AN: Hey there! I'm sorry it took me so long to publish a new chapter. The beginning of this one will have the same phone chat from last chapter, except this time it's from Sara's POV.

I hope you enjoy it! :)

CHAPTER 9

Sara and Laurel get home around 9 P.M. Their father isn't home yet, which means he probably got held up late at the Police Department. After telling her sister that she needs some rest, Sara goes up to her bedroom and closes the door behind her. As soon as she spots her bed, she plops front-down on the inviting mattress but regrets it immediately, letting out a grunt of discomfort. It seems that landing on her stomach after stuffing herself with a stack of six pancakes, and some bites of Laurel's waffle, might not have been her brightest idea. She turns to lay on her back instead, rubbing her stomach soothingly. She closes her eyes, enjoying the silence and comfort her room provides. She tries to let herself rest, but she can't stop her mind from wandering. Her head is replaying the awful conversation she had with her mother just a few hours prior.

Sara clenches her jaw forcefully, trying not to let the swirl of emotions that is quickly forming get the best of her.

She attempts to reflect on other things and her mind immediately lands on the other subject that has been bothering her. The way she reacted to Ava getting along well with Nate. One minute she was fine and enjoying her conversation with Ava and the next thing she knew, a bad feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach and overwhelmed her. She still doesn't fully understand what happened, and why she had felt the need to get out of there as soon as possible.

And then, to make matters worse, she was even rude to Ava once she got back to the dorm. All her friend had wanted was to understand what had happened, because her eyes held nothing but worry.

So Sara ended up giving the first excuse that came to mind by bringing up the night of the party. Which in her understanding, it wasn't exactly a lie, but it also wasn't the full truth.

Thankfully, she was able to apologize for her behavior. She was also lucky enough to have Ava forgiving her, which took some of the pressure off of her chest over the last few days.

And then, once again, she had Ava listening attentively while she talked about her complicated relationship with her mother and how hard it was accepting the fact that she would be facing her in person soon. As she let it all out, Ava had been nothing short of incredible, letting her seek literal comfort in her arms. But as always, Sara almost took it too far.

Her train of thought zeroes in on the moment that she leaned back from Ava's embrace but kept hold of her gaze, only releasing it to focus on Ava's lips instead. Plump and inviting lips that left her traitorous and greedy heart begging her to close the distance and allow her a taste. So she started to lean in closer. For a couple of seconds, she felt like Ava was leaning in too, like she wasn't the only one wanting this to happen.

Unfortunately it was over as quickly as it began, her own phone interrupting the moment and showing that Ava's intentions weren't the same. The way her friend scrambled to get up and out of their shared room was proof enough of that.

Ava didn't seem mad at her, which was good. And she even told Sara that she could call her anytime during the weekend if she felt like venting to someone. But despite all of that, one thing was obvious to Sara; Ava definitely didn't have any intention of kissing her at that moment. And even if it had happened, their still new and oh so fragile friendship would have been ruined in a matter of seconds.

And that's what Sara holds on to, their friendship. A friendship that she would like to see grow even stronger as time goes on. She decides that confiding in Ava like the girl had told her she could, will be a good start for them to grow closer. She ponders on whether she should call Ava or not before grabbing her phone and unlocking it to check the time. She figures that it's still early enough, so surely her friend won't be asleep yet.

Even so, Sara prefers to text her first, just to make sure she won't be bothering her and interrupting whatever she might be doing at the moment. After a few texts back and forth she sends another one asking if she can call her. As soon as she gets the okay from Ava, Sara dials her number, smiling at how quickly she picks up.

"Hello, again." The taller blonde greets, earning her a light chuckle from Sara.

"Hey Aves..."she responds. An awkward silence settles between them as Ava decides to give Sara some time to collect her thoughts. After a slight pause, she eventually continues, "So how was returning home?"

"It was... Okay I guess," Ava provides. "I get to hang out with my brother and eat my mom's wonderful cooking, so that's good."

"I sense a 'but' coming up..."

Sara detects a small sigh from the taller blonde for her comment.

