It's Not Three Inches With You

Chapter 19

El

TW: Slurs

I had wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment but I couldn't. I had wanted to reach out and touch her soft, pale skin and kiss her dainty pink lips.

But I couldn't.

So instead, I stared into her eyes and murmured compliments as the waves crashed behind us, splashing our legs with its foamy spew.

Then we pulled away, our hands still entwined tightly as I shot her a shy smile.

She smiled back before pulling me headlong into the waves.

The moment was broken, but I was simply grateful it had happened.

"Max?" a voice spoke from behind us and we turned as one to face a slim blonde girl about our age holding a soda in her hand.

"Steph?" Max asked, incredulous.

"Oh my God hey!" the girl cried and Max ran forward to meet her.

"This is El. She's here with me from Hawkins," Max explained and I smiled.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi!" Steph said back in her unnaturally high voice.

"So what are you like, doing back here? I thought your family was like, completely sh!t."

Max rolled her eyes.

"It still is. My step-father's...no longer with us," she said and Steph gasped.

"Oh my God, he's dead?!"

Max laughed ironically.

"No. But there's been other arrangements made. I'm living with the Chief of Police now. El is his daughter."

Steph flicked her eyes over to me.

"Wait, so are you two like sisters or something now?"

Max and I exchanged a panicked glance.

"No." Max replied hurriedly.

"Not sisters." I told her and she gave us a strange look.

"Ookay...why not?"

This Steph girl certainly enjoyed gossip I thought to myself.

"We're...friends." Max told her, with a sideways glance at me.

Steph looked at the both of us with sudden realisation in her eyes.

"Omg! Are you guys like l3sbos?" she asked and I frowned at her.

"L3sbo?" I asked and she stared at me like I was insane.

"Like...gay." she said and I looked at Max whose cheeks were bright red and she looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"No. We aren't...lesbians." Max replied, choosing not to repeat the word Steph used.

Steph shrugged.

"Okay, sure. Whatever you say. I'll see you around Max." she said leaving.

"No you wont." Max muttered under her breath, pulling me toward the sand where our things sat.

"Who is she?" I asked her and Max groaned.

"Ugh. That b!tch went to my elementary school. She's so nosy."

I stifled a laugh.

"What is a l3sbo?" I asked and Max's expression darkened.

"It's a term for a girl who likes other girls. You're supposed to call us- I mean, them, lesbians but a lot of people don't,"

I looked at her, confused a little.

"Likes other girls?"

Max nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Like, wants to kiss them. Date them," she explained.

"But you aren't supposed to want that."

Max frowned.

"Who told you that?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know. I've heard people say it. That it's bad."

Max rolled her eyes.

"Well those people are a*sholes. There's nothing wrong with it."

Nothing wrong with liking other girls?

Liking Max?

"But some people still don't like it," I clarified and Max nodded.

"Yeah, but some people still don't like ice cream. There isn't one thing that everyone in the world likes."

I smiled at that.

"So...it's okay?" I asked.

Max looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah."

Our gaze held for another moment, the water washing up to our feet.

Maybe some day I wouldn't ever have to let my gaze go.

(A/N: Hellooooooooooo- omg are things getting interesting or what??? Anyone else Team Anti-Steph? I sure am and I wrote her lmaoooo- So here's the deal. Imma post three chapters today cos it works better for my schedule and also I really wanna show you what happens in Chapter 21 hehehehehe- stay safe and totally tubular and I'll see you in the next one xx)