"Hey bitch," Damian said as he dropped his lunch tray on the table and took a seat.
"Hey," Janis said distractedly, eyes frantically scanning the cafeteria. "Have you seen Cady lately?"
Damian thought about it for a moment. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since this morning."
"Me either," Janis took a halfhearted bite of her veggie burger. "Where do you think she is?"
Damian shrugged. "She could have gone home sick, I guess? I would think she'd have texted us if that was what was going on, though."
"Well, if she doesn't show up within the next five minutes, I'm gonna go look for her."
They sat in silence for about two seconds before Janis cracked. "Fuck it," She said, dropping her burger and standing up. "I'm gonna go now."
"I'll come with."
As they exited the cafeteria, Damian leaned close to Janis and whispered, "you are so gay."
Janis frowned at him. "What about it?"
"You, Janis Sarkisian, are gay for Cady Heron." He dodged out of the way as Janis's fist came flying in his direction.
"I'm not," she insisted.
Damian nodded. "Yeah, that's why you couldn't even wait ten seconds to go find her when she went missing."
"I care about my friend, okay? It doesn't mean I'm in love with her." They drew close to the door to the girls bathroom, and Janis shot Damian a warning look. He grinned cheekily.
"Gay," he hissed in her ear again as Janis pushed open the door.
"Fuck off," she murmured back. Then, louder, "Caddy?"
There was a muttered "shit" from the handicapped stall.
"Caddy? That you?" Damian rapped on the stall door.
"If I say no, will you go away?"
"Not a chance in hell," Janis responded without missing a beat. "Just come out and talk to us."
"I'd rather not."
"Too bad."
The door swung open to reveal a very annoyed Cady. Shooting both Janis and Damian death glares, she strutted to the sink and began splashing water on her face.
"Come on, Caddy," Janis begged. "Tell us what's wrong."
Cady met her eyes in the mirror. "I don't want to talk about it."
Janis folded her arms and waited, not breaking eye contact. After a long moment, Cady sighed and turned to face her, leaning on the sink.
"Fine. Aaron and I broke up." Cady winced as Janis and Damian both started shouting indignantly.
"I'm gonna kill him," Janis said, cracking her knuckles.
"I'll happily join you," Damian agreed.
"I'm gonna sneak into his house while he's asleep and-"
Cady held up a hand. "No, no, I broke up with him."
Janis stopped midrant, looking at Cady incredulously. "Then why in God's name have you been hiding in a gross-ass bathroom for two hours?"
"Because." Cady closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the ceiling, looking the most exhausted Janis had ever seen her.
When it became clear that she didn't intend to expand on her statement, Damian gave her a gentle nudge. "Caddy, 'because' isn't a real answer."
Cady opened one eye, then the other. "I'm in love with someone else. That's why I broke up with Aaron."
Janis and Damian exchanged glances. "Who?" Janis asked tentatively.
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Still not a real answer."
"Because I already told Aaron who it is and I feel like the more people I tell the more real it gets," Cady rushed out in one breath. "I didn't even mean to tell Aaron, he just guessed, and I couldn't lie to him because that would just be cruel, and now I feel like I kind of have to tell her and I really don't want to do that because I don't want to mess up our friendship and-"
"Wait, back up," Janis cut her off. "You said her."
"Oh." Cady blushed, pulling some of her auburn locks in in front of her face. "Um. Yeah. I'm bisexual. I forgot to mention that part."
"Ha! I told you so, Jan- ow!" Damian cried out in pain as Janis stomped on his foot.
"Okay, Caddy, why don't you tell us a little about this mystery girl?" Janis asked.
Cady blushed darker. "Um, well... she's really pretty, for one thing, but I don't think she knows it. And she's kind of weird, but in a good way. Like, she's not afraid to be herself. She's really stubborn and loud but it all adds up to make this amazing, unique person. And she's really talented too, she's super artsy and..." Cady trailed off.
Janis was smiling at her, a little sadly, and Damian was looking at her with a probing look that Cady didn't like one bit.
"You should ask her out," Janis said softly.
Cady shook her head. "No, I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because, she's my friend, and don't want to mess that up by admitting that I have a stupid crush on her."
Damian was still gazing at Cady as if he could see into her soul. "Caddy, based on what you just told us, I think this is a little more than a crush."
"Still."
"Caddy, listen," Janis said, wrapping an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "I think you need to tell her. Any girl would be lucky to have you, and besides, if she rejects you, I'll kick her ass."
"Might be kinda hard to kick your own ass," Damian muttered.
Both girls' head snapped toward him.
"What did you just say?" Janis asked quietly, dropping her arm from Cady's shoulders.
Damian met Cady's eyes, which were filled with panic. "Damian," she whispered.
"It's her, isn't it?" He asked softly.
"Who?" Janis shrieked, looking back and forth between her two friends, who were locked in a staring contest.
"Damian," Cady said weakly.
"What is going on?" Janis's voice was growing higher pitched by the second.
Damian broke eye contact with Cady in favor of looking at Janis. "It's you, Jan. She's in love with you."
"I hate you so fucking much," Cady murmured, closing her eyes and facing the ceiling again.
"What?" Janis was looking back and forth between them so quickly now that she would surely throw out her neck soon. "No, it's not me. Caddy, is it really me?"
Cady now appeared to be praying. "Yes, Janis, I... I'm in love with you."
Janis didn't respond for a long moment. Then she tapped Cady's shoulder.
"Caddy? While it is very important to pray to the ceiling gods, I'm gonna need you to look at me so that I can kiss you."
Cady's eyes snapped open. "What did you just say?"
Janis just smiled at her. Then she cupped her chin and kissed her.
Cady had obviously kissed people before - she'd been with Aaron for six months, after all. But kissing Janis was something else entirely - so much better than anything she'd ever experienced before. Cady reached up and tangled her hands in Janis's hair as Janis pushed her up against the sink.
After what felt like both an eternity and a single second, they broke apart. Cady stared up at Janis, a dazed smile on her face.
"I love you," she whispered.
Janis laughed. "I love you too, Caddy."
"Hey Jan?" Damian tapped Janis on the shoulder.
"Yes, Damian?"
He leaned close, putting his lips right next to her ear. "Gay."