"Yeah, it's just... Dinner was going really well, I was telling them about you, Zari and Amaya, and they were happy to know that I'm making friends. But as soon as I told them that Zari and Amaya are a couple, my father's whole demeanor changed; and not for the better."

Sara's eyes widen at the revelation as she feels a strange wave of guilt. "Shit... I'm sorry about that."

"And it actually got worse."

She swallows before forcing herself to ask, "How come?"

"Well my brother recently made a new friend and apparently the girl has two moms and my dad's immediate reaction was taking pity on the kid and blaming her moms for being bullied at school."

And just like that, Sara's guilt easily shifts into rage.

"What the hell?! How can he say that? It's the others kids fault for being mean, not the moms'!" She says this while raising her voice, throwing her free hand in the air.

"That's exactly what I told my dad! But he completely ignored me and instead chose to focus on the fact that I let out a curse word at the table."

Sara scoffs at that. "Geez Ava, I know he's your dad but he has got some nerve..."

"I know... I couldn't listen to it anymore so I simply asked to be excused from the table and left."

Sara nods at Ava's words, even though her sympathetic movements will go unseen. "Yeah I would have done the same thing, except the 'asking to be excused' bit. I would have just gotten up and walked away."

She hears Ava chuckle at her words.

"Yeah I can totally see that happening. I wish I had the guts to do it sometimes."

Sara smiles, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe you do have it in you, you just haven't tried it yet."

"Hm... Maybe."

They sit in silence after that, and for a couple of beats Sara feels herself starting to cower on the prospect of telling Ava about how the whole chat with her mom went. She definitely wants to, but she doesn't know if she's prepared to share something so private so soon. On the other hand, she also doesn't want to be bothering Ava with her problems. She eventually comes to the conclusion that Ava has been pretty open with her about private stuff the last few days. Why shouldn't she do the same?

With one last hesitating breath, she decides to share. "So, remember how I told you I was having dinner with my mom tonight?"

"I do. How did that go?" Sara sighs in response before recalling what happened.

"It was a shit-show. Turns out she's gonna marry her boyfriend and she just wanted Laurel and I to know and to be present at the wedding. I, obviously, immediately said no."

"Damn Sara, that sucks... I don't even know what to say."

A smile flashes across the smaller blonde's face at Ava's effort in trying to comfort her. Even if it is through the phone.

"That's okay Aves, you don't have to say anything."

"I imagine she didn't take it very well when you said 'no'?"

Sara releases a bitter chuckle, "That would be correct. And she didn't even have the decency of apologizing to me. She still insists that I did what I did to provoke her."

"Geez, what did you do? Robbed a bank or something?" Ava asks in an attempt to lighten the mood.

If Sara wasn't so bothered by the situation, she would have actually laughed. Instead, she decides to stop tiptoeing around the subject and finally be upfront about it. "She caught me making out with another girl when I went to spend last summer at her house."

The call goes silent after that and the smaller blonde can't help but regret sharing the information. Thankfully, Ava's voice soon sounds through the line once again.

"Oh. I didn't- are you gay?"

Sara laughs lightly at the way Ava reacts to it. If she had to guess, she would bet that Ava is probably blushing by now. She eventually speaks again, "I'm bisexual actually, so I go both ways. But I do have a preference for girls."

"I see..." comes the reply, and Sara raises her eyebrows, pleasantly surprised at how raspy Ava's voice has suddenly become. She decides to tease her a little bit.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Ava repeats, confused, and Sara chuckles in return.

"What do you like, Aves? Or better yet, who do you like?"Sara asks tentatively, because she does like teasing Ava, but she doesn't necessarily want to upset her by prying too much. Although, she can't help the feeling that starts to grow inside of her, almost like a flicker of hope. Hope that Ava might give her an answer similar to hers.

A longer silence than the previous one falls among them, and Sara was already accepting that she wouldn't get a straight answer to her question, or worse, that Ava would hang up on her, when her friend finally replies.

