too nice for your own good, Barnes."
"The thing is… I don't know if I'm that heartbroken." She looked at her own lap, feeling guilty to say that.
"Now you got me confused. Why were you crying so much then?"
"I…" she hugged her own knees and stared ahead at the sea. "I guess I thought it would last forever… I mean, I love Tom. I think I do. He's a very good boyfriend, and yesterday it was just a misunderstanding. I could just forgive him and things would go back to normal. But part of me… I'm not sure if I want things to go back to normal anymore. It's like… I guess I'm not in love with him anymore. Am I a horrible person for it?" The tears started welling up in her eyes again.
"For falling out of love? What the hell? Of course not!"
"But… passion fades, right? It's normal, after a while? But if love remains, shouldn't we try to make it work?"
"You're talking like you were forty, married and with children. You're in high school! He's your first boyfriend for fucks sake! Life is not a fairy tale where you'll be happily ever after with the first man you kiss, princess."
There was a disdainful tone in her voice, the first few times she called Becky a princess. This time, however, she sounded almost affectionate, though still a bit harsh. Becky turned her face to look at her again, and the blonde just handed her the bottle back, an unreadable expression on her face. Of all people, Linda was the last one she could have thought would be by her side in a time like that. Even so, it felt like she was exactly who Becky needed in that moment, someone who saw the world in such a different way from her, it was refreshing, somehow.
"Thanks, Linda." Her voice was almost a whisper, and the blonde shrugged, as if her helping wasn't a big deal. "Who knew the feisty punk had a nice side, huh?" She joked, mirroring Linda's earlier words.
"Shhhh! Don't tell anyone!" Becky let out a laugh and, for her surprise, Linda laughed too.
It wasn't like her usual sneer, or that sarcastic high pitch laugh that she did sometimes. It was a light, genuine laugh Becky never saw before, and it was so beautiful she got entranced for a second.
"This is all so surreal…" she whispered, her eyes lost in the darkness of Linda's.
"What?" the blonde's face was relaxed, a little smile still on her lips.
"If two days ago someone told me I'd be single and hanging out with Linda Monroe, I wouldn't have believed." Linda laughed again, and Becky felt butterflies flutter inside her.
"All this because Davidson wanted a date to the prom." That was the most lightheaded tone Becky ever heard from her. And their eyes were still locked in that gaze.
"Oh, that makes me realize, I lost my date to the prom. Cherry on top of a shitty break up…" she regteged the words as soon as she said them. They made Linda break the eye contact to roll her eyes. She scoffed and snatched the bottle from Becky's hand, drinking a long swig.
"Whatever, prom is stupid." She said, before drinking a bit more.
"Aren't you going?" Becky frowned, resting her hand on the rock between them.
It wasn't completely intentional, but her hand ended up right beside Linda's, their fingers almost touching. They both looked at it for a second, and Becky shifted just a bit, grazing the leather of Linda's fingerless gloves.
"Maybe I'll go…" this time it was Linda who slightly moved her hand, making their skins touch, and a shiver went down the redhead's spine. "Just to snatch the spiked punch, of course." She joked, and Becky let out a small laugh. When did their eyes get locked on each other again?
"It's an awful lot of trouble, getting in a gown just to get some drinks." She teased, her voice a bit low.
"Damn, I haven't worn a dress since fifth grade!" Her smile was so dazzling… Becky felt like she could stare at it forever.
"I think you'd look great in one." Linda's smile widened, then turned into a little pretentious laugh.
"Of course, I look great in anything." This arrogant smirk shouldn't be so charming! But Becky had the decency to roll her eyes and shake her head disapprovingly.
"You're so cocky!" She did her best to sound like she was complaining, but Linda just raised an eyebrow, turning the expression on her face even more arrogant.
"Am I lying, though?" That goddamn smirk was making Becky lose her composure, and those soft fingers still brushing on hers were not helping at all…
"You're not." She blurted out, without even thinking.
The blonde's smirk widened into a beautiful and genuine smile, and Becky caught herself smiling back. Did Linda get closer? Or was it Becky who was leaning in her direction?
"Who knew miss sunshine had a thing for the feisty punk, huh?" Her words were so straightforward, they made the penny drop about what was going on.
