Beauty and the Beauty (Lesbian Romance)

Competition

"-just to find he had left ten minutes before we got there!" Lena laughed, shaking her head. "We didn't mind, though, Molly especially. We had fun.'

I laughed at Lena's story, not so much because it was a funny story but because I was happy. We were at the diner, enjoying piping hot mugs of the best coffee imaginable and chatting about life - our childhoods, holidays we'd been on, past Christmases and birthdays. Light, happy, nostalgic memories. Yet the memory of the other night hung over both of us like a grey, heavy cloud. I sensed that Lena sensed it; she felt she had to explain what was going on in her kitchen with her dad and uncle.

And of course, I wanted to know. I was constantly wondering whether there was anything I could say or do to help either her or her cousin, who we'd be picking up in half an hour when school ended. I hated not knowing, it made me feel like an outsider, like I didn't belong.

"It's a nice day, why don't we bring Molly down to the beach after school? We could get ice cream?" I suggested, wanting to spend as much time with Lena as possible.

"Sounds good! Neither of us have been yet, she'll love it." Lena replied before finishing her coffee.

"You know what I feel like? Brownies!" I said, gesturing to the waiter, who I'd come to know pretty well in the four years I'd been a regular at this diner.

"Hey Jackson! Brownies please!" He smiled at me from across the room, shaking his head as he made his way to the kitchen to put my order in.

A few minutes later, piping hot brownies with cream were delivered to our table, the rich smell of the chocolate making my belly rumble. Jackson and Lena laughed as I blushed, and scowled jokingly at their reaction.

"Jackson, this is Lena. Lena, Jackson." I said, shovelling the gooey brownie into my mouth.

"It's nice to meet you," said Jackson. "Hey Ana, before I forget, are you going to the Spring Festival this weekend?"

I'd completely forgotten about the towns annual Spring Festival! I went every year! How could I forget?

"Of course!" I replied. "I'll see you there."

"Great," Jackson said, smiling at Lena one last time before heading to another of his tables.

Lena leaded forward across the table, a sly smile on her face as she whispered: "He likes you!"

My heart skipped a beat. I felt a pang of... of what? Of regret? Of guilt? I didn't know.

"What? Jackson? No. No way!" I stuttered, blushing. Lena laughed.

"Whatever you say..." she said, raising one eyebrow. "What's this Spring Festival anyway?"

"Oh it's this cute little festival the town puts on every year at the start of Spring, there's a buffet and the children do a dance show and last year they started a new tradition - a little petting zoo with goats and chicks and bunnies. It's usually a hit." I looked across at Lena who was looking at me expectantly. "Oh uh you should totally come, and Molly too."

"I don't know, I don't want to impose." Lena replied.

"No really, come with me. It'll be fun!" I said, already excited to bring her to her first town event.

"Well I guess Molly would enjoy seeing the bunnies..." she said, smiling back at me as she put down her fork and stood up. "Speaking of, we should go get her."

I nodded and followed her out of the diner to my car.