Chapter Twenty: Caught Up In You
Manny got into Theresa's car, and they drove to school. They passed Emma on the way, Emma who was staring into Theresa's car, hurt on her face. Manny felt bad about it, but Emma just didn't make her as happy as Theresa.
"So, what are you doing after you graduate?" Manny asked.
Theresa looked at her. "I don't really think about it."
"How come? You're so close."
Theresa was silent a moment. "I guess it scares me. I've spent my whole life with my parents, my whole life taken care of, and now I'm about to be pushed out into the world. It seems very lonely."
Manny felt her heart jump. "I won't let you be lonely."
Theresa smiled, and it was radiant. "I know."
Manny felt like dancing. She felt like standing on rooftops and screaming her love. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She had found her soul mate, her Theresa.
Theresa did some things Manny would have once disapproved of. She smoked, she drank, she experimented in drugs. She partied until the sun came up, and then partied some more. But Manny was blinded by her affection, and wouldn't allow herself to see flaws in Theresa. To her, love meant the person was perfection. Even Theresa's flaws made her perfect, so Manny never saw them as flaws.
They quickly arrived at Degrassi. Theresa sat and stared at the building. It wasn't imposing, but it gave off a certain feeling of dread whenever you approached it. It was high school, and they were teenagers. It felt like prison.
"Hey, you wanna do something else today?" Theresa asked. Manny had already opened the door and one leg was outside on the pavement.
"Like what?" Manny asked.
Theresa smiled. "Like anything besides go to school?"
Manny thought for a moment. Her mother had been nicer and nicer lately, and she didn't want to wreck that. On the other hand, Theresa was asking her to go away with her for a while, and nothing was as important as that.
"Come on," Theresa said, patting Manny's leg.
Manny's heart beat a little faster. Casual touching always made her heart beat a little faster, and with it, she was taken.
"Oh, yeah," she said enthusiastically. She put her leg back in the car, shut the door, and they drove off.
She likes me. She really likes me, Manny thought. She felt like squealing, but that was more for when she had been with Emma. Theresa was a lot more sophisticated than Emma. She probably didn't squeal.
They went to a coffee shop. Manny had a latté, Theresa a cappuccino. As they drank their coffee, they talked and laughed and had a merry time. Manny never remembered being as happy as this.
"So, you asked me what I'm going to do. What about you? Got any big post-graduation plans?"
"Not really," Manny admitted with a shy smile. "I don't like planning."
Theresa made a mock gasp, and held her hand to her chest. "Land sakes! Manuela Santos, you may be a teenager after all!"
Manny giggled before she could suppress it. Theresa smiled warmly at her.
"So I guess we're in the same boat, huh?"
"Looks like we're going to have to paddle with our arms," Theresa agreed.
Manny leaned forward, and before she knew what she was doing—before she could talk herself out of it—she kissed Theresa. She kissed her with a passion she had never felt before, kissed her so deep she felt as though she was going to come out on the other side. It was so beautiful, so loving, that she didn't realize Theresa never kissed back.