CHAPTER 3 – EVERYTHING'S CHANGING

A few weeks later, Laura and Taylor were closer than ever. When Laura arrived in New York after spending more than a week in Jersey, she immediately called Taylor and they again spent the day together. From then on, whenever they had free time, each would call the other one and they would then spend that free time together.

They were seen in public a lot that more rumours of them being together in real life were spread all over the world. Knowing that they were both just really good friends, they just shrugged all of those off.

"Have you heard the news today?" asked Taylor.

She and Laura were having lunch out. Both had just finished their weekly workout. Both of them worked out three to four times a week but picked one day from those to work out together. Everyone kept staring at them but it had been happening a lot lately that Taylor had mastered how to ignore it.

Laura found it harder to ignore the stares, though. She found it quite uncomfortable eating with a lot of eyes on them. She's never really gotten used to fame yet, even though she's been one of the most talked-about television personalities for years, especially now with the popularity of their show.

But she appreciated all her fans. As crazy as some were, they were part of the reasons for her good life today and she was forever thankful for that.

"Wait, are you okay?" She looked around and knew instantly that all the stares were making her friend uncomfortable.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It's just, people keep staring. I feel like they're trying to undress me with their eyes," she chuckled.

"Well, let them. You have a hot gorgeous body," she joked to ease Laura's tension, and she succeeded. "Ignore them. They'll stop, eventually. Wait, do you wanna move some place else? We can just leave."

"No, no, it's all right. Promise. I'll just... ignore it." And she did. She just focused on her food and Taylor. "Anyway, what news?"

"Oh, that." Just thinking about it made Taylor shake her head. "Well, news is out that someone saw us making out at a bar last night."

Taylor said it with such straight face that Laura almost believed it. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, there's even a photo, mind you. A tall black-haired woman and a blonde not as tall as the other one... shagging." Taylor was close to laughing now.

"A photo? What, was it photoshopped or something?" Laura found it so preposterous that she, too, was starting to laugh.

"Apparently not. The photo was real. There were really two real people making out, both girls, a blonde and a black-haired." She paused. "We're sure that's not us, right?" This time, Taylor had let out her chuckle.

Laura had joined in, too. It was ridiculous how news went these days.

"You know what, that actually makes me wonder how people would react if we actually did go out. I mean, as a real couple. Like Alex-Piper couple. Minus the drugs and all the bullshit, of course. Maybe they wouldn't even believe it anymore." Taylor said wonderously.

"Jesus, I can only imagine. Everyone would go crazy."

-o-o-o-

"I noticed how you're starting to become a homebody these past few weeks." It was Laura's mother, Marjorie. She was in New York for a few days to attend some friend's wedding.

"What do you mean? You've only been here two days, Ma." They were both at Laura's couch, each enjoying a cup of tea.

"What, you think I don't have ears and eyes here?"

"Gee, who are you and what have you done to my mother? She usually doesn't care about what I do, you know." She then heard how what she had just said may have sounded to her mom. "Not in a bad way, though."

Unsurprisingly, Marjorie didn't find it offensive. She even laughed. "Doesn't mean I don't grab every chance I can get to look after my kids, you know. So, who's causing these sudden changes?"

Laura found it weird that her mom was asking her these questions. Sure, she rarely went out of her house nowadays. She would rather stay at home and just chill, most of the time with Taylor. Or sometimes, they stayed at her place and did indoor stuff. She didn't think anything was wrong with that, though.

"What? You're being weird, Mom. Well, not that you already aren't but, you know. Where are all of these things coming from? Is it because of all the news you've been hearing? I thought you didn't read those kinds of things." Before she realized it, Laura was blabbing.

"Laura, dear, you would think that I'd know my own children, wouldn't you? I don't know who you're hanging out with these days but I really do think that whoever that person is, is giving your world a 360-degree turn. You may not have realized it yet, but you will, eventually. I'm a hundred percent sure of that."

"Mother, you're freaking me out. Why are you saying all these things? Nothing's changed. I mean, I just currently prefer being at home these days because I'm trying to get all the rest I can get while taking a break from Orange. That's it. I don't know what the big fuss is all about."

"Honey, you never rest! You always find time to do almost everything. And you spend every minute of your day making sure you get to spend each of those with everyone in your life, and I mean, everyone. So if you've suddenly decided that it's actually better to spend all of those minutes with just one person, which I believe is what you're currently doing, then you should know, something has really changed."

Laura couldn't say anything back after that.

-o-o-o

"I don't know, she was being so weird, talking about changes and all. It was actually funny. Just when I thought my Mom couldn't get any weirder." Laura was on the phone talking to Taylor.