Becky immediately felt self conscientious, over rationalizing it all. She felt her face getting hot, as a confirmation of how blushed she got, and she looked away from Linda. What was she thinking? Flirting like that with a girl who always dismissed and mocked her? And only a day after breaking up with her boyfriend? What would Linda think of her? Just because she was being nice for once, it didn't mean…
"Hey…" the trainwreck of her thoughts was interrupted by a hand on her chin, as Linda softly pulled her to look in her eyes again.
Becky felt her face burning, as those dark eyes pierced inside of hers like she could read her soul. And, just as she opened her mouth to try to say something, Linda joined their lips.
Becky used to tell her friends Tom was a good kisser. When Linda's lips touched hers, though, she couldn't even remember who Tom was. Everything was right about that kiss, the way their mouths seem to fit each other, how soft and warm Linda felt, even how the black lipstick mixed with the pink lipgloss. The world seemed to narrow into that moment, like Becky couldn't see or hear or feel anything other than Linda. And, at the same time, it was like all her senses were amplified, every smell, every taste, every touch, it all flooded her in a way words couldn't really explain.
The pace started slow, tentative, as they discovered each other's mouths, exploring them carefully. Experimenting, adjusting. Then, as it got deeper, they also got hungrier. The more they had, the more they craved. Linda's hand, that was lightly cupping Becky's face, went to the back of her neck to pull her closer, and the redhead reached to her waist. Every touch and every move was like a spark on a powder keg, and it all happened as chain reactions: a bite on the lip caused a muffled sigh, and the urge to hear it again made a hand go up and pull some hair. A stronger tug on the waist made their breasts press together, which brought a shared shiver. So on and so forth, the flame kept feeding itself.
Time lost its meaning, and though Becky was pretty sure she's never kissed for this long, she still missed Linda's lips when they parted for just an inch. They looked into each other's eyes, noses touching, and Becky smiled through her heavy breathing.
"Damn, you're too perfect, I hate it so much…" Linda panted, and just like that they were kissing again, even more ferociously than before, if that was even possible.
Becky had no thoughts on her mind, only that girl, that moment, the way their tongues danced together, how their bodies responded to each other, every touch soft and raw at the same time. She didn't think about boundaries, or what might have been proper for a first kiss, they were too lost in their wants and needs to care about any of that. She didn't even hesitate to grab Linda's thigh and pull her even closer, and the blonde didn't miss a beat, not even breaking the kiss to straddle her.
"Hmm the princess has a naughty side too, huh?" She teased, against her lips, as Becky's hands were slowly going up her thighs.
"Shut up" she grabbed the blonde's lips on hers again, almost not recognizing herself as she did that. But she knew very well it was herself, only more loose, more driven by her instincts than ever before.
Linda laughed inside the kiss, making her shiver with the feeling, and then they lost track of everything again. It was so easy to forget the world, when there was so much to focus on between them. There was so much to discover, like how her skin tasted, how each curve felt to the touch, how her moan would sound… They were both lost on this exploration of each other, Becky's hands in the small of her back, sliding up under the fabric of her shirt, as her mouth was in Linda's neck, slowly trailing down, with the blonde's hands firmly gripping her hair. Every soft whimper that came from Linda was like fuel to her desire, and her kisses were almost reaching the tank top's cleavage when something broke the moment. Tom's voice.
"Becky? Becky are you there?" For the sound of it, he wasn't more than a few feet behind that rock.
Becky was so startled, her immediate reaction was to get away from Linda, pushing her lightly so she could get out of under her.
"Go away, Tom!" She shouted, her heart beating like a drum.
"Becky, I'm sorry, I--" he sounded even closer, and Becky felt her heart reaching her mouth.
"I said go away! I don't wanna see you right now!" Even when they were fighting, Becky was pretty sure she never sounded this harsh before.
"Okay, I'm going! I'm sorry!" Becky heard his footsteps getting farther, and only then she realised she was holding her breath.
And then she looked at Linda. The blonde had her eyes on her, and the way she was slowly - and not very efficiently - wiping the smeared lipstick off her face was strangely enticing. A heavy second passed in silence, until Becky realised she was supposed to say or do something.
"I… that was a lot." She broke the silence, sounding unsure.
"That's a way of putting it." Linda's voice was as unreadable as her face.
Becky's head was running a million miles per hour, and still she felt it was stuck in nothingness. What was supposed to happen right now? Was it right, the way she just threw herself in someone else's arms the moment she broke up with her boyfriend? Was it fair, to anyone involved? What did Linda want? What did this mean to her? What did it mean to Becky? There were too many questions, and she had no answers right now. All she wanted was to go back to that girl's arms and forget everything again… but she knew she shouldn't, at least not right now.
