"I'm just saying," Root started, climbing out of the car, "I like the new Fall Out Boy album."
Sameen slammed her door shut, scoffing. "It doesn't hold a candle to their original stuff." She stomped towards the entrance to Greer's, leaving Root to close her door and jog to catch up. "I hate the new Panic! stuff, too. At least, MCR has the decency to stay broken up."
Root laughed and pulled her leather jacket closed. It was cool for early September, only 70 degrees, and the parking lot was full of cars. They'd just gotten back to Bishop after taking their SATs in Kingsville. The test was way too early for a Saturday morning, so they had planned on going straight home, but the test was so easy, they wanted ice cream to celebrate. All of Bishop seemed to have the same thought.
Sameen pulled open the front door and stepped aside to let a family out. When they had passed, she made a grand sweeping gesture, letting Root in first. Winking as she stepped inside, Root made sure to brush against Sameen suggestively. She looked around the store. It was so crowded she could barely see the counter.
Root pushed through the crowd, trying to see if there was an open table. The noise in the room was overwhelming and she wondered how she'd sign and eat her ice cream at the same time. Sameen's hand appeared over her shoulder, startling her, and pointed to a table in the back corner.
"No…" Root groaned, slumping. "She hates me."
Lightly pushing Root forward, Sameen pressed her lips against Root's left ear. "You guys have been doing so well lately. She hasn't called you dumb in days!"
Root rolled her eyes, but let Sameen lead her around the full tables to where Gen sat alone, a notebook spread out in front of her. Sameen was right; Gen had relaxed a little bit since school started over a month ago. She was still following Sameen around like a lost puppy, but she'd actually complimented Root's sneakers the other day, seemingly sincere.
Root pulled out the chair across from Gen and sat down. "Hello, freshman," Root greeted. Across the store from the counter, she could hear a little better. "Kicked any good shins lately?"
Gen looked up from her notebook, slamming it shut. She glanced up at Sameen before focusing on Root. "I haven't kicked you in like a week, nerd." She put her pencil down. "You worked here, right?"
Root nodded. Sameen patted her shoulder and pointed to the counter. Watching Sameen disappear into the crowd, Root leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "Yeah," she said, turning back to Gen, "for almost two years. Why? Planning a robbery?"
Gen stuck her tongue out. "No. I was hoping you could give me a tour, though."
"Uh, probably." Root shrugged. "Mr. Greer loves me."
"Even though you keep destroying his classroom? Are you still failing his class?"
"Wow," Root snorted, crossing her arms, "I guess you don't want a tour after all."
Gen scowled, glaring at Root. "Fine. I'm sorry. Happy? Ugh. What does Shaw even like about you?"
"My hot body and girlish charm. Why do you want a tour anyway?"
Gen stared at her for a moment before nodding, coming to some sort of conclusion. Looking around the store quickly, she leaned across the table and whispered something inaudible. Even though the distance lessened the chatter, Root could barely hear whispers even when it was quiet.
"I can't hear you," Root said apologetically. She gestured to her ear. "Deaf."
Rolling her eyes, Gen opened her notebook again and turned to a fresh page. After scribbling furiously, she pushed the book across the small table.
"Can you keep a secret?" Root read out loud.
The book was snatched from her hands, scaring her. Gen frowned down at the page, writing another message. She shoved the notebook back into Root's hands.
"Read to yourse – oh." Root shrugged, reaching up to scratch her nose. "Whoops."
She took the pen from Gen and wrote 'I can keep a secret.'
The metal spiral of the notebook scraped across the wooden tabletop as she slid it back. Reading Root's message, Gen started writing and Root leaned back in her seat. She looked around for Sameen and spotted her at the counter, four sample spoons clutched in her hand. The crowd was thinning and Sameen was apparently taking advantage of the poor server's attention. Root laughed; Sameen was just going to get Triple Chocolate like always.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the notebook switch sides again and turned back to the table. Written in sloppy, slanted handwriting were the words 'Greer is evil.' She glanced at Gen to see if this was a joke, but Gen was staring at her intensely, completely serious. Root looked down again. 'I built listening devices. I want to plant them and see what he's up to.'
