Admiring the Light

Ep 38

Part Two

"There is a really fine line between wanting something because of what you can give with that thing, versus wanting it because you think it's gonna make life better." - Claire Wineland

Flashback

"No Mom, there's nobody here! What- who??" Natalie groaned, the click on the other end of the phone reassuring her that her mother had no intention of helping. But one look at the miserable girl approaching her, she could tell this was probably who she was waiting for. "Fuck Confirmation..."

"What-? Oh my god..." She'd had thought Lola's mother would be sponsoring, she didn't realize her mother had gotten someone else to do it. "Who even are you-? Why couldn't..."

The other girl looked up at her with a sigh. "Aight, kid, this is how it's gonna go. You go up, do your thing, we leave. Make this easy for the both of us."

"Who even are you?!!"

"Georgia, why does it matter?"

"That means nothing! What- oh nevermind."

"Apparantly, my dad and your mom care about religion."

"Ah, cousins-"

"I'm missing softball for this shit, shut it. Freak of nature..." She jabbed angrily.

Natalie noticed a little bisexual flag on her cousin's bag. "You seem mildly reasonable, how about we just dip out-"

"I already said, shut it. If I wasn't being forced, I wouldn't be here."

"No- look- you don't understand-" She pulled her phone from her jacket, but Georgia snatched it away. "What the fuck?!"

"Just for funsies." She chuckled, taking a glance at Natalie's phone. But her expression turned dire when she saw a lesbian flag overlaying Taylor Swift as the teen's background. "Don't let Aunt Katherine see that shit. She'll rip you limb from limb."

"Give me my fucking phone."

"I'm gonna terrorize you more now, you should meet my girl."

"If she's anything like you, she's a dick."

"Let's go- move it." She zipped Natalie into a dress.

"I'm missing basketball practice for this shit."

"Hurry your little gay ass before your mother kills us both."

"Girl, you don't tell me to hurry-"

"Cut the crap, and move-"

...

Present

"That really... didn't resonate with me. I'm surprised, usually Mass does."

"You're not a minority, you're just silly Natalie." Lola got up into the back of the truck.

"Reaaaal though-" She watched her girlfriend's face scrunch up. "What's up?"

"Went to get something out, and found this. You getting high...?" She held up a little candy wrapper, very clearly marked that it contained weed.

Natalie stared at it for a second, scratching her head. "I'm sorry but- I'm not sure where that came from, ermmmm-"

"Has that bitch Alex been selling to you? Is she getting you addicted or something?!"

"If Ally had any pot on her, I didn't know." She sighed. "That could've-"

"Well still, she must be fucking selling."

"There could be- Lola, Lola- stop and think for a minute."

"I'm not gonna stop, because I knew she was trouble, I've known since we met, and she needs to be off the fucking team." She shoved her big body aside in an attempt to pass her. "Even if you don't want it, this is illegal."

"I can't help you if you start something, stop-"

"This isn't your damn fight."

"Don't, Lola, just please don't-"

"No, no, I wanna hear what she has to fucking say."

Natalie couldn't just let her start a fight in the middle of a store; her arms tense as she slunk through the doorway behind Lola. Every bone in her body telling her this was wrong, and that she wasn't doing anything about it.

"What do you want..." Alexandra grunted.

"Explain this shit to me." Lola smacked the wrapper on the counter, clear in view for everyone. "EXPLAIN IT."

"Lola, think about what you're doing- please-" But Natalie just got shoved off to the side.

"What- how does... screw you, Lola."

"You keep your damn drugs away from us." She turned away from the counter.

"Get your prissy ass over here, that wasn't me and I'm gonna fucking show you it wasn't!"

"Show me your pothead Mexican bullshit? I don't think so, I already know."

"Don't react, just walk away... just back off-"

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"Right, right, I didn't say it in Spanish, you don't understand."

"Lola..."

"You wanna say that again, bitch? Wanna say that again?"

Lola and Alexandra charged for each other.

"Stop. Stop this right now." Natalie lodged herself right in between both girls, the only one physically large enough to stop the other two giants. "Ally, I understand you're extremely angry. Lola, you're already tired and stressed, finding that in the back of my truck didn't help."

"THERE'S NOBODY ELSE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. NOBODY ELSE."

"RACIST DICKWAD, THAT WASN'T ME, IF YOUR ACTIVELY SHRINKING BRAIN COULD WORK FOR A MINUTE-"

"GIMME A FUCKING EXPLANATION THEN."

"I'LL GIVE YOU A FUCKING EXPLANATION."

"Alexandra Valderas, get your ass back out there."

"FUCK YOU."

"What did you just say? Get back out there and work."

Alexandra shoved the back door open, a slam that shook the wall as she closed.

...

Flashback

"Shit, dude. We've got assignments due during practice."

"Our teachers don't give two fucks!"

"Just tell Beavoux and we reschedule!"

"Y'all can hang outside of school?"

"Maybe."

"I doubt my parents would care."

"What does everyone's parents even do?"

"Farm work. What about you guys?"

"My mom is a cop, my dad does art."

"Dealing with all of those lesbain delinquents."

"Right, right."

"What about you?"

"Yeah- my parents run a business."

"Probably landscapers." Lola joked. "How much per lawn? Baby gift was a my first lawnmower?"

"Taco truck." Natalie laughed. "Nah, don't y'all run the- general store...?"

"Damn, wonder where she's going-"