Dear Andréa

I

"What's the color of your brasière today?" Andréa asked, pulling on Lanna's uniform to take a quick peek. Lanna, held her breath as she felt Andréa's paced breathing on the color bone.

"It's red," Lanna announced. "What about yours?"

To the girls surrounding them, this behavior was normal in an all-girl school. Girls were more intimate with each other. One would know that if they ever witnessed the scene in the gym's changing room.

"Kinky," Andréa whispered in Lanna's ears, making sure to let this one stay between them.

Lanna swallowed the lump she felt form in her throat. Andréa had this way of teasing her, making her craving more. The girls exchanged a long stare before laughing it off.

"Are you still seeing that guy?" Lanna asked Andréa.

"Yeah, his name is Cédric. I found out that he goes to the same church as I do." Andréa let a cheeky grin escape.

Lanna felt a pang in her heart. The mention of Cédric and their shared connection through their church stirred a mix of emotions within her. She couldn't help but wonder if there was more to their relationship than just friendship. Lanna forced a smile and nodded along to the conversation.

Deep down, she longed for Andrea to see her not just as a friend, but as something more. The intimacy they shared, the playful teasing, and the longing glances were all signs of a deeper connection. But in the confines of their all-girl school, although they had limited liberty to act like their true selves, it seemed to all like they were simply best friends who were extremely close to one another.

Lanna's heart ached with the knowledge that she couldn't openly explore the unspoken attraction between them without fear or judgment. Both of their families were conservative; Andréa's Catholic and Lanna's Hindu. They would be shunned should anyone find out the depth of their intimate encounters.

The school bell rang. It was thirty minutes past noon and classes would soon resume after the hour-long lunch break. Students scurried in the hallways, rushing to grab their belongings from their homerooms and dashing to their respective A-Level subject lessons.

"We have Classic Prose with Miss Zara today, right?" Andréa confirmed.

"Yes, and we're reading your favorite: Wuthering Heights." Lanna offered her a bright smile.

As they took their seats side to side, waiting for the arrival of Miss Zara. Andréa reached for the book in her backpack. The book had creases all around the corners, a witness of the many times Andréa had read it. Andréa opened her book to a bookmarked page, leaning back, and resting her head on Lanna's chest.

"I need to show you this new quote I found." Andréa started. "It changes how we think about Catherine's relationship with Mr. Heathcliff." She explained, pointing to the lines, underlined multiple times, with the red pen.

Lanna was convinced Andréa could feel her heart beating faster against her chest. Lanna noticed a small grin escaping her lips as she talked. Andréa knew how she made her best friend feel. She loved it, knowing that Lanna had eyes only for her.

Lanna took a deep breath, in an attempt to calm herself. Lanna's fingers delicately brushed against Andrea's scalp, her touch gentle yet filled with longing. Andrea's head rested against Lanna's chest, creating an intimate closeness that they both craved. As Lanna's fingertips intermingled with Andrea's golden brown locks, a shiver ran down their spines, and the world seemed to fade away.

At that moment, Lanna couldn't deny the intense emotions surging within her. The lines between friendship and desire blurred, and the forbidden nature of their connection heightened the intensity of their feelings. The scent of Andrea's shampoo, a comforting blend of eucalyptus and vanilla, enveloped Lanna, making her heart race even faster.