The sun began to creep its way up outside while Tori slept soundlessly in her new apartment. A recent move from sunny California to snowy Illinois had put a little spin on her sleeping schedule due to the darker, colder weather. Most people that are born and bred southerners hate the cold and have a hard time acclimating to new areas but Tori was resilient. A new wardrobe of thick hoodies and jeans saved her baby-smooth skin from the elements and served as a boost to her fashion sense, something a lot of the boys in her building had noticed frequently. She seriously doubted they stared at her legs because her jeans were nice but she didn't mind being desired. At eighteen and five feet nine inches and a tight one hundred and twenty pounds she was definitely a looker. The only problem with the whole thing was she didn't desire them back; not because they weren't attractive, but because they were boys and not girls. Her rib-length chestnut hair and caramel brown eyes only added to the allure, along with naturally tan skin from her Latin side.
Tori had come to terms with her homosexuality as a young teen, something her parents were very supportive about but her sister found to be 'disgusting.' Trina wasn't the nicest person in the world and Tori could usually count on her for most things, but when it came to relationship advice and gossip, they usually passed on the dialogue. More than a few boys had come and gone through their house during the high school years since Trina could never keep a relationship for more than two weeks, but Tori wasn't the kind of person to throw something in someone's face just because they did so to her.
Around seven forty-five the light of the day made its way inside Tori's room, painting her face with the warm, glowing reminder she needed to get up and get ready for work. The record store didn't open until nine but with the condition of the roads in the morning as well as the traffic it never hurt to be ready a little early. Tori slipped out from under the warm covers and made her way to the bathroom to mime her daily routine. She finished up with an outfit consisting of a too-short 'This Town Needs Guns' shirt that showed off the definition of her abs and a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her hips tightly. A squirt of perfume and her jacket were the last of the image and once she was ready, she stepped out into the cold, waiting for the car to warm up as thin billows of smoke surrounded her face from her breathing.
The record store was about a ten-minute trip from her place, fifteen if you left at the wrong time of the morning. Two intersections separated the apartment from the store but they were both major points of interest in that part the city, housing everything from the post office for their area to a popular bar that featured a ton of bands. Traffic jammed up in both of these spots pretty regularly so planning ahead was necessary if you wanted to get anywhere on time. Tori was lucky this morning to miss the jam of the first intersection and only had to wait a few minutes at the second, arriving at the strip where her store was located at around eight thirty.
A coffee shop sat two doors to the right and the sole barista happened to be Tori's best friend, Marie. She was nineteen, stood a couple inches shorter than Tori but opposite in almost every way, with wavy blonde hair and electric blue eyes. Add a soft layer of pale skin and she was your perfect Nazi Germany model. They had known each other since the day after Tori had moved to Chicago and pretty much immediately became friends. Their love of sugary drinks brought them together but the seemingly endless number of small things they had in common made them almost inseparable, and their physical night and day differences gained them a lot of looks on the street. They hung out on breaks and at lunch, then usually went somewhere together after work to waste some time. The city wasn't as big as L.A but there was still plenty to do, from movie theaters to museums and everything in between, though Marie wasn't really a fan of the arts.
Tori's co-worker, Matthew, was already at the store by the time she'd arrived and had opened everything up. Matthew was twenty-three and went to a local college for Media Arts and Music Production. He was shorter than most guys at five six and pretty skinny, so his natural progression was one of Pacifism. He was knee deep in CD's when she came through the door and her presence sparked a smile. Tori smiled back and went into the staff area to punch in and put her coat away then headed back out to help set up for the day.
"Hey girly, what's good?" asked Matthew once she reappeared.
"Not much. Would have liked a little extra sleep this morning."
"Out partying again?" he asked, smirking as he continued to restock the shelves.
"Oh yeah, you know me. Went to the club, got some free drinks then took a couple guys home with me." Tori shook her head and smiled at the riotous laughter that erupted from the other side of the store, rolling her eyes gently before setting up the cash register with a fresh drawer. "I sleep so much better when there's a pair of strong, muscular arms around me."
"You're somethin' else, kid" said Matthew, taking his now empty box to the store room. "No wonder you have people lining up to take you out."
"You trying to butter me up?" Tori asked.
"Well, the trash does need to go out." Matthew's voice trailed away as he walked to the back of the store.
"You're such a gentleman."
Nine o'clock rolled around and Tori unlocked the front door, not surprised that there was already a few people waiting outside to get in. Apparitions had a new album dropping that day and she was pretty sure they would do some decent business on it, seeing as how they'd had posters plastered all over their windows for the better part of two months. Five people shuffled in as soon as the door opened and grabbed their copies then headed straight back out, and this pattern repeated for the better part of the first three hours of the morning. A steady flow of business is great for making the time pass, and when Tori finally looked up at the clock, she realized it was break time.
