Dear Ex-Girlfriend (Lesbian, Girlxg... - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Movies were right. They had to be. Life really did flash before you when you were about to die. The good. The bad. The extremely annoying; all of it flickered to me like a candle, burned out like a wick. Then, I was cold, dead. I wish.
After Genesis' short line, what's more mortifying was how the speaker on the corner of the ceiling grew silent and refused to talk to us again. There were no subliminal messages hidden in plain sight, only a long, dreaded, solitude.
"Destiny!" Spencer screamed. "Destiny!"
I turned to him, well to him and Kyle. They had started to wrestle on the floor again, and Kyle was winning. Totally steroids.
I glanced at the speaker again in reluctance, wishing, hoping, synonyming, and yes that's how I knew I was panicking. I didn't make sense.
"Destiny!"
The ballot box grated as I dragged it from the tiled floor. My fingers were numb when I took it with me across the room. The metal clanged once, then everything was silent again.
"The heck?!" Spencer gaped at me before pushing Kyle off from him. "You hit him!"
"Self-defense," I excused, letting the box fall noisily on the ground. "He hit you first. I thought he was going to kill you. I stepped in." My face was ashen against the reflection on the window. There were bigger problems to solve.
Spencer was breathing hard when he stood and took in the damages in the room. Beakers and test tubes were shattered, Kyle was unconscious, and then there was me, beginning to cover my eyes, trembling.
He picked my dilemma first and put a firm hold on my shoulders. "It's okay. We'll get the letter back."
"She read it."
"There wasn't enough time. Genesis probably saw the first few lines, got confused, then put it aside for later. Possible, right?"
Spencer was a pro for telling me these things, for calming me. But he was an even bigger pro when he pulled my head to his chest and rubbed my back. How could he act like this knowing what the letter contained?
The embrace lasted for a few seconds before he released me. I nodded to him. "What about Kyle? The room? What are we going to say?"
"We'll tell aunt Maggie everything," Spencer said.
"And I thought you've suddenly discovered maturity."
"Blame Rox for the name, not me. Come on."
I threw Kyle and the mess we've made one last glance before we left the room.
We went to the gym as fast as we could. Even if Spencer was taller and usually walked quicker, I was the one dragging him across the school grounds, wanting to do my mission. Letter-o retrieve-o.
People were gossiping when we burst through the door, but Genesis' was nowhere on the stage.
"Don't lose hope," Spencer said as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. We scanned the place together. "What's he doing?"
I only got what Spencer was murmuring about when I spotted Brad walking to the stage. He was wearing his varsity jacket. How cliché was he?
The microphone squealed as he took it from the stand and bumped two fingers on the head. He then raised it to his mouth. "Good afternoon Bear Creek High, are we feeling it?!" His buddies screamed for him from the bleachers. "I know. I know. Settle down." He smirked, then turned to the left at the approaching Genesis. She'd probably appeared at the directive of a teacher.
Brad wasn't the least bit concerned. "My girlfriend won the elections," he continued. "Party on the creek is on me. Let's go, everyone!"
The mic squealed again before the students could cheer. Genesis had made it to the stage and grabbed it from Brad. "He's not my boyfriend anymore," she said. My stomach twisted as her eyes found mine. I couldn't read what they conveyed. She was too far away. "But the party on the creek is still on." Her voice echoed. "See you there."
The excited students couldn't be held back anymore. They rushed down from the bleachers the moment the mic was turned off. I headed for Genesis.
"Wait!" Spencer called behind me. "We have to tell the principal first."
I wasn't listening to him, or to the students whose buzz sounded like an explosion of bees. All they cared about was the party. All I cared about was getting my letter back.
"Genesis!" I said. "Gene!"
She must have heard the shout above the din and the body of students separating us. She turned to me and waved.
Finally.
"I'm coming there," I mouthed. "Don't go down."
"Destiny," Spencer said again from behind. "I see the principal talking to her group. She looks mad. I think one of the teachers found Kyle in the Science department and called her. We need to tell them what's going on before he blames everything on us."
"Later," I dismissed. The stairs leading to the platform was almost there. Who cared about suspension when my love life was involved? Probably dad, but I'd deal with that later.
"Dang!" Spencer groaned. "I see Kyle too. He's here with a teacher."
I glanced at the door, and sure enough, Kyle, pale and disoriented-looking, was approaching the principal with another teacher. I looked back on the stage. Genesis was waiting.