"Greer's like 70," Root said out loud. "What's he going to do? Be old-people racist? Are you gonna catch him hating immigrants?"
"Watch it!" Gen said loudly. "I'm an immigrant. Maybe he wants to get us dragged out of town."
Frowning, Root looked Gen over. She was smaller than average, skinny and pale. They'd never talked about why she'd moved to Bishop. Gen never talked about where she'd come from or who she lived with. Root wasn't even sure she had parents. The defensive look in Gen's eyes was incredibly familiar.
"Fine," Root sighed. She felt silly, but having Sameen as a friend had helped her a lot. Maybe Gen just needed someone, too. "So, Greer is evil and you want to spy. What kind of devices did you make? GSM? RF? Are you just planning on hardwiring something?"
Gen looked surprised and Root smirked. Obviously, Gen had underestimated her.
"You know about this stuff?" Gen asked, leaning forward.
Root grinned. "I built my own HAM radio when I was younger than you are now. I'm basically a genius."
Rolling her eyes again, Gen sat back in her chair. "I may have underestimated you, Groves."
"Don't call me that." Root held a hand up. "It's just Root."
"Like Madonna?" Gen closed her notebook, one eyebrow raised. "That's dumb."
"Yeah, whatever, 'Gen.' If that's even your real name."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
They glared at each other across the table.
"I see the truce has ended," Sameen said, appearing next to them. She held up three ice cream cones. "Sustenance."
Root took two cones from her so she could sit down. Sameen dropped into her chair with a sigh, handing the third cone to Gen. She took hers from Root and licked it.
"I got you cookie dough," Sameen said to Gen. "I don't know what you like, but you're like 12, right? Kids like cookie dough."
Gen frowned. "I'm 14." She looked down at her ice cream and her licks quirked up into a small smile. "Thank you. I do like cookie dough."
Kicking Sameen under the table, Root laughed. "She's never going to leave us alone if you keep feeding her."
"Whatever," Sameen said, wiping chocolate from her lips. "You're the one who said we had to make new friends. I'm making friends."
"Speaking of friendship…" Gen held her cone in one hand, reaching down to pull a piece of paper from the bag at her side with her other. She slammed it down on the table, making Root jump. "Let's go to this tonight."
Root ate her ice cream and looked at the poster, her head tilted. It was the flyer for a roller derby game in Corpus Christi. A muscular woman took up most of the page, her sportsbra and shorts leaving little to the imagination. If she'd been a little tanner, she would have looked like Sameen.
"Roller Derby?" Sameen asked, voice muffled by ice cream. "Like that Ellen Page movie?"
Root took a bite of her ice cream and looked at Sameen. "You're so gay."
Sameen raised a leg, resting her foot on her chair. She met Root's eyes and slowly licked her ice cream, her tongue hard against the cold surface. Eyes locked on Sameen's mouth, Root swallowed. Any time Sameen's eyes focused on her, Root started to sweat. Her cone cracked in her hand as her fist clenched and Root looked away, taking a deep breath.
"Oh," Gen said thoughtfully, "so that's what Lionel's talking about."
Root's eyes slid to Gen. "What?"
"Lionel's always talking about how gross you guys are." Gen shrugged. "I hadn't noticed before. I see it now."
Root flushed as Sameen rolled her eyes. It never felt like they were being obvious, but maybe they were worse than they thought. Zoe and Joss had teased them before, but Root assumed that's just how they are. Had Root and Sameen looked at each other like this all along? And it had still taken them so long to get together.
Root couldn't help looking at Sameen. There was always a light sheen of sweat on Sameen's arms, even now in the cooler weather. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her jawline was strong and sharp. Root ran her eyes down Sameen's neck. They lingered on a fading mark above her collarbone, the remnants of last weekend's experiment. She sucked in a breath, remembering the way Sameen's flushed skin had looked under the stars.
