Notes: Like Victory Thru Tears said, thanks for the reviews everyone. It means a lot to us. And thanks for liking Taz and Maya, we know that Mary Sues aren't always popular.
Chapter 7: Preparing for the Storm
By Star
Maya's POVWithout warning, the Thanksgiving break is upon us. I guess we've all been so preoccupied recently none of us saw it coming. Taz and I do realise how easy we have it compared to how the Queertet is faring, which is why we spend a lot of time with them letting them know that we're here for them. We both know it's not the same. It still hurts that kids they've known since they were tiny won't talk to them.
The dorms are buzzing with excited laughter and constant chatter. It always gets like this. Taz has this frantic, almost insane expression on her face, and is apt to keep picking things up and putting them down again.
She's always like this before going home, but this time, she's also a little scared. We all are. Taz and I are going to tell our parents about us, we've just decided that now is the time. By strange coincidence, the Queertet have reached the same decision… although I have a sneaking suspicion that Connie may have threatened to tell their parents and they're beating her to the post.
By the time that Taz has rearranged (read: knocked over) her art supplies for the seventh time I decide that I'm going to take her outside to say goodbye to everyone. Our room can't survive this kind of abuse.
We've already said goodbye to each other, well, the kind of goodbye we can't say in front of all those teachers, parents and students.
We're a few feet from the Queertet when Taz spots Charlie. She takes off at a run and hurls herself into his arms. I snort at the surprised look on his face. She's found out there are rumours about herself and Charlie, so Taz being Taz, she's playing up to them, mainly to annoy Linda who still can't work out if, in her words, 'the gay thing was just a cover so he could date someone else'.
I walk over and give Adam a more platonic hug. He nods towards our respective other halves who are now hurling Irish at each other. "And she was worried that you and I would get it on?" He jokes.
"She's just heard the rumours." I tell him as we walk over to them.
I slide my arms around her waist and gently pull her away. "You're not straightening out on me, are you?" I tease.
"Thinking about it." She jokes back.
Charlie looks terrified and hides behind Adam, while the Bash Brothers look on in amusement.
"Bye girls!" Luis calls with mock cheer as he walks past. Since this whole episode, I've learnt the names of the team. Luis pauses and looks at Taz and I. "And goodbye… well, whatever the hell you two are."
"I'll have you know that men like you are the reason for women like us!" I snap back. Taz adds a word that sounds a lot like 'courier' only it starts with a G. Charlie smiles, so I guess he knows what it means.
The guys have given up responding to the taunts, but Taz and I still do.
Luis's comment has brought us all down, and to be honest, everyone looks terrified once more.
Taz reaches inside her pocket and comes out with a small notepad. I know what it is, she's spent the past week working on it, she even went so far as to email a few of her old friends in Ireland. The front cover has the words 'A Gutter-Mind's Guide to Irish' on, and she's drawn a small sketch of Connie glued to her seat for entertainment value. She hands it to Charlie, with the words, "I thought this might help."
Charlie looks quite touched and highly amused. It's hard to believe that the two of them spent the entire night of the dance trying to kill each other. He steals her from me again for another hug. Linda chooses to walk past at this moment and gives them a death glare.
It's hugs all round before we go our separate ways. The Bash Brothers pick myself and Taz up when they hug us, deciding that it's bad for their backs to lean down a so far to hug a couple of oompa lumpas like us.
I guess it's now time to go and face the music.