by Abby Crofton
What to say to the girl I had a crush on, who I hadn’t spoken more than a few words to in my entire life, when she suggested we spend even more time together outside of school doing things that would make us both sweaty and out of breath? That naughty part of me that I only unleashed behind locked doors in the middle of the night had some suggestions that didn't include using a treadmill. But that part was currently stuffed in a metaphorical box somewhere in a corner of my mind.
“Sure, sounds good,” eventually came out of my mouth. I had absolutely no desire to follow up on this, though, since the last thing I needed was Kate Monroe watching me flail around on exercise equipment. A girl had to have some pride left intact.
She looked even happier when I agreed to be her workout buddy. I felt bad, but I wasn't Marie, who refused to tell a lie. I was Haley, more than willing to bend the truth to keep someone, especially Kate Monroe, happy.
I was saved from further talk of exercise by Eddy, who was coming down the stairs while we were still standing by the front foyer. She came over to us, and I saw her give Kate Monroe a once-over before she stuck out her hand in my new study/workout buddy's direction.
"Eddy Suarez, how do you do?" my sister asked formally. I blatantly rolled my eyes. She was acting like she was meeting a potential employer at a job interview.
The introduction didn't seem to bother Kate Monroe, though, who just shook my sister's hand and responded in kind. "I'm fine, thanks. Kate Monroe, it's a pleasure to meet you. I’ll be studying tonight with Haley. I assume you’re her sister?” Smooth as anything. I had to give her credit for taking Eddy in stride.
My sister nodded her acknowledgment. She looked like a professor wisely listening to a doting student. How a fifteen-year-old girl could have the paternalism of an old man was a mystery to me.
“Yes, I’ve seen you around school. I believe you’re in history with Haley?” Eddy said. I was surprised. I didn’t think Eddy even knew which classes I was taking, let alone who was in those classes with me. My sister was way more perceptive than I’d given her credit for. This could be a very bad thing.
“Yes, I am,” Kate Monroe responded. “I've seen you around also. You do very good work with all the clubs. Good luck on the student representative elections coming up soon. I heard that your class race is going to be very tight,” she continued. I was dumbfounded that Kate Monroe knew anything about Eddy’s election. I knew cheerleaders had school spirit, but she seemed to go above and beyond.
They were continuing their conversation about the upcoming elections and the different clubs Eddy was a member of when I had to interrupt. It was getting too weird. I had to put an end to this little meeting before they forgot I was even there. There might have also been a little bit of jealousy that my sister was taking up valuable Kate Monroe time. I had started off being nervous and dreading this study session, but now I was getting more and more curious about my new partner. She was turning out to be not at all what I’d expected.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said, not really sorry at all, “but it's probably getting close to dinner now, so we should probably head over to the kitchen.” I gestured to where I could now see my parents standing near the table. I didn’t know how long they had been waiting, but they looked as if they had been watching an interesting show. Unfortunately, that show was my life.
“Yes, please come on in and have a seat,” my mom said, gesturing to a chair by the kitchen table. The dining room table was full of papers and other stuff, and no one had bothered to clean that up for one extra person at dinner tonight. Anyway, I liked eating in the kitchen better. It was a lot cozier than sitting at the formal dining room table.
“Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Suarez,” Kate Monroe said as she took the seat that was offered. “And I really appreciate Haley letting me use her notes for history, too. And for suggesting this study session.” She threw me a smile. “It's never too early to start studying for an exam.”
“We are more than happy to have you here tonight,” my dad said as he sat at the round table directly across from our guest. “Haley mentioned that you were studying for history tonight. Are you having much trouble in the class?” he asked her.
“Not really,” she said. “I like world history and I find it really interesting, so it's actually one of my better classes. I was out for a doctor’s appointment and missed some stuff, though, so it's great that Haley can fill me in on the gaps.” She turned back to look at me, and I realized I was the only person still standing. An extra chair had been pulled up to the table, so it was a little more crowded than usual. Eddy was on one side of Kate Monroe, and on the other side was the last empty chair. I gingerly sat myself in the seat and tried my best not to touch her accidentally. This was going to be a long dinner.
