Beautiful Things ✓

↜ Part 3 ↝

It had been four days since Farrah and I kissed, and neither of us had brought it up yet. While I had been sitting on the windowsill contemplating my sexuality and love life, Farrah was downing three water bottles in an attempt to sober up quickly.

My contemplation had one outcome: maybe I liked Farrah a little more than I should have. Maybe I wanted to kiss her again, but just to see what it was like. Maybe I wanted to try holding her hand, but only because I'd never done it before. Maybe we could go on dates and hang out during school and be seen together and be a couple. Or maybe the kiss was it, and nothing else would happen.

Since we'd been in The Cape for about two weeks and still hadn't had a day dedicated to the beach, Marie and mom insisted that we go on Wednesday morning. I was excited, because that meant spending time with Farrah. I had decided that I did indeed like her, and I didn't really care. At the end of the day, you should be with whoever makes you happy, right? Farrah made me happy that morning. And some other times, too, I guess.

Farrah, on the other hand, had gone back to being a bitch. To be honest, I think she was avoiding me, which I didn't understand. She liked me, so why wasn't she talking to me?

"Farrah, shouldn't you be more excited? You've been wanting a beach day since we got here." Marie noticed her disinterest in the trip as well.

"I am excited." Farrah grunted, sending her mother a death glare as Marie rolled up a sandwich in tinfoil and put it into the beach bag.

"I hate to break it to you Farrah, but you're not winning Actress of the Year." I smiled at her with a knowing look in an attempt to get a reaction from her, but she just averted her eyes from me.

Once we were all packed up, we grabbed our boogie boards and bags and left the house.

The beach was beautiful, and I would have appreciated it more if it wasn't so fucking early. Apparently, the beach was cold super early, warm a little later, really hot in the afternoon, and cold as fuck late. So we were here a little later to be here when it was hot.

Marie and mom set up their chairs and umbrellas, leaving me and Farrah to entertain ourselves.

"Do you wanna walk with me?" I asked her hopefully. "I'm just going along the ocean line for now."

"No thanks." She shook her head.

"Farrah," I sighed, "we have to talk about it."

"I told you to figure it out. Make a decision. I don't want to talk about it just to talk about it." She said angrily, and I could tell she was embarrassed.

"I'm done deciding. I know what I want." I said, and she looked up at me with a glare.

"Whatever." She scoffed.

"Walk with me, Farrah." I began to walk towards the water and she fell into stride with me.

"I've never really dated anyone before, Farrah. I've also never thought of a girl as more than a friend. Especially a bitchy girl who I've disliked most of my life." I began.

"I get it, Cadence. Just forget this ever happened." She shook her head and began to walk back towards our bags, but I took my hand out and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Oh my god, me finish." I demanded, regaining composure as Farrah nodded slowly. "I thought we were enemies, that we didn't like each other, but I don't know...when you kissed me, I felt weird. Not how you should feel when you kiss an enemy, or even a friend. I like you, Farrah. I know that you're not really one to express emotions, or at least nice ones, so just know that I like you, too. We don't have to act on it if you know, you don't want to. That's totally cool, I underst-" I was cut off by and angry voice.

"Oh my god, shut up. You're so annoying. Just stop talking." She growled, and upon seeing my grin, "Stop that. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I'm not a nice person, but I guess I don't want to be mean all the time, cause, you know, I hate you less than I hate other people." She rambled.

"Just be your angry self. I like it." I smiled at her and she glared back at me. "That's my girl," I teased her. "So, what are you gonna do about... you know, your boyfriend?" I decided to address a more serious topic now that we had established the basics. Even the basics were really confusing.

"Break up with him, obviously." She rolled her eyes.

"And your friends? What about them?" I raised my eyebrows.

"You really think they'll mess with me? Have you met me?" She frowned and glared at me.

"Are we gonna tell people?" I asked.

"Tell people what? I haven't even asked you to be my girlfriend yet. Moron." She shook her head.

"Fine." I sighed with a laugh.

"And..." she sighed. "If they make fun of us then I'll slap them." She nodded.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." I agreed.

"You're wearing the bathing suit I picked out for you. You look alright." She observed, stopping to let the ocean water wash over her feet.

I glanced down to my red bikini top. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Let's swim now." She said, walking into the icy ocean water. I followed her, and that was that. All the years of disliking each other, all the ignoring and hate, melted away and suddenly Farrah was more than just a bitchy girl at my school. She was my girl, and it felt good to say that, even if it was confusing as shit.

****

That night, worn out from a long day at the beach and then shopping afterwards, Farrah slept in my room with me. I was a cover-hoarder, and she claimed that that was why she was so close to me when I woke up —to use the covers.

At breakfast, she and Marie were heading out while mom and I sat at the table eating French toast, when Farrah kissed me goodbye. It was only on the cheek, but Marie and mom teased us quite a bit —not realizing that she actually meant it.

And, of course, there was the time where Farrah and I came into the house holding hands, unaware that mom and Marie were in the kitchen. We played it off as best we could.

"All girl friends do this." I laughed nervously.

"Girlfriends, or girl friends with a space?" Marie winked at me.

"With a space." Farrah deadpanned, glaring at her mother.

But it was hard to play it off when they caught us...well, kissing. On my bed. With our shirts off.

Farrah wasn't allowed to sleep in my room after that.

But in the end, it was all worth it.

A pretty great summer, if you ask me.