Cute, Cozy, Queer Stories

Part 3: April & Soo-Young

April was going to tell her. Today.

Looking down into her gray tea, April turned the teabag in circles around the rim of the cup. Soo-Young would be arriving any minute and April still didn't know what to say. She'd tried to role-play the meeting in the mirror, and countless times in her mind, but always got tangled in knots of wrong words.

I have to tell you something... We've been friends for a long time and I really... The way that I think about you, it's not like other friends—I mean, you're my best friend, but...

Dread gripped April's heart again. Soo-Young was her best friend. If she got freaked out, what would happen? What if she wouldn't speak to her anymore? What if she told their other friends? But April couldn't picture Soo-Young doing that. Soo-Young was kind to everyone. That was one of the reasons April couldn't help but love her.

She'd considered writing a note or a letter, too. She had started at least five before ripping them up. First, she couldn't find the right words for the letter either. Then, she realized that leaving a paper trail could be terribly embarrassing.

The bell above the door tinkled and Soo-Young stood in the doorway in her brown pea coat and thick yellow scarf, scanning the coffeeshop. Snowflakes clung to her black hair, glistening as they started to melt. Soo-Young smiled and waved when her eyes met April's. April's heartbeat thumped loud and fast in her ears. She gave a smile in return, though she could feel how weak it was.

"Hey!" Soo-Young shed her gloves, scarf, purse and set them on the table. She took off her jacket and laid it over the back of the chair. "I'm gonna grab a tea. Do you want a scone or anything?"

"Um. Sure. Yeah." April's stomach was churning. She didn't want a scone. She didn't know why she said yes.

"Okay, be right back." Soo-Young gave another bright smile. April's heart was caught between fear and adoration, pounding and fluttering in her chest.

April tried again to find the right words. In her mind, she tried a dozen times to say exactly how she felt. Then Soo-Young returned.

Setting her tea and a scone on the table, Soo-Young slid out the chair and sat down. "How's it going?"

April gave another smile she tried hard to make not nervous. "Good."

Taking a ginger sip of tea, Soo-Young studied her over the cup. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, totally," April lied. "Just a little tired."

"Still having trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah." April had told Soo-Young she'd had a hard time sleeping for weeks. Of course, she hadn't told her why. "And my mom got me up at the ass-crack of dawn to go shopping."

Soo-Young gave her a sympathetic look. "How did that go?"

April sighed. "Shitty."

"Is she still doing the thing?"

Looking down at her baggy black sweatshirt and black, loose, ripped jeans, she frowned. "Trying to make me look like Barbie? Yeah."

"Does she do that backwards compliment thing?" Soo-Young returned a rueful frown.

April put on a high, nasally voice. "'Oh, you look so pretty when you actually put on make-up.'"

Soo-Young took up a crackly voice with a Korean accent, "'Soo-Young, boys do not like you so made-up! You look like street-walker!'"

April couldn't help but giggle. "'You'd have such a nice figure if you didn't dress like a geeky boy.'"

"'Don't eat so much Soo-Young, that's why you're so fat.'"