My parents were always good at keeping up a conversation. They asked about school and cheerleading and college plans as everyone filled their plates with food. I was silent for most of the back and forth. But when she mentioned that she was going to the same university as me, I chimed in.
“I'm going there too,” I said. “It was actually my first choice.”
My mom added in her own thoughts. “We are so happy that Haley will be going to school close by. How do your parents feel about you staying in state, Kate?” she asked.
“My dad really wanted me to go out west, where he went to school,” she said. “But my mom is really happy that I'm going to only be a couple of hours away.”
Eddy, who had been meticulously constructing her tacos as the rest of us were talking, took a break from eating long enough to throw a verbal bomb in my direction.
“You and Haley should think about being roommates,” she said. I wanted to kick her underneath the table, but my legs were too short and Kate Monroe was sitting right between us. She was giving me this innocent expression. A little too innocent. There was no way my sister could know that I had a crush on Kate Monroe and was playing with me. Right?
Kate seemed to like the suggestion. “Do you think we could do that? I thought roommates were random. Will you be staying on campus or in an off-campus apartment?” she asked.
Living with Kate Monroe in a dorm room would be torture. It would be sweet torture, but it would probably drive me crazy. I had seen the dorm rooms when I’d gone for a tour last year. Those things were old and tiny. Freshmen didn't get to stay in the new suites, so we would be stuck in the oldest buildings on campus. The dorm rooms had just enough room for two twin beds, two desks, and two dressers. Living in such a small space with the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen was unthinkable. As in, my brain could literally not process the thought.
“I'll be on campus,” I hesitatingly said, not sure what I was going to say next. Luckily, my dad came to my rescue before I had to think of anything else.
“We just hope that she doesn't get stuck with the type of roommate I had in college. He was a great guy, but a horrible roommate. Messy, lazy, and always asking for money.”
My mom jumped in with a comment. "I remember him. Despite all that, he was an okay guy. He always gave us privacy when we needed it."
My sister and I groaned at that, Eddy covering her ears with her hands. "Please do not talk about your college dating life,” I begged. “We know how the story ends. It's a happy ending.”
"I bet it was," l heard Kate Monroe say underneath her breath. She quickly looked up to see if anyone else had heard her. We made eye contact and she gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry," she whispered.
And there was another thing I’d discovered about her: she made dirty jokes sometimes. I smiled back at her. I didn't know how long we had been smiling at each other before my mom asked me a question.
"Haley, why don't you and Kate go up to your room and finish your dinner while you start studying?" That was when I noticed that we were the only ones with full plates of food in front of us. Kate had a mesmerizing effect on me. I was getting in these loops where I didn’t know how much time passed whe
n I was with her. The entire dinner had gone by with me hardly eating anything—and hardly noticing anything other than the girl I was sitting next to. She had made me forget about my mom’s tacos. If anyone had even suggested that such a thing was possible, I would have laughed in their face. But here we were.
At least I wasn’t the only one who had neglected their dinner. Kate's plate was also full. It was a little disappointing that she didn’t seem to like my mom’s food, but I guess no one was perfect. Kate Monroe sure came the closest, though, at least to me.
I looked to my guest, who was looking down at her plate like she was surprised to see food there. She must have felt my eyes on her, because she looked up and we silently agreed to my mom’s suggestion.
“Okay, we’ll get started on studying upstairs,” I said to the table. Kate was putting some more rice and beans on her plate as I stood up and grabbed my own plate. She really was so nice for trying not to hurt my mom’s feelings by pretending to like her food.
