Brooke Thompson is a high school senior who has been dating her boyfriend, Ben Gross, for over a year. However, as she enters her final year of high school, Brooke starts to realize that something doesn't feel quite right. She's always felt like she...
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... got caught
The next morning, the girls woke up to the sound of Devi's mom yelling. They had all forgotten about the nose ring incident from the night before.
"Is that a nose ring?!" devi's mom screeched
"Oh shit..." i mumbled sitting up on the bed while aneesa did as well
"I found this at the bottom of the trash can this morning!" her mom said pulling out the tattoo shop bag we got
"Why were you looking in the trash?.." Devi questioned
"Your grandma threw away her teeth again. And thank God she did! How dare you leave the house in the night to go get a face piercing at Jerry's Tats & Holes? Do you know how many staph infections I treat coming out of this place? Hmm?!" Her mom yelled angrily
Brooke couldn't help but stare at aneesa watching her face go into a shock of worries.
"Auntie, it's my fault. I'm so sorry. Last night, Devi and I were talking about how hard it is to be South Asian girls in a country that only celebrates western beauty. And... And the nose ring is such a powerful symbol of Indian femininity. Devi just wanted to decolonize her nose, and I stupidly suggested we do it last night to surprise you. Now I see how irresponsible that was. I'm so sorry.." Aneesa said she truly did save Devi's ass the girls watched devis face calm down same with her mothers.
"Was there any alcohol or..." Her mom said taking a short but long pause "or kissing boys?!" Devis Mom said staring deep into devi's soul
"Absolutely not. I don't do either of those things.
"This was just a halal moment of rebellion!" Brooke added
"Yeah, it truly was a Halal moment!" Victoria agreeing
"Yeah! It was halal as hell." eleanor said as devi rolled her eyes giggling
"Well, I'm glad that Aneesa is helping you appreciate your culture. And actually, it looks... it looks nice on you, Devi. You cannot go to a tattoo parlor in the middle of the night! It's not safe!" her mom said scolding devi
"I know, and I won't do it again..." devi said rolling her eyes
"Yeah, you better not! I'm gonna call the pharmacy. Come downstairs. I need to put you on antibiotics." her mom took a pause and pointed to devi's nose and squinted "There's definitely MRSA brewing in there!" she said turning back around
Aneesa quickly saved Devi's ass by reminding Devi's mom that they had all been asleep when it happened. Devi's mom calmed down and went back out, closing the door behind her.
Devi and Eleanor fell back asleep, but Brooke couldn't stop thinking about what had happened the night before. She looked over at Aneesa, who was still sleeping soundly. Brooke couldn't believe how lucky she was to have someone like Aneesa in her life.
As she lay there, Brooke couldn't help but think about what it would be like to be with Aneesa. She had never been with a girl before.. what could she even say.. do even!
Brooke couldn't sleep. She was tossing and turning on Devi's bed, her mind racing with thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She looked over at Aneesa, who was already asleep, and sighed. Aneesa looked so peaceful, so content. Brooke couldn't help but feel a little envious.
As she lay there, Brooke couldn't help but think about how much she wanted to kiss Aneesa. She had never felt this way about a girl before. She had always dated guys, but there was something about Aneesa that drew her in. She smelled like flowers, and her skin was soft and warm. Brooke couldn't resist the urge any longer. She leaned in and kissed Aneesa softly on the lips.
Aneesa stirred but didn't wake up. Brooke pulled back, feeling a little silly. She didn't want to wake the other girls up. She lay back down and tried to get comfortable, but she couldn't get the thought of Aneesa out of her head.
Brooke couldn't believe what she had just done. She had kissed a girl. She had never even considered it before. But there was something about Aneesa that made her feel alive, something that made her want to explore this new side of herself.
As she lay there, Brooke felt Aneesa's arm wrap around her. She snuggled closer, feeling Aneesa's warmth against her skin. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep, feeling content for the first time in a long time.
