Cute, Cozy, Queer Stories

Part 4: Amber & Kalin

December 31, 2013

 "You promise you won't leave me?" 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kalin ran their sweaty palms over their black jeans. One knee bobbed nervously. They looked up at Amber as she spiked her dark green and purple hair in the bathroom mirror. She tilted her head to either side, inspecting her work, before washing her hands in the sink. Tall and thin and beautiful, confidence seemed to come so effortlessly to her. Kalin loved her for it, though they couldn't deny the tendrils of envy creeping around their hearts.

Amber passed them a long look underlined with a patient smile. "I promise I won't leave you. Besides, you'll like these people, you really will."

Biting the inside of their lip, Kalin frowned. "I've heard that before," they muttered.

Amber started putting eyeshadow on. "Huh?"

"It's just, I've been to New Years parties like this before. And whoever I'm with just goes off somewhere, and I sit in a corner looking like a dipshit all night."

Finishing with her eyeshadow and lipstick, Amber turned back to the bedroom. She climbed onto the bed, wrapped her legs and arms around Kalin, and rested her head on their shoulder. She held them for a moment before she spoke. "I know you're not comfortable at parties. I really appreciate you going with me on this one." She kissed their cheek. Kalin took her her wintry perfume of eucalyptus and evergreen. Their shoulder's relaxed. "If you want to go, we can go. It's really okay. But, they're really not like the people at other parties you've told me about. My friends are... It took me a long time to find the right people, but they're, they're all the right people. They're like us. And they're not gonna judge you, they're really not."

Kalin put their hand on Amber's. They thought about their next words for several moments. "Are they, like, your family?"

"Hm?"

"You don't really talk to your family, or go home for the holidays or anything. I thought maybe..."

Amber nodded against their shoulder. "Yeah, I guess they are. What about you? You don't really talk to your family either."

"Nope."

"Maybe they can be your family, too."

Kalin scoffed.

"What?"

"I don't think so."

She kissed their cheek again. "I think so." She gave them a quick, tight squeeze. "It'll be fine. Don't you worry."

...

The snow fell, thick and slow and lazy, onto the asphalt streets as Kalin and Amber made their way towards Kennedy's place. With their sleeve in their fist, Kalin wiped the fog off the windows on the Lyft driver's car and looked over the apartment buildings and storefronts they passed. Kalin had never been to the city before. They weren't sure if the fluttering in their chest was a mix of excitement and anxiety about the city, or anxiety and terror about the party.

As if reading their mind, Amber reached across the seat and slid her fingers through Kalin's. Looking over, Kalin found her warm, reassuring smile. Kalin squeezed her hand back.

"Did you grab the presents?" Kalin asked.

Amber lifted the paper bag by her feet. "Yup!"

Kalin thought about the dozen homemade soaps in the bag. "Was that stupid to bring? Will they think those are stupid?"