“Thanks for making all this delicious food, Mrs. Suarez. I love tacos callejeros.” She was busy steadying her plate in one hand and a drink in the other, so she didn’t see my mom’s and dad’s surprised but pleased expressions that she knew about Mexican street tacos. She had a pretty good accent, too.
“You are very welcome, Kate. Stop by anytime you’re in the mood for tacos. It's no problem whipping some up for you,” my mom said with a smile. My dad sent her a surly side-eye.
As we were leaving with plates in hand, I thought I heard the word “girlfriend” from somewhere behind me. I hustled a little faster.
“My room is upstairs,” I called out behind me as we made our way to the second floor. I was glad Kate couldn’t see my flinch at that obviously redundant bit of news. She picked up her backpack as we walked, and before I knew it we were at the door to my room. I was glad it was open a crack from when I’d left earlier. I nudged it open with my foot, since both my hands were occupied, and when I saw my bed front and center, it officially hit me.
I was going to be alone, in my bedroom, with Kate Monroe.
Chapter 7
We settled on the floor with our food, and I tried not to stare as she practically inhaled two of the three tacos on her plate and most of the rice and beans. It was especially interesting to watch her face. She closed her eyes at the beginning of each bite, and her expressions changed as she relished each flavor. My own food was disappearing at a much slower pace.
I didn’t dare even glance at my bed, especially not after having seen the somewhat sensual way she enjoyed her food. Too dangerous for my mental health.
After she’d satisfied most of her hunger, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and looked sheepishly up at me. “Sorry I kind of ignored you there. I was just really hungry from practice, and I absolutely love tacos callejeros. When we go visit family in Texas, we always make a point to have these at least once. Your mom is a really good cook,” she said before taking a few sips from her glass of water.
“No problem, I’m glad you enjoyed them. I wasn’t sure if you liked tacos or were a vegetarian or something, so it’s lucky that tonight worked out. Do you visit your family in Texas often?” I asked, curious about her life outside of what I already knew, which admittedly wasn’t much.
“We visit my uncle and his family a few times a year. My cousins are younger than me, so I usually end up babysitting or just playing with them most of the time, but I don’t really mind. They’re actually really fun to spend time with, though I don’t know if I could handle them for more than a few hours on my own. An eight-year-old boy and six-year-old girl are old enough where you don’t have to look after them constantly, but young enough where you can’t leave them alone too long,” she explained.
I nodded my head. “I babysit the kids down the street. Really good kids, but I totally understand what you mean. I’ve been babysitting them for a few years, so we have a pretty good routine down. I also bribe them with candy, so that helps too,” I said with a smile. She laughed.
“So did your parents meet at college?” she asked out of the blue. I guess she’d gotten curious about the Suarez family after sitting through dinner.
“Yeah, they’ve told Eddy and me this story so many times we’ve lost count. They met on the first day of the first class of the first semester of their first year at school. They started off as friends and then feelings happened, and at this part of the story they both get sentimental and Eddy starts making gagging sounds. They are both gigantic dorks, but they’re sort of my relationship ideal.”
I paused and had the crazy idea to clarify what I’d just said. I didn’t know why, but my mouth wouldn’t shut up. “For the future. Because I don’t have a relationship now. I’m single.” I was telling Kate Monroe that I was single. Why was I telling my crush this? I’d officially gone mad.
“So no girlfriend, then?” she asked. She was looking straight at me, and it threw me off. I hadn’t been expecting her to ask that question. I hadn’t even been sure she knew I was a lesbian. I tried not to panic. I tried to play it cool. I was pretty sure I failed.
“No girlfriend,” I squeaked. Actually squeaked. My voice had gone up at least three octaves. I cleared my throat in an attempt to get my voice back to normal, but when it still felt constricted, I took a sip of my water.
“Me neither,” she responded.
If this had been a TV show, I would have spit out my water, or at least choked on it. But instead I just finished drinking and tried not to think that I may have just heard Kate Monroe say she didn’t have a girlfriend.
