Sugar Honey Iced Tea

16

At late-night rehearsal on Thursday, me and Leah are sat as far away from each other as possible. She keeps passing smiley glances at me and twiddling her hair, I try to ignore it but give in and smile back.
     Mr. Dolinksy's directing a scene with Oliver and two others. Oliver plays the narrator and, him being brilliant, knows all of his lines perfectly. The other two kids on stage are using their scripts but not Oliver, obviously. Mr, Dolinksy looks happy as Larry in the pews.

When rehearsals are over, everyone's packing up when Veronica stands up on one of the pews. Waving her arms about, she declares, "Hellooooo, everybody!"
     Everyone looks up from their bags to watch her.
     Veronica smiles and her voice echos throughout the church. "So, since the play's coming up soon, I'm treating you all to a shake of your choice at the diner!"
     Everybody nods and one guy on the stage calls out a whoop. All thirty or so of us all walk out the church and some ride up to the diner in cars and others walk or bike over. It's 8:30pm, the sun's just setting on this breezy evening.
Oliver and I take a lift home with Leah. I insist to go in the back to avoid the awkwardness of our last two encounters, but Oliver being the gentleman he is, urges that I sit in the front. I'm so glad he doesn't know about Leah and me. I think I'd die right on the spot if it ever came out.
"Nice of Veronica to treat us to the diner, huh?" Oliver says, putting on When Doves Cry on the aux cord.
I don't even look at Leah. It's too embarrassing. Leah does speak though:
"Yeah. Veronica's very nice." She says as she exits the church car park, giving me a side glance. I smile.
"Why are you two acting so weird?" Oliver asks.
I look out the window and fold my hands into my lap, blushing.
"Nooooothing..." replies Leah, nudging me.
Oliver rolls his eyes and we're here, at the diner. We get out the car and everyone gets out of theirs as well, laughing and joking about how surprisingly nice and generous the only popular girl in theatre group is.
     Inside, a bunch of us head for the larger table. You can tell the staff are really not looking forward to serving us. Me, Leah and Oliver sit down and we're surprisingly followed by Ruby Ives sand Billy Crocker, who slump with us on our table. Veronica doesn't join us, and instead sits with Maya Lewis at the table across from us. I think I've let go of every worry I had about the 'kiss' with Veronica, so why hasn't she? She's been acting weird ever since she told me. I catch her peaking at me from her table, and decide this has to stop before I go insane.
     Everyone at my table are surveying the menus when I get up. "Give me a minute." I say, swaggering up to Veronica looking pissed.
     The frizzy-haired girl looks at me as if I've grown a second head.
     "Bathroom. Now." I demand, marching to the bathroom. Veronica, looking demented and going behind me.
     I'm in the bathroom with my hands on the sink, scouring Miss Holt. "Right. Can you please stop this?"
     "Stop what?" She's standing ignorantly with her arms crossed like a bratty child.
     "This. Ignoring me, acting like I don't even exist."
     "Jules, you know what this is about."
     "What? That stupid kiss? The kiss that even I don't remember? For all I know, you could have made it up."
     "I didn't make it up."
     "Then would you please just tell what's wrong? Did I do something? When we kissed? I couldn't help it, I was drunk—"
     Veronica looks discouraged. "No, Jules," she takes a deep breath. "The reason I've been acting so weird since you kissed me, well..."
     I'm waiting.
     "Don't freak out, but—"
     "Come on, what is it?"
     She stares at me deep. "I'm the one that sent you the note."
     I'm sorry...What? No fucking way. She has to be pulling my leg. Really? After all this time, after all that stupid fucking note has made me question – now she tells me? She's really let this whole thing play out for over a week? "Could you...could you say that again?"
     Veronica sighs. "I sent the note."
     "This makes no sense!" I spit. "You're not even into girls! You've always had boyfriends, you were crying the night you told me we kissed!" I'm raising my voice and it feels like a knife's letting loose on my throat.
     She looks guilty. "That's not entirely true. I think...somewhere, deep down..." it's painful, like every word is a wound. "I've always liked girls, as well."
     Wow. "I had no idea." I really didn't.
     She cuts me off, "but you can't tell anyone. Please." There's despair in her eyes.
     "Of course, Veronica. Anything."
     It's quiet for a second. Veronica rubs her arm. "This is just a difficult thing for me. I'm still...figuring out shit, you know?"
     I nod. "I know." I do indeed.
     "So, are we in the same boat?" She asks, smirking uncomfortably.
     "What do you mean?"
     "You kissed me when you were drunk. You don't...lean both ways, too?" She raises her eyebrow.
     How on earth do I answer this? Do I come out with it and tell her that I do in fact lean both ways and let the world swallow me whole, or do I lie? "It's complicated." I say.
     "Fine. Let's leave it at that, then." She puts her hand out to shake.
     "Deal." I shake it and that's that.
     Me and Veronica Holt exit the bathroom very matter-of-fact-ish.
     When I get back to my table, everyone (and I mean everyone) are questioning why I just dragged Veronica into the bathroom. They all look so confused, and it's hilarious.
Leah bites her lip. "What was that about?"
Nothing, Leah. Nothing at all.