Chapter One

Growing up with Tourettes had always made Florencia Estrella feel like an outsider. Not because she was ashamed, but because of how she was treated by others. She despised the judgmental looks she received from strangers whenever she had a tic in public. And it angered her how, back in her school days, non of her classmates had wanted to be her friend because their parents didn't want them playing with "the kid that swears all the time". She never understood how anyone could be so cruel towards her for something that she couldn't control, but she had soon began to accept it as normal. That was until she met Jazmin Del Rio. The woman who soon because her closest friend and the one who taught her not to care what others think. The first and only person in her life to laugh with her and not at her. Jazmin never judged her, and for Florencia, that meant that she had finally found someone who she felt she could be unapologetically herself around.

Florencia was engrossed in the current novel she was reading when she heard a knock on her door. Since she was not expecting anyone it took her by surprise.

She got up to see who was on the other side of the door. She opened it to find Jazmin standing there, wearing a black and white button up shirt and blue jeans, with her red hair falling perfectly on her shoulders.

"Jaz, I wasn't expecting to see you today. Did Javo call you in to work?" Florencia asked with a look of confusion on her face.

Jazmin let out a small laugh, that Florencia almost confused for nerves but thought better of it. After all, why would Jazmin be nervous around her?

"No, no he didn't. I actually came to see you Flor" seeing that the look of confusion on other woman's face still hadn't faded, she added "if that's okay?"

"Yeah of course, you're always welcome" Florencia replied, gesturing for Jazmin to step inside her room and as the taller girl entered, she closed the door behind them both and after a few seconds of silence, Florencia added "but there isn't really anything interesting to do here *except fuck* sorry, sorry"

"I have popcorn and juice, I was thinking we could have a movie night" Jazmin replied, and Florencia was grateful that the other woman didn't make a big deal about her tic. Even though she had to admit that her tics were few and far between whenever she spent time with Jazmin. She put that reason down to the fact that Jazmin was her best friend and she felt comfortable, but deep down even Florencia knew that there was more to it than that. Florencia felt different around Jazmin, in a way that she couldn't quite detect, but she knew that it made her feel good. It made her feel like she could be herself without apologizing like she felt the need to do with everyone else in her life.

"No movie?" Florencia asked when she realized that Jazmin hadn't brought one with her.

"No, I chose last time, so I thought you might want to pick this time"

"Oh okay, I have this film that Miranda recommended to me. I don't know if it's any good, I've never seen it. It's called Imagine Me And You"

Jazmin smiled, she knew the movie well.

"You know it?" asked Florencia, after seeing that Jazmin seemed excited about the particular movie she had just mentioned.

"Yeah, yeah I know it. It's um, it's a lesbian romantic comedy" Jazmin didn't know why, but she felt nervous to see the reaction that Florencia would have to them watching a film about two women falling in love. She'd been friends with Florencia for a while but the topic of sexuality hadn't come up until this moment and Jazmin wasn't sure why but she wasn't sure that she wanted Florencia to know she was a lesbian. She thought maybe it had something to do with being rejected by friends in the past who automatically assumed that she had feelings for them or maybe it was because she did have feelings for Florencia and telling her she was a lesbian might make her feelings obvious to the other women.

"As in two women? *pussy on pussy, sorry sorry" Florencia asked, even though she was aware of what Jazmin had meant.

"Yes as in two women, is that a problem?" Jazmin asked, genuinely concerned of what Florencia was thinking.

"No, no. Not a problem. But I don't know much about that" Florencia confessed

Jazmin couldn't help but let out a laugh "What do you mean?"

Florencia looked more confused than ever, and as Jazmin recognized the other women's nervous tics, she couldn't tell if they were caused by Florencia truly being clueless about the 'technicalities' of a lesbian relationship or if she was uncomfortable with the topic of conversation Not wanting Florencia to be uncomfortable, Jazmin quickly added "We can watch something else" in an effort to ease the obvious tension in the room. A tension that Jazmin struggled to identify the source of.

"No, we should watch it" replied Florencia

Jazmin looked at Florencia, studying her face for any sign of emotion that contradicted what she had said. Wanting to make sure, since it was always a main priority of hers to make sure Florencia felt comfortable. She knew that Florencia didn't have many people in her life that put her first, so when they had first become friends, she made a promise to herself that she would always be that person for her.

Florencia could tell that Jazmin was concerned, "I want to watch it" she added, with a level of certainty in her voice that took the other women by surprise, and Jazmin nodded her head as if to agree when she saw that Florencia no longer seemed as nervous as she did before.

Florencia walked across her room and picked up the DVD from where Miranda had left it earlier and grabbed a bowl and two glasses for the popcorn and juice. When she made her way back towards her bed, she saw that Jazmin had already made herself comfortable, with a pillow leaning against the wall behind her back and her legs draped over the bed. She opened the popcorn and emptied it into the bowl and passes Jazmin the glasses for the juice before putting the DVD in the television opposite and climbing onto the bed to sit next to Jazmin. When both women were ready to watch the movie, Florencia pressed play on the remote and the opening titles began.