"What… the… hell!?" Scotty screamed. They were sitting in a random lounge of a freshmen dorm. "Start at the beginning and don't leave out one detail or I will—"
"Shhh! Okay, okay, okay," Mandy said fanning her best friend, trying to lower her voice. "Just be quiet."
"You kissed Gabby?"
"Yes, okay? Yes. I did. And she kissed me back."
Scotty put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my God." Mandy lay back on the sofa. "Did you guys…?"
"No."
They stopped talking. "Did you want to?"
"I plead the fifth."
"You did! You wanted to go to 'Gina Heights."
Mandy choked on her spit. "You're a fool!" They laughed. "And we're going out tomorrow."
"I'm about to cry. I'm so happy for you two."
"I'm so anxious, Scotty. Never in my wildest… well, maybe my wildest, but I never thought that I'd love another woman." She shuddered. "My parents can never find out. My dad would have a heart attack and my mom would just… die"
Scotty rubbed her belly. "At least you know you can't get pregnant accidentally."
Mandy nodded and then shook her head. "I only feel this way about Gabby. I only get the butterflies and have the thoughts about her."
"You're in love."
"I'm not."
Scotty helped her pick out an outfit which was fine for Mandy because she couldn't think straight. She slipped in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt. "A little mascara and a little lip and you'll be good to go."
They waited just outside of the building. When Mandy saw Gabby approaching, she jumped. "I can't do this. I… I c-can't. I'm gonna be sick." Mandy turned to the nearest garbage. "This doesn't make sense."
Scotty grabbed her face, pinching her chin slightly. "Would you be so wacky if Gabby was a guy?" She whispered. That's exactly what Callie had asked. "A guy you don't know and who doesn't know you?" Mandy shook her head. "You've known her for almost a year. It's just Gabby."
"Hi," Gabby said waving at them. A jean skirt stopped a few inches above her knee was paired with a pink top almost made Mandy's heart stop.
"Hey," Mandy waved.
"Y'all are too cute," Scotty said and they rolled their eyes. Hugging them both, she bounced away. "Have fun."
Mandy looked her date. The word made goosebumps appear on her arms. "You look nice," Gabby said.
"Thank you. You look… nice, too." But she looked more than nice, she looked hot!
Gabby winked at her. "Thanks. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. Where are we going?"
A twinkle in Gabby's eye had her cheesing like a Ches cat. "Well, I figured we could go bowling. And you could choose where we eat. Or you can decide where we go and I pick the restaurant. Or we can choose together, if you want?" The sophomore rambled.
"Oh my goodness."
"What?"
"I can't believe you're nervous."
"Like I didn't see you about to throw up earlier."
They laughed. Feeling bold, Mandy held her hand squeezing it. In the cab, they talked nonstop, finally finding their original rhythm. She usually hated bowling, but she had a great time with Gabby. And the food afterward was really good. Through it all, Mandy couldn't let go of Gabby's hand. It was the only thing she wanted to do. As the night ended, they returned to her dorm room. "I had fun," the friends said at the same time.
Mandy laughed and watched Gabby's lips curl into a smile. She'd somehow resisted kissing her during their date, but now that they were alone, their lips became magnets. Her stomach swirled with every kiss making it feel like the first time. Mandy paused it. "We should stop."
"Okay."
"Goodnight?"
"Night, frosh."
It seemed like Scotty had been waiting for Gabby to leave because not ten minutes after the sophomore was gone was Scotty strolling into Mandy's room. "How was it?"
"Fun."
"Did you kiss again?"
"Yes."
"Do you like her?"
"I… do."
"What's with the short answers, Mandy?"
Mandy just smiled, taking in the whole night. "I'm just tired."
"I'll leave you to your thoughts then."
"Breakfast tomorrow?" Mandy asked. Scotty nodded and walked out.
In the cafeteria the next morning, Mandy kept her head on a swivel looking for Gabby. She found her with another group of friends. Keeping her cool, she gave a head nod and looked away. When they were finished, Scotty nudged her as they walked past the group. "Scott, Mandy, wait up!" Gabby called out. She caught up with them. "Morning."
"Hey," Scotty answered.
"Hey," Mandy said staring straight ahead. If she looked at Gabby, everyone in the world would know how she felt for her. She checked her watch.
"What, uh, are you doing tonight?" Gabby asked.
"Studying."
Gabby rolled her eyes dramatically. "What about tomorrow night?"
Mandy shrugged. "I don't have anything lined up yet."
"Want to catch a movie?"
Trying to keep her cool, Mandy shrugged. "That's fine with me."
"Oooh! Can we double? Scotty asked. "Kevin will be here tomorrow morning."
Mandy and Gabby made eye contact for the first time since leaving the cafeteria. The former felt her stomach flipping with each second. "That's good for me," Gabby said.
"Sure. Seven-thirty?" Mandy responded.
The friends agreed and went their separate ways. At seven-thirty, the four of them set off for the movie theater. Mandy and Gabby sat in the back while Scotty sat up front with her boyfriend. They had fun just going to the theater and inside, Gabby put her arm around Mandy who tried not to freak out about the intimacy of it all. They shared popcorn watching a seemingly vapid girl navigate high school. Mandy stole a kiss toward the end of the movie, letting her tongue discover new things about Gabby's. "What was that for?" Gabby whispered in her ear. Mandy shrugged, glad that she couldn't see her turning red in the darkness. The two of them walked out of the theater holding hands and leaning against the other. Anything of Gabby's that touched her was fine by Mandy.
Scotty and Kevin walked ahead. Just outside of the building, they heard: "Mmhmm."
Gabby spun around. "Is there a problem?"
Mandy turned to see an older couple, hurrying away. "What's wrong?"
"Massachusetts," she grumbled. "They act like they've never seen two women holding hands! Old farts."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Mandy held her arm. "You're not."
Gabby went to the car and got in. "Everything okay?" Scotty asked.
"We're gonna skip dinner," Mandy told them. In her room, she hugged Gabby, loving how comfortable she felt in her arms. And how easily they held each other, sure and steady. "Relax."
"I'm relaxed."
"You're not," Mandy repeated. They sat on the bed and she pulled Gabby into her chest, stroking her hair. "You can't let your anger get the best of you."
"I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You know what though?" Gabby turned. "I like how you were standing up for yourself."
She kissed Mandy's chin. "I was doing it for… us. I wasn't holding my own hand."
"I know."
They stopped talking and just lay on the bed. Mandy closed her eyes and soon drifted off. A few hours later, she woke up and saw Gabby next to her. She smiled and then cringed; her stomach was hurting—she was starving. Shaking the sophomore a little, she watched her wake up. "I'm hungry."
"You read my mind."
Gabby picked up Mandy's wrist reading the time. "Everything's closed."
"We can go to a diner or IHoP. We can use Kevin's car." They managed to wake up Scotty and Kevin and got the car keys. In the restaurant, they sat across from each other learning more about one another. Peeking over her glass of orange juice, she smiled at the brown-skinned girl with a piece of waffle in hands dripping with syrup. Mandy didn't know how it was possible, but she fell more in like—or maybe it was love—with Gabby.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just… nothing."
