Dear Ex-Girlfriend (Lesbian, Girlxg... - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Kyle got into an accident during football practice. They wanted to win so bad that things got a little rough. Out of hand. Stuff like that happened in sports all the time.
Kyle, whose eyes were purplish black, whose nose was broken, whose lips were swollen, was rushed to the hospital to get some rest. It was one of the most exciting news that happened in Bear Creek since the Morgan's got back.
But of course, underneath the lies was the truth that few knew. Kyle didn't have an accident, he was punished for harassment and bullying. Genesis wouldn't get in trouble for it. The witnesses thought Kyle deserved it, so none of them would talk.
I've been trying to reach out to Gene the rest of the week. I've wanted to thank her for sticking up to me. To ask why she did it.
Maybe despite acting cold, she still cared for me a little. Maybe beneath the black hole of her contact lenses was still my galaxy, waiting to be explored again. Maybe she was lost in space. Maybe I'd find her.
Being the flighty bird she was lately, I didn't get the opportunity to talk. She wasn't in the cafeteria at lunch. She wasn't by Brad's side during break. That's why by Saturday morning, I was feeling depressed again.
"Des?" dad called from the stairs. "You have a visitor."
My bra was barely hooked as I turned to the door. The band had snapped on my fingers thrice already. "I'm still changing," I called back. "Tell the twins to wait on the sofa." With a forced yank, I was able to clasp the hook to the back. I should probably buy new ones.
Dad was holding his yellow coffee mug when I dashed down the stairs. I turned to the other person sharing his table and almost stumbled at the last step.
"What are you doing here?"
Genesis lifted a mug to her lips. She was using mine. "Drinking coffee."
I looked from dad to her as I went to the dining area, and pulled a chair back. It felt like I was the one who didn't live there.
Dad lowered his mug and wiped his mouth. He just shaved this morning. I smelled the cream he used all the way to my seat. "Genesis was telling me that both of you joined the Welcoming Committee. Is that true?"
I cringed. "Kind of."
His eyes twinkled. "That's good to hear. You should participate in more activities. It will help with your college application."
"Bear Creek College isn't that hard to enter, dad."
"Yeah, but you're not going there."
"Oh yeah?" I motioned to Genesis. "Tell him how I'm not going to leave this town like most of its residents."
"Don't say that," dad interrupted. "I want you to see the world."
"It's a scary place out there." I shivered for emphasis. "I'd rather stay here, in my room, eating a bag of chips while watching a rerun. Is that so much to ask for?"
Dad pinched his forehead and sighed. We'd had this conversation before.
"I think both of you are right," Genesis said. The mug made a soft thump as she placed it on the table. I was tempted to drink from it, but was more eager to listen to what she had to say. "I think getting out of Bear Creek is good for perspective."
Dad hit the table with his hand. "That's what I'm talking about."
I was about to butt in when Genesis said, "I'm not done though." Her fingers played with the rim of the mug. "There's perspective everywhere. Sometimes it's in the most ordinary places we don't care to look. Bear Creek for instance."
"Agreed," I declared. "Which is why I'm staying here."
Dad's watch beeped. His forehead furrowed as he checked the time. "I didn't realize it's late. Can we continue this conversation later?"
"How about never?"
His chair creaked when he pushed it back to stand. "Later," he said. Dad turned to Genesis. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but welcome home, Gene."
She didn't answer him as he went to the living room to grab his things.
Right after dad left, Genesis rose to her feet and left the kitchen too. I was beginning to think that she was gone when her arm poked through the door. Her forefinger curled as she beckoned for me to follow.
I chewed on my nail as we strolled the street. It wasn't a habit, but I was too anxious by her side. She didn't tell me what she came for. She'd acted normal around dad. And now we were walking together like the old times. Was I having a dream?
The door to Bertha's Bakery was open when we passed. My mouth watered when the smell of cheese wafted on my nose. Bertha didn't disappoint.
"God, it didn't change much," Genesis murmured.