"I think I need to go home. I gotta... I don't know, sort things out." She stuttered, standing up before she changed her mind.
"Sure." Linda was staring at the sea, not looking particularly inclined to leave that place. Becky stood still for a second, looking at her, until she forced herself to move.
"Ok, bye, Linda."
"Safe travel, princess." She heard as she started walking.
……
It really was a lot to figure out, and Becky got to school that Monday still with some doubts in her mind. But she knew some things, and she knew she had to talk with both Tom and Linda. She was on her way to her locker, still trying to decide what exactly she would say, when Tom came to her.
"Hey, Becky!" He stopped in front of her, and, when she didn't do anything, he tentatively reached for her hand. She let him hold it, and he took it as a sign of progress. "Look, I'm really sorry, I know I was wrong, and I promise I won't act like that again…"
"It's alright, Tom, I forgive you." She interrupted, and her words made the biggest smile appear in his face.
"Really?" He took her other hand, holding them tight.
"Yes, but we gotta talk…"
Just then, she saw Linda Monroe storming down the hall, coming from the same direction Tom did. She looked irritated, and that wasn't an uncommon look for her, but when her eyes met Becky and Tom holding hands, the expression on her face immediately got angrier. She passed by them, shooting daggers with her eyes, and got inside the girls bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Tom didn't seem to notice, and Becky realized he was saying something.
"...we can do that, yes, it's good to make everything clear and…"
"Can we talk later, though? I have to go to the bathroom right now." She made an apologetic face, but the boy was too happy to be bothered.
"Sure! Meet me in front of your locker?" He had such a purely excited smile that it almost made Becky regret that she was about to break up with him.
But she just nodded and turned away from him, to go after the person she couldn't get out of her head. When she got inside the bathroom, she found Linda standing in front of the mirror, touching up her dark eyeliner. She saw the redhead come in, but didn't say a thing.
"Hi." Even as she said it, she heard how lame it sounded. Linda didn't bother with an answer, and Becky awkwardly checked the cabins, making sure they were alone before saying anything else. "Linda, about the party…"
"Don't worry, princess, I don't kiss and tell." The blonde interrupted, as she closed her eyeliner and put it back on her backpack. From all the things in the world, Becky was not prepared to hear that.
"What?" she was too surprised to say anything else.
"I have no interest in telling anyone what happened, ok? So you can go on with your little perfect life, no need to worry about gossip or something like that." Linda crossed her arms and turned to look at her, the disdain dripping from her voice.
"I… I wasn't worried about that. Actually, I wanted to apologise…" but before she could finish, Linda interrupted again.
"I know you were drunk, it's fine, I was too." What? No, that was not what she wanted to say! But Linda just kept talking. "It was a silly drunk thing, just curiosity, it didn't mean anything, right?"
Becky opened her mouth.
Actually, I wanted to apologise for being such a mess at the party, but I always had a big crush on you, and I really liked that kiss, and I wanted to maybe go on a date with you since I'm breaking up with Tom for good today.
That's what she has been preparing to say, that's what she had in her mind and in her heart, but then Linda said those words. It didn't mean anything. Why was it so hard to believe? She shouldn't be that shocked, she should have known Linda just wanted to mess around. But it still made her feel her stomach sink. And, instead of saying all those things she had in mind, Becky just caught herself staring at Linda, dumbfounded, and repeating:
"Right…"
"Right. We have nothing more to deal, then." and she left, her boots clicking loudly at the floor tiles.
Becky was too stunned to realize how hurt Linda sounded, or to notice the crumbled pieces of a flower on the trash can. She just turned around and left the bathroom, walking almost mechanically to her locker. She had to blink a few times to process what she saw there. Her locker door was all adorned by flowers, and Tom was right beside it, with a bouquet in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Will you still go to prom with me?"
That was too much for a Monday morning. She has been ready to break up with him and ask Linda on a date, then everything was turned upside down. And now, should she say no to Tom? She wasn't in love with him anymore, but she still liked him, very much. And he was so hopeful! Could she really break his heart like this? In front of everyone? And what for? Linda didn't want her, she's let that clear. And sure, things had cooled down with Tom, but she could fall for him again, couldn't she? She could at least give it a fair chance. They were owed that chance, after almost three years of relationship, right?