At lunch Tori punched the clock so she could head outside and meet Marie, Matthew having just got back from his lunch break. They passed in the staff room and he mumbled out a 'see ya later' with a mouth half full of sandwich. The staff room had a second door on the opposite wall that led to a service hall where product suppliers could hit stores easily without disrupting the flow of traffic. Each store in the strip had a door that led here and the hallway itself had a door on the far right side which opened up to a grassy area with a picnic table. Tori usually headed out this way at lunch to hang out with Marie and get the scoop on the town since Marie was privy to all kinds of conversations. Politicians talking about campaigns, store managers talking about profits and teachers talking about bad students and bad pay. A lot of interesting things could be heard around the coffee counter.
When Tori made her way through the door to the outside area Marie was already sitting at the table with a lit cigarette, staring off toward the tree line at the back of the strip.
"I thought you quit?"
Marie turned and blew smoke out of her nose. "I thought I did too, but working in that damn closet by myself all day makes me go nutty. Morning rush is a solid four hours of just getting pounded, but I told myself I would bend over and take it like a woman so I'm giving myself a little help along the way." She took the last hit of her cigarette and flicked it towards the butt can but missed by a couple inches.
"You sound like you should be working on a dock." said Tori through a smile, twisting open a fresh Dr. Pepper.
"Yeah well at least at the coffee shack I have a counter separating me from the customers. They can ogle all they want but they can't reach me. Working at a dock, I'd have to kick some wholesale ass."
"Those guys are pretty big, you'd have to put up your A game."
Marie laughed. "I would but I get looked at by your troops more than the others."
"Jesus Marie it's not like we all belong to some secret club or something." said Tori exasperatedly, rolling her eyes at the knowingly playful joke at her sexuality. "Besides, you should feel good about that. Lesbians are pretty picky."
A smile pulled at Tori's lips and she was reminded of when she had first met Marie six months prior, a strong urge to see if she was straight was the driving force behind their first conversation. Tori walked up and introduced herself at the library one Wednesday afternoon when they had run into each other on the fiction floor. Marie was looking for some murder mysteries and Tori was satiating her love of classics with another read through of Carmilla when she got the idea to use that as a tool for her interrogation. She asked Marie if she'd read the book that was about a female vampire with a lesbian affliction, but the reaction she received at the word lesbian was all she needed to know that Marie didn't play for their team. She was used to most of the girls she struck an interest in being straight so the moment didn't shake her too much.
"I guess you're right, maybe I should get some more low-cut shirts." Marie beamed her pretty white smile and stretched her limbs before getting up to brush off her backside. "When is this shit gonna stop? It's almost April, it shouldn't be snowing anymore."
"I don't know but I'm looking forward to some dry weather myself." Tori took a sip of her drink and replaced the cap, watching cars circle in and out of the strip mall as people continued on with their daily lives. "I heard it's supposed to warm up a little in a week or two, maybe some of this will melt."
"Hopefully. Alright lady, I gotta hit it. I'm cutting loose early today so I can turn in some assignments I fell behind on, call me when you get out." Marie grabbed the door handle and pulled, standing off to the side to hold the door open for Tori.
"OK, I should be out around four or five. Any idea on what you wanna do tonight?" Tori asked, passing through the doorway into the hall and looking over her shoulder for an answer.
"Nah, we'll wing it," said Marie.
"Alright, see you later."
A lot of times the weeknights would find Tori and Marie at a local club called Subterranean. The bouncer was a friend of Marie's family so he let the girls in even though they were underage, and for free at that. They cut straight to the front of the line and waltzed right in like they owned the place and that only served to get all of the eyes in club on them. Marie basked in the attention but Tori didn't care for it as much, usually just ordering a drink and heading up to the balcony to watch the dance floor pulse to the music. A few guys would come around and offer to buy her another drink or banter playfully about whatever they could muster but she casually shrugged them off with a smile. Marie would eventually find her way around after a couple drinks and brush off whatever men surrounded Tori by announcing very loudly that she likes "the other white meat." This realization only strengthened some guys' resolve to get to know her but Marie being protective of her friend made sure they scattered at a quick pace.
Thursdays were usually a pretty quick work day. 'Mind the gap' as some people called it, something that usually made Tori's thoughts wander to a place they shouldn't while at work. Occasionally Matthew would catch her stealing a look at a pretty girl and he would make it known to her that he saw, something that made her blush scarlet every time. He was never rude about it but would mostly just convey his thoughts on the girl in question and dream up some fake date scenario with Tori and the girl, centered around what he thought she would be like based on her outfit and general demeanor. Most of the time they were pretty hilarious but a few of them made her a little uncomfortable with how much he guessed correctly on her preferences in bed.
