She's Just Not That Into Misogyny

One day, Abby was heading home from work when she bumped into Ben. Well, Noelle did say I should talk to him, she thought.

"Hey." he mumbled awkwardly.

"Hey,' she answered back, more coherently.

Abruptly, Ben started talking again. "Abby. I can't stop thinking about you night and day and-"

She cut him off right there. "That day, when you found out about us, you said Noelle was dumb."

Ben seemed suitably embarrassed. "Abby, when I said that I was hurting and I was wrong-"

"You certainly were. Noelle is not dumb. And as for what you were going to say about, me, you were going to say I was ugly, weren't you?"

Ben didn't even bother responding this time.

"You were. And you must think that I suffer from extraordinarily low self- esteem if you think I would get together with someone who would call me ugly." With that, she angrily stalked away in search of Noelle.

Hours later, Noelle sighed, having just got home for work. She bent down and began rubbing her feet having removed her high heels. She had pressed the 'Play" button on her answering machine and was now listening to a steady stream of messages, most of them from Abby. I really should call her... she thought to herself.

Suddenly, the buzzer to her apartment began going off incessantly.

"Alright, I'm coming." Noelle said, huffing with irritation as she reached down for her heels before heading to the door.

When she got to the door, she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't just hallucinating. "Abby." she said, breathlessly.

"Listen," Abby said not bothering to ask if she could come in before pushing her way past Noelle into the apartment. "I know you said I should talk to Ben but you were wrong. I don't mean that... you weren't wrong about everything ... Just Ben. I-I should've stood by you, you were my real friend and I shouldn't have resented you for turning Ben's head."

While saying all this, Abby was getting more and more upset and was practically hyperventilating by the time she finished that particular statement.

"Abby, are you okay? Sit down! Can I get you something to drink?"

"No! I mean I have to say this... I'm sorry." she said, though she was calming down.

"Ben wasn't worth anything. He certainly wasn't worth losing you over."

"Wait, Abby, what did Ben do that was so bad?" Noelle asked, while guiding Abby to her sofa to have a seat.

Abby hesitated, trying to figure out how to tell her friend what had happened without revealing what Ben had said about Noelle and at the same time not coming off as though this were all about her. In the end, she sighed.

"That day, when we finally told Ben the truth? You remember how he was going to say something?" Noelle nodded from her place next to Abby on the sofa.

"He started to call me ugly."

Noelle gasped and went to move some stray hair out of Abby's face. "B-but you're not you're beautiful... How could he ever think that?" Noelle asked, seeming more to herself than to Abby.

"Are you sure he meant it though?" Noelle continued. "I mean, I-I don't think you should ever have to put up with someone who genuinely thinks that about you, but if you really like him, I mean... people say all kinds of things when they're angry and maybe if you talk to him he'll admit he was going to say it and why. Like, maybe he'll explain himself."

"Well, he sure as hell wouldn't admit to saying it when I saw him today." Abby answered bitterly.

"That dick!" Noelle blurted suddenly. "That complete, utter dick."

"I know." Abby nodded, now less angry and more defeated. "But that's not the worst of it. He said-" Abby cut herself off abruptly.

"I know. He said I was dumb. Well, I guess he was right about one thing . Noelle said, laughing bitterly.

Abby could barely control her rage. She could feel her skull pounding, she knew she must be grinding her teeth but she didn't care.

"I am dumb." Noelle said, a tear streaming silently down her cheek.

"You're not dumb!" Abby shouted standing up. "You're beautiful, s-so people don't immediately see how smart you are. It's e-easier for them to stereotype you as a blonde bimbo Barbie, but you are smart. You're people smart. You know how to get what you want, not just from men but from s-society at large and... that's not to say you're not book smart either. You know so much and you're very capable of learning..."

"

You think I'm smart?" Noelle asked, a grin shining through her tears.

"What do you think I'm trying to say? I-" Suddenly rather than say anything more, Abby closed the space between her and Noelle, leaning across the sofa and and kissing Noelle roughly, with the other woman's back pressed up against the arm of the sofa.

"Ow". Noelle eventually said against Abby;s lips, causing Abby to let her up for air but ultimately sending th two women into a fit of giggles.

"Sorry." Abby give her an apologetic grin. She hoped that the sofa arm hadn't hurt Noelle too badly.

"Don't be. About anything. You were incredible." Noelle blushed awkwardly after saying that, realizing what it could mean.

Abby let out a long, happy cackle. "It wasn't just me workin' hard there."

A silence once again stretched between the two women but this one was comfortable, even as it was tinged with electricity.

Noelle reached out and touched Abby's arm. "I don't know where this is going and I don't want to rush it but I do like it." she said softly.

Abby swallowed the nervous lump that had risen in her throat when Noelle started talking. She thought Noelle was going to reject her and she couldn't bear that. "I do too." she said softly.

Noelle's eyes softened again as she she took her friend's hand. "I don't think I'm up to, um "trying" anything yet but..." now it was Noelle's turn to swallow in nervousness. When she continued however her eyes were bright and her tone of voice was relaxed. "Wanna sleep over?"