Liberosis

Fantasy VS Faith

On Monday morning, Rachel arrived to Blackwell Academy on foot. Her father would always drive her here, but today was different. It was the first day in school since she found out that motherfucker was a cheater.

She'd considered asking Chloe to come with her, but of course her crush had just been expelled and was probably still sleeping. Rachel was greeted with a grinning Dana and she frowned. She'd expected everyone's faces to be gray for her, but they didn't know of her father's sins. Maybe it was better that way. The last they'd seen of her had been on The Tempest play. She wasn't a wreck to them. Always 'Little Miss Perfect'.

"Hi..." Dana trailed off shyly, her hands behind her back.

"Hi..." Rachel repeated just as awkwardly. What was going on through her friend's head? She was usually so bubbly and jumping in with gossip. This felt... intimate.

"So you left with Chloe the other night," Dana cut to the point, a small smirk formed back in her face. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, my god," Rachel let out. Of course it seemed that way to her. She'd left without her phone and never replied to the Drama Club group chat. Feelings of enthusiasm surfaced inside her, that same energy she felt on the train when she and Chloe last headed to the junkyard. "I've got so much to tell you!"

Dana was dragged to one of the lunching tables on the campus and they sat down side by side. There was Steph, Mikey and his older brother Drew playing Dungeons 'N Dragons nearby, but just out of earshot. "Spill, I'm dying over here!"

Rachel giggled at her memories, only thinking of her and Chloe, her dad's exposure pushed deep down. "So we changed from those sweaty costumes and then we started walking around the neighborhood. We were still laughing at Mr. Keaton's melodrama."

Dana laughed at that. "I swear he was gonna faint."

"Right?" Rachel thought about her next words carefully. Did she want her to know she was running away? As the DA's daughter, she wouldn't want anyone to know. As for herself... she just wanted to tell the whole truth. "We felt so high from performing, everything felt possible." But it was still hard. "I told her I was serious about us... she wasn't convinced. So I kissed her and all of our troubles went away." Almost.

"Aww, so passionate!" Dana gushed. "I know she ain't kissing anyone else any time soon... or ever, but from one to ten--?"

"A hundred, or is that too little?" Rachel considered. "An infinite? I may be a tiny bit biased because I've got feelings for her, but she's definitely a great kisser."

"Damn, Amber." Dana put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, I'm very happy for you and I'm also glad you told me. I love our girl-talks."

"Me too. Feels more natural than me and my mom's."

"You told your mother about Chloe?" her friend gasped. Dana wasn't too close to her parents, so this was as shocking as the taste of pineapple on pizza to her.

"She just noticed we crushed on each other and I didn't deny it. It was very therapeutic, actually."

"That sounds interesting... Your mom is really sweet." Dana looked up.

"You don't have to try to like your parents if they're shitty," Rachel reminded her. "There was no blood oath, okay?"

"That's a funny way of putting it, but you're right. Thanks, Rach." Dana hugged her this time and Rachel didn't hesitate to return it. This friendship seemed like it was blooming. It was a weird feeling. Another genuine person in her life? Surprising and not being taken for granted.

It was almost time to go inside, so they went together and said goodbye to grab books from their lockers. As Rachel did, her eyes landed on Chloe's former locker. It was closed, but knowing it was empty inside made her upset. No more Bongo picture and the slight scent of smoke that it was just so her. So Chloe. Passing through that hallway didn't feel right anymore.