Back in the store Matthew was busy setting up a new display for another Rolling Stones box set that was coming out the next month. Since it was a record store there was usually music playing in the background all day while they worked with them taking turns putting different albums on throughout the day but at that moment the news was on the flat screen mounted to the wall in the video section. Governor Jennings was in the middle of a press conference detailing the rise in military presence in major cities.
"Today we are at threat level Orange. While I can't get into the specifics of why and how at this time, I can assure the citizens of Illinois that we will do everything in our power to make sure everyone stays safe. Over the next few days, we'll be testing out all of our security protocols; this means routine testing of severe weather sirens and fire drills at government buildings. We ask that everyone do their part to help out by going along with the tests as you would any other time, and if you have questions, you can call the capitol building during business hours. There's no real cause for alarm to the public at this time so please try to keep the speculation to a minimum, we don't want to get a hornet's nest buzzing over something that might not be true."
The address continued on but the bell on the front door which signaled customers sounded and broke Tori out of her TV trance. A stunning brunette in baggy Adidas sweats and a matching hoodie walked in slowly while she took in the store around her. Her dark brown hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders and her caramel-colored eyes looked in wonder at all of the posters on the walls. Tori looked the girl over once, twice and then snapped out of it when she remembered she had a job to do. She walked behind the counter and punched her code into the register wordlessly before turning to the pretty girl to see if she needed any assistance.
"Hey, can I help you find anything?"
"Oh, uh, I'm kinda just looking around. Burning some time since I have the day off and was feeling a little cooped up in the house." The girl picked up a CD and looked at the art on the back, making an appreciative face before replacing it.
"Good deal. I'm Tori, if you need anything call me over and I'll see what I can do for you." Tori smiled and put her hands in her pockets to keep from fidgeting.
The girl smiled the most beautiful smile Tori had ever seen before answering. "Thanks, I'll be sure to do that."
The girl's smile reminded Tori of someone she knew back in California. Her name was Chelsea and she lived a few doors down from Tori and her family in a valley just outside Hollywood. She was aiming to be an actress, like most people in the area, but ended up getting sucked into the tailspin of waitress and secretary jobs until she gave up hope of ever making it. Not long after Tori started Hollywood Arts, a school for performing talents, she heard of a new casting director taking headshots of potential actors to store for future reference. Unfortunately, by the time she made it down to the girl's house to deliver the tip she was greeted with the news that Chelsea had overdosed on Ativan and passed away a couple days prior. Another pretty face swallowed up by the demon of fame.
Matthew brought out a couple of boxes filled with old cassette tapes that he and Tori set to work on putting in the bargain bin. Twenty-five cents apiece for all of your favorite hits in a little plastic rectangle that most people didn't even own the hardware to play anymore. They shuffled through them and put what they felt would be the better sellers towards the front while Matthew pocketed some of them for himself, claiming after a look from Tori that he had an insatiable love for vintage music technology. He smirked as he tucked an old Native American ceremony cassette into his hoodie pocket and Tori just shook her head, stacking the rest of them into the shelving unit.
"Excuse me, maybe you can help me after all?" The soft, silky voice sounded from behind them and made Tori jump a little. Matthew noticed and turned his attention from the music to the girl that apparently had his coworker on edge.
"Sure, what do you need?" Tori asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Well, I've been exploring a little post-rock lately at the recommendation of a friend and I was wondering if you knew of any bands that you could let me in on?"
"Um, Six Parts Seven is my favorite band and always a good suggestion. I've also been listening to Overhead, The Albatross and Enemies a lot lately." Tori edged her way around Matthew and nodded her head for the girl to follow. She made her way to the Rock section then searched for an album, pulling it out and handing it to her. "What's your name?"
"Diana."
"I like it. Very elegant." Tori bit her lip so she wouldn't smile too wide and give herself away
"Well so is Victoria. We could be royalty." Diana blushed a little and looked down at the CD she was holding. "'Casually Smashed to Pieces.' Nice album name."
"Yeah, it's their last one, lots of good tracks on it. You'll have to come back in sometime and let me know what you think."
"Sure. I just moved here from Washington for school so I'll be around. I've been looking for some places around here to hang out that are sort of low key, you know what I mean?"
Tori smiled and shook her head gently. "Yeah, I get you. The fast pace of city life can get a little exhausting so everyone finds a spot eventually where they can just relax outside of the house."
"Maybe you can show me around sometime, if you're not too busy working?" Diana asked the question without making eye contact and bounced back and forth on the balls and heels of her feet.
"Yeah, I'd like that. I can-"
"She can always use more friends" said Matthew. "Honestly, the woman never leaves me alone. I try to tell her 'hey, I know I'm irresistible and all, but you have to get out and meet some new people.'" Matthew's interruption earned a scowl from Tori and a full-blown smile from Diana.
