Mini was good at pretending. She had it down to an art. No one ever suspected anything. She nodded at the appropriate times, gave the perfect bitchy comments, and batted her eyes at just the right moments. It was all very normal.

She had Nick. Nick was perfect wasn't he? Arguably the cutest boy in school. On the rugby team as well. It really didn't get much better than that, did it? And he was sweet. Mini had to admit she'd done well for herself. She just started college and already she was making a name. Nick was good. No, great. She liked him a lot, really. She felt special with him. Like she mattered. Kissing Nick was pretty good. Nice. It was what couples did to show they really liked one another. Mini didn't mind doing it. She knew he probably wanted to do more, but she was always able to change the subject when things got to implicative. Kissing was good though. It brought her some level of satisfaction. Sort of like shopping did. Or losing a few pounds after a few weeks of eating those nuts she hated.

'Those aren't the only nuts you hate,'a voice said in her mind.
"Shut up," Mini whispered to herself.
If Liv and Grace had heard the voice they'd laugh at her. They'd all laugh. And they'd leave her. They'd go and find someone less fake. Someone who wasn't a big fat liar.
Mini shook herself. She looked around, only just realizing that she'd been sitting in the back of the club Liv brought them to for about ten minutes, drowning in negative thoughts. She'd told the others she wanted to cool down a bit.
There was a lot Mini didn't tell people. A lot even her best friends couldn't really claim to know. And she had a feeling they knew. Well perhaps not Grace. Grace was lovely. She never asked too many questions, and she was always ready to accept anything you told her. It was that habit of seeing the good in everyone. Mini always considered it grossly naïve of her, but she appreciated it immensely when it came to hiding things herself.

And then there was Liv. Mini loved her. There was something just so…solid about Liv that she really admired, and very much envied. She'd never admit it, but she always felt as though she needed Liv more than Liv probably needed her. Mini had known Liv since primary, and it was a fact that Liv probably already knew all of Mini's secrets, even before she knew them herself. They had been best mates for years, Grace being the only addendum. It was a joke that Nick always told that they were attached at the hip. Mini would never admit to herself how happy it made her whenever he said that.
Mini looked over from the bar bench she was sitting on. She had a clear view of most of the floor, as clear as a dark nightclub with strobes could be.

There was Liv, in the middle of the floor, dancing on some dorky looking blond chav. Mini was always vocal about how gross she thought the guys Liv fooled around with were. Not too vocal though, lest Liv point out her own failings. Mini wasn't ready to hear them. Especially not from her.

Mini gazed at Liv, watching how her body moved to the music. Hard electro boomed through the speakers, and with every hit of bass Liv's hips swung and butt grinded into the underimpressive boy behind her.
Mini stared in awe and envy and something else she was afraid to put a name to. Liv always managed to make everything look so easy.And sexy. Her skin looked so smooth and glowy, and her body soft, and wonderfully voluptuous. Mini knew she couldn't move her body like that, and feared the embarrassment of trying too hard. Liv didn't have to run every day and eat sunflower seeds. She didn't read Nylon obsessively and try to copy the trends. She shoved cheeseburgers in her mouth and wore what she wanted. And everyone loved her.
'Especially you,' the voice whispered.

Ugh, what the fuck? Mini was beginning to think the MDMA Liv gave her was spiked with LSD. Why else would she be having such crazy hallucinations? Just as she was about to get up and go and rejoin Liv on the dance floor, she saw that Liv was already headed over toward her.

"Hey Mins, what's up? You alright?"

Liv's pupils were the size of dinner plates, and Mini marveled at how radiant she looked, even sweaty as hell in this divebomb club that they fake –Ided their way into. She was hanging onto Mini's shoulder, laughing with the glee of a child at Christmas. Liv's body temperature was off the charts. That was the reason Mini gave herself for the burn she felt where Liv touched her.
Mini gave her most convincing look of disdain.

