Reading Buddies by Penny Pentley

Author:Penny Pentley [Pentley, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Five Cents Publishing
Published: 2023-02-10T16:00:00+00:00

Danielle,

I hope the cheesy rom-com you watched was better than the one I ended up watching. I walked by the discount chocolate on Saturday and thought you might need more. Also, nice choice in playlist on Friday.

— Adam

I set the note down and pick up one of the puffs. It is made of black yarn and has googly eyes attached. A smile grows across my face. Songs from Totoro were on the Studio Ghibli playlist. He made me soot sprites.

Chapter 11

The Hike

It is finally one of those late-winter days when it isn't absolutely miserable outside. Better yet, it isn't raining, and it wasn't raining yesterday, so the ground isn't littered with puddles. Best of all, it's Saturday, so Amanda and I plan to meet for a walk. We'd done this once or twice in the fall, but only around school and the conversations were mostly school-related. I feel like our relationship has grown since then.

I am thrilled to pick her up because this is the first time I get to see her house. Even more because her girlfriend Bea is home. In fact, she is the one who opens the door.

She greets me with a warm smile. "You must be Dani. Come on in. Amanda is taking her time getting ready, as usual." She steps out of the doorway to let me in, her tight curls bouncing with each step.

Amanda comes around the corner, pulling her long hair back into a tight ponytail. She is in full athletic gear, in contrast to my coziest flannel sweats.

"Oh, so we're hiking hiking," I note.

Bea chuckles. "She would wear those leggings every day if I let her. For all I know, she's dressed for a coffee date."

Amanda scurries over to drop a peck on Bea's cheek. "Which reminds me—text me your coffee order. We'll pick it up on the way home."

Bea's hands shoot to her phone. "Can I get the ridiculously over-the-top one?"

Amanda squints her eyes, considering. "Yes. Only because I love you."

The exchange tugs my heart in multiple directions: warmed by the sentiment, saddened by the fact they have to hide, and haunted by a twinge of… envy?

No. Just because a relationship is different, it doesn't mean it's better. Just because it has aspects you admire doesn't mean what you have isn't worth keeping.

We're half a mile into a trail at Marquam Nature Park when these thoughts finally boil over. "How long have you and Bea been together?"

She looks up, doing some mental math. "Two years? Three if you count from our first date, but she didn't want to put a title on it until I was ready to come out to my family."

"So your family knows?" I am so focused on Amanda that I nearly trip on a tree root.

"Oh yeah. And most of them took it well. My mom had to help my dad come around, but it didn't take long. My dad's parents won't speak to me—but I think that has to do more with me dating someone who is black than dating a woman.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.