"Go to them, Spence. I'll catch up."
He didn't answer me anymore. He was already making his way there.
The platform loomed closer as I side-stepped some students, and intentionally stepped on others to move forward. I waved frantically at Genesis. I was almost there.
My sneaker was on the first step of the stairs when the inevitable happened. Her campaign team appeared out of nowhere, climbed the stage, surrounded Genesis, and lifted her up like a trophy. Her dangling legs were the last thing I saw before she was swallowed by the crowd.
"And there she goes," someone to my right said, explaining exactly how I felt. Woody had one hand on her chin, her elbow perched on the other arm. She didn't smile as she turned to me. "Dear Genesis? Are you that bad at expressing yourself?"
My cheeks grew hot. How did she figure out? "Well how was I supposed to say it?"
"Face to face, like this." She tilted her head to the students. "Anyway, that's all the advice I can give you today. I have to go."
"Too busy for the party?" "
"Yeah, my girlfriend is waiting."
"Girlfriend?" She didn't tell me anything about getting a girlfriend in one of our fire escape escapes. Come to think of it, she hadn't told me that she was gay either. The hell?
"Don't look so surprised." Woody smirked. "I have a right to keep some things secret, just like you have a right to keep your letter a secret."
"Right. . . In any case, congratulations. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." Woody nudged her chin behind me. "I really have to go. Your escort is here too."
Someone touched the back of my head before I could wonder who. "Where's Spencer?" Ester asked.
Woody and her girlfriend were long forgotten by the time I swiveled to Ester. Maybe it was for the best.
We stayed in the school for a while to talk to the principal; me, Spence, and Es. They texted Genesis to say that we'd catch up. By the time we got there, the creek was overflowing with seniors. Some popular juniors and sophomores were there too, with only one or two freshmen that I recognized from the welcoming party.
"How in the world did they put kegs, snacks, and beach towels here so fast?" Spencer wondered aloud. He was more relaxed right after we cleared things to aunt Maggie. Bringing Ester with us made the principal take our side.
His twin took his chin and directed his face to the banner tied to the trees. Someone had printed a 'CONGRATULATIONS GENESIS' and hung it there for everyone to see. Someone with resources.
"Oh," Spencer said. "The Governor acts fast."
"Guess it pays to be his daughter." Brad bumped his hips to mine and raised his party cup in a friendly gesture. "Want some? It's juice."
Spencer grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side. "She'll pass," he said.
The ex-best friends measured each other with a look. Brad was the one who shrugged first. "Whatever, man, it's your loss." He waved at his other friends who were calling at him from the water. "Got to blast. My squad awaits." He was about to go when he paused and gave Spence one last glance. "Oh, and Spencer? I meant it when I said it's your loss. Come back to us when you've reconsidered."
"Whatever, dude. You've done enough." Spencer stormed off.
Ester shook her head at the exchange and turned to me. "Boys are such strange creatures," she murmured.
"Yet you like them," I pointed.
"The fictional side at least. Maybe in real life, I'm gay. Who knows?"
I ducked my head so she wouldn't see the burn on my cheeks. "Well maybe I'm gay too."
"You better." She was not quite looking at me. Ester was focused on the keg now. Maybe she was thinking of inventing one for herself, and I didn't see why not. She could always improvise from the junk shop her parents owned. "Just give me a minute to examine that," she said. "Are you alright here by yourself, or do you want to go with me?"
"I think I can manage," I mumbled under my breath. Was she brushing off my subtle confession, or was she really interested on the keg? You never know with Ester.
"Okay, see you in a bit, Des."
"See yah."
The two of us parted ways so she could go to the keg and I could find Genesis. I still needed to retrieve the letter.
On my way to the creek, I heard someone call my name. "Destiny?"
"Gene?"
"Geronimo!"
A senior guy I wasn't close to forgot our non-talking status and seized me by the waist. He dragged me with him when he jumped to the creek.
"Ha-ha!"
I didn't have time to get mad or to wonder whether my things got wet because I've left them by the rocks, but the opportunity to get to Genesis has been lost again. "Fudge!"
"Exactly," the guy said. "This party is the fudge. Let's do that again."
"Try and I cut you." I splashed water on his face before swimming away. Jerk.
