The weekend came as a much-needed break, but for Trinity, it was anything but restful. She spent most of Saturday locked in her room, sitting at her desk, supposedly studying. Her history notes and textbooks were spread out in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing them.
Her mind was stuck on one thing: Layla.
No matter how hard she tried to distract herself with school work, her thoughts kept drifting back to the moment Layla had changed into those shorts and that loose top. The way her bare legs had looked, the curve of her shoulder peeking out from under the oversized shirt, it all played on a loop in her head, making her ears boil just thinking about it.
Now that she had finally admitted to herself how she felt, there was no pushing it aside. She was in love with her best friend. The thought made her stomach twist with both excitement and dread.
Saturday passed.
Sunday afternoon came, and Trinity had barely left her room. Her thoughts swirling endlessly, a mess of emotions and questions. As she sat at her desk, staring blankly at her history notes, her dad knocked on her door.
"Trinity?" his voice called softly through the wood. "You've been in there all weekend. Are you feeling okay?"
Trinity blinked, realizing she had been sitting in the same spot for hours. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just studying," she called back.
Her dad slowly opened the door and poked his head in, his expression a mix of concern and gentle curiosity. "Studying, huh? You've barely come out for air."
She shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Exams are coming up. I need to be ready."
He stepped into the room and sat on the edge of her bed, folding his hands in his lap. "You know, I'm no expert on teenage girls, but you've been a little...not yourself lately. Sure everything's okay?"
Trinity felt her chest tighten. He wasn't wrong, she had been acting different, more distant, ever since her feelings for Layla started to surface. She knew she couldn't keep pretending everything was fine, but how was she supposed to explain it to him?
She looked down at her notebook, avoiding his gaze. "I've just... had a lot on my mind," she admitted quietly. Should she just say it plainly?
Her dad waited patiently, not pushing her, but still giving her space to talk. Trinity could feel his eyes on her, and the pressure to say something, anything, grew heavier with each passing second. She couldn't outright say it, not yet, but maybe there was a way to hint at what she was going through.
"Is it about school?" he asked gently.
Trinity shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "No, not school. It's... I don't know. I've just been thinking about... people. Relationships, I guess."
Her dad tilted his head, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Relationships? Like friends?"
Trinity hesitated, biting her lip. This was harder than she thought it would be. She wasn't ready to blurt out that she might be in love with Layla, but she had to give him something or he wouldn't stop worrying.
"Well, kind of," she said slowly. "It's more like... I'm starting to realize that I might like... girls." The words came out in a soft, uncertain murmur, but they hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning.
Her dad's eyes widened, and for a moment, he didn't say anything. Trinity braced herself, feeling her pulse quicken. This wasn't a direct confession, but it was enough to make her feel exposed.
After a beat of silence, her dad finally spoke, his voice careful but warm. "Oh. I... wasn't expecting that."
Trinity felt her face heat up, a mix of nerves and embarrassment washing over her. "Yeah, me neither," she mumbled, twisting her hands together in her lap. "I'm still trying to figure it out. But... I think I might like girls."