"Yes." she tried to smile.
……
Two weeks passed until prom night, and Becky has been doing her best to give a fair chance to her relationship with Tom. Most of the time, it was easy. It was comfortable to be around him, they had fun together, and there was an affection between them. But every time they kissed, her mind wandered back to Linda, and she couldn't get on with it. Tom was getting worried, with her always ending short whenever they started making out, but he always respected her boundaries.
When prom arrived, though, she was determined to have the best night of her life. Even though her heart clenched when her mother said she was looking like a princess, as she came down the stairs in her blue gown. She would not think about Linda Monroe that night. And it worked, for a while. Tom picked her up in her house, they took a nice picture at the entrance, and the party started out great, meeting friends, dancing… and then Linda arrived.
Becky almost didn't believe her eyes when she saw the blonde wearing a dress. And not just any dress, it was long and black, with an intricate lace covering the cleavage up to the neck, and a big slit on the side. If Becky looked like a princess, Linda certainly looked like a Hollywood star on a red carpet. Their eyes met across the dancefloor, and Becky felt her heart skip a beat.
But Linda never approached her, and she did the same. That night was about having fun, so she did her best to ignore the blonde's presence. At the end, it wasn't that hard, as Linda seemed to be trying to avoid her too. So she danced, laughed, had all the fun she was entitled to have. And, by the end of the night, her and Tom were crowned as Prom Queen and King. She was happy. And, just as they were leaving and Becky thought everything went well, the wind turned on her.
They were going down the front steps of the school building, when she saw Linda there, sitting on the bottom steps. She tried to ignore her as they approached her, but right then the blonde stood up, and the way she had to hold the balustrade to do it showed how inebriated she was.
"Well if it isn't the Queen and her King! Don't you two look great?" Her voice was slurred, but the sarcasm was still there.
"Thanks?" Tom sounded confused, but Becky already sensed that shit was about to go down.
"How gracious, your highness!" Linda mocked, making an exaggerated reverence that almost made her fall. "You two are really perfect for each other, huh? So nice! How did they say in the crowning? The cutest couple ever! That's it!" She laughed, that high pitched sarcastic one, and this time not even Tom could keep ignoring her hostile tone.
"What's your problem, Linda?" Becky didn't say anything, but she wanted that answer too. Why was she acting like that? Sure, she's always been dismissive of all those mainstream cute things like prom queen, but that was a step too far.
"You are my problem, Huston!" She stepped closer to him, in a menacing stance.
"Me? What did I ever do to you?" He sounded like Linda was starting to irritate him, and Becky's hands started sweating.
"Nothing! That's the point, you never did nothing! And you still have everything!" Linda was clearly unhinged, and Becky knew she had to do something to stop that before things got even more out of hand.
"Linda, you're too drunk, you should go home. Do you want a ride or something?" She interfered, and Linda's eyes focused on her, checking her out from head to toe in a way that made Becky feel her face starting to blush.
"The only ride I want is on you, princess." Her slurred voice got out low and raspy, and she blinked suggestively, making Becky's face get immediately red.
"Wha-- never mind, you're trashed. Let's go, Tom." She took his hand and started walking away. For a second she thought it was over, and then they heard Linda's voice again.
"Hey, mighty king! Did your queen tell you who she comes after when she doesn't want you?" That made Tom stop, and Becky felt her stomach sink.
"What is she talking about?" He frowned, looking back and forth between them. Becky took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but she was too anxious.
"Not right now, Tom. We can talk about this tomorrow." she tried to avoid the question, pulling him by the hand.
"Oh she didn't tell? That she was buried in these, at Ted's party?" Linda pointed at her own breasts, almost vulgarly, and Becky felt her face getting flushed again.
"Becky? Is that true?" she saw the doubt in his eyes, the hurt from all the times she pushed him away in the past few weeks, and the guilt made her heart clench.
"We were broken up and..." Her voice was trembling, and when she didn't deny, his frown deepened.
"And weren't you planning to tell me?" He took a step closer and put a hand on her arm. It wasn't aggressive or threatening in any way, but Becky began to shake visibly, too afraid of confrontation.
"Hey, back off!" Linda was between them in a second, pushing Tom away.
And, before any of them could react, the blonde's fist connected with his jaw. It was clumsy, for how drunk she was, but it was strong enough that the rings she was wearing were able to cut his skin.
