Strawberries And Crows

Part 20- A mess.

As I limp over to Elizabeth, I can only imagine how I look, and how that might change her perception of me.

I sigh as  I approach, and I wipe some dirt off my face.

Elizabeth stands, excitedly. " Oh!? " she rushes over to me. " What's... Going on? Where have you been? " she puts her arm over my shoulder and helps me to come sit down next to the river. 

" Maybe now isn't the best time..?"

" No! " I yell, " Please? It's okay. " I smile at her, and I can almost see her mind whirring.

" Okay... " she sighs. She reaches down and slips my shoe off.

" What're you doing? " I hiss, pulling back when my foot throbs. " Sorry. " I say, guiltily.

" It's alright, just trust me, Okay? " she says. She's so caring. She's so kind. She's so... Everything.

She places my swollen foot in the water, which is freezing cold, by the way. " I thought it might help. " As she takes her soft fingers off my foot, I just watch her.

" What did you want to tell me? " I ask.
" Please don't change you're mind. Please don't say 'Ah, it was nothing. ' " I cry.

" When would I let you down like that? " she pauses. " Honestly, I don't know how you'll react, plus, if it's bad, we mightn't even be friends anymore. "

This sounds promising.

I nod enthusiastically, " First: I assure we'll always be friends; Second: no one ever knows how someone is going to react to anything. You might have a very strong guess, fuelled with evidence, but its still a guess. "

" Wow, okay. " Elizabeth says. She looks down into her hands, which are cupped in her lap.

" What do you think about... Girls liking other girls. "

I try to act surprised, " Oh? Girls liking girls? There's nothing I see wrong in it. In fact, I do some of it myself. " I wink at her.

She blushes " Okay, what is that supposed to mean? I'm being serious here, is that a joke? "

" Joke? Not at all. " I pull Elizabeth, who had just stood up, to sit back down next to me, and I face back towards her.  " That means I love you. "

" Ugh! " she jumps up. " That was supposed to be my line! "

I laugh, standing with her. " Sorry, go on. " I smirk. God, I'm so crazy. What if that wasn't even what she was going to say? What if she hated me and thought I was gross, What if- 

" What do you think about girls liking girls? "

But she was going to say that, right?

" They can do that? " I joke.

She wasn't going to hate me, or think I'm gross.

" Kalese! " she cries. I pull her into a hug.

" You haven't said you love me too! " I pretend to cry.

Everything's okay, she's everything.

" I do! I love you So so much! More than anything! " She says.

 I stop giggling,  then put on a serious face.

" That much? I don't think I love you that much. " I trail off. " I love you more than that. "

I look down at Elizabeth, but she's crying.
" Oh! Are you alright? "I kneel down, cupping her hands in mine. " It was a joke! "

" I know, I know. " she continues crying. " But we can't do this. " she sobs. " I love you, you love me, but the world wont let us do that. "

It's not okay.

What we're we thinking? We're both girls!

" Okay. " I step back. " Here's the thing. I'm willing to do anything for you. Just say the word, and we can get out of here. "

But we can do it together.

" I think we should stay. Keep it a secret. "

" Anything you want, anything. " I look down into her eyes.

We can do this.