"I can," Tori started again with emphasis, "take your number and text you later on. I'm supposed to be hanging out with a friend when my shift is over, you can come out with us and we'll take you to a few spots."
"Sounds good" said Diana, taking Tori's phone so she could put in her contact info and send a text to her phone. "I'll see you later then."
"Can't wait."
Diana turned on her heel after a last kind smile to Matthew and headed out to her car. As soon as the front door shut again Matthew flew up to the counter with a wicked grin.
"Did that seriously just happen?"
"Oh my god give it a rest!" Tori exclaimed, half laughing and half panicking. "Yes, she's gorgeous but she's probably straighter than my sister."
"Not a chance, sweetheart. I saw the way she blushed and avoided some eye contact. There's definitely some potential pillow talk there.
Tori punched Matthew in the arm as she passed him on her way to the bathroom. "You're disgusting."
"You love it. That's why I'm your real best friend and not that skank Marie." Matthew's voice got louder towards the end of the sentence so Tori would be sure to hear it in the back of the store.
At different points throughout the day the store's business waxed and waned just like any other. The morning was always pretty slow since the usual record store market was in class and everyone else was working or staying out of the cold. During the warmer months business picked up and kids flowed in and out at all times during the day, even hanging around outside after hours to talk about music and trade information on shows and zines with other kids. Chicago's music scene thrived, and the never-ending wave of teenagers that carried on the spirit of the DIY scene were always a fountain of info on bands coming to the area. Tori tried to soak up the conversations so she could answer questions and give new recommendations to customers but it seemed like there was so much going on no one person would be able to keep track of it all.
The afternoon went by pretty quickly and two new people came in to relieve Tori and Matthew of their positions. Two girls, one named Shalane and the other Danielle, held the fort down until closing time at ten. They came in at the same time and nodded a hello without missing a beat of their conversation and Tori used that as an excuse to punch the clock and duck out as quickly as possible. She liked the other two girls enough but the endless talking got to be a bit much. Matthew seemingly thought the same as he passed Tori on the way out and winked before heading in the other direction to his house. He lived on the street behind the strip so it was just a hop skip and a jump to his place.
Tori checked her phone once she was in her car and when the screen lit up it showed the new contact screen for Diana. A rush of excitement washed over her body and the thought of a new person to hang out with charged her batteries a little. Marie might be a little hesitant to add someone to their gruesome twosome, especially since she knew Tori's preferences, but she would just have to deal with it. New faces can bring a sense of livelihood to an otherwise stagnant group of friends which definitely isn't a bad thing. A quick phone call to Marie would settle what the plan was for the night and then she would call her new acquaintance.
"Hey, you finally out?" Marie asked, popping her gum into the phone.
"Yep, what's the plan for tonight?"
"I was thinking maybe we hit Crystalline later for Thirsty Thursday. That same guy from last week is gonna DJ again so I want to see if I can get up to the box."
Tori thought about being left alone in the club while Marie made her advances on the DJ, but in her mind's eye the scene quickly changed with the beautiful brunette from the record store appearing next to her. "OK, but I met a new friend at the shop today that wants to come out with us. She's-"
"She?" Marie asked excitedly, her voice perking up an octave. "Details, now."
"It's not a date thing" said Tori quickly, clearing her throat to continue. "Her name is Diana. She's new to the city and I told her I would take her out with us tonight to show her around a bit." Tori turned the key finally to start her car and clicked her seat belt into place, fiddling with her iPod to start her driving playlist.
"Well make sure she's ready to go, we don't want to be late and have to swim through the crowd to get in."
"I will. I'm leaving now so I'll call you after I talk to her."
"Good deal, later."
The call disconnected and Tori set her phone in the cupholder so she could put the car in reverse and angle towards home. Out of work traffic was usually pretty thick so she always had her trusty iPod with her to get through the wait times. The city bus wasn't a viable alternative really, since she spent less on gas per week than she would on a transit card and this way she had the comfort of her own car. Although she would get home a little faster by taking the bus the thought of ten minutes against the grimy public transportation scene didn't match up in her mind.
Once back at her apartment Tori changed into something fresh and brushed her hair while she sat on the couch, eyes closed in relaxation. As soon as her eyelids fell shut, she saw the big brown eyes of the shy new girl she'd met that morning. Her smile flashed white as a sheet and her dimples poked into her cheeks in the cutest way that made Tori smile. She smelled like Burberry perfume and her delicate, feminine features made Tori's knees feel a little weak. Tori was coming close to a zone that had been so painful to her in the past but she couldn't help it.
After a twenty-minute catnap she picked up her phone and sent a text to the new contact and waited patiently for a response. After another ten minutes her phone beeped shortly with the message.