"You're doing it again," Gen announced, startling Root. "So, are you coming tonight or not?"
Sameen tapped Root's arm lightly. "You wanna go?"
"Sure. We can invite Lionel."
"Martine, too?" Gen asked, hopefully. "I like her. She always looks like she wants to punch someone."
"I can understand that," Sameen said. "We're both pretty scary."
Gen chuckled. "Yeah, ok."
Sameen stiffened. She glanced at Root before turning to face Gen. Root ate her ice cream, smiling. Apparently, Sameen was losing her edge.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sameen asked, indignant. "You don't think I could fight someone?"
"I'm sure you could," Gen said reassuringly. "You're just not as scary as Martine is. You've been nice to me and you're really supportive of everyone on the team. I mean, you bought me ice cream."
"Sameen," Root laughed, "You've gone soft. Kids these days don't even know you put Lambert in the hospital."
Gen's eyes widened. "I forgot about that! Martine told me about that! That's impressive, but I don't really think of you like that. Why were you so mad?"
Sameen looked over her shoulder at Root. "Uh," she stammered, "I was drunk. He was an asshole."
"Let's go," Root said, standing. They were heading into dangerous territory. She wasn't willing to talk to Gen about her relationship troubles. "We should get ready for tonight." She smiled at Gen. "Let me know when you want that tour."
"What tour?" Sameen asked, looking between them as she stood. "Are two actually planning to do something together?"
Gen glared at Root and dragged a finger across her throat. Root just took a bite of her cone and stepped away from the table. She wasn't going to be intimidated by someone a foot and a half shorter than her. Squinting threateningly at Gen, Root turned away and headed out of the store. The crowd had thinned since they'd arrived and they crossed the room quickly.
When Root was almost at the door, Sameen leapt forward to pull it open for her. She grinned and tossed the last of her cone into the trash.
"See," she said, spinning on her heel to walk backwards out into the breezy, afternoon air, "this is why Gen isn't scared of you. The Sameen I met and fell in love with would never open the door for anyone."
Sameen snorted. "I may have been tougher before, but I was never a heathen. I always open doors for ladies."
"Ok, softy," Root laughed, hopping off the sidewalk onto the gravel next to RBG. "Whatever you say."
"Wipe that smirk off your face or I'll punch it off."
"Hmm, promise?"
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The warehouse that they were in had a low ceiling and the overhead lights were incredibly dim. Thankfully, the stage lights around the rink made up for it. Their group had found an empty space on the top of the concrete bleachers surrounding the track and if Root jumped, her fingers would brush the ceiling. Sameen knew because it was the first thing Root did after they climbed the steps.
They weren't too far from the stage, definitely close enough to tell that the girls racing around the rink had to be half-blind. Sameen glanced at Root on her right and sipped her beer.
The crowd was so loud that Sameen could hardly hear her own thoughts. The second they'd walked into the grimy warehouse to watch the roller derby game, they knew Root would be confined to signing. Gen and Martine didn't know ASL, but Sameen and Lionel did. Root had been happy to have an excuse to avoid Gen.
Sameen watched Root and Lionel sign at each other over Gen's head and laughed, slightly drunk. Root's back was to her, but she could see Lionel furiously demanding a cup of beer. Gen didn't seem to mind the silent argument happening above her. She was leaning on the metal railing separating them from the game, or 'bout,' as she'd called it.
Root had done some research before they came, but apparently Gen was a rabid fan. Sameen rolled her eyes. The ride to the game had been 45 minutes of Gen rattling off every roller derby fact she knew. Sameen hadn't retained most of the information, but the game looked fun. Two girls bumped shoulders and one fell to the ground. Sameen could get behind a good contact sport.
She took another drink from the red solo cup in her hand, feeling a little unsteady on her feet, and looked to her left. Martine was watching the game, her face blank. Playing with the top button of her shirt, Sameen debated untucking it. It was cold outside, but now, between the lights and the crowd, she was starting to sweat.