"Linda! What the hell!" Becky shouted, getting between them. Tom was holding his face where it was hit, and she flinched when she saw some blood between his fingers. "You should go wash that, I'll wait here."
"Will you be fine?" His eyes went from her to the bouncing blonde by her side, and Becky nodded, reassuringly. He went back inside, and the redhead turned to Linda, who was giggling like a child.
"I told you I would punch him, didn't I?" She had a very annoyingly arrogant look on her face, and it almost made Becky want to punch her.
"And I told you not to!" she crossed her arms, making it very clear in her voice and face how upset she was. At least that made Linda stop smiling.
"Oh, c'mon princess! You have your prince charming, you can climb on his white horse and ride to fucking Disneyland and live happily ever after, so let me at least break his nose!" there she went with her sarcasm again, but Becky was having trouble following her logic.
"You're not making any sense, Linda! Why are you doing this? What's wrong with you?" She was almost whining by that point, so angry and frustrated she was with the blonde's behavior.
"You're what's wrong with me! I can't get you out of my fucking head, you're messing me up!" That was too much to keep calm, Becky felt her blood boil with an anger she wasn't used to feeling.
"I'm messing you up? Are you kidding? You get me head over heels and then you drop me like it's nothing, and now this? What the hell do you want?" she used all her self control not to scream.
There were very few people still out there, and she knew for a fact there would be some gossip about that altercation, but she didn't need to feed the rumors.
"I want you, you stupid little prep!" All her efforts to keep quiet were thrown away, because Linda had no control on the volume of her voice. And, with her words, Becky didn't even think about rumors anymore, all she cared about was that confession.
"What? You said it didn't mean anything..." She frowned, confused.
"I lied, you idiot!" Linda rolled her eyes and leaned on the balustrade, like what she was saying wasn't a big deal.
"Why would you do that?" Becky's heart was pounding all over the place right now, she had no idea what to feel anymore.
"Because! I saw how he filled your locker with flowers, and the way he looks at you and... I get it, you're little miss perfect, alright? You deserve your fucking prince charming, not a fuck up like me." Linda blinked too many times as she said that, and then Becky noticed her eyeliner getting fuzzier. Was… was she crying?
"Well, you really are a fuck up if you didn't consider I should have a say in it!" Becky's lower lip quivered a bit, but she held on tight.
"You had a say! You could have said something when I said it meant nothing, but you just agreed!" Her voice was so mumbled now, both from the alcohol and the crying, that it was hard to hear what she was saying. And even understanding her words, Becky didn't find reason in then.
"Linda, I-- no. Forget it, I'm not gonna argue with you like this." She sighed, trying to hold her own emotions at bay.
"Fine, go home with your prince!" The passive aggressiveness of her tone really made Becky's skin crawl, but she did her best to keep her cool. Linda wanted to get under her skin, but she wasn't going to let her win.
"I will! And you should go home too." She tried to emulate an authoritarian voice, and it seemed to work, for the way the blonde rolled her eyes.
"Whatever." She took something from the tiny purse she was wearing, and Becky's eyes widened when she realised what it was. Her motorcycle keys.
"No way! You're not driving like this!" She acted on impulse, launching forward to take the keys from Linda's hand.
"Let go! Ow!" They struggled for a minute, with Linda screaming like crazy, and then Becky finally took it from her.
"You're getting on a cab right now!" Jesus, she almost sounded like a mother! But Linda was acting like a child, a very annoying and spoiled one.
She resisted, trying to take her keys back, and Becky had lost her patience to argue. So Tom arrived to find the redhead almost pushing Linda into the backseat of a taxi, both cursing at each other.
"You ruined everything, Linda!" At that point, Becky wasn't bothering to hold back her tears anymore, and her makeup was just as ruined as her heart right now.
"I fucking hate you!" The blonde slammed the car door, and it took off, but Becky's tears just kept coming.
"What the hell happened?" Tom sounded tired and confused, but Becky just turned around and hugged him, letting her tears wet his suit. Maybe it wasn't fair to him, but she just needed a moment of comfort. "Becky?"
"Can we talk tomorrow morning? I promise I'll explain everything, I just can't deal with this right now." She said into his chest.
"Ok. Okay. I'll take you home."