My stomach growled an answer.
"Do you want to eat first?"
And lose the chance to talk to you?
"No," I said. "Let's continue walking."
True to Bear Creek's signature weather, the temperature was oven hot when we got to the dirt path. It only cooled a little when we were surrounded by trees. It's like they were there to provide momentary relief.
I got the courage to talk to Gene when we got deeper into the woods. "Did you want to go to the Ruins?" I said.
"Hmm. . ."
"What does hmmm, mean?"
"Hmm. . ." she said again.
The crumbled stones on our path increased. Before long, we were standing right in front of my happy place, the carven pillars looking like they've grown with the help of pixie dust. The Ruins had always been magical to me.
I quivered like a plucked string when Genesis walked the same steps we used to walk on as kids. She hadn't been here in a long time. Even the shuddering of the branches surrounding us seemed like waving of flags to welcome her home.
"I wanted some privacy," she said.
"I take it you don't get enough with your bodyguards?"
"Bodyguard. There's only Dindo now."
"There used to be a lot?"
It was bothering how unnatural her eyes looked when they focused on me. "It doesn't matter. There are more guards than you can count, Destiny. That's why you need to be careful."
"I am careful."
"Not this morning." Her voice has turned cold.
Morning? What happened this morning?
Her jaw looked harder than the stone steps she sat on. She glared at me like I've done something wrong. "Can you remind yourself to close your window while you're getting dressed?"
My cheeks burned like a candle. "You. . . You saw?"
"I had to make everyone go to the other side," she snapped. "Why are you giving me a hard time? First with Kyle, and now this."
"Hold up, Gene. Kyle is not my fault. Why are you blaming me?"
"You know how he is. You should have stayed away from him."
"Well good thing I didn't. How else will you talk to me?!"
The look on her face was enough to make me stop. She was close to shouting at me, something she hasn't done yet. I bit my tongue and glanced away. This wasn't how I imagined our reunion. We shouldn't be fighting.
Pebbles poked on my soles as I went to the steps. I climbed up and sat a step below her, bracing myself for the question. "Do you still want to be friends with me?"
She released a heavy breath. "Bear Creek is too small for us."
"So one of us should leave?"
"I'm saying we're going to run to each other," she explained.
The step was rough against my palms. It was beautiful and rough, just like Gene.
"How do we do this then?" My voice might be calm on the surface, but I rocked like an earthquake below.
Genesis answered like she'd already thought of it before. "We're still friends, but not like we used to be. There are certain limits we have to cover."
"Like what?"
"No excessive questions," she started. "That's one."
"And two?"
"No childish acts. No bothering each other unless necessary. No going to each other's house in the middle of the night."
Each word was a punch to my gut. Those rules, those limits, were the ones I loved most. How could she forbid them?
My jaw ached as I tried not to cry. My lungs were intoxicated, as if I'd inhaled smoke. She didn't look any different though. Her face was smooth, her gaze steady. Her coldness gave me the courage to toughen myself and copy her.
"What if I want to touch you?" I said. "Hug you? Or something like that?"
"You can't."
My head bowed down. What kind of friendship was that?
"Close your eyes," she said.
"Why? Is that one of your sick limits too?"
"Just do it."
I couldn't believe this demanding person was once the girl who crawled to my bed and snuggled with me under the blankets. Those warm moments, those boisterous laughter's, all of them felt so far away.
I closed my eyes and tried to recall a time when we were just two simple girls who wanted to stick together. A time when she hadn't left yet.
"When you get the urge to touch me, you do this instead," her voice drifted. "You close your eyes. You don't open them for a while."
"I don't get it," I said bitterly. I don't get you.
"Even so. . . You close your eyes."
The compulsion to touch her was so strong that I stayed in the darkness for minutes. When I finally opened my eyes, Genesis had her head on her knees, her hands dangling between. I noticed the cuts on her knuckles and gasped.
"You're wounded."
She stirred but didn't raise her head. "Don't worry about it."