Martine seemed fine. Sameen had noticed that Martine stood incredibly still, always. Several times during school, Sameen would walk right passed her before noticing that she was there. Somehow, Martine never seemed to breath.
Feeling Sameen's gaze, Martine turned around from the game to face her. "Can I help you?" she said loudly, shouting over the crowd.
"You think you're tough?" Sameen asked, her words slightly slurred. "I could take you."
"Take me where?" Martine replied, looking confused. "Do you need another beer?"
Sameen glared across the short distance. Martine had used her fake ID to buy them drinks, so she couldn't be too mean to her. The crowd cheered and Martine turned back to the game, drinking. Root tugged on Sameen's arm and she slowly spun around.
'Who are you rooting for?' Root signed with her free hand, a red cup in the other. 'The Dead Reckoners or The Lady Killers?'
Sameen shrugged. 'The Dead Reckoners seem buffer.'
Root nodded, grinning. 'I do like my women buff.' She winked and turned back to the game. Root's eyes were glued to the players in the rink and Sameen had the sudden urge to join a roller derby team. She flexed her biceps, the plastic cup in her hand bending in her firm grip.
Sameen swung around to Martine, her feet shifting to regain her balance. "Fight me!"
"What?" Martine said, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm not going to fight you?"
"Afraid you'd lose?" Sameen ask, smug. She lifted her arm, showing off her muscle. "Thinking about the time I put your boyfriend in the hospital?"
Martine rolled her eyes. "You might win the fight, but I could give you a run for your money."
Throwing her arms out wide, Sameen puffed her chest out. "Prove it! Punch me!"
"I'm not going to punch you at a roller derby match. Seriously? A girl fight at a bout? Even you aren't that gay."
Not sure if she was supposed to be offended, Sameen just threw her head back and drank the last of her beer. She stared into the empty cup, eyes blurry, and wondered if she should have another one. Lionel had offered to drive them back, so she didn't have to worry about staying sober.
A firm hand on her shoulder pushed her around and Sameen stared at Root. Root nodded over her shoulder, looking annoyed.
'Lionel got Gen all worked up,' Root signed. She didn't seem to be fully sober either. 'Now they both want beer.'
Sameen leaned to the side to see around Root and glared at Gen and Lionel. "You guys are too young! Only big kids can drink."
"What!" Lionel said, signing at the same time. "I know for a fact that you and Root were drinking when you were 14."
Root looked at Sameen and she shrugged. That had been so long ago and so much had happened since; Sameen couldn't be expected to remember every day of the past three years. Root sighed and shrugged her arms.
'What are you talking about?'
'Halloween,' Lionel signed silently. 'Martine kissed you. Ring any bells?'
Sameen scowled. Now she remembered. That was pretty high on her list of Things Not To Think About.
Root signed slowly. 'I blocked that out until right now. Thanks, Lionel.'
"What?" Gen asked loudly, looking between Root and Lionel. "What did you say? Lionel, what are you guys talking about?"
Sameen tuned them out and focused on Martine again. Martine was still staring down at the game, watching the girls fly passed them. For a moment, Sameen wondered if Martine liked girls, but dismissed the thought. She just didn't care enough.
"I'm serious!" Sameen yelled over the noise of the crowd. "I'll fight you! I'm the alpha here!"
Martine shook her head and crossed her arms. "If you were the alpha, you wouldn't be trying so hard."
Sameen bristled, crushing her cup in her fist. Martine thought she was so cool, tall and blonde and rude. Only Root was allowed to be tall and only Sameen was allowed to be rude. She threw her cup at Martine, smirking when Martine flinched.
"I think you're just too scared," Sameen said, stepping into Martine's space. Her slight wobble made her approach a little less threatening, but she stood her ground. "You don't want to be as weak as your dumb boyfriend."
"Fine," Martine nodded, throwing her cup to the ground. She stretched her neck from side to side, face blank. "I'll punch you."
