The first time Alex sees Evan they're too young to actually understand what love is. You must understand that five year olds aren't yet taught about love, what they are taught though, is their colors and if love hearts are always pink then love must be pink too. It's logical.
As a matter of fact, what they do know about love is very little, very pink, and all self-taught. They've learned three important things from the adults: Their mommies and daddies love each other, they're best friends, and they kiss all the time.
So when Evan plants her lips on Alex's it's just her way of showing her that they're best friends now, and they must be in love too because after they pull away their cheeks are the color of love. Both girls decide that they don't much mind being in love when it's such a beautiful shade of pink.
They made quite the pair, Evan being taller, with dark, curly hair, and green eyes, and Alex being shorter, with fair, straight hair, and blue eyes. Despite being polar opposites though, they did what most people say opposites do, they attracted.
Evan continues to greet Alex with a kiss every time they see each other, and both girls continue to see pink. Although it's never done within their parent's sight, not after that mortifying time when they were eight and their mommies cooed, then started planning their wedding.
It doesn't really matter that both girls secretly enjoyed the thought of being wedded to the other, as long as they could wear dresses that match the blush on the other's cheeks, neither of them would have a problem with being bonded forever, though of course this was never said aloud.
When they are ten they pick up the habit of holding hands whenever they're together, no matter where they are. Their parents don't even question it, after all they're just being Alex and Evan.
The boys in their class try to hold their hands too, but the girls brush them off and go back to each other. The boys eventually give up and go to the other girls, who seems to love having the boys' attention on them, smiling and laughing at all of their stupid jokes.
Alex and Evan just need one another, both girls like each other much better anyway. Boys are mean, girls however, are nice and soft, pink.
When they're fourteen they get called 'lesbians' for the first time. Neither girl could understand why this would be a bad thing, a bad name, both forget about it soon enough.
They're sixteen when they're called 'fags' for the first time. Both girls understand why this is a bad name this time around.
Evan goes home and asks her mother why it's such a bad thing, if she loves another girl. Her mother sits her down and explains to her that it's not bad, some people just don't understand and it makes them angry. It's never a bad thing though, you are allowed to love who you love, without any consequences.
Alex's mother has a different explanation. When asked she gets pale and says that it's disgusting, two people of the same sex shouldn't love each other. It's unnatural. She says she should've stopped the kissing and hand holding years ago. That it was cute when the were children, but they need to grow up.
That night Evan goes to sleep accepting that she's in love with her best friend.
Alex however, cries herself to sleep, accepting the same, but hating herself for it.
At age sixteen they have to hide their tightly clasped hands, lovely pink cheeks, and kiss red lips.
At age seventeen they're still hidden.
Age eighteen is the hardest year of their lives. Eighteen is Hell.