“I’m single too,” she clarified. Okay, that made more sense. She didn’t mean she didn’t have a girlfriend. She was talking more broadly. About a lack of a boyfriend, not girlfriend. That made much more sense.
Deciding not to comment on her admission of being single—and what could I say to her, that I would be happy to be her significant other? Not likely—I switched to the intended purpose of this visit.
“So about world history,” I started as I set my half-eaten food to the side. “What exactly are you having trouble with?” I stood and got my history book and my laptop from my desk. As my computer booted up, Kate placed her plate to the side, opened her bag, and pulled out her own book and laptop.
We sat like that, on the floor of my room across from each other with our laptops and books spread in front of us, as we talked about the class she had missed and the upcoming exam. Neither of us were looking forward to the AP exam, and we agreed that it was hard to stay motivated for school when we had already received our college acceptance letters.
“I didn’t get a scholarship, and I don’t think I want to do cheerleading next year,” she was saying now. “I’d rather focus on my classes and get used to college than worry about doing extra stuff. I should probably look for a job, though, something that will let me study when I need to. I’m thinking the library would be a good place to start. What about you?” she asked.
I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I’ll probably have to get a job too. My parents set up a college account for me when I was little, so my tuition and room and board are mostly paid for. And I’ve saved most of my babysitting money over the years. The car I drive belongs to my parents, though, and when I go to school, my sister will get it. The only thing I had to pay for was gas. Next year I’ll have to cover books and any extras, so a job would be very useful. Mind if I get a job at the library too?” I asked half-jokingly.
“I can see it: me and you ruling the library with an iron fist,” she said. I laughed, though the idea of Kate Monroe and me doing anything together certainly had appeal.
“How about this?” I said. “You be the brains and I’ll be the muscle. Someone being too loud or giving you trouble? Call me and I’ll take care of it.” I gave her my cockiest look.
“I’ll have to think that over,” she said. “I’ve seen you go against a backpack, and it wasn’t pretty.”
I groaned an
d covered my head with one of my pillows. I could hear her laughter. I peeked just a little bit of my face out from under my cocoon. “I wasn’t ready!” I protested. “That backpack was a lot heavier than it looked. Who knew that you were so freakishly strong?”
She pulled the pillow from off my head. I gave no resistance. It was too much fun.
“That’s why we have to start working out together. I can’t have my library enforcer being taken out by inanimate objects. Come over on Saturday. There are no games scheduled, so we just have a short practice during the morning. Are you doing anything Saturday?” she asked with hope in her voice.
I took a couple seconds to go through my schedule in my head. Without thinking too much about it, I said, “I’ve got nothing planned. But I’ll only agree if you promise to go easy on me. I don’t want to call my parents from the hospital after having a heart attack at eighteen. That might actually happen, since I haven’t ran for more than thirty seconds since freshman year gym class. Which I got a C in,” I added so she’d know the full extent of my lack of physical ability. She couldn't say that I didn’t warn her.
She put one hand over her heart and the other palm up, facing me. “I swear that I will not allow you to have a heart attack, twisted ankle, pulled hamstring, stubbed toe, or any other injuries while on my watch. By the power vested in me as a high school cheerleader, I pronounce you soon to be physically fit.”
I laughed at her solemnly spoken vow of nonsense. She was very good at saying silly things with a straight face. Her serious look dissolved into giggles as she collapsed next to me on the floor. We lay side by side, mirror images of each other with our heads held up against our arms. The nervousness and anxiety I’d had earlier about this study session were vague memories. It was hard to believe that only two hours ago I’d been agonizing over whether or not Kate Monroe had purposely smiled at me in the hallway. Now we were lying together on the floor of my bedroom, sharing smiles and acting like goofy longtime friends. Except I had never wanted to kiss Marie or any of my other friends. While the thought of kissing Kate Monroe had been a fantasy, and then terrifying once it had become a remote possibility, now there was a sense of longing and anticipation.