She was with her guy friends, and they were all doing laps of bike riding, though she's taking her break now. Even if she didn't want to admit it to herself, because doing so would mean she agreed with her mom, she wanted to prove her that nothing she said was true. That she wasn't changing.

"Well, you know mothers. They're like that." Taylor let out a soft laugh on the other end of the line. She heard Laura sigh. "Honey, chill! You know your Mom's just looking out for you. Don't be too stressed about it."

"Yeah, I just can't shake off what she told me. It keeps ringing in my ears."

"Why? Is everything she said true?"

"No! Definitely not. I told you, girl. She was being weird, which is, of course, what she does all the time. But this is different, it's creepy."

Taylor giggled. "You'll forget about that soon enough, trust me." When Laura didn't say anything, Taylor decided to change the topic to make Laura forget about it for a while. "Where are you anyway? It kind of sounds noisy over there. Do I hear motorcycles?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm with the guys." Suddenly, Laura's voice sounded a lot happier. "Hey guys, say hello to Taylor!"

Everyone said their hi's and hello's.

"Heard that? We're just hangin' out, you know what we usually do. I actually can't believe how much I missed this."

"Oh, hello to everyone! And right, you haven't done that in a reallyyyy long time. You've been staying at home a lot."

Laura didn't know what to feel that Taylor just said almost exactly what her Mom told her. "Yeah, I've been told," she said nonchalantly.

"What?"

"Nothing. You were saying?"

"Bikes! Oh hey, I wanna learn how to do that! It looks like so much fun! Can you bring me one of these days to your motorcycle rides... or whatever you call it? Please?"

Laura suddenly felt excited because of what Taylor said and she didn't even know why. "Really? That would be amazing, Tay! When do you wanna do it?"

-o-o-o-

The next day, Taylor and Laura were both riding bikes. Laura had to teach Taylor first but she was such a fast learner that soon enough they were having a blast going around New York City. They didn't even realize that it had been hours since they started. When they did, they went back to Laura's for some snacks.

"Wow! That was the best! I actually thought it was just gonna be like the normal bicycle ride, you know? But it was a lot more awesome! The adrenaline, everything! It was perfect." Taylor was saying as Laura prepared food. She had the biggest smile.

"What'd I tell you, huh?" Laura already loved riding bikes so much so she didn't think that this ride was going to be any different. But she was wrong. She had more fun than she'd ever had. And she wanted to make herself believe that it was because she had just missed doing this a lot.

"Let's do this again, please? I wanna go faster!"

Taylor was squealing like a little child and Laura found her too adorable. Realizing what she had just thought, she silently scolded herself.

"Snap out of it, Laura."

"What, is it so bad to find a friend adorable now?"

"You know it's more than that, you doofus."

"Hello? Earth to Laura!"

"Oh! What? Oh, right sorry." She tried to compose herself before answering Taylor. "Hm, you don't wanna do that, girl. Safety first."

"Aw, don't be such a pussy!" She threw her a small green pea.

"Wh- now I'm a pussy? Who taught you how to ride, in the first place, huh?" She returned the favour by throwing her two green peas.

"Pussy!" She threw her another pea, and this time Taylor was laughing so hard.

And so was Laura, she was almost guffawing. "Say pussy again." She looked at Taylor laughing, taking in how beautiful she looked, and the warmth she felt inside her knowing that she was the reason Taylor was this happy.

That's when she realized why this bike ride was the best she's ever had. It had nothing to do with the activity. Everything was about who she had done it with.

-o-o-o-

It was one of those drunken nights again. Taylor and Laura had just gone from a party a writer from OITNB threw and of course, they were again both drunk when they went home, Laura's home.

Both of them were lying on the Laura's bed. Taylor was out but Laura was still very much awake. She was on her side, facing Taylor who was peacefully sleeping. For the longest time, Laura just kept staring at Taylor's face. She realized she'd been doing that a lot lately but she never really had the chance to figure out the reason behind it.

Some of Taylor's hair was on her face so Laura gently tucked those behind her friend's ear so as not to wake her up. Then suddenly, as if a magnet was pulling Laura towards Taylor, she slowly inched her face closer to her and kissed her on her forehead.

She stared at her closed eyes and imagined her looking back at her...

...her nose and how she would scratch them out of habit...

...and then her lips, those soft lips she's always loved to kiss.

But then Taylor moved slightly snapping Laura out of what seemed to her as a trance.

And that's when she felt like someone had poured cold water all over her. Because it was impossible. It was impossible that she was looking at Taylor differently now. She couldn't be looking at her this way.

But when she realized that she actually already did, "Fuck," was all she had muttered to herself.