"I like... Boys, I guess?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"Sara's voice has an amused lilt to it, but she can't help the way that tiny flicker of hope vanishes and is replaced by disappointment. She tries to shake the feeling away when she hears Ava's groan, followed by an answer.

"I just never really liked anyone before. I know how to appreciate beauty in others and sometimes I'm attracted to certain people, but never enough to want something more..." she admits before letting out a small sigh, "Does that make sense?"

Sara lets her words sink in before replying. She doesn't want to overwhelm Ava with too much talk about sexuality, or worse, make her feel pressured; as if she had to give her a straight answer right away when she seems to still be discovering herself.

She briefly ponders on which words to use, before finally replying.

"I guess so. I mean, you're still young. You have time to figure it all out, Aves. Don't feel bad for not being sure. Most people don't realize it, but sexuality is actually a pretty complicated thing. It's not all black and white as many people like to believe and preach that it is."

Ava stays silent for a while, absorbing and reflecting on Sara's words.

"Thanks Sara. That's... That's actually very wise."

Sara's face breaks into a content smile, "And also helpful, I hope?"

"Yes, that too. Thanks."

The line goes silent again and Sara tries to come up with something to fill it, but nothing comes to mind. Fortunately, Ava's voice breaks through.

"Hey Sara?"

"Yes?"

"When did... When did you find out you liked girls too?"

Sara lets out a breath of air before replying, thinking she might as well be fully honest at this point, "I think deep down I always knew it... I just didn't know what it was, exactly. It wasn't until my third year of high school that I fully realized what those feelings were."

"I see. So then you told your family about it?"

Sara thinks back on it, on how the whole process unfolded at the time.

"I told Laurel and dad, but I didn't tell my mom. She only found out because she literally caught me in the act and you already know how that story goes."

"What do your dad and sister think about it?"

"Oh, they're cool with it, as long as I respect the same house rules as Laurel. Which means 'the door to your bedroom stays open at all times'!"She says with a deep mocking voice in an attempt to imitate her father and she smiles when she manages to make Ava laugh.

"I'm glad you at least have their support."

"Me too, Aves. And thanks for listening to me rambling about my problems."

"It's no problem Sara, you can always count on me. Besides, you listened to me too so I guess we're even."

Sara laughs at that. "I guess we are." Her words are quickly followed by a yawn she can't suppress, leaving her blushing a little bit. "Sorry... I think the stress from tonight is taking its toll on me. I think it's best if I just go to bed, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not! Go, sleep. I'll probably do the same in a while, I was just looking through the photos we took together. Remember those?"

Sara's heart suddenly jumps with excitement and a fond smile makes its way to her face. "How could I forget? We looked so good! I'm still waiting for you to give me a printed one."

"Yes, yes! I'll get right to it this weekend but first I want to work on them with Lightroom."

"I have no idea what that is, but if it makes me look prettier then go right ahead!"

"Pfft! As if you needed a photo editor to look good."

Sara smirks at Ava's words. "Ava Sharpe, was that a compliment to my person?"she asks, amusement evident in her voice.

"Maybe."

"I'm gonna take that as a yes. You know, you're not so bad yourself,"Sara tells her, her voice dropping to a husky tone. She hears Ava let out a nervous snort before firing back, "Shut up."

"I'm just telling it how it is, Aves. But enough chatting, I really need to sleep."

"Okay Sara, have a good night."

"You too Aves."

And with those last words, their conversation ends. A smile stays fixed on Sara's face, and she makes a mental note of adding a photo of Ava's to her contacts. She thinks about how happy she is with herself for having made the good decision of calling her friend. Then her smile widens as she imagines Ava going through the photographs they took together that first day and an unfamiliar but welcoming warmth spreads through her chest. She thinks about how the whole week has been, how much she already shared with Ava in such a small time.

It's like Sara can just be her true self around her, almost as much as she can with her long-time friends, Zari and Amaya. She never felt this much at ease so quickly with someone she has just met. They still have so many things to learn about one another, and yet, they already have an easiness between them that is usually only found between people who have known each other for years.