"I'm fine Liv, gosh. Fuck, I don't think anyone here is as high as you."
Liv laughed at that, a smooth sound that reminded Mini of molasses, or some other shit like that that one might call smooth.
"You're not!" Liv shouted giggling. "Not high enough yet. Let's get you happy, Minimoo."

Liv reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Mini blinked and suddenly saw Liv's face inches from her own. Liv reached one warm finger up and slid a pill past Mini's lips and onto her tongue. Mini swallowed shakily, never breaking eye contact.

"Yeaaa now you're innit," Liv smiled like Chesire Cat.
Suddenly she moved much closer. Mini didn't realize she had stopped breathing. Liv's face kept getting nearer and nearer.
Suddenly Liv's lips were on hers and she was engaged in a battle of tongues fiercer than anything discussed in history class. Mini's mind had turned to mush, but one part seemed to remain. It kept wondering, why was this happening? Why was Liv kissing her? Why here, in the back of the club?

Liv and Mini weren't stranger to a bit of put-on making out. They did it every once in a while because they knew guys found it sexy. And that made guys want to buy them drinks and talk to them. That was the point wasn't it? Mini never let herself enjoy it. She wasn't some muffmuncher. She liked boys. Of course. And there were no boys to watch them here in the back were there? There was no reason to be doing this. What was Liv doing? Just how high was she?
But at that moment Mini's thoughts paused, as she felt Liv's hands moving up her legs, to her stomach, then her breasts. Mini could not even lie to herself if she tried at that point. Kissing Nick had never been like this. Arousal rushed through her like lava. But this was Liv…
'Yes this is Liv' said the voice in her head. 'And this is exactly what you want. And she knows.'
Did Liv want this too?

As if to answer her question, Liv's hand slid up her skirt and grasped her panties. Mini moaned.
Liv's swollen lips tore from Mini's and whispered in her ear, "Wow, Mins. You like this, don't you? You've wanted this for a while. Wanted me. I knew it."

Mini's blush of shame was hidden by the dimness of the club but she was sure everyone in the world could see it. She figured Liv had to know, but she'd never wanted to believe she did. She remembered when they'd gone on holiday during the summer and Liv woke up to Mini kissing her and touching her skin. She'd jumped in…what was it? Disgust? Anger? No. It had been shock, nothing else. At the time, Mini hadn't been sure. She remembered being in the tent with her, and Liv giving her a look that said she thought Mini was the strangest girl on the planet. Lies had spilled for Mini's lips about how she'd thought Liv had been a boy and how she'd drank too much the night before. Apparently they both had known it was bullshit. Mini remembered how seeing that look on Liv's face had hurt. She suddenly felt an ache in her chest. The club seemed to get very cold.

"Mins?" Liv's face was filled with concern, peering at her. She gave what could only be described as an engaging albeit lustful smile. Liv clearly had been enjoying herself too.
But Mini couldn't see through the liquid filling her eyes. She felt like a freak. Liv did this on purpose. She wanted to expose her. To make her feel stupid. Everyone would probably turn to laugh at her.

"Move," Mini said, pushing Liv off of her.
"Mins, what's-"
"I'm no dyke, Liv!"
"Mins what're you…I didn't say…There's nothing wrong with—"

Liv's face was painted in confusion, and a bit of hurt. Mini noticed none of it. She just knew that Liv was going to tell everyone at school that Mini was a lezzer and that she wanted to lick her out and all sorts of other gross things to trash her rep. Whatever. Mini was still the one with the hot boyfriend. Liv could never make her look like a fool. She thought she was just going to use her to boost her ego? Not bloody likely.

Liv reached for Mini's hand trying to pull her closer.
"Mini, it's okay! I wanted to tell you for a while that I—"
Mini couldn't hear anything over the fresh anger and embarrassment rushing in her ears.
"Fuck off Liv."

She roughly pushed her away from her, grabbed her jacket, and headed for the club exit.