……
Breaking up with Tom was… a strange relief. He took it all much better than she expected. Sure, he still got a little upset that Becky didn't tell him about what happened with Linda, but he was fine with it. At the end, they both realised they were trying to hold on to a relationship that didn't exist anymore. It turns out that Tom was also planning to break up after prom. He has enlisted in the army and he was called to serve, so he only had one more week, that would be the finals and graduation, before sailing off to god knows where.
It was weird how, in less than a month before high school ended, everything she had as a certainty was turned upside down. It really was the end of an era. And change was hard, it was scary. Becky felt like she was on the edge of a cliff, and she knew she had to leap, sooner or later, but she had no idea what waited for her down there. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time. She was ruminating that, at the end of the afternoon, when her doorbell rang.
When she opened the door, Linda was standing on her porch. She wasn't wearing her usual leather jacket and dark makeup. Instead, her hands were tucked in the pockets of a gray oversized hoodie, that reminded Becky of the girl's skater era.
"I think you have my keys?" She was staring at her own feet, and didn't look up to speak.
"So you remember last night?" Becky asked, reaching for the key hanger beside the door.
"Vividly." she almost mumbled the answer, still looking at her feet, and Becky shook the keys in front of her face.
She took the keys, finally looking up. Their eyes met, and they stayed like that for a second, both holding the keys between them. The weight of everything left unsaid could be felt in the air, and there was so much, Becky didn't know where to start. It was Linda who broke the silence, though.
"I-- You probably don't wanna see my face ever again, so… bye." She snatched the keys and turned away.
Becky stood there for a moment, looking as she went away, trying to decide what to do. She could just let her go. It would be easier, safer, to not start anything so soon after a break up. But… this felt like a door that would close if she didn't cross it, and then she'd be left wondering what would have happened. She was standing at the border of a cliff. Time to leap.
"Linda, wait." She closed the door and ran after her. The blonde was almost at the end of the block when she stopped and turned to face her.
"You wanna hit me? Yell at me? Go ahead, I deserve it." She said, shrugging, as Becky got at her side.
"Don't you ever learn with your mistakes?" Her tone was light-hearted, and it made Linda look up at her with a frown. "You, assuming what I want. It's exactly what got us in this mess, isn't it?"
"So…" Linda narrowed her eyes, looking puzzled. "you're not mad at me?"
"Oh no, I'm mad. What you did last night was not cool, Linda." Her voice was calm, despite her words, and the blonde rolled her eyes.
"No need to sweeten it up. I acted like an asshole, there's no excuse for it." Linda sounded just as confident as she usually did when complimenting herself, but it was clear from her face and her stance how embarrassed she was for her past actions.
"You're right, it can't be excused. But maybe it can be fixed." That made Linda's eyebrows rise, then turn into a frown.
"You're too fucking optimistic." She sounded almost disappointed that Becky wasn't angry at her.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Becky said through a half smile, and the blonde rolled her eyes dramatically.
"It wasn't one." She tried to sound annoyed, but the spark on her eyes betrayed her.
"Can I walk with you?" There was a moment of pause, a chill on the pit of her stomach in anticipation for the jump. Would she fall?
"If you want to." The blonde shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.
They started walking side by side, and silence fell between them. Every other second, Becky glanced sideways with the corner of her eye, seeing as Linda walked staring firmly ahead, hands tucked on her pockets, lips pursed like she was holding something back. The cheerleader took a deep breath, then another, as she figured out what she should say next. It was intimidating, to break that heavy silence, but it had to be done.
"So, I broke up with Tom. For good, this time." Linda's head turned to her so fast it was almost jarring. But it took her a second to say something, like she was looking for words.
"Because of what I…" she trailed off, avoiding talking about the previous night.
"Not entirely. It's been brewing for a while, actually. I was planning on doing it on that day he asked me to the prom. I was planning on asking you out, too. But we know how that went." This time it was Becky who stared intently ahead, a bit embarrassed by her own words.
"Wow, wait. Were you really gonna ask me out?" She sounded genuinely surprised.
"Is it so hard to believe?" Becky frowned.
"It is, actually. I mean, the goody two-shoes has a rough night and goes unwind with the punk? I get that, makes sense. But an actual date? I'm not the kind of person who'll fill your locker with flowers and things like that."
She sounded serious, and Becky couldn't help but let out a small laugh. For the most confident person she knew, Linda seemed to have a surprisingly low self esteem.
