Starry Night {#Wattys2016}

The Chapter Where Things Begin and Closets Get Warm

She glared accusingly at the other girl, who had since given up on getting out of their closet-y prison. "Are you seriously just going to sit there?" Anna just turned her head towards Hayley and shrugged.

"What else am I supposed to do? The doorknob broke off the third time you tried to pick it, and you have no idea what you're doing. All in all I'm having a great time," The grin she was wearing infuriated Hayley. A hot coal burned in her stomach at that grin, and she hated herself for it.

"Can't you be a good person for once in your life? I mean I realize that no one asked you to the dance, but it's not like you were going anyway," She gestured to Anna's outfit that consisted of an old camp T-shirt and shorts. "But I had someone who wanted to go with me! For once I actually had a date! So just because you hate me-"

Anna was up in less than a second with a finger pointed at Hayley's chest. She poked her once, Hayley stumbled back. "Who exactly ever said I hated you? Because I know for a fact that I never said that. Ever." Another poke, another stumbling movement back. "I can even assure you that even if I did hate you it wouldn't be for the reason you thought got it?" One more poke and Hayley's back was against the wall. Now if someone had walked in right there they could've cut the tension with a butter knife.

"Then why were you mean to me all those years?" She asked poking the other girl hoping to get more room. To her luck it worked, Anna stepped back and Hayley was able to breath normally again. "Because ever since I came out to you, you avoided me like one of Apollo's plagues! You said you didn't care that I was bi! But before I knew what happened you started teasing me and leaving me all alone!"

"I have a reason for that!" She interrupted, Anna tripped accidentally pinning Hayley back against the wall. Their breaths mixed in the tight space, then Anna found herself leaning in. Hayley's breathing hitched as she inched closer and closer, but she found herself leaning in as well.

Then they were kissing.

It was definitely electric like she had heard others describe. In fact she could feel the crackling energy around them. It sizzled and popped as Anna laced her arms around Hayley's waist. Her own arms seemed to have a mind of their own as they wrapped themselves around Anna's neck. Eventually Hayley found herself pulling away from lack of oxygen.

"Whoa," she mumbled as Anna laughed, it was like waking up from a groggy nightmare. That hot coal had burned its way through her stomach.

"Definitely not what I thought would happen tonight," she whispered pulling herself back now hesitant. "I mean kissing someone was definitely on the list but I wasn't expecting it to be you. I mean I'm not mad that it was you but-"

Hayley cut her off by leaning in and kissing her again. She didn't protest. The feeling in her stomach grew louder with each second, and before long she couldn't hear anything. The crickets fell silent, the winter wind did too, and unfortunately enough they didn't hear the search parties until one was right outside.

The doorknob rattled a few times and the girls flew apart. Their hands had just separated when Lacy, one of Anna's sisters, opened the door. It was a blur of "I found them!"s and "What happened?"s after that, but the one thing plaguing her mind was:

Where does this leave us?

The next few weeks were awkward as the two girls tried to figure out what they wanted to do. They met up on several occasions after curfew and before breakfast to discuss the fateful closet incident. It would start out productive with promises that this time they would figure it out, but it always ended with too much flirting and kissing to really discuss much. Anna wasn't out yet so whatever they were wasn't going to be public, but Hayley was okay with that.