Here's the Thing by Emily O'Beirne

Author:Emily O'Beirne [O'Beirne, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: lesbian fiction
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Published: 2016-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

I come out late from Art class to see Stella sitting on the edge of the front lawn, eating her lunch. I hesitate, because I honestly have no idea what to do. I usually eat with the Drama group, but the others aren’t there and the bell rang fifteen minutes ago. Stella’s so hard to read that I don’t know whether sitting with her or not sitting with her would bother her more.

Before I can make a decision, she spots me standing there, staring, and gives me a quizzical look. Then she raises a hand in a half wave. I give her a tight smile and pick my way between lunch groups towards her, relieved.

I throw my jacket down on the damp grass and sit on it. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She pushes a fork around the container in her hand. “Ashani forgot her lunch. She’s snuck up to the café to get something. I don’t know where the boys are.”

“How did it go at the studio on the weekend?”

She contemplates a forkful of nuts and grains and green stuff and shrugs. “It was okay. It’s going to take some time to capture the right feel.” She drops the food back into the container and stirs it again. “I’ve never choreographed anything before, and I feel like it’s super important to get this right, you know?”

I think of how sad and serious she looked the other night after the talk at the town hall. “That talk got to you too, huh?” I say.

“How could it not?” She stabs another forkful of salad. “It’s all so messed up.”

I nod, thinking of Mum and Dad the other night. How for one of the first times in my life, they couldn’t give me a clear answer on something. Because it’s impossible.

“I want to make sure the dance is as good as I can make it, and as meaningful, you know?”

“I feel the same way about the images.”

She just nods and stares at her food, chewing slowly.

I point at her lunch. “Is the rabbit food a dance thing?”

She starts to give me a dirty look, but it softens into a smile when she sees I’m teasing. “Sound nutrition is very important. You should try it,” she says in this haughty voice and raises a judge-y eyebrow at my lone piece of cold pizza.

I just shrug and pick an olive from the slice and pop it in my mouth. It was slim pickings in the fridge this morning.

“I’m half-Italian. Flavour is important to us.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She stretches her legs out on the grass and stares at her salad, frowning. “I like rabbit food.”

“And you can keep liking your rabbit food, Stella.” I catch a glimpse of Ashani on the other side of the lawn, sidling in through the school gate. She glances surreptitiously around her, clutching a greasy bag of chips. “As long as you’re happy eating it on your own.”

“I am. Thank you.” We smile at each other and go back to eating our sad lunches as Ashani stomps towards us.

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