Girls Like Girls

Chapter One

I don't know exactly when I first felt it, when I first felt the spark for Lina Vasquez. Maybe it was when she first waltzed into homeroom or when she brushed her hand over my desk in 3rd period Biology or even as late as 5th period History. But one thing was for sure, by the end of the first day I had laid eyes on her at school,

I was hooked on Catalina Sofia Vasquez.

I don't know how out of all the schools in all the districts in all the cities of Illinois, Lina somehow ended up choosing Palatine High School. My high school. It was like the universe was finally in favour of me, Riya Kumar.

Who knows how differently the rest of my high school life could have played out if Lina had never walked in.

I first caught glimpse the hazel-eyed, Caramel coloured girl on the 23rd Tuesday of my Sophomore year.

It was a particularly harsh February but a certain uplifting glow was in the air. As normal, I was trudging through thick white snow on my way to school, passing countless houses that all seemed to blur into one. I was coming up to Winslow Drive when I suddenly spotted her; her dyed fiery red hair struck out from the surrounding blandness which is what drew my eyes towards her in the first place.

She was standing on her porch dressed something you 'd usually wear in a warm May or June, not the winter we were in at the time- but I guess that was one of the things that probably drew me to her most.

She didn't care what other people thought of her.

If only I could be the same way.

The worry about how people percieved me pretty much ruled my life in every aspect of it and never could I escape from the judgement of others- judgement not just from my peers but from my own family too. And no matter how hard I tried, it was always never enough; I was never pretty enough or smart enough or popular enough.

But these things never seemed to bother Cat. The only thing that mattered to her was how she percieved herself.

As I approached her house, my heart strangely started to raise in pace until it felt as if it was that close to completely popping out my chest. I didn't understand why this person I had only just seen for the first time made me so nervous and excited all at once. The whole idea of a girl making me feel the way most others would feel for a guy was already overwhelming enough.

Only a few weeks earlier had I come to the realisation that I was infact, bisexual. Bisexual. That word still seemed foreign to me. I don't know if it was something I subconsciously knew all my life but it was definitely something I had never noticed, something I had just squeezed into the back, left to collect dust under piles and piles of other buried feelings until one fateful day when it would suddenly, unexpectedly resurface.

I still didn't dare tell anyone, I didn't know how people would react and I sure as hell didn't want to find out, especially if the response was unwelcoming; I'd read enough coming out horror stories to last me a lifetime.

Although I knew I was potentially interested in girls, the idea of a girlfriend or doing anything with a girl never really came up- that is, until Cat showed up on my radar.

She awakened that part of me I never knew existed.

I was getting closer and closer until I was near enough to see all the petite details on her sharply angled face. I could observe every freckle on each cheek and clearly make out the small faint crescent moon shaped scar just beneath her left eye or the unusual birth mark on the side of hair head just shy of her ear that was almost in the shape of a perfect untainted heart. These were the little fine points that you'd only be able to catch a glimpse if you were really looking, and it takes more that just a gaze to really see a person.

Just as I was about to say a shaky skittish hi, the door of the house behind her opened and a shrill voiced erupted from the darkened doorway, calling for the girl. Cat immediately turned around headed back inside, never giving me my chance that day.

I just shrugged it off and continued my everyday journey to school (in other words, prison), never realising how much had happened in those few moments and how much of an impact Catalina would have on not just my life, but those around me as well.

I wouldn't see her again until the next week.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope you guys have enjoyed this first chapter! I tried my best with it and hopefully it's engaging and interesting. I don't usually write romances like this (I'm mostly more of a sci-fi person) but I am really enjoying this :)

Be sure to vote on this chapter and comment if you like it- or if you have anything suggestions on how to improve either the writing or the story; it would definitely be very helpful.

I know this chapter isn't very long but I just wanted to get the first one posted bur hopefully the ones to come will be a little longer.

I'm just making this story up as I go so if you have any suggestions on maybe where you want this to go, be sure to comment!

But thanks for reading :3

-Amy