Her mind wanders even further, back to their early morning at the dorm room when Ava was comforting Sara. How she placed her long arm around Sara's shoulders almost immediately, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And Sara easily fell into it, quickly laying her head on her friend's shoulder.

Later that night, when Sara is lying in her bed, she thinks about how the conversation with her mother unfolded and how she had thought she would be feeling worse about it. She still feels sad for how it went down, of course, but somehow, being able to vent about it with Ava had helped, and a lot more than she was expecting. The discussion with her mother slowly moves to the back of Sara's mind as she drifts off to sleep, a smile on her lips as she lets herself think of Ava.

Ava is in their dorm room, resting against her bed's headboard as she scrolls through her phone, eyebrows knitted in concentration. However, her attention quickly shifts to the door as she hears Sara return to the dorm after her last class of the day. As she enters the place, her voice can be heard through the room.

"Mhm, I can't believe I'm finally home!" she says, her back turned on Ava as she locks the door behind her. "I'm in serious need of some Netflix."

As she turns around, her eyes land on Ava who is looking at her with eyes wide, a deep blush on her cheeks as if she has just been caught doing something naughty. Sara's eyes then land on the phone between her hands, screen down against her chest.

"Aves? What were you doing?"

"Nothing!" Ava replies rather quickly.

Sara smirks as she walks up to Ava's bed.

"Really?" she teases, her arms crossed against her chest. "Then why do you look like you've just been caught red-handed?"

"I- I didn't," Ava stutters. "I was just checking my schedule for tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Sara asks, uncrossing her arms before crawling on the bed until she's straddling Ava's lap. "You won't mind me checking then?"

Ava gulps, the sudden proximity making her nervous as she clutches the phone closer to her chest. "No need for that," she eventually stutters out, her cheeks getting redder by the second.

Sara grabs the hand holding the device while her left hand moves down to Ava's side, tickling her until she is left squirming. As her hold on the device loosens, Sara takes the chance to take it from Ava's hands.

"Ah-ha!" Sara shouts victoriously, her fist in the air.

Ava's mouth forms a pout, her eyes pleading. "Come on Sara, give it back…" She makes a grab for her phone, but Sara quickly hides it behind her back while she leans away from Ava.

As Sara finally looks down at the phone, her eyes promptly scan the screen. "Lesbian kissing… How to kiss a girl?" She starts to read the first couple web results out loud until her head snaps back to Ava, her eyebrows raised in a silent question.

Ava is too busy hiding her face between her hands to notice Sara's questioning look.

"Why did you have to read it out loud?" Ava whines, and although a bit muffled, Sara can still understand it.

She places the phone down and moves to straddle Ava's lap once more, which only makes her roommate more flustered.

Placing each one of her hands on top of Ava's, Sara softly asks, "Hey, Aves, can you come out of hiding?"

"No..." Ava mouths against her hands, shaking her head.

A chuckle escapes Sara, but she keeps insisting. She takes hold of Ava's hands and moves them away gently. As she plants her lips on Ava's forehead, the girl hides her face in the crook of Sara's neck, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Sara's arms go around her back, enveloping her in a warm hug. Ava relishes the feeling, but somehow, it feels wrong. Something feels out of place.

After a couple of seconds, Sara says, "You know, if you wanted to know more about that all you had to do was ask. I would have gladly shown you-"

Ava slaps Sara's arm. "Shut up!" she whines, although she can't stop the pleasant flutter in her lower belly at the suggestion.

Sara can't help but giggle. "Come on," she coos, "Can you look at me? Let me see that beautiful face of yours."

Since when does Sara call me 'beautiful' so easily? Ava thinks, before she inevitably has to lean back when Sara starts to playfully poke her waist, tickling her until she is a squirming mess. Ava eventually surrenders and has no choice but to face Sara.

"You're a jerk," she mumbles with a pout.

Sara smiles cheekily at her. "A lovable jerk, though, right?"