Sameen swallowed hard, excited. It had been a while since she'd been in a good fight. She watched Martine pull her fist back, heart pumping. A hand on her shoulder spun her around and Martine's fist crashed into Root's face with a loud crunch.
Root cried out and clamped her hands over her nose, blood running down her mouth and dripping to the floor. Staring at her, brain cloudy, Sameen tried to focus. Root was hurt. She shook her head and stepped forward, wrapping her hands around Root's wrists and pulling them down.
"Let me see," she said before remembering Root couldn't hear anything. "Right."
She lifted one of Root's hands and carefully used Root's fingers to pinch her nose. Stepping back, Sameen signed instructions.
'Keep holding your nose and lean forward. I'll take you to the bathroom.'
Root's eyes were squinted with pain, but she let Sameen turn her around. As they passed Lionel, Sameen glared at him.
"Don't go anywhere," she ordered. "We'll be right back."
Lionel gave a mock salute and Sameen helped Root to the edge of the bleachers. They carefully walked down the steps, Sameen's arm around Root's shoulders, guiding her. It had been a while since Root had been injured, Sameen thought. The injury had never really been her fault before and Sameen knew she should feel guilty.
They crossed the floor behind the bleachers to the bathrooms and Sameen stepped around Root to pull the door open. It was dark inside and Sameen could feel the grime on the walls as she felt around for a light switch. After a moment, she found it and the harsh florescent lights made her squint.
"Ok," she breathed, stepping inside and holding the door open for Root. Her voice sounded odd to her ears in the quiet of the one room bathroom. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah," Root said, her nasal voice too loud for the small space. She winced as it echoed. "Sorry," she tried at a reasonable volume. "Does it look broken?"
Moving Root into better lighting, Sameen stood on her tiptoes to look. "No," she said, trying to sound reassuring, "just bleeding. Keep pressure on."
Root sighed, pinching her nose obediently. "That's good at least. It really hurts. What were you guys doing, anyway?"
"Uh," Sameen shoved her hands into her pockets, "you should look at yourself in the mirror. You're getting a black eye."
Root looked at her suspiciously, but she walked to the mirror. Leaning over the sink, she turned her head, trying to see her eyes around her hand. The area under her eyes was bruising already. Sameen leaned against the wall next to the mirror, running her eyes over Root's face.
"You look tough," Sameen joked. "Like you've been in a fight."
Root's eyes slid to the side to take Sameen in. Sameen smoothed her face, trying to seem casual. She didn't want to tell Root that she tried to fight Martine. Realizing that made her seem weak, she scowled.
"What are you thinking about?" Root asked. She turned to face Sameen, resting a hip against the sink. "Were you trying to start a fight?"
"No!" Sameen crossed her arms. She tried to stare menacingly at Root, but her last beer was catching up to her. "That's stupid."
Root rolled her eyes, the effect lost over her hand. "Is this because Gen said you weren't scary? Sameen, what is the big deal?"
"Nothing!" Sameen shrugged. Her sneaker squeaked against the dirty tile floor as she pushed off the wall. "I just…don't want to be seen as weak. I feel like people just see me as your girlfriend now. At least, new people that we meet."
Carefully pulling her hand away from her nose, Root smiled. "I think you're strong and scary and mean."
Sameen rolled her eyes. At least Root had stopped bleeding "Forget it. Wash your hands."
"Don't boss me around," Root said, stepping into Sameen's space. "I'm in charge here."
"Excuse me?" Sameen raised her eyebrows, not sure what Root was doing. "What does that mean?"
Root shrugged. She managed to look innocent despite her bloody face. "I'm just saying that I'm in charge. I mean, we already know that you're the bottom. Why bother pretending that you're scary at all?"
Root stepped closer, pressing Sameen into the wall and forcing her to look up into her eyes. The rough concrete wall scrapped against Sameen's bare arms almost painfully. The bloody nose and bruised eyes made Root seem unfamiliar and Sameen's heart started to race. Root's hands grabbed her hips and Sameen took a deep breath.