Yeah, that sounds good. I don't really drink so I can DD or something if you want. :) -D
Tori smiled at the offer and was suddenly not sure what to do. She wasn't a big drinker herself, as in she had a a drink or two frequently but hardly ever enough to get her drunk. She didn't want to drag Diana along with them to a club for Thirsty Thursday if she wouldn't want to participate, so there would have to be a change of plans. Marie was probably going to complain about the last minute switch but Tori was good at talking her down when she got antsy. The phone rang into her ear twice before Marie picked up on the other side.
"So what's the deal?" she asked immediately.
"Diana doesn't drink, so I was wondering if maybe we could do something else?" Tori asked the question slowly with a hint of hindrance.
"Ugh, why do you always have to pick the weird ones? I don't know, I was looking forward to seeing Jake again. Maybe we can do something with her tomorrow night?"
"Or you can just go by yourself."
Marie was silent for a few heartbeats before she answered. "Um, OK. If you want me to."
"Well I mean you're going to be preoccupied with trying to bring the DJ home so you don't even really need me to be there, and it's not often I meet new people."
"I suppose you're right. Fine, go be a selfish bitch and hang out with your new best friend and I'll just go by myself and get raped in an alleyway since I won't be able to use the buddy system."
Tori laughed into the phone. "You're so dramatic, I swear to God. You'll be fine, call me if anything happens and I'll be there."
"OK, have fun. I'll call you later if I strike out so you can give me the scoop."
"Looking forward to it. Bye."
Back in California, where the weather was always nice no matter what time of year it was, Tori and her group of friends would usually spend the days after school hanging out at one of their houses watching movies and playing games, or practicing parts for school plays or acting auditions. Tori was a singer of significant talent and received much praise from her peers but it didn't really seem like a plausible career to her. She was more interested in living locally somewhere, having friends she could go to open mic nights with and just live a low-key existence instead of being plastered all over the media. The rest of her friends were different in that aspect and constantly geared everything they did towards getting their images out there, something Tori wasn't upset to be away from these days.
Her initial move was to get away from the Hollywood craze and go somewhere that offered a different city experience. Chicago was full of culture and energy that seemed more positive than Hollywood, since so many people in her hometown were only there to try and start acting or singing careers and their attitudes definitely hung a gray cloud over the area. When they arrived and realized it wasn't going to be as easy as they thought, taking server and catering jobs really knocked them down a peg and their sour moods spread like the plague.
Naturally trying to find friends in a new city isn't the easiest thing in the world since it takes a while to figure out where like-minded people congregate and then put yourself there in a smooth but purposeful way. A lot of subsets hung out in their own areas of the city, such as Little Mexico and Highland Park, but the niche sets were a little harder to find. Tori was searching for people that liked film and music but weren't too high energy and big on taking risks, especially ones that broke the law. She drank, sure, but it wasn't anything out of hand and she always had a DD or took a cab. The first few people she ran into that were potential friends took her on a ride one night that consisted of robbing a house and smoking meth. She quickly lost those peoples' numbers. After that she hung around a few coffee shops in her area and ended up becoming best friends with Marie. Not even two weeks after they started hanging out, she got her job at the record store and Matthew became part of the equation and the three of them became a little trio on the weekends.
Tori decided to put on some music and keep the energy going instead of drooping off like she usually did after her shift. The thought of what she and Diana would do now that the club wasn't an option stuck to the front of her mind and she went through their options one by one. Library. Movie theater. Movie at home. Walk in the park. Dinner and ice cream. All of her ideas sounded like dates, though, and she wasn't sure how that would make Diana feel. She wasn't even sure how it made her feel. Eventually armed with the realization that they would end up doing nothing at all if she didn't send another text Tori grabbed her phone and fired one off.
Well I talked to Marie and she's gonna go to the club alone, so we're free to do something else. Anything in mind? -Tori
It only took a few minutes this time to receive a response.
Um, I'm not really sure what all there is to do around here since I've only been here two weeks. -D
We can go to the movies if you want, or go for a walk and get some coffee or ice cream. -Tori
How about both? -D
Tori felt herself getting excited over the apparent eagerness of her new friend. She was just as happy about finding someone new to hang out with herself and having the other party show as much enthusiasm was a good feeling. Not that hanging out with Marie all the time was a bad thing, but she was very set in her ways and interests. Tori tried to get her to go to museums and art exhibits all the time but Marie insisted that it was all 'hipster garbage' and constantly refused to go. Diana on the other hand seemed like the cultured type and that made Tori all the giddier about their possible new friendship.
