Coming Out Is Not An Option When There's A Trap Outside The Door (girlxgirl)

Eleven (Off Hold!)

(Two Months Later)

“Holy shit!” Tabitha gripped my arm and dragged me away from the table into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. “Are you serious?”

“Ow!” I complained, smacking her hand away and rubbing the soon-to-appear bruises. “And yeah, I’m serious. Now can we get back to our waffles? I was kind of enjoying them. Why did you bring me into the bathroom anyway?”

She looked around at the large room and shrugged. “I don’t know. I just felt like we should move.” Her eyes met the floor. “Besides,” she mumbled, “Dana might’ve been listening.”

“Tab…” I pulled her into me as she clearly fought tears. This was the first time in a while she’d broken down about the fire. Her house had been fine — despite the threatening look of the fire, not much had been damaged other than a few replaceable appliances — but Tabitha, on the other hand, could barely even speak for three days. Every nightmare she’d had as a child were filled with fires, so I could only imagine what it had been like to wake up to a blaze like that. Worse than that, though, we both suspected that Dana had started the fire. Her odd trip to the fridge, where the fire had started, earlier in the same day just screamed that something was up. She got freaked out whenever she thought anything might be too hot — a light, the TV, her phone charger — and any time Dana was around she became paranoid and jumpy.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said into my shirt. “I’m being a baby.” Wiping her eyes, she pulled away and put on a smile. “So, tell me about it. Was it dreamy? Steamy?”

I laughed. “Steamy, I guess. And… good. Really good. I think, anyway. I don’t have anything to compare it to. Estelle was the only other girl — hell, the only other person — I dated, and we never… you know.”

She nodded and was quiet for a moment before bursting, “I still can’t believe it!”

“Yeah, yeah. I had sex with Val. Can we go back to the waffles? They’re crying out for me. ‘Jo! Eat me! Eat me, Jo!’”

“I bet they’re not the only ones crying that.” Tabitha winked at me.

“Shut up!” I smacked her arm and hurriedly got out of the bathroom and back into the kitchen, stuffing waffles in my mouth to keep my blushing self occupied. Tabitha followed, but she’d only just sat down when the doorbell rang. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she got up.

I heard the door open and then Tabitha greeting the guest. “Hey, Estelle. We were just eating waffles. Want some?”

“Sure.”

After swallowing the bite I currently had in my mouth, I looked up. “Hey.”

She grinned like she usually did. “Morning. Are the waffles good?” I saw the second question on her face: Tabitha’s making something that requires heat?

“They’re frozen toaster ones, so… yeah, pretty great.” She’s doing a lot better — she’s going near toasters now.

“Good. I’m starving.” Pulling out a chair, she sat down as Tabitha plopped some Eggos into the toaster. “How was last night?”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean by that?” I blurted.

She raised an eyebrow. “Uh… I was just wondering how your night was? You said you had a monthiversary dinner with Val?”

“Oh.” I started breathing again. “Um, it was good. We ate out at that fancy Italian place and I ordered spaghetti, which didn’t really like my fork and went down my shirt.”

Both Estelle and Tabitha laughed. “I've heard that three times already, but it never gets old,” Tabitha giggled as the waffles popped up. She grabbed them and tossed them onto a plate that she gave Estelle.