"See?" Root smirked, lowering her head to speak into Sameen's ear. "You couldn't stop Lambert from breaking my nose freshman year and you couldn't protect me tonight."
Sameen shoved Root away with a grunt. Root stumbled backwards, grinning. Her teeth were bright white against the dark blood around her mouth. She held her arms out.
"Come on, Stud. Show me who's boss!"
Closing the distance between them in two steps, Sameen put her hands around Root's face and yanked it down, crushing their lips together. Root moaned loudly, her arms immediately coming up to wrap around Sameen. They stumbled backwards, smacking into the wall next to the door with a thump and Root groaned again into Sameen's mouth.
"You think you're so tough," Root gasped, her hands pulling Sameen's shirt out of her pants. "You're just a baby."
Growling, Sameen reached under Root's butt, roughly pulling them closer together. The taste of Root's blood was in her mouth, but all she could focus on were Root's cold hands on her hot skin. She pulled her head back slightly, panting against Root's lips, and adjusted her grip.
She lifted Root off the ground, planting her feet and resting their weight against the wall. As Root's legs wrapped around Sameen's waist and her hands came up to tangle in Sameen's loose hair, she grinned.
"Does this seem weak to you?" Sameen asked, her voice raspy and breathless. "This doesn't even make me sweat."
Root tightened her grip in Sameen's hair, making her hiss. "Something's making you sweat."
"Well, it's not because I'm holding you up."
"Jesus Christ," Root mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Shut up and fuck me."
Sameen's hips jerked forward, pushing into Root and making her cry out. The noises Root made when Sameen touched her drove her crazy. Every time they did it, it got better and Sameen was looking forward to sex five years from now.
Moving one arm to hold all of Root's weight, Sameen pushed her T-shirt up with the other. Even though she'd watched her get dressed a few hours ago, Sameen grinned at the sight of Root's lace bra. They'd gone to the Victoria's Secret in Kingsville and spent Harold's money on expensive underwear.
Root's chest heaved as she sucked in air and Sameen leaned forward to sink her teeth into Root's stomach. An odd sound made her look up.
Her eyes met Gen's. Gen was standing in the doorway, her face a dark red. The silence in the room stretched awkwardly and Root dropped her legs, stepping to the side and away from Sameen.
"I'm sorry!" Gen shouted. She ran out of the room, the door closing with a loud click behind her.
Root sighed loudly and pulled her shirt down. "Kids, am I right?"
Laughing, Sameen crossed to the mirror. She looked like a mess. Her hair had fallen out of its ponytail and her mouth was smeared red from Root's nosebleed. She turned the faucet on and started rinsing her face.
Long arms reached around her and Root dug her hands into Sameen's front pockets. Fumbling for paper towels with her eyes closed, Sameen could feel Root press into her back.
"Maybe Gen will stop following you around like a puppy now," Root joked. "Do you think she'll be at soccer practice on Monday?"
Sameen wiped her face and turned around, Root's hands moving away. "Probably. She's not too bad, actually. It would be a loss."
Root smiled at her and stepped up to the sink to wash her face. Sameen watched her for a moment before heading for the door. They should probably apologize for ditching the group to make out in the bathroom. Not that she was sorry.
Opening the door and stepping out into the warehouse, Sameen rolled her eyes. Gen was hiding behind Martine, her face still red. Martine and Lionel had their arms crossed, glaring at her.
"Just when I thought life with you couldn't get any gayer, you take it to the next level." Lionel said, signing along. "Sex in a warehouse with a broken nose during a roller derby game? Seriously?"
Sameen rolled her eyes, not bothering with an answer. She saw Lionel's eyes move passed her and turned around to see the end of Root's sentence, but couldn't piece it together. Lionel just scoffed and starting walking away.
Martine shrugged, indifferent. "The Dead Reckoners won. Are you ready to go home?"
"Yeah," Sameen answered. "We can go."