Ava rolls her eyes at that but can't help the smirk that tugs at the corners of her lips. "I guess…"

"But let's get back on the subject," Sara says as she tucks a strand of hair behind Ava's ear. "You don't need to be embarrassed about it, Aves. It's perfectly normal to get curious."

"Okay." Ava slowly nods as she gets lost in the cool azure of Sara's eyes.

"But I would still have preferred if you asked me about it. You know you can trust me," Sara admits, her voice now more serious.

Ava frowns at that. "It's not that I don't trust you Sara, I was just embarrassed about it. I didn't want you to see me as some kind of loser. I mean… You have so much experience and I have… None."

"Aves, you are anything but a loser. And certainly not because of that." Sara cups Ava's face in assurance as her thumbs stroke her still crimson cheeks.

"You really mean it?"

"Of course I do, baby." The term of endearment surprises Ava, sounding weird coming from her friend's mouth. But before she can react to it, Sara is leaning in, closing the little space that's still left between them as her lips touch Ava's in a gentle kiss. Her mouth moves slowly against Ava's, almost like she is afraid the taller girl would break under her touch. Yet Ava feels like she has never experienced anything better as a pleasant warmth runs from her lips to the tips of her toes, igniting a fire in its passage. As her initial shock passes, she starts to kiss Sara back, reveling in the feeling of the blonde's soft lips against hers and how their mouths seem to fit so well together. When they part, Ava can't help the whine that comes out of her, leaving her smiling sheepishly at Sara, whose face is lit up by a charming dimpled smile, her beautiful blue eyes shining brighter than ever at her with a gentleness that leaves Ava melting.

Sara's mouth starts to move, forming words she can't quite understand. "Wake up, Ava."

Ava blinks slowly, still trying to figure out what just happened, "What?"

"I said wake up." She hears that voice again and suddenly Sara is gone and she is left surrounded by only darkness.

As her eyes start to flutter open, she realizes she is in her room at home.

"Ava." This time she can clearly tell that it's her brother's voice, the sound coming from her left. She reaches out to her nightstand and turns on the small lamp.

"Caleb. Hey, buddy," Ava rasps, reaching for her water bottle to take a quick sip. "What's up? Can't sleep?" She gets a shake of the head in return. She can't help but smile fondly at her little brother's figure, dressed in his favorite Pikachu pajamas as he clings tightly to an Eevee plush Ava had gotten him for his birthday last year. It had immediately become his inseparable nighttime companion, especially now that Ava wasn't around as much.

She scoots over to her right and pulls the covers down so her brother can climb up. He promptly does, snuggling to her side. "I had a nightmare." He mumbles as his little arm holding the plush goes around his sister's waist - leaving the toy resting on Ava's right side - while he places his head close to her chest. Ava's left hand quickly rests against his head so she can thread her fingers through his auburn curls. He nuzzles closer to her, his hold on her waist tightening as she pulls the covers back up to cover both of them.

She sighs and moves her free hand to rest on top of his arm, tracing gentle circles there. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Caleb shakes his head, a pout forming on his lips. Ava's eyes flutter shut and after a few minutes she is almost falling back asleep when her brother asks, "Were you dreaming about school?"

Ava frowns, her hand stilling against his head. "No. Why do you ask?"

He leans back a couple of inches so he can look up at her. "You were saying Sara's name."

Her eyes open wide at her brother's words, and she feels embarrassed as she remembers the exact content of her very recent dream. She clears her throat to compose herself, but Caleb's inquiring green eyes are still fixed on her. She tries to come up with a good explanation but can't think of anything and it's obvious that she can't tell him the truth either.

"You know what, maybe I was dreaming about school. I just can't remember anymore."

"Okay," he whispers. It seems to be enough of an explanation for him, as he returns to rest on Ava's chest.

Silence falls between them once again, and after a moment Caleb eventually gets to sleep. Once Ava is sure that he is soundly asleep, she reaches over to her nightstand and turns off the lamp. In the darkness of the room, she recounts the very vivid dream she had, over and over in her head.

She can't shake the feeling of dream Sara's lips against her own, even as she finally succumbs to sleep.