Chapter Three
Tina came home with a huge smile etched on her face. Dean was on the couch watching a science fiction movie featuring aliens, an overly muscular man and an extremely frail woman who seemed to do nothing but whimpering at everything the man said and did.
Normally, the blonde would be annoyed that her brother could amuse himself by watching these mindless flicks mapped out by Hollywood producers who were only thinking about where they would buy their next summer house. There were so many more interesting movies - movies where the main characters tended to think every now and then.
Today, however, nothing could annoy her. She had never had this much luck in one day before. Usually, when she thought she had forgotten her phone, that was actually the case or she found that she had had with her all along but only saw it at home. This time, however, she had found it on the bottom of her rugsack during lunch.
"Hi," she greeted him happily, knowing full well he had probably not even noticed her. She moved to open the curtains and let the sunlight stream inside. "You won't get any better locking yourself up in the darkness. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, Mom. My other mom left me lunch."
"Great. What do you feel like having for dinner? Mom and Dad are going to that meeting for newbie parents at school."
"I know - I thought we could order some pizza and have some beers, watch some good movies."
"That sounds great, but what are good movies to you? The one you're watching?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "It was this or teleshopping - I'm into entertainment and science fiction, but my taste isn't this bad. I was thinking about going through your dvd collection. You have a gazillion, there must be some good stuff in it."
"You bet your ass there is!"
"How was school? Were they snobby, nice or snobby and nice?"
Tina sat down in the other couch. "The people I met were pretty cool. As you noticed, my car broke down. I was in an empty street and couldn't find my cellphone, but then someone passed and she helped me out, she goes to the same school. She's insanely hot and has been hanging around my ass as much as she could and she's funny and a bit cocky and did I mention she was hot? So, she drove me to school and took me back and she will do so until my car is fixed."
Dean smirked. "So your car won't be fixed in a couple of weeks?"
Tina's eyes twinkled. "It won't."
"But I need it, I don't want to be in a car with two girls ogling each other all the time," he pouted.
"Well, I have thought of a plan. I put my gar in the garage, wait until Bette picks me up and we leave. Then I text you when you can leave and where we are parked, you get the car out of the garage and park at the other end of the parking lot. She doesn't know about you yet, so tomorrow there will be no problem. If she does know about you and ask how you go to school, I say you always drive with a guy you know from summer camp when we were kids - I never got along with him all that much, but you guys did. If she asks who he is, I'll make up a name and let you know. He'd obviously attend another school and just drop you off."
Dean raised his eyebrows. "Wow, when did you make all this up between drooling all over this girl?"
Tina sighed. "When you see her, you won't blame me. You'll wish to die and reincarnate as a lesbian just to have her."
"So you know for sure she's a lesbian?"
"Yeah, well, all her friends are gay and she didn't say she wasn't and she's been checking out my ass and cleavage all the time."
"Omigod, is she a perv?" he asked in a high-pitched voice, faking being shocked.
"No, not at all. She didn't stare. She... caught glimpses. Her name's Bette Porter, by the way."
Dean whistled.
"What?" Tina asked startled. "Do you know her? How can you know her? You've been sick all day! Did you go out? But where the hell did you go?"
"Calm down, Whina. She just has a hot name, that's all. Bette... never heard that before."
"Well, actually it's Elizabeth but everyone calls her Bette. She hated 'Lizzy' because every Elizabeth gets called 'Lizzy' and 'Beth' was her horrible teacher in her first year of primary school. And don't call me Whina."
The nickname 'Whina' dated back to when they were kids and Tina was in her phase of whining about everything, from her brother stealing another chocolate and keeping the box away from her to falling down and pretending she was in way more pain than she actually was.
They chatted a bit more and then Tina decided to go to her room to see if Bette had a Facebookpage; when she found out that was the case she was filled with doubt. Would she add her already? The brunette had subtly made her interest clear, but wasn't this too soon? On the other hand, it was only Facebook. Bette probably had hundreds of friends on there, given her popularity, and would there be anything on it that she didn't want those people to know?
She took a deep breath. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking when she moved the mouse to click the right button. She shifted the cursor between 'Send request' and 'Cancel'. She moved it back to 'Send request', closed her eyes, emptied her mind and clicked. Her heart was racing even faster after she had done it. She closed down her computer, grabbed as much movies as she could hold and went back. She went out to get the beer while Dean ordered the pizza. Then she had a great idea.
"Tina?" Bette asked unbelievingly into the phone, feeling something quite unfamiliar in her stomach.
"Yeah - I'm sorry, are you busy?"
"I'm never busy when you want something from me," Bette grinned, sinking back into her chair. Shane, Alice, Dana and Carmen looked at her with raised eyebrows, but she ignored them.
"I... uhm... well, I actually need a tiny favour. You see, my parents are out to some new parent meeting at school, so Dean and I are home alone and we wanted to watch movies, have beer and pizza - my parents will probably meet people there and go have a drink with them wanting to socialize and then come home drunk - but we don't have beer and I can't go and get some because I don't have a car..."
"You want me to get it?" she asked, purposely vague to keep her friends in the dark.
"Uh - uhm - I just wanted to ask you if you could pick me up and we'd go to the store together?"
"Sure. Anything for you, you know that."
"You can join us, if you like."
"Just a second."
Bette stood up, ignoring her eye-rolling friends and went outside. "I'm back. I couldn't talk extensively in there - I'm at the Planet with my friends, you might want to check this place out - very hot waitresses - anyway, do you want me all for yourself or can my friends come too?"
Tina felt a pang of jealousy at the mention of the waitresses, but pretended it wasn't there.