She started following Lionel out to the parking lot, Root at her side. It had been a fun night, despite Root's injury. Maybe she really would learn to roller skate. She was already great with inline skates; how hard could the four-wheel version be?
Root's arm hooked her own and Sameen looked over. The bruises around Root's eyes had darkened and they were going to have to explain what happened to Harold and Grace. It was a long drive back; the group would think of something plausible.
"When we get home," Root said quietly, "let's finish what we started. You can show me how strong you really are."
Sameen grinned and picked up the pace.
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Root stared up at the posters taped to her ceiling. She'd found a huge X-Files poster at a Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and they'd taped it above the bed in her room. They should re-watch it soon. It was weird how one show could mean so many different things to them. It was how they'd first bonded, then it was too hard to watch while they were fighting. Now, it meant they'd reconciled for good.
She turned her head, staring out the window next to her bed. They'd shoved the bed against the wall when they'd gotten back. They kept trying to make the room feel right, but it wasn't there yet. Harold's house just didn't feel familiar. She'd only lived in it for a few months before going to Houston and they had only been back for six weeks.
Sitting up, Root looked around for Sameen and spotted her across the room, sitting on the floor in front of Root's chalkboard wall. Root couldn't remember falling asleep, but a quick glance at her phone told her it was almost 4am. Their post-derby activities had exhausted her. There was a text from Lionel and three texts from Martine. She ignored them.
Sameen's drawing was only half-done, but Root could already tell it was them. They were standing next to the large train Sameen had drawn last weekend. It was hard to believe they were almost out of Bishop. They could board a train in eight months and ride off to college, never look back.
Root took a deep breath and pushed the blankets off her lap. Crawling across the bed, she reached for her window and slid it open. A light breeze blew over her naked body and she shivered.
"It's cold out there," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "It's going to be a cold winter."
Sameen didn't turn around. "I'd hardly call this cold. It's…pleasant."
Root let out a short laugh, sticking her head outside. "Fine. It's going to be a 'pleasant' winter."
"Thank god," Sameen sighed. "I have so many jackets that I've never worn here."
The sound of an owl floated into the room and Root leaned her arms on the windowsill. Her window looked over the backyard and there were no neighbors in this direction, so she wasn't worried about being naked. A streetlight illuminated the large backyard and reflected in the pool. Their neighborhood was quiet, always silent.
The bed shifted behind her and Root looked behind her, resting her chin on her shoulder. Sameen crossed the bed on her knees, dropping to sit next to her. Their shoulders bumped together and Root smiled. It was weird that Sameen still had clothing Root hadn't seen. There were still things to learn about each other.
"Earth to Root," Sameen chuckled, nudging Root's shoulder with her own. "What are you think about?"
"I love you," Root answered quietly. She reached out and took Sameen's hand in her own. "A lot."
"Yeah," Sameen replied, looking out the window. "I love you, too."
Root dropped Sameen's hand and scooted off the bed. Opening her closet door, she smiled over her shoulder at Sameen. "Get dressed."
"What?" Sameen groaned, but she climbed off the bed, too. "How dressed?"
"Not naked."
Root turned back to the closet and pulled out a long robe that Grace had bought for her. It was insanely soft and actually brushed the floor. Pulling her arms through it, she crossed to her dresser and took the underwear Sameen offered her.
"I think we might be too close," Sameen joked, opening her drawer in the dresser and taking out a pair of pajama pants. "Not even married and we keep clothing at the others place."
"Sameen," Root smirked, raising an eyebrow, "we basically lived together a couple months after becoming friends."
Sameen nodded, conceding and finished getting dressed. Looking around, she sighed. "Do I need shoes?"
Root thought for a moment as she tied her robe shut. "No," she answered, shaking her head. "I don't think so."
She crossed the room and climbed onto the bed. It only took them a couple minutes to climb out the window and up to the roof.
Root had first climbed up here a couple days after school started. They hadn't spent the night together and her bed had felt too big. Sitting under the stars had made her feel so lonely that her bed was a comfort.