Genesis wasn't on the creek shore anymore when I hauled myself up. Neither was she anywhere in sight as I squeezed the hem of my jeans, then my hair, dripping water everywhere. Great, just great.
The celebration continued until the sky turned from pink to purple, then gray. Soon, the sun was gone, and what were once hiding stars began to poke out. A group of people lit a bonfire.
'I'll be home a bit late,' I texted dad. 'Genesis' party. The Governor is informed.'
Tucking my phone back in my bag, I began to search for Gene for what seemed like the thousandth time.
By my third roam around the immediate surrounding of the creek, I've began to acknowledge five things; the smell of burning firewood wasn't enough to calm me, the cicadas liked to gossip at night, the air was remarkably chilly by the Creekside, and Brad had lied.
Okay, maybe those were four things, but let me get to the fifth in a while. I'd like to concentrate on Brad first because he was clearly lying when he said that whatever was in the keg was juice. Because whatever was in it wasn't juice. Everyone looked drunk.
"The bastard spiked it," I murmured to myself.
But what was good in spiking drinks when you yourself looked wasted? Brad, beside the water, was like all the other students who took a sip- laying down on either the mossy rocks or grass, staring in a drunken daze at the sky. Some were red-faced and asleep, even Ester and Spencer. Which brings me to my fifth thing; Genesis wasn't there at all. It was just like she'd left.
"Unbelievable," I said.
Did Genesis know that this would happen, that Brad would spike the drinks? Or did the Governor's bodyguard pick her up? She'd tell me, wouldn't she? Especially after. . . God, I had to get that letter.
Making sure that everyone was almost about to pass out, I ran from the creek's vicinity, into the woods. My left hand fumbled for my cellphone to use as flashlight, my right hand readied the pepper spray. I've learned my lesson.
But obviously, Genesis' hasn't learned hers, because I found her just a little inside the woods, her back against a tree, eyes closed, an empty cup sitting beside her.
"Gene? You awake?"
She didn't stir as I knelt in front of her. Her eyes were firmly shut.
"Genesis, it's me." Maybe I should shake her.
The desire to do so ended when I noticed her bag. It was by her other side, hidden from my view earlier. But now that I've seen it, now that it was near my grasp. I glanced at her and gulped. I was a bad, bad girl.
"I'm borrowing your cellphone, alright?" I said more to myself than her. A lump formed on my throat as I took the bag, unzipped it, and gave a peek. The letter was nestled inside with her notebook. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I was so scared, you know." Gene's voice made me drop the bag. "I was what, twelve when I knew?"
"H-huh?!"
A smile formed on her lips even though her eyes were still closed. "At twelve, it was strange to have thoughts about your best friend, thoughts you shouldn't have. Imagine what I was feeling."
"I. . ." I swallowed hard. "I thought you were drunk."
"You thought many things about me, some of which were my fault."
Her hand found the bag, the one I dropped, and held on to it so I couldn't do anything. How could a person whose eyes were closed make me feel so vulnerable? She was the only one who could do that.
"I was so scared, Destiny. I was in love with you and we had to move. Do you know how hard that was? Do you know how lost I. . ." She paused and took a breath. Her initial smile dissolved. "I found Rox in the city after we moved there. She helped me explain what I am."
The mention of the name made me choke on my own breath. "Do you love her?" I rasped.
"She was a good friend."
"But so was I." I put a hand on the bag and tried to tug it from her. She held on to it and shook her head.
"You were never my friend, Des. You were never really that to me."
"Then what was I?" What was I if not for her best friend? What were we to each other?
"You tell me." Genesis' eyes fluttered open. "I didn't read the letter. Not all of it. But I knew it was from you."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because. . ." She bit her lips. "Because I want you to say whatever you're going to say while I'm looking at your eyes. That way, I will know if you're lying."
"Genesis. . ." My heartbeat drummed.
"Yes?"
"Close your eyes."
"But I just said—"
"I'm not going to lie. I swear."
She looked lost, more lost than I've ever seen her. But even though I knew she wanted to do anything but, and I saw her lower lip trembled, even after all these years she still did my wish.
So did I.
Genesis gasped when I wrapped my hands around her waist, my chest brushing against hers as I leaned in. We were shaking.
"I love you, Genesis Morgan," I whispered against her mouth. "I love you now and forever. That's the truth."
Her fingers curled around my hair as I sealed it with a kiss.