A Crown of Green and Silver Blood

II

"Baby you're like lightning in a bottle"

-January 9th, 1954, Manhattan, NY-

11:00 p.m.

"Are you insane????" She shouts, seemingly forgetting about the fact that my parents were sleeping right across the hall from my room. "Please, I'm begging you" I whisper, tears running down my face, ruining my makeup from earlier. " You want me to just abandon everything I have here and just go runaway with you?? " She continues, lowering her voice. " Where would we even go?" I pause, not prepared for this question. When I suggested Talia and I run away I thought she would immediately agree, we've been dating in secret for years now, and until recently it wasn't a big deal, but her father's setting up an arranged marriage between her and some high-ranking politician. We obviously can't stay together if that happens, and the only solution is running away. "Exactly" She says, as a response to my silence, " You don't have a plan, there are so many things that could happen, look I don't want this to happen either but there's no other choice" she says, taking a seat next to me on the bed. Deep down I know she's right, but I can't help hoping for a way out. I lean my head on her shoulder and she places a kiss on my forehead. 

"I'm sorry" she says as I slowly fall asleep on her shoulder. 

When morning comes and my parents come to check on us, they'll see us laying side by side together, not as lovers, but as two friends who have spent all night talking about boys instead of sleeping, and they'll smile before leaving us to go out to work. But no matter what, they'll never see us as lovers, and as much as I wish they could, they can't, for two girls together is unacceptable, just as two boys together is unacceptable.

As much as I wish things could change, they can't, it's just the way things are.