Sameen sat down next to her, resting her feet on the cool shingles and shoving her hands in her pockets. They stared around the neighborhood in silence for a while, just taking in the houses around them and enjoying the breeze.
"We should go to a dark sky park," Sameen said, breaking the silence. "We could go camping."
Root nodded and wrapped her arms around her knees. "It'd be like we were on a roadtrip again. It sounds nice."
"Yeah," Sameen breathed. "When we go to college, you have to let me know when you feel trapped. We'll leave the city for the weekend or something. Find a good spot. Scream at some trains."
That made Root smile. "I feel too big for my skin sometimes. Like I'm a giant in a dwarf's body. I can't explain it."
"I wouldn't understand."
Root looked at Sameen and drank in the sight of her face in the moonlight. Sameen was beautiful. Root knew that, but sometimes it really hit her. Her strong jawline, dark hair, and deep eyes captivated Root. She'd kill a thousand men to keep Sameen close to her.
Sameen's jaw clenched and Root reached out to run her finger over the tense muscles. "What are you thinking about?"
Sameen scratched her chin and stared in the direction of her house. "I'm sorry for being so insecure earlier. I don't know what happened. I was thinking about leaving Bishop and I thought about how much I'd changed since I moved here… It made me mad. Not…It's not bad. I'm glad I'm not so angry, but…I don't know."
"Is it about your parents?"
Stretching her legs in front of her, Sameen dropped her head back. The end of her ponytail brushed against the roof and Root made a mental note to make an appointment at Mrs. Rousseau's. Sameen didn't answer and Root looked away, staring at the horizon.
"Orion should be back soon," she said, changing the subject. "Goodbye, Sagittas. Hello, Archer."
"We should get tattoos. Orion tattoos."
Root laughed, her voice carrying down the quiet street. "We already have matching tattoos. You want to get another one?"
Sameen winced. "Yeah, ok. You're right. You can get an Orion tattoo."
"And you'll get a Sagittas one? In addition to your Axis II tattoo?" Root nudged Sameen with her shoulder. "You'll look so cool. The nerd and the badass."
Shaking her finger in front of her, Sameen smirked. "Astronomy Tattoos are nerdy, too. That's why you should get it."
"Whatever," Root mumbled, smiling. She felt light and happy. "Do you think Gen hates us now?"
Sameen leaned back on her hands, squinting up at the sky. "I doubt it. She's probably scared of me again. Imagine walking in on, I don't know, Martine and Lambert making out, their faces smeared with blood."
Root laughed. "I'd rather not. I don't want to think about them at all in anyway."
"God, it's so weird that we hang out with Martine now."
"Things change, I guess." Root yawned, her eyes tearing up. "I'm too sleepy to be on the roof."
"You're the one who dragged us out here!" Sameen threw her arms up. "We could be asleep right now!"
"Shhh," Root said, laughing. "You're going to wake everyone up."
Sameen climbed to her feet, steady despite the roof's incline. She took a deep breath and howled as loudly as she could. The sound shattered the quiet of the neighborhood, filling the air and sending a flock of birds streaking towards the sky.
Root saw a light turn on across the street and cursed. "Come on, crazy!" She grabbed Sameen's arm and pulled her back down to the first level of roof. "You're going to get me grounded."
"You deserve it," Sameen laughed as the hurried back through the window. "Dragging me outside at 4am."
They dropped down onto the bed, laughing. Root swept her eyes over Sameen's face, amazed at how lucky she was. Sameen sighed and stretched out to cover most of the bed. Her face looked calm, better than it had at the game.
"I'm sleeping like this," Sameen announced. "Deal with it."
Root tore her robe off and tossed it off the bed. Flopping down, she covered Sameen's body with her own, sighing happily. "No problemo."
"Weirdo," Sameen muttered, but she just adjusted herself to be comfortable under Root's body. "Goodnight."
Root closed her eyes as Sameen's strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Goodnight."