by Alex Sanchez
Allie drove to a park down by the river where they sat and talked about manga and karate and math puzzles and the musical that Lance wanted her to audition for with him. She felt so good to be with Kimiko again. It didn’t matter whether they were just friends or might eventually possibly be more than that. She liked being with her.
“Oh, before I forget . . .” she told Kimiko and pulled a folded page from beside the gearshift. “I found this under the seat. I guess it fell out of your pocket.”
It was Kimiko’s poem from the last time they’d been together . . . When they’d kissed.
“You can keep it,” Kimiko told her. “If you want.”
“Really? Yeah, of course. Thanks!” She touched the page to her chest for an instant. That was kind of dramatic, but she meant it.
And as they sat watching some kids fly a rainbow-color kite, Kimiko worked up the nerve for what she most wanted to talk about.
“So, you told me you broke up with Chip. How is that going?”
“Okay,” Allie said, glad that Kimiko had brought it up. “It’s a little bit weird at lunch, since we all sit together, but I’m dealing. He hasn’t told anybody yet, which is good. I mean, everybody knows we broke up, but he hasn’t told them about . . . you know . . . the bi stuff.”
“So, do you still think you might be bi?” Kimiko asked, swallowing the baseball-sized lump in her throat.
“Yeah,” Allie answered, swallowing the knot in her own throat. “I don’t know for sure . . . But . . .” She took a deep breath and let it out again, “I keep thinking about . . . when we kissed.”
She gazed across the car at Kimiko. Kimiko looked away. She had to; she felt so nervous.
“Me too,” she said, certain she’d turned as red as the daisy in the dashboard vase. She had to force herself to look into Allie’s eyes. “I’m scared, dude.”
Allie responded with a little nod. “I’m scared too.”
“Really?” Kimiko asked. “But you’ve got all this experience, you’re beautiful, self-confident . . .”
“I don’t know about the beautiful,” Allie said, “or the confident. And as for the experience I have, it’s with guys. You’re the first girl . . . This is all brand-new to me. It feels so different from being with a guy. But . . .” Her heart caromed against her chest. “I know I liked kissing you.”
“I liked kissing you, too,” Kimiko said. Her gaze shifted from Allie’s eyes to her lips. She wished Allie would kiss her again. Right this instant.
“But,” Allie continued, “if you don’t think it can work between us, then I’m fine with us being friends. I respect that. It’s fine. Most of all, I just like being with you. Whatever we are is fine.”
The triple fine made Kimiko think it was totally not fine. every word Allie said was only making Kimiko want her more.
“So, what are we going to do?” Kimiko asked, as doubts and insecurities whirled around inside her head.
“I don’t know,” Allie said. She pulled the red daisy out of the dashboard vase and handed it to Kimiko. “What do you want to do?”
Kimiko brought the flower up to her nose and took in the scent. Then she twirled it in her fingers. She figured they could probably talk and talk about this for weeks, and hopefully that would help them make up their minds . . . or . . .
She leaned forward a little, watching Allie’s lips. Allie did the same, bending toward Kimiko’s mouth. In the kiss that followed, all of Kimiko’s doubts and uncertainties melted away. And in her mind she heard Sergio cheering, “Yee-hah!”
They kissed, then watched the rainbow-striped kite soar over the river. And Allie thought for a moment how she could hardly wait to tell Lance the news. Then she and Kimiko kissed some more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex sanchez received his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Old Dominion University, and worked for many years as a youth and family counselor. His novels include the Lambda Award–winning So Hard to Say, the Rainbow Boys trilogy, and Bait. When not writing, Alex tours the country talking with teens, librarians, and educators about the importance of teaching tolerance and self-acceptance. Originally from Mexico, Alex now lives in Thailand and Hollywood, Florida. Visit Alex at AlexSanchez.com.
