Nothing Happens
That one night, they were dancing and drinking just enough to be tipsy and about ready to do something stupid, and on the way back home Gladys had just been able to stop Betty from making a fool of herself by playing their hero to a bunch of men whistling and throwing crude comments at their backs. The factory girls had helped to grab Betty by her arms and pull her along, while they ran the rest of the way to the boarding house, laughing endlessly, since they were used to this kind of behavior by the men from work.
At their doorstep they parted ways with Gladys and Vera, and Betty and Kate, holding on to each other in order to not eventually lose their footing, made their way up the stairs.
„You and being tough," Kate giggled and punched Betty's upper arm, thinking back to how Betty had tried to defend their honor. She swayed with Betty down the hall and through the slalom of other girls' clothes that had been hung out to dry over the clotheslines running across the corridor.
„Yeah." Betty could only crook her mouth in an attempt at a smile. Even being hit sent jingles up and down her spine, and a certain burning kind of warmth took over the side at which Kate leaned against her with their arms hooked.
„I'm a tough girl!" Betty proclaimed and even while she said it she felt how her face wanted to fall and how the cracks from their touch cut their way right through her not so tough chest.
Betty knew Kate surely had not caught that it was the comments toward Kate that had made her go off, nor would she understand it either.
„I'm even sure you would have beaten them senseless," Kate remarked with a stupid smile across her face, her eyes glazed over by a fine layer of obliviousness.
They slowly came to a stop in front of the doors to their respective rooms and with a grin Kate let her hand trail down Betty's arm to grasp her hand while she spun them, so that they faced each other. „Actually - I'm sure you can do everything!"
Kate's eyes had that simmering trust and hope in them that only children were allowed to have in their innocence and naivety when dreaming about snowflakes and their fathers being home from war at Christmas.
Betty loved that look, that look of wonder Kate often got when she discovered something new, and Betty especially loved it when it was directed at her. It made her feel special and like her chest swelled and by this latest moment, she felt sober and only the words tumbling from her mouth were the indicator for some inhibitions having been unchained through some drinks tonight.
„Everything - if it's for you," Betty breathed, squeezing the hand in hers for just that moment. And then there it was - that tension. Kate could feel it clearly in the way that Betty looked at her unwaveringly. It made her throat feel tight. She never knew what to do and suddenly she was quickly back on the ground.
It was not Betty – her hero, standing in front of her anymore, but someone else entirely – rather an animal with such deep, beautiful eyes, which she did not know if it was tame or not. And then it was gone, as quickly as it came.
Catching herself falling into Kate's grey eyes, losing control, Betty fearfully cut their gaze and stepped back, trying to get her casualness back, but couldn't help the considerate look to the side at her door. „Will you come in?"
„I..." Kate looked around, not knowing what to expect, and let Betty's hand tumble out of her own. Why did Betty sometimes feel so dangerous? She was the safest place on earth. It made Kate feel cold. In the place that Betty was dangerous and not on her side anymore, she was completely lost and alone.
„I can make tea," Betty offered harmlessly, having watched the scared look pass over Kate's face and Betty knew she was in trouble now. „Should drink something or your pretty head will hurt in the morning," Betty joked, her bright, crooked, trademark smile on her face, but it did not seem to work. Kate stared down, like she was frozen to the floor, making Betty feel wary. „Kate?"
Kate did not react. She had an idea what this whole thing was, but she did not dare. Usually she did not dare. But what if it would not go away like she hoped? What if Betty would be sick of her and going to leave in the end? She never dared to consider this until this moment, because of what it would mean. But she felt the moments piling up, letting them come closer and closer to an edge that needed a decision, an end or everything could be torn apart.
„Do you want me?" Kate suddenly asked, surprised and terrified about how clear she saw things in this moment and about her own bravery at jumping into the dark lake of sin and the unknown. But if it would eat her alive, then it might, at least she had tried and not thrown away the best and only friendship, the best person she ever had.
Betty's breath kept away by the question and she stared caught at her friend. Though what did caught mean? She had told her before. Still, she could not believe this moment. Her eyes swayed over Kate, her white face and demanding eyes, making her throat turn dry. She could not deny it.
„Yes," Betty said, swallowing down her fear, straightening up, pulling her shoulders back and preparing herself for the hit that was surely going to come and she would just close her eyes and let it burn.
And then it did burn. But in a completely different way.
Out of nowhere Kate's lips touched her own and it hit Betty hard, making her stumble back in surprise - disbelief, followed by quickly suppressed glory and hope, flooding her body.
„What?" Betty questioned confused, running the back of her hand over her just kissed lips, while staring at Kate and not being able to stop her eyes from hopefully swaying to those soft petals of promise again.
Betty wanted to step over there, grab Kate, pull her to her and experience the purest bliss she could imagine from those tingling feelings that had been haunting her body for months now, and she was just a spit away from doing so - to hell with the consequences and eventual hurt. She wanted that.
But Kate was thrown about Betty's reaction, and this lack of feeling she was experiencing. There should be more, shouldn't there? Still she took the step that was needed to get to Betty and placed her trembling fingers against Betty's chest, her eyes concentrating on the buttons of her green button-down shirt.
„Can we go in?"
Kate's voice was nothing but an uncertain whisper and Betty had no idea what it meant. It was toneless. No golden harmony.
„Y-yes," Betty whispered back, unsure how to handle the woman leaning against her now – was this still Kate? „Of course."
Betty reached back, opening the door to her room, and let them in, Kate passing her while tucking some of her red strands behind her ear, Betty's eyes never stopping their watch of her friend.
In the end they silently fell asleep together, too scared to burst their bubble. And nothing happened. Like all the other nights. Nothing ever happened.