Behind the Lilac Bushes

  Cathy was having a really bad day, first, she had to leave school for an hour so she could get braces, then she forgot her math homework at home, and finally, she tripped in the lunchroom and spilled her lunch all down the front of her. 

    "Fuck you lot!" Anne had yelled before rushing to Cathy's aide and ushering her from their laughing peers' gazes. Of course, Cathy was forever grateful to Anne. 

   But see Cathy was realizing or had come to realize over the last year that she sort of had this pathetic puppy dog crush on Anne.  So when Anne gave her, her sweatshirt to wear over her completely stained clothes, it kind of made Cathy swoon, just barely. Could you blame her,  it smelled like jolly ranchers and lilacs, it was so Anne she could cry. "You okay Cath?" She had whispered gently and Cathy had feigned a smile and nodded before stupidly ramming into her locker, which she'd forgotten she'd opened, in her need to escape from Anne. So yeah worst day ever!

    Now she was curled up on her side, still wearing Anne's sweatshirt,  watching a documentary on the history of writing. Her mouth hurt because of the stupid braces, her eye hurt because of the locker, and her pride hurt because she had made an absolute fool of herself like three times today. Cathy was contemplating her pitiful day and if she could escape to the bathroom to soak in a very hot bath when her bedroom door slammed open and banged off the wall.

    "Alright my sad sack! You and I are having a sleepover!" Anne exclaimed brightly as she bounded into her best friend's bedroom fully prepared to cheer Cathy up, her arms were laden with random things. "I got bored games, your favorite book, art stuff, and makeover supplies!" Anne explained cheerfully as she dropped her hoard onto Cathy's bed. 

   "I don't want to hang out Anne." Cathy sniffed somewhat embarrassed to be caught still wearing Anne's sweatshirt as she kicked the stuff onto the floor and rolled over to face the wall. 

   "Well we aren't just hanging out, we're having a sleepover! I also brought ice cream but your mum made me put it in the freezer!" Anne jumped up on the bed before she hopped over Cathy's hunched form and rolled next to her smiling widely at her. Inches from Cathy's face.  

"Come on Cathy smile,  so I can see your beautiful braces!" Anne probed poking Cathy's sides until she giggled.

   "Alright, ah-lright Anne we'll do a sleepover, no more tickling!" Cathy giggled shoving Anne's hands away. 

    "Pssh that wasn't tickling, but since you agreed then what shall we do first? Ice cream, truth or dare, monopoly, Candyland, Jenga, or we could read, watch a movie? I'm down to clown!" Anne proclaimed brightly and Cathy smiled at her friend. 

   "Let's play monopoly," Cathy whispered sitting up, knowing how much Anne despised the game, but Cathy knew Anne would play to make Cathy feel better. 

   "Alright, but it better not take all night." Anne huffed bending to grab the game box from the floor. 

    "Okaay truth or duh duh duh dare?" Anne questioned dramatically as she sat cross-legged across from Cathy on her bed. They'd just finished a two hour game of monopoly before Anne got fed up with it and flipped the board off Cathy's bed with a cheery 'welp Cathy you won', much to Cathy's annoyance. 

   "Ummm truth…" she muttered feeling incredibly uncertain and Anne sighed this was Cathy's third truth in a row. 

   "Ugh again?" She complained and Cathy frowned twirling the sleeves of Anne's sweatshirt, which she was still wearing with no comment from Anne.... yet. 

      "Anne I didn't make fun of you for picking dare three times!" Cathy whined and Anne rolled her eyes goodnaturedly then relented.

   "Fine, hmmmmmm uh what..no..who will...no..hmmm..no.…. ah, I've got one who do you have a crush on?" Anne questioned getting that mischievous sparkle in those hauntingly beautiful green eyes of hers. Cathy tensed and her face flushed heavily. She definitely could not answer this question.

  "What? I..I...I don't have a c-crush on anyone ..so I choose dare instead, so go ahead dare me something. " Cathy rambled trying to be casual but ultimately failing miserably at accomplishing her goal. Anne grinned at Cathy's anxious giveaway. 

  "You totally do! Ah, who is it, Cathy? Tell me! Tell me! Tell meeeeee" Anne squealed scooting closer as she grabbed Cathy's arm and bounced in place excitedly. 

  It's not like Cathy didn't want to tell her, she did, and of course, she knew Anne would never judge her for being ...well gay but a small part of her was afraid, so incredibly afraid of losing Anne or getting painfully rejected. Cathy just couldn't live without Anne. So she thought of the first person she could think of, Thomas. Thomas was her lab partner in science.  

    "Cathy please," Anne begged, shaking Cathy, who snapped out of her thoughts.

   "O-okay uh...uh well I really like Thomas from my science class." She lied painfully as she looked over at her window so Anne couldn't tell she was lying.

  "Really? Thomas Somerset? The blonde tall shy nerdy guy?" Anne asked excitedly and Cathy swallowed the bile rising in her throat and nodded. "Aww Cathy that's great, you should ask him to the dance this Friday!" Anne enthused brightly and Cathy shook her head. "Aww come on Cathy-Cath why not?" Anne questioned curiously and Cathy frowned at her hands.

  "Truth or dare Anne?" Cathy whispered making Anne frown. 

   "That's not fair! You can't just change the subject without answering me!" Anne complained crossing her arms.

   "Truth or dare Anne?" Cathy whispered and Anne scowled at her friend.

   "Fine truth!" She snapped throwing up her hands in exasperation.  

   "Who do you like?" Cathy questioned nervously and Anne sighed.

   "I like lots of people, I'm not tied to one person. But my biggest crush is kind of short, had brown hair, brown eyes, super sweet, kind of nerdy." She smirked and Cathy nodded wondering who Anne was referring to.  

   "Oh they're lucky then, y-you should go for it." Cathy reasoned forcing a smile and Anne smiled at Cathy shaking her head slightly.

   "Unfortunately they like someone else." She mumbled getting a faraway look in her eyes.  Cathy looked up frowning at the sadness that shimmered in Anne's usually bright green eyes. Quickly she scooted closer and rested her head against Anne's shoulder.  

   "I'm sorry Anne, whoever it isn't good enough for you anyway. " Cathy reasoned passionately. 

    "Alright girls, thirteen or not you both have school tomorrow,  bedtime." Catherine Aragon exclaimed coming into her daughter's room. Cathy groaned at her mama's rules and Anne slid from her bed gathering her things from around the room as Catherine turned on her heel and strutted away. 

    "Ugh, it's only ten o'clock. " Cathy groaned crossing her arms.

   "It's okay Cath, I'm actually gonna go home, forgot I have math homework to do,  if I get another D my mum will kill me." Anne laughed hugging Cathy goodbye before she skipped from the room.  Cathy smiled after her as she snuggled down into Anne's sweatshirt. Anne always seemed to brighten her day, even if Cathy now knew  Anne was definitely straight. Cathy sighed pulling her stuffed bear from under her pillow and hiding her face against her fur with a sad sigh.

 Meanwhile, Anne sat under the lilac bushes,  her back to Cathy's house, Cathy liked Thomas,  Anne swiped her tears away shaking her head as she pulled her knees up to her chest sadly closing her eyes.

   "Of course she does…"