Bridges and Barriers
Samantha could feel Beth's mood simmering long after Anna had left. The two of them wandered through the arcade in silence, Beth’s hands still shoved deep in her pockets. Samantha knew better than to push—at least, not yet.
"Hey," Samantha said after a few minutes, "how about air hockey?"
Beth shrugged. "Sure."
Samantha led the way, dropping a few quarters into the table. "I'll go easy on you," she teased.
Beth finally cracked a smirk. "I don’t need your pity."
For a while, the game seemed to smooth things over. The clack of the puck and the sharp taps of their mallets gave Samantha something to focus on, something to break the awkwardness. But the second Beth scored on her, Samantha knew she couldn’t let it slide.
"Ohhh, no way!" Samantha shot her an exaggerated glare. "You're not walking away with a win."
"I literally just scored one point," Beth deadpanned, but her grin stayed.
"Yeah, and that’s one too many." Samantha shot the puck hard enough to make Beth stumble back, barely deflecting it.
"That’s cheating," Beth accused, laughing despite herself.
"Cheating’s a strong word," Samantha shot back. "I prefer 'tactical advantage.'"
They played a few more rounds before finally retreating to a quiet corner of the arcade, tired but oddly comfortable.
"So," Samantha started, "you and Sarah used to be friends, huh?"
Beth tensed, her fingers curling slightly on the table. "Yeah."
Samantha waited a moment. "She... never talks about it."
"Probably because she's embarrassed," Beth muttered, voice low. "We were close. Best friends, actually. And then... well." She paused, and for once, her usual snark was nowhere to be found. "I told her I liked girls."
"Oh," Samantha said softly. "And she... didn’t take it well?"
"She didn’t take it at all." Beth’s voice was sharper now, her words clipped. "She just... stopped talking to me. No big fight, no screaming. Just... nothing."
Samantha swallowed hard. "I’m sorry."
Beth shook her head. "Whatever. It’s old news."
"No, it’s not." Samantha tapped her nails against the table, her mind racing. "I mean, you can’t just forget something like that. It sticks." She paused. "For what it’s worth, that’s not everyone. I mean... I don’t care about... y’know, that."
Beth’s eyes flicked up, and for a second, Samantha thought she saw something soften behind the guarded expression.
"Yeah," Beth muttered. "I know."
Samantha smiled, relief washing over her. "So... air hockey rematch?"
Beth groaned. "Only if you promise not to cheat this time."
"I promise nothing," Samantha declared, already digging for more quarters.