The Drumbeat Years (girlxgirl)

11

11

20th. July 1995 - 21st. July 1996

Slipping out from under Dawn's hands, Tina skipped away, her hands grabbing the waist of her t-shirt. For a long moment, she could only stare at Dawn. She felt herself trembling and tightened her grip. Dawn looked confused, running her fingers through her long, damp hair. Giving a little sniff, Tina looked away.

"I can't do this. I have a girlfriend." She began to lower herself down towards the bed, then stood upright again, not wanting Dawn to think of the bed in any way. "I mean, what are we even doing? We haven't talked about anything. It was supposed to be a catch-up, but here you are. In my room."

"I thought you wanted to write." The words appeared genuine, but Tina didn't know for certain. It had all become more intimate than she had expected. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. What you've been doing since college. Just ... stuff, yeah?" Unable to decide what to do with her body, Tina decided to slip around the bed and lean against the wall beside the window. The bed a huge, gaping chasm between them. "I have a girlfriend."

"So you said." A little smile crossed Dawn's face. "Is she nice?"

Tina's mouth opened and closed several times as she fought to find words to describe Jessica. Except, her mind had turned into melting slush. Images of Jessica blurred in her mind. Descriptions failed her, reduced only to Jessica's jealousy. How she had cheated on Tina, not once, but twice with the same woman. Angela. And, all the while, that smile remained on Dawn's face.

"She's ... lovely." Her hands moved to the curtains upon the window, pulling them across her body as she fidgeted with the material. "And sexy. So sexy, you wouldn't believe."

"Good." Nodding, Dawn ran her fingers over the keys of the typewriter. "I've been gigging, mostly. Spent a lot of time in South-East Asia. We did well there. Then the band broke up and I've just been moving from band to band. It's been fun. You?"

"College, then Uni. Nothing much beyond that." Her fingers tugged at a thread upon the curtains and the seam opened, making the curtain she held look ragged and worn. Dropping the curtain, she pushed her hands into her jeans pockets. "Writing. And dating. My girlfriend."

Dawn continued to nod, pursing her lips and widening her eyes, as though she found this all not on the least bit interesting. Tina realised she had mentioned having a girlfriend far too often. It seemed desperate, even to her. As though she needed to justify it, not only to Dawn, but to herself. To remind herself that this was the kind of situation that would set off Jessica's jealousy.

With a sigh, Dawn flopped into the chair beside the writing desk, slouching out, her long legs spread out before her. She looked great in Tina's jeans, the legs too short, leaving a wide gap of skin above her feet. Resting an elbow on the arm of the chair, Dawn picked at her teeth with her thumb.

"Okay. I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry." Dawn rolled herself out of the chair, reaching the bathroom before Tina could speak. She stopped and tugged at the t-shirt Tina had loaned her. "Can I borrow these? I'll get them washed and send them back via one of the magazines. They'll have your address, right?"

Not waiting for Tina's answer, Dawn entered the bathroom and began rummaging about. Seconds later, she emerged, her other clothes rolled into a clump in her hands. Within the pockets of her jeans, Tina's fingers curled, digging the nails into her thighs through the material. Dawn had already reached the door, her hand pressing down the handle.

"Don't go." Almost running, Tina skirted the bed, raced to the door and held it closed. "If for no other reason than I don't want you hitch-hiking back to your home. We can do that, right? Just be friends sharing a room? And I could use help writing that story."