The Wonders Of You

Arden 11

I hear the rain beating against the window as we enter. I hate the rain until I'm safe inside. Then it immediately becomes one of the best things on this earth.

Malysa goes to click on the floor lamp, lighting up the room. I take in my surroundings.

The walls are covered in aesthetic posters and art. A huge tapestry is pinned to the ceiling and fake vines hang aimlessly in the corners of the room. She has plain bedding and a lot of plushies. She has a whole shelf just for hair products. I never knew one person could own so many.

A leafy house plant sits on her nightstand and I'm not going to lie it looks a little...thirsty.

Beside the dying plant, is a candle shaped like a pair of boobs and my eyebrows immediately raise. Maybe Benjamin was right. Maybe she isn't straight. Either that or she just appreciates the female anatomy?

This is hands down the prettiest bedroom I've ever stepped foot in. Probably the most expensive too. I mean she has an air purifier in the corner of her room for god's sake.

Her window is huge, giving me the perfect view of her safe, suburban neighborhood. I wonder what it looks like on a sunny day. They probably have shit like neighborhood potlucks here.

"I didn't have time to tidy up before you came so excuse the mess," she chuckles, looking around. I notice she pulls at her sleeves nervously.

"This room is literally spotless so I'm not sure I believe you," I reply jokingly.

"Okayyy, I may have tidied up a bit beforehand," she admits with a laugh.

I notice some polaroids taped to the wall by her desk. Most of them are from travels. I wish I could afford to travel places. I tend to be jealous of people who can.

Paris. London. Japan. Disneyworld. Niagra Falls.

One of them is at the beach. It's a family photo. There's a man with his arms wrapped around her mom. I assume it's her father. He's bald, though. I've never trusted bald men.

She notices which one I'm looking at and her face falls.

"Please don't ask."

"Okay."

I have my fair share of daddy issues so I won't mention anything. Although, she seems to have had a relationship with him. I never even knew my father. Bolted once he found out my mother was pregnant.

Not sure which is worse. Knowing someone and not having them or never having someone at all.

I shift my focus to the bean bag in the corner of her room. It looks so comfy. I would read all day in that thing.

A body mirror sits beside it with a few stickers in the corner. One of the stickers is a pink, purple, and blue striped heart.

Benjamin was right.

"Admiring yourself?"

I glance back at a grinning Malysa. My mouth lifts into a smile and I shake my head.

"There's a lot to admire. No shame," she says shrugging. "You're...really nice to look at."

Wow. Okay. I'm not sure how to respond to that but my stomach is doing flips right now. I know that much.

" Uh... ha...thank you. That's nice of you to say. But, uh, no, I just noticed your little bi heart there," I reply, pointing.

Her eyebrows raise and she makes an 'oh' shape with her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm bi but I'm still all "bi" myself. Get it?" She laughs like that was the funniest thing ever.

It was a little corny. But I chuckle along with her nonetheless.

"I support that- yeah. That's cool," I say. I internally cringe at how I sound.

Okay, what the hell was that? Just tell her you're gay, too.

"And what's your heart like?" She asks, stepping closer to me. My heart pounds against my ribcage and my hands begin to sweat. It suddenly feels as if I'm being watched by the whole universe. And the feeling makes me want to disappear.

Why is this so hard for me to say aloud? She would support me. Why am I so scared? Just say, you're lesbian.

"I like girls...only girls." I let out a shaky breath. She's right in front of me now and she smells of coconut. She offers me a small smile, but in her dark eyes, there's worry. I swallow and try my best to keep my eyes on hers.

"Don't listen to them. Your heart is beautiful and there's nothing wrong with it."

"Don't listen to who?" I ask as a tear slips down my cheek.

I know who.

"Whoever makes you feel like you should hide yourself away. Because I want to know you. And the people in your life should too."

She wants to get to know me?

Her hands are now holding mine. The room seems to have frozen in response. The feeling is the closest thing I've had to physical comfort in a while. If she hugs me, I'll break down. But it's also the only thing I want right now.

She's looking up at me like it'll be okay. And for once I believe I am.

But it won't last. It never does.

I look down at our hands and let go.

"We should get to work." I say. She flashes me an awkward smile and she nods before turning and walking over to her desk. She starts digging in the drawers until she suddenly stops, eyes shutting in realization.

"I think I lost my paper. Um, sorry I don't usually lose work like this. I had some notes on it and everything." She opens her eyes again and looks at me with a timid face. But by the looks of that drawer and the way the papers are crammed in there, I feel like she definitely loses work often.

"Don't worry, I have an extra copy in my bag," I say. I open my bag and take out the papers.

We agreed to do a song for how we chose to present. She was actually the one who suggested it. I can't sing for the life of me so hopefully, she'll be willing to do it herself. I can write decently, though.

She goes to her closet and pulls out a foldable chair and brings it over to her desk.

"Alright, let's get to work."

Thank you for reading! <33 The next chapter will be pretty interesting *wink* *wink*