OK, where do you live? The theater is between Broadway and Holton, about six blocks from the record store. -Tori
I'm actually right around the corner from it. Meet you there at 6:30? -D
Sure, can't wait! -Tori
After cementing their plans Tori figured she should probably take a shower if she was going to be sitting so close to Diana for a while. The record store wasn't a particularly demanding job but on certain days when stock came in or shelves needed to be rotated there was a lot of bending and squatting which worked up a sweat. She set her phone on the table and headed into her bedroom to try to pick out something to wear, deciding on a white turtleneck, turquoise jeans and some light brown boots. It took about forty-five minutes to shower and get dressed again, counting time to fix her makeup and dry her hair. One thing you learn quickly about living in cold climate is not leaving the house with wet hair.
The nervousness of the "date" made Tori's stomach squirm a little bit so she decided to get a little bit of a base in her before she left the house. A quick grilled cheese usually did the trick with its gooey goodness and bread to expand and hold a steady spot. When she was a kid grilled cheese was one of her favorite comfort foods since it had all of the things she liked; cheese, warmth and minimal effort. The iPod continued playing in the background while she cooked, switching from Katy Perry to Gwen Stefani as she flipped her sandwich in the pan. When it was done she wolfed it down quickly and set out for her car, hoping the time she allotted would be enough to get her there when she needed to be.
Chicago traffic in the afternoon was like one of those many-headed beasts you hear about in ancient mythology. You leave early, trying to cut off one head, but several thousand other people also leave early, allowing one of the other heads to bite you in the ass on your way out. Tori tried to cover most of her bases by checking the traffic report and searching some real-time maps to see what the side streets looked like, wondering if they'd be viable shortcuts. The problem with so many people in one area is you're bound to find quite a few that think the same way you do, so assuming you have the upper hand by attempting to use shortcuts and workarounds usually ends up taking longer than the normal route, since so many others figured the same thing.
Tori hit the twenty-two hundred block of Holton at about six twenty, giving herself ten minutes to find a place to park. Luckily it was Thursday and not Friday, and after six most of the people that work in the area are gone. She found a spot nearly a block away from the theater and parked, hopping out quickly to speed down the sidewalk and arrive on time. When she made her way around the corner to the front entrance, she spotted Diana waiting patiently outside, twisting gently back and forth with her hands in her pockets. She wore a black fleece and dark blue skinny jeans with a pair of black clogs, her hair laying across the right side of her neck in a lazy ponytail. Tori sucked in a breath at the sight of the effortlessly gorgeous brunette before taking the final few strides forward, biting her lip in anticipation of speaking.
"Hey you."
Diana turned to face Tori and smiled at the sight of her. "Hi." She looked down at the thin, sparkly watch on her right wrist and huffed out a laugh. "Right on time."
"I try to be punctual" said Tori, attempting to hide her mild blush. "Next showing for everything is at six fifty, that gives us twenty minutes to figure out what we want to watch and grab some things from the snack bar if you want."
"OK. They're doing a special screening of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai in the back theater. There probably won't be a ton of people there, and if you haven't seen it you really should."
Tori had that film's Criterion Collection release in her bedroom at that moment. "Yeah, uh, that sounds good to me." She searched Diana's face for something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but the smile she received almost led her to believe Diana knew what she was doing. They turned together and walked through the front doors, stopping at the ticket counter to grab their passes. Tori looked over at the snack bar menu and back to Diana. "Do you want anything?"
"Only if you let me buy" she replied, pulling a few bills out of her back pocket. "You bought the tickets, you can at least let me buy the milk duds."
"Art House and chocolate? You really know the way to a girl's heart."
Diana donned a look of surprise and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Tori's heart slammed in her chest while her brain screamed at her. What did you do? She wrung her hands out to relieve a bit of tension before stepping up into the line for the snack bar with Diana at her side.
"Yeah well, it's probably due to my obsession with Disney princesses as a child."
Tori was floored. This seemingly perfect woman in front of her had everything in common with her on top of being drop dead gorgeous. She was able to talk about culture if she wanted to, and knowing that Diana was schooled in that area and could respond appropriately made her even more attractive. Beautiful caramel eyes and chestnut locks were only the front to a moon pool of intelligence and curiosity. Her heart started to fluctuate more than usual and an overwhelming sense of nervousness almost threatened to buckle her knees. It was like she was carrying both of their nerves all in one basket and it was more than she'd ever had to handle. She looked into Diana's eyes and swore she could feel two separate swings of emotion, one on top of the other, strengthening each other.
"We seem to have quite a bit in common right off the bat. You sure you didn't do your homework on me before you came out tonight?" Tori joked, staring down at her feet with a smile, trying to brush off some of the extra pressure.
