So it goes [Breakable Heaven #1]

3. The Trybrid bitch

The first thing I thought when I met Rory, about two years ago, was that she was hot. It's shallow, and I shouldn't have had such thoughts on another woman when I was in a committed, happy relationship, but I still had eyes. It's always been my problem: I'm gay and I'm weak, and a sucker for a pair of nice legs. No wonder my biggest celebrity crush is Karlie Kloss!

My second thought, instead, was that I absolutely couldn't stand her!

She started working in the school only a couple of months after I did, and by then I was already feeling at home there, so the way she waltzed in and acted like she owned the place really got on my last nerve, so much that the phrase "who died and made you queen?" was used more than once, at least in my head, followed by a deep feeling of shame toward myself for stooping so low to even think such an immature expression.

I tried to be civil around her, nice even, but the annoyance was still there. And then one day she just had to go and act like a colossal backstabbing bitch, tattling my complaints about some in my opinion useless meeting straight to our boss. More than that, she also talked to my friends, telling them a completely revised version of what had happened that made me look like I was a complete idiot who opened my mouth when our boss was listening, instead of her being the immature bitch she really was.

In the end, though, what she did didn't have any real consequence for me, as the director of the school only asked me to complain directly to her if there was something I wasn't happy about, instead of gossiping with my colleagues, but it showed me not only that I couldn't trust Rory, but also that she was a really nasty piece of work who was craving some sort of power over the school and was willing to go to any length to get it. So I stopped talking to her altogether, wondering why, for some people, high school never seems to end.

That was the day the nickname "Trybrid bitch" was coined.

I don't even remember when or how things between us started to change, when I decided that I didn't give a damn anymore about that incident and I could go back to being civil to her, but I think it kind of happened naturally, because it was almost impossible to ignore a person I was spending at least eight hours a day, five days a week with. But I never, ever thought we could be even remotely close, let alone friends. And yet, when her boyfriend broke up with her in a really shitty way, I felt bad for her and tried to be there for her. She didn't need me, as she had other friends in the school, but still... no one should ever be dumped on the phone, during a break from work. No one, no matter how much of a bitch they are or have been.

After that, we just started talking, and here we are now, two years, two broken hearts and countless cigarette breaks in between lessons later, having just spent the better part of a Sunday together, and I am starting to think that I might, just might, consider Rory a sort of friend. It's crazy how things change in a span of two years. But again, I don't even have to go that back in time to realize how much my life has changed: six months ago I was sure I was going to grow old with Lilian, and now she's basically a stranger I used to share my life with.

So while I'm driving to the airport, at a red light, I pick up my phone and start typing a text message to Rory, to thank her for keeping me company on a day I didn't want to be left alone with my thoughts and my memories. She might not understand how helpful she's been today, but I still feel like I need to tell her that I have greatly appreciated her presence, even though it wasn't planned at all.

Then I spend the rest of the drive singing along to the radio, like I always do. Sometimes I wonder what people think when they see me in the car, all singing and dancing. Whatever, it's liberating and helps me pass time when I'm driving. Luckily, I get to the airport right when Jean texts me that she's landed. It's going to take her a little while to wait for her suitcase, but at least I don't have to wait for too long.

The instant I walk through the sliding doors, for a brief moment I kind of imagine I'm picking Lilian up, just like I did many times before. Every time she came to visit and I was at the airport, I used to daydream about the day she was going to arrive there and not leave again. I've always thought it was just a matter of time... apparently, I was completely wrong, because she never really meant it when she said she wanted to come live with me in Spain. Sometimes I feel so stupid, because I should have seen the signs, I should have known that it was never going to work out the way I wanted to. I have never believed in fairytales, but when I met Lilian I sort of hoped that was going to be my happy ending. But fairytales do not exist, and most people don't get their happy endings. I've learnt that the hard way.

I know I need to stop torturing myself, I need to stop thinking about Lilian and everything that was and could have been. I just need to get through a few more minutes, then Jean is going to be here and I know her presence will make everything better.

When I see her walking through the sliding doors, I run towards her and engulf her in the tightest of hugs. I've missed her; in these almost two years that we've worked together, she's become my best friend, the one person I can always count on, the one I tell everything to. It's nice finally having her back. It's going to be so much better now that she's here.

While I'm driving us home, Jean tells me all about her vacation in Virginia. We have Skyped and texted and talked on the phone throughout the entire month, but finally being reunited is different. There are so many things we want to tell each other that we would spend the entire night talking like two teenagers, if we didn't have to work tomorrow.

We're almost home when I get a text message and I ask Jean to read it to me.

She picks up my phone and is about to type the unlock code, when she sees the text preview and turns to me in shock, waving my phone up in front of me.

"Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do."