"Are you forgetting that I just broke up with the guy who filled my locker with flowers?" she teased, with a light-hearted tone.
"So… are you saying I have a chance with you?" Linda still sounded unsure, and Becky wondered if she had any idea of how cute she got with that lost puppy face. For a second, it almost made her want to forget everything and just say yes. But she couldn't just jump in blindly, especially not after what happened.
"You could have… but you kinda screwed it up last night." She bit her lip, fearing her words were too harsh and Linda would just give up.
"Why were you talking about fixing things, then? I'd go back in time if I could..." She kicked a small rock on the ground, watching it bounce instead of facing Becky.
"You can't do that. But we can move forward." Once again Linda's head shot up and Becky met her gaze.
There was a lot in that stare, feelings neither of them knew how to express otherwise. Doubt, fear, but also hope, and a thrilling anticipation of what moving forward could look like.
"So let's say, for the sake of argument, if someone wanted to fix this kind of fuck up, what should they do?" Linda tried, almost hesitantly.
"Well, they should start with an apology, I guess."
"Right. Yeah, that makes sense. And then, hypothetically, they could take you on a date?" She raised an eyebrow, already sounding confident again.
"That depends… what would that hypothetical date entail?" Becky got in her game, a small playful smile on her face.
"Nothing cheesy, of course. Maybe breaking into the planetary in the middle of the night. Or roller skating." She had a little smirk on her face, and Becky raised an eyebrow.
"Roller skating isn't cheesy?" She teased, and Linda narrowed her eyes on her.
"Of course not, it's cool! And a good excuse to hold your waist to teach you." Her voice was dead serious, but her lips curved in the smallest smile.
"What makes you think I don't know how to roller skate?" Becky protested, doing her best to sound offended.
"Please, it's too cool for your little preppy ass." She rolled her eyes, and the redhead glared at her.
"I bet I'd kick your edgy ass on it!" Why was it so fun to banter with her?
"Bet? How much?" She raised an eyebrow, and Becky pursed her lips.
They barely noticed the time passing, between laughs and glares as they bickered, planning this roller skating bet, and soon enough they were in front of the school, where Linda's motorcycle was parked. She opened the trunk under it's seat, taking two helmets from it and handing one to Becky.
"Hop in, I'll ride you home." She said in a flirtatious tone, blinking one eye, and Becky felt her face blushing.
She put on her helmet and sat behind Linda, biting her lip as their bodies fit together like that. She tried to be restraint, just lightly holding the girl's waist for support, but when the bike started running the fear made her tighten her grip, her arms wrapping around Linda's tiny waist like she was a lifeboat. Becky's never been on a motorcycle before, and it was both dreading and exciting. When they stopped, in front of Becky's house, it took her a second to let go of her grip and get down from the bike.
"So, can I get you next Saturday? Five o'clock, maybe?" Linda asked when they took off their helmets, leaning on the bike's seat.
"For what?" Becky frowned, trying to keep her face serious.
"For the… roller skating thing?" The genuine confusion in Linda's face was so funny it almost made her break her act, but she kept it together.
"The hypothetical date? But you didn't even apologize yet." She was only half joking. If Linda thought she would be left off the hook only because of her charms, she was very mistaken.
"Are you getting cold feet, princess? Afraid of losing the bet?" The blonde tried to tease, but Becky just crossed her arms.
"No. Are you afraid of apologising?" she raised an eyebrow, and Linda's mouth opened and closed a couple times before she found an answer.
"You're too picky." She pursed her lips, shooting daggers with her eyes.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Becky refused to give in, and Linda didn't seem like the ceding type either.
"You have to stop taking things as a compliment, I'm trying to insult you here!" She took a step closer, in a way that made their height difference really show.
"Maybe you should put your energy into something else, then." She smiled, and Linda raised an eyebrow, and stood even closer, getting on her tiptoes so their lips almost touched. Becky held her breath.
"Like what?" It was just a whisper, but it didn't take more than that.
Becky just closed the distance and joined their lips, her heart thumping like a drum in her chest, so loud it was hard to hear anything else. The fact that they were in the middle of the sidewalk, just in front of her house, didn't even cross her mind. That kiss wasn't as hungry and desperate as the ones they had at that party. Instead, it was calm and sweet, like they had all the time in the world. And they really did. The future laid ahead of them like the endless and unseen pit beneath a cliff. And they were ready to jump.