Diana's blush deepened and she played with her hair, resolving to not answer. The two women stood next to each other for about five minutes as the line grew shorter, eventually leaving them at the front of the counter to grab their goodies. They each got chocolate and small Cokes for which Diana paid as per their agreement, then they headed to the back screen at the far end of the hallway to find some seats. As assumed, the theater was empty aside from one other person who sat square in the middle of the arrangement. Tori and Diana found seats in the middle of the back row, sitting directly side-by-side. They brushed hands quickly while getting comfortable, an accident that had each of them burning up internally. Tori's eyes flicked up to Diana's in time with an apologetic smile that was returned in kind, but no words were spoken.
The previews started and the two of them answered all of the trivia questions, either nodding appreciatively or grimacing at the trailers for new movies set to come out that summer. A mushy love story with an unrealistically attractive cast, sporting washboard abs and perfect smiles, was set to hit theaters in mid-June. Part of the picture was filmed south of Navy Pier on the Blue Line route. Tori had seen camera crews hustling and bustling through the streets once when she and Matthew had hit Michigan Ave on a weekend to find some fine dining establishment, just to see what all the fuss was about. Matthew had to wear a coat and tie and Tori broke out the diamond earrings she'd gotten from her mom for Christmas when she was sixteen. The food was OK but it definitely wasn't worth the one-hundred-and-twenty-dollar bill.
A theater employee poked his head into the screening room, seemingly to come in and check tickets, but when he saw the emptiness and the movie slated to play on the screen he seemed to lose interest, turning to leave as quickly as he came. As soon as the door shut the overhead lights dimmed and the little bulbs on the sides of the aisles lit up. The girls' conversation died down as the first scene began and they were quiet for the remainder of the film. A few times Tori caught herself sneaking peeks of Diana out of the corner of her eye, and once she thought that Diana had noticed, making her sit up a little straighter and clear her throat out of anxiety. Since they sat next to each other they had to share the mutual arm rest in the middle which made for an awkward turn-taking situation. Each girl was too polite to take it for themselves and would offer it to the other, often running into each other's words. The third time it happened Diana broke out into a giggle which received an angry 'shh' sound from the other person in the theater, leaving Tori to roll her eyes with a smile.
Tori had gotten Whoppers while Diana had gotten Milk Duds, and at about the half way point Tori nudged the girl next to her and offered to share what she had. Diana licked her lips and looked down at her shoes, eventually shifting to the side so she could face Tori. She reached over and grabbed Tori's wrist gently causing Tori to jump, then pulled it towards her with her palm facing upward. Tori quickly gathered what was happening and started to breathe again when she had some chocolate dumped into her hand and she closed her fingers around it, whispering a quiet thanks. The exchange had both of their heartbeats racing for the rest of the film.
Once the film came to an end the man in front got up quickly and left without looking at the girls, earning a laugh from each. They stood up and headed for the door as well, disposing of their empty sweet packages on the way. The lobby area was pretty full as a couple other movies had ended at roughly the same time and their patrons were filing through the door to head out, probably to go home for the night. It was rounding eight thirty by the time they had gotten outside and the sun was quickly fading behind the large buildings on the block. Tori swung her arms back and forth aimlessly as she and Diana stood in front of the theater, not sure how to initiate the next part of the evening.
"Hey, didn't you say something about going to the park?" Diana asked.
"Yeah, we can do that if you want."
"Well it's just since I'm from Washington I'm used to lots of huge forest area and big open spaces and stuff, and the idea of a park in the middle of a city like this kind of intrigues me."
"Hah, the idea of a couple hundred square miles of forest or just nothing intrigues me." Tori nodded her head to her right signaling Diana to follow her to her car and the two of them set off.
Tori drove them to Highland Park and they ditched her car along the east side to get out and walk. It was mostly dark by that time and the park wasn't really the best place to be at night but the usual insecurities weren't on her mind at that time. Diana followed right alongside her step by step and looked around with wide eyes, taking in the peculiar sight of big areas of grass and trees in the middle of a metropolitan city. Tori was amused at the look of awe on Diana's face, but more she was warmed by the feeling of nostalgia she sensed in her from this comfort of home. She'd often thought of what going home to L.A to visit would be like but didn't plan on actually doing it for quite some time, and the look in her new friend's eyes at the simple pleasure of familiarity made her want to pull that trip date a little closer.
They came upon a bench about fifteen minutes into their walk and Diana made a bee line for it, sitting on the end and patting the spot next to her for Tori to join. They sat in silence and listened as the crickets came out to serenade the population as they did every night. Tori had been here a couple of times before but she always came by herself, a sort of getaway from everything that stressed her out in her everyday life. It was nice to be able to share something personal with someone, even though Diana didn't know how it personal it really was. A lot of nights in the summer/fall you would find families and pets running around playing catch and whatever else it is families do. A lot of college kids studied there during the day since it was outdoors and had good lighting, and fortunately wasn't far from a strip of eateries. When it got dark, though, you had to either watch your back or get out of dodge pretty quick. The warmer months had groups of unsavory people hanging around pushing drugs or girls, or worse, looking for fights. Tori had witnessed a group of guys beating up an adult male, for what reason she didn't know, but she did notice that he didn't get up after they were done. An ambulance showed about ten minutes later but Tori left before she ever found out what became of the man.