"I would love for them to come, but I don't think it's a good idea. I mean, my parents would probably not appreciate us having a small party - they would see it as a party - already with a bunch of people they don't know... I'm sorry... I mean, if you want to spend time with them, that's fine, but the beer..."
"Oh, so now the beer is more important than me coming or not?" Bette faked being hurt.
"No! I want you to come, I really do, but I understand if - "
"Calm down, T, I don't mind. I'll be there asap."
Silence.
"T?"
Bette blushed for the second time in a short period. "D'you mind?"
"No, not at all. I... I like it."
"Great. I'm just gonna go in and grab my purse. Do you want me to pick the beer up on the way over there or was your mind set on going together?"
"Whatever you prefer."
"Let's go together."
"Great," Tina beamed. She informed Dean, who was curious to the girl his sister seemed to obsess over already.
Bette went back inside. "Guys, I gotta go. I won't meet you for lunch either - Tina still hasn't got her car back so I have to pick her up."
"Bring her here, we don't mind."
"No, she - uh - she eats at home! Family breakfast seems to be a major thing over there...so... yeah..."
"Eat breakfast here and then leave earlier?"
Shit. Sigh. "Fine."
Chapter Three - Night with Bette, Tina, Dean, Beer and Pizza
Dean watched his sister with an amused smirk on his face. She was hopping around like a bunny on speed, trying to find something to pass the time until this Bette arrived. He reckoned that the girl must have really made an impression. He had never seen Tina in a state like this one - usually, she wasn't too keen on love.
He thought the blonde would explode when the doorbell finally rang. To her, it must have felt like hours when in reality, it was only minutes. Tina didn't even invite Bette in, but just shouted to Dean, who was just in the living room: "We'll be right back! The money for the pizza is on the table and I expect your share if you still think your life's worth something!"
He chuckled and shook his head. Fifteen minutes later, the pizzas were delivered; Dean took care of it and put them in the oven to keep them warm.
Another fifteen minutes later, the girls returned. The first thing he saw coming through the living room was a huge bag, then a map of blonde hair and then the most divine creature he had ever laid his eyes upon.
"H-hello," he stammered, getting up suddenly feeling conscious about his shabby appearance. He stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Dean Kennard - Tina's older brother."
Tina rolled her eyes - he always had to rub it in that he had come out of their mother first - as the girl she fancied and her brother shook hands. Her eyes glistened with mischief as she noticed how Dean was behaving. Nuh-uh, she's gay and she's mine.
"I'm Bette Porter, very nice to meet you." She flashed him her trademark smile and Tina just knew she did it to tease him. The otherwise so cool Dean was now completely flustered.
"You girls sit down and open the beers, I'll go and get the pizzas," he said, escaping to the kitchen. He stayed away for a suspiciously long time, probably getting himself together.
As always, Tina ate her entire pizza and then looked at the others intently until they were finished, hoping to have a piece of theirs. Dean always ate his entire pizza, even when he felt like he'd explode, just to spite her. Tina's eyes were fixed on Bette's pepperoni pizza like a cat on a mouse that was just out of her reach. Her eyes were big, her lips pursed together, her tongue taking a peek every now and then.
Of course, Bette noticed this. She could have eaten another two slices, but decided against it. "Phew, I'm stuffed. Anyone want some of this pizza? It's a shame to throw it away."
Tina grinned. "I'll have it."
Even if Dean had wanted another slice, he wouldn't have had the chance.
They voted for the movie, Bette of course waiting to hear what Tina said and then going along with it. They ended up watching Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Dean wasn't very interested in the movie, but he liked it. What he did find way more intriguing was the behaviour of that insanely hot woman Tina had brought and his sister.
As the movie went along, he saw them sitting closer and closer. It went with very small steps, but it happened. When Tina stretched, he caught Bette feasting her eyes on the blondes body. He smirked - she was a perv.
The second movie was Woody Allen's 'Husbands & Wives'. Bette was watching Tina more than the movie. They weren't that far apart anymore. It was almost as if they had forgotten his presence. When the movie was over, they were practically on each other's lap. Once they noticed it, they both jumped up and suddenly had some very important business - Tina went to the kitchen, Bette asked where the toilet was.
When they came back, the girls sat at opposite sides of the couch. They talked about the movie and about other things, until Bette had to go.
"I'll let you out," Tina said.
Dean had to bite his tongue not to say 'eager much?' and instead said: "Jeez, she's not a dog, you know..."
"But I do bite," Bette said with a raised eyebrow.
Dean didn't know what to say to that. Tina got Bette's coat and handed it to her.
"That was fun," Bette smiled, one foot outside already.
"Yeah, it was. We should do it more often. Maybe you can bring your friends next time, if my parents are okay with it."
"I liked it just being the three of us." Bette paused and had to muster every ounce of self control in her body not to caress Tina's cheek. "Maybe it'd be even better if it were just the two of us?"
Tina swallowed. "Yeah, that'd be... great."
"So, I'll pick you up in the morning? Say ten minutes earlier than when I found you this morning?"
Tina smiled shyly and melted Bette's heart. "Yeah." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll... see you tomorrow."
Both hesitated, as if they were waiting for something to happen. It was dark and silent outside, only the crickets could be heard.
Finally, Bette gave Tina a kiss on her cheek. "See you."
"See you," Tina whispered. Bette walked away and Tina stood watching until she had reached the street and got in her car. Bette waved, Tina waved back, turned around, closed the door and did a happy dance, much like Katherine Heigl's in 'The Ugly Truth'.
When she came back in the living room, she was elated. She started cleaning up, not even knowing she was humming.
"You're so into her," Dean said.
Tina smiled widely.
"She's so into you," he said.
"I know," Tina said. Boy, life could be great.
