Chapter Four
The following few weeks, Bette and Tina spent more and more time together. They didn't exactly do it on purpose, it just seemed to happen. Dean soon made his own friends at school. At first, hanging out with Bette and Tina had been fun. Lately, however, they only had eye for each other and were flirting all the time. They ignored everything and everyone around them and he really felt like the fifth wheel.
Bette's friends were also noticing how absent the brunette was. She was always hurried at breakfast in The Planet. They all knew that if she had the guts to disappoint her friends, she wouldn't go anymore.
Tina's car was repared by now, but she still went to school with Bette. The story was that her mother needed the car because his had broken down. Tina's parents thought that Bette was just Tina's best friend whom she hung out with a lot. Bette got along very well with Nancy and Dan Kennard. She tried to bring down the flirting to a minimum when they were there because 1) it'd embarrass the hell out of her and 2) she didn't want Tina's parents to be on to something. Her own father had met Tina once by accident. Tina was at Bette's place when he suddenly came home to pick something up. Melvin Porter had barely acknowledged Tina - he had nodded at her and then disappeared into his room.
One day, Bette and the entire gang was sitting at the Planet - well, everyone but Dana. The combination of semi-professional tennis and school wasn't easy on the shy brunette, so unfortunately she didn't get to spend much time with her friends. Alice was happy all the same - Bette, Shane, Carmen, Helena and Jenny. This was very convenient, as she had some great news to tell. That was exactly what she was doing - babbling away.
"So, then I called Dana and I told her and she had to laugh so hard! I don't think I've ever heard her laugh that much - and that at something that happened to me, how awesome is that? Anyway, Dana promised me that she'd join us every morning next week so naturally we're all super excited and..."
For the first time, Alice really took in her friends. Well, make that singular. The only one still joining her was Shane, who was very engaged with her cellphone.
"Shane? Where the hell are they?"
"Porter got a text from Tina and left in a heartbeat, Carmens brother is having a hard time shaking a girl off and she's taking care of it at the moment, Helena is busy picking up that waitress over there," Shane pointed at Helena who was bestowing all her charm on a very scared looking girl, "and Jenny left after five seconds because she didn't want us to have to look at her crying all the time. She's been a mess since Tim broke up for that Trish-girl he met at the swimming club."
A moment to go down in history followed - Alice was speechless. Finally, she regained her voice. "So... nobody was hearing what I was saying?"
"You mean the Dana-rant?"
"I wasn't ranting!"
"Uh-uh."
"Nu-uh."
"Uh-uh."
"Nu-uh."
They would have gone on like that forever if Alice's phone hadn't blurted out "Sex on the beaaaaach" for the entire café to hear. Alice didn't even do so much as blush and checked the caller ID, giggling excitedly when she saw who it was.
"Hi Dana!"
Shane rolled her eyes. When oh when were those two going to see they should have gotten together fivehundred years ago? Just like Bette and Tina...
•••
I had totally prepared myself to see Tina. She had texted me when I was at the Planet that she had some problem with her computer and the only things happening were Alice babbling and babbling and babbling about Dana, Helena trying to get a new waitress in her bed but only making sure the poor girl would quickly resign and Shane texting Jenny who had always been a good friend to all of us, but was now so depressing that it killed every good mood. Luckily, she seemed to realise it herself. She spent less time with us.
I did feel sorry for her, after all she and Tim had been a great couple. I had never expected Tim to do this to Jenny, I couldn't understand, he was one of the good guys. But it had happened and it had happened five weeks ago. I wanted to focus on Tina - blame me for being selfish and a lousy friend, but I wouldn't even know what to say. Jenny and I were actually worlds apart and I couldn't imagine grieving over a boy - or girlfriend, simply because I had always been the one who broke up.
But back to business - Tina had called me and I had immediately left, barely greeting Shane. On my way to Tina's place, I was all happy and practically jumping in my seat at the prospect of seeing her - even though I had last seen her the day before, at school. When she opened the door, I was totally flabbergasted. She was only wearing a V-neck with a fading print and an old pair of jeans, but she looked amazing all the same. Her dazzling smile knocked me down and I had to crawl back up before I could even think of trying to say something.
"H-hi..."
I don't know what it was - it only seemed to happen with Tina, but she always just overblew me with her utter beauty and kindness and perfectness and everythingness that I ended up stumbling over my words, if I could find any. Luckily, I always managed to get back at her full force later. The flirting of the past five weeks had been so much fun, but I was beginning to get impatient. I wanted to date her, I wanted there to be more than the playful banter. We did have deep conversation, bordering on philosophical, but that mostly happened over the internet where she didn't startle me with her outer beauty but in a small picture in the corner of the screen. Sometimes, when she stayed over at my place, we did have those conversations as well.
"Bette?" Tina lightly touched my shoulder and I felt an electric jolt going through my body. I looked her right into her hazel eyes and to my surprise, I saw worry there. "Are you okay?"
I must have looked like the most stupid person on earth and I bet I had the goofiest grin as well. "I'm sorry."
She smiled again and I felt my heart racing.
"Come in," her soft voice invited me. I followed her to the kitchen, where she made me a coffee without even asking me. She knew I was always in for coffee. She then led me upstairs and to her room. When I was on the top of the stairs and saw her bed through the open door, I had to fight the urge to throw her on it and make mad love to her. I was so lost in that thought that I walked against the wall. Loud and hard.
"Auch!" I yelled, my hands covering the spot on my forehead that hurt the most. "Holy motherfucking hell that hurts so freaking much!"
Tina took my hand off my face to examine what was probably a giant bruise. She touched it gently, I flinched automatically even though I liked her touch. She ran downstairs, I heard her open drawers and doors and she came back with a small towel and ice. She took me inside her room, sat me down on the bed and bent over to hold the ice against my forehead.
Her tits were fucking screaming for me to touch them. There they were, right in front of me. Greeting me, luring me, inviting me. What. A. Cleavage. She moved a little closer and my nose was practically in between them. I wouldn't have minded, but then she stepped back, not even aware of what she had just put me through. She went to the bedroom and came back with a bandage. She fixed the ice to my head with said bandage and then let her fingers go through my hear.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, thanks," I smiled. "So... what was that computer problem?"
Tina went to her desk and sat down. She opened her laptop and turned her head to look at me. I stood behind her and screamed.
She looked at me in panic, probably thinking I had hurt my head again.
"What? What is it?" she asked frantically.
"You have Windows Vista," I explained.
She sighed in relief and then slapped my arm, harder than probably intended. "I should've known... you always do that!"
I shrugged my shoulders and gave my best innocent look. "But it hurts, T! You should really consider throwing that thing away. It's giving you nothing but trouble."
"You're here to fix that, right?" she pouted. She pulled out her accent. "I'm just a little girl from the south, I don't know nothing 'bout them computers."
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and tried to ignore that cute as hell pout. "Okay, so what is the problem?"
"The computer keeps asking me permission for something, but I don't know what it is and I can't close the damn thing."
I smiled and put my hand over Tina's. I started moving the mouse to all the right places, loving how Tina's hand fit in mine so perfectly. I had to fight the desire to kiss Tina's neck, to wrap her arms around her waist.
"... so now you've got rid of it."
"Thanks so much!" Tina beamed.
My throat and lips were dry. I had to pull away - Tina's smell was just too intoxicating.
"That coffee'll be finished by now, right?"
"Yeah, I think so."