monsters

Chapter 11

"Tell me about yourself. Anything that comes to mind. I want to know everything about you."

Karina and Winter are both on their backs now, their eyes having adjusted to the dark night and bright stars. Their fingers are intertwined loosely between them-Winter has her legs bent at the knees, swaying from side to side; Karina has both legs outstretched, her feet twitching every once and a while.

The raven-haired wastes no time in answering Winter's question.

"I hate school. Everybody thinks that just because I work hard at it that means that I love it but I always feel like I'm drowning in that place. I want to be a writer, and I guess that takes some education or whatever, but I just want to write about the world and I don't see the world in a classroom, y'know?"

Winter takes a deep breath and lets the silence settle. After a minute Karina speaks up again.

"I wish I was good at sports. It's something silly but people usually make fun of my lack of coordination and it makes me really want to have some just to prove them wrong. I hate being inferior."

"I fucking hate avocados. Seriously. I want to eradicate them like the bubonic plague, I swear to God."

"My mom always, always, without fault, asks me to take out the garbage when I'm watching a movie. It's so annoying, and every time, without fault, I give Ella five dollars to take it out for me. My mom doesn't know and you better not tell her."

She nudges Winter's shoulder playfully and the woman giggles cutely while zipping up her lips and throwing away the key.

After about two minutes of silence, Winter thinks that Karina's done talking, but then she quietly gets something off her chest.

"I'm super insecure about my body. I never had some major reason for being afraid of sex. I mean, I wouldn't even call it fear, just caution, I guess. I don't really like talking about it because people don't understand or think I'm just seeking compliments because apparently I'm super pretty to everyone but that's not it. You make me feel very comfortable with myself, though. It's almost like I'm not even having sex with my body because I feel it all in my heart."

Winter squeezes her hand as lovingly as she can, turning her head to look at the way Karina's looking up at the stars but not really seeing them.

"That was so lame." The raven-haired says with a nervous twitch of the lips.

They chuckle softly and let the silence sit until Karina turns her head to look at Winter with a watery-eyed smile.

Winter coos softly and cuddles her face into Karina's neck. "You are the most beautiful person to ever exist. Even the people that aren't born yet don't stand a damn chance. And thank you. Thank you for trusting me."

Karina's fiddling with her free hands now, relishing in the way that Winter's pressed up against her. She clears her throat nervously.

"I-um, also have something I want to tell you. I don't know if it's even appropriate but-"

"What is it?" Winter whispers softly, interrupting the woman before she starts rambling uncontrollably.

"I love you."

Pause.

"No."

Karina, who was extremely nervous to proclaim her love for the brunette, sits up with Winter when the woman deadpans her response.

"What do you mean no?" She says half-angrily and half-insecurely. Winter catches her eyes quickly and reassures her.

"No-I mean, I love you too, obviously-but you weren't supposed to say it first."