"So." Diana turned in her seat and crossed her legs at the knee. "All I really know about you is that you work at the record store and you like art house films, so help me fill in the blanks. Boyfriend? School? Hobbies?" Diana stared with wide eyes, anticipating the answers.
"Um, I was thinking of going to school for Media Arts or something like that and maybe working as a club promoter. I really like my job at the record store though so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to schedule classes around my work days. You mentioned movies, that's a big thing for me. And music obviously. And I, uh, I've never had a boyfriend." Tori chewed on her bottom lip as blood rushed to her cheeks.
"Really?" Diana asked, surprise obvious in her tone. "A girl like you? I find that hard to believe."
"Well I," Tori began, pausing quickly to debate whether she wanted to divulge this information so early, "I'm gay."
"Oh, I guess that explains it then" said Diana with a laugh.
Tori blew out a breath of relief. "You took that a lot better than I thought you would."
"Did you expect me to turn into some three-headed demon and spit fire at you as I ran away?" Diana nudged Tori playfully in the ribs with her elbow.
"Yeah actually, I did. It's happened to me a few times before."
"Well that's stupid, those people don't deserve you as a friend if they act that way. What about girlfriends, then?"
"I've had two. One when I was a freshman that made me keep it a secret and another about two years ago."
Diana scrunched her nose. "Why did she make you keep it a secret? If I were her I'd want to show you to everyone." She quickly became quiet when she realized what she'd said.
"What about you?" Tori asked, changing the subject quickly to keep herself from spilling everything on the first day. She felt really comfortable with Diana and when Tori was comfortable, she liked to talk.
"I'm starting Columbia next fall, wanted to take a year off and relax a bit before jumping into college. I figured I would come live out here for that time so I could get used to the city and find my way around before I start school and make things easier on myself. I'm the same as you with music and movies, and I also really like photography. Other than that, I had a boyfriend named Adam for a few years but he got really upset when I told him I was coming here for school and decided to break up with me before we could talk anything out." Diana trailed off at the end and went silent, leaving Tori to pick up the conversation where she left off.
"If he's ignorant enough to let someone like you go then he must not be very bright." said Tori, shaking her head in disbelief. She felt a surge of anger inside of her, like she was really upset that someone had hurt her friend, but also like she was hurt by someone close to her.
Diana looked at Tori in disbelief, her eyebrows raking her hairline. After a few moments Tori looked back up and saw Diana's expression, immediately regretting her choice of words.
"I'm sorry, that was super rude. I don't know anything about him and for me to say that was way out of line, I'm really sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me."
"No, it's uh, it's OK." said Diana softly, clasping her fingers together between her knees. "Well it's getting kinda late and I know you have to work in the morning so we can call it a night, if you want. I'll take the bus from here so you can start getting home."
"Are you sure? I can take you home."
"No it's fine, I'm gonna need to get used to taking the bus and stuff at night some time. Might as well start now."
"Alright. Be careful please. A girl as pretty as you needs to have something to defend herself." Tori realized she wasn't carrying a purse or any kind of bag that could hold mace or a stun gun.
"Yeah, some big strong guy might sweep me off my feet. Or some suave girl, you never know."
Tori's eyes were wide and she felt like if she opened her mouth to speak she would either laugh or throw up, or both. Diana noticed the look on her face and instantly looked fearful.
"I'm sorry, I guess I don't really know you well enough to make those kinds of jokes yet, do I?"
"No, it's OK. Really." Both of the girls laughed at the same time. "New friendships, huh?"
"I guess so" said Diana with a shrug. "We'll get the hang of it, I have hope for us."
Tori felt her heart skip a beat. "You do?"
"Definitely. I have your number, so I'll call you this weekend and maybe we can do this again."
"Sure thing."
Diana turned from the bench and walked towards the bus stop across the street. Tori could have sworn she shook her hips a little more than necessary but she wasn't entirely sure. The park had quieted down for the most part as the air turned colder with the loss of sunlight and the couples strolling around returned to their homes. Traffic still flowed steadily but the noise seemed far away to Tori, who was sitting back on the bench with her eyes closed and a smile that didn't seem to want to go away. Today was the first time in months that she had met a girl that she really clicked with on all levels instead of just a few. Diana seemed like the kind of person she could get enveloped in easily, which scared and excited her at the same time. Work the next day would be interesting with the visions of that night swimming through her mind.