I pursed my lips. She could tell me not to touch her all she wanted, but why did I have to listen?
Reaching out, I took her hand and cradled it like a treasure.
"I said don't worry about it," she grumbled.
"Shut up, Gene. I have my limits too." I brushed my thumb on her skin, extra careful not to hit the cuts. "You shouldn't have fought with Kyle. Look what happened to your hands."
"Do you think they're ugly?"
"Not at all."
I got a weird feeling in my stomach when her fingers curled to mine. "I should have hit him harder," she whispered.
There were still a million things I couldn't figure out about Genesis. I wanted to ask them all at once, but some things had to come first. The twins should be informed.
It was afternoon when we dropped by their house and rang the doorbell. A bag of Bertha's famous rolls was on my hand, a gift to the biggest consumer of her products. We dropped by before going to the twin's.
Ester was the one who answered the door. Upon seeing us, she stepped back to let us through. "Spence's at the back."
Genesis glanced around while we followed Ester to the back door. Like the Ruins, she hadn't been inside the twin's house for years. Not much had changed, except for the upgraded TV and replaced green blinds. Even the black leather couch still had a small hole on the armrest. Let's just say the four of us shouldn't have played with candles.
Spencer was covering something with a sheet when we made to it the yard. He swiveled to us with a smile and gave a small wave with a hand. "Hello, shrimps. Glad you can make it to the party."
"What party?" I tossed the bag of rolls to him.
"It's always a party with me. That's how great I am."
The four of us went to the circular wooden table and each took a chair. Ester's books occupied most of the space. She piled them on top of the other and pulled them to her.
I slapped Spencer's leg when he placed his foot on the table. "Eew! Get that off."
"Girls," he mumbled under his breath.
Ester had been studying Genesis while her twin and I were fighting. I wasn't surprised when she addressed Gene first. "You look well."
"So do you," Genesis said.
Both of them sounded polite. Should that make me happy?
The chair had a thin cushion that I enjoyed picking at. It lessened my nervousness a little so I could explain. "She's back for good again."
"We know," Ester said. "The Governor has taken office in their mansion."
"No, I mean, she's back with us."
"Does she want to?"
"Yes!"
Ester's head tilted to Genesis. "Why don't you answer yourself?"
I squeezed the chair cushion as I waited for Gene to speak. Before coming here, I've begged her to be civilized with the twins. More civilized than she was with me.
"I'm back for good," she said.
I bounced on the chair. Yessss! Things were looking up.
Ester shrugged. "I've told Destiny how I felt when you left us before, so I don't have anything more to add. I'll go and grab a soda from the fridge. Anything else you want?"
I gave her a grateful smile when she turned to me. Ester was vocal about her opinions. She was only keeping her mouth shut for me.
"Just water," I said as she stood.
Spencer showed how pleased he was that Ester's books were removed by putting the bag of rolls on the table. He ripped the paper on the sides and spread everything like a picnic. Ester had made it to the house when he spoke. "My twin is forgiving today."
"She is," I agreed.
He took a roll and gave it a sweet smile, though he didn't take a bite. "But I'm not." He dropped the roll like it wasn't his favorite and looked at Genesis with brows snapped together. "What you did with Destiny was way uncool."
"Spence—"
"This is for you, Des. Don't interrupt." He frowned at Genesis. "If you've seen her during that time, you wouldn't sit around here looking so innocent. You'd be ashamed of yourself."
"Enough, Spence."
"No, he's right." Genesis expression has hardened. "I know I'm not innocent. You have every right to be mad at me."
Spencer's arms looked big and threatening as he folded them in front of his chest. He wouldn't hit Gene, would he? He was no Kyle.
"I'm loyal to my friends," he said. "That's the thing about me. And if you want to be friends with us again, you have to prove that you're loyal too." He fished something from his pocket, and put a paper bag on the table. It was small, crumpled, and folded, until it was no bigger than a fist. "Everything you need is inside. Are you ready to show us what you got?"