Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 28
It was Tegan’s second year of university and she’d started living on campus, partially because the commute was a hassle but also because it enabled her to get away from her parents. When her first year grades afforded her a small scholarship that would more than supplement her part time job to enable her to support her living and educational expenses. She was also living the single life, having recently dumped her university boyfriend when she found out he was cheating on her with a girl with bigger tits who let him do anal, and living on campus meant getting to attend the best house parties near campus and stumble home drunk only to get up and do it all over again the next day.
It was at one of these parties she met Bethany.
Bethany was, like most college-age students, going through a number of phases. At the moment those phases had led her to dye her hair a striking black with blue streaks and affect an overall nerdy goth look, applying a pale foundation to her already pale skin, accentuated with dark eyeliners and lipsticks and thick-rimmed glasses. She’d stomp around the campus in chunky leather boots and black dresses that were laced at the back to ensure an hourglass body shape, with her wide hips and large bust completing the picture.
When they met it was because she caught Tegan staring at her exposed tattoos, a variety of black and grey floral pieces, snakes and skulls that adorned her pale arms and upper back. They were scattered sparsely across her skin, but there was still plenty to look at. She was practically the textbook rebellious college student.
“See something you like, Red?”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry” Tegan apologized, flustered. She’d been in the middle of talking to a guy when she drifted into her line of sight and apparently being a few drinks in had been none too subtle about it. She turned back to her conversation partner but he’d apparently already lost interest and moved onto another target. Well fuck him Tegan thought bitterly. Or not she added as an afterthought. Having just dumped her cheating boyfriend she had low tolerance for men who were only looking for one thing and didn’t care where it came from.
“Bethany.” The name derailed her train of thought. The girl was in front of her, offering her hand.
“Tegan.” She answered, shifting her drink to her left hand to take Bethany’s and shake it.
“Looks like you lost your date.”
“He wasn’t my date, just some guy.” Tegan took a sip of her drink then gestured dismissively at him, already across the room talking to another girl. “He probably just wanted to get in my pants anyway.”
“Probably? Oh honey you have a lot to learn about college men.”
Tegan rolled her eyes. “Fine, he definitely did, guys only want one thing. Skip the lecture.” Bethany’s condescension eroded her patience and she turned to walk away and find someone less bitchy to talk to.
“You didn’t answer my question.” Bethany called out after her.
“What?” Tegan turned back.
“I asked you if you see anything you like.”
“I was looking at your tatts.”
“My tits?” She laughed and took Tegan by the arm as she started to turn away again. “I’m just playing, girl. Fuck you’re uptight.”
“I’m not gay.” Tegan said bluntly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” She added, lamely.
“Oh, I see how it is.” Bethany confronted her. “You see some girl who’s a little outside your comfortable suburban norm and you’re all like ‘oh, she’s some militant dyke who’s going to try and convert me’. Well forget you.” This time it was Bethany who turned away, storming off.
Mollified, Tegan followed her out of the crowded room onto the back patio as Bethany lit a cigarette and leaned on the balustrade overlooking the pool. Tegan realized she had no idea whose place this was but they must have been loaded. She stood a few steps behind Bethany and glanced around. There were a couple of other smokers a few metres away but they weren’t give her any attention, wrapped up in a conversation about either – as far as she could tell – sports or video games. Maybe a video game about a sport.
She announced her presence to the other girl.
“Hey.”
Bethany glanced back at her, seemingly surprised and annoyed to see her there. “What?”
“I’m real sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s totally cool if you’re a lesbian.” She realized immediately that wasn’t nearly as articulate as it sounded in her head. She must be a lot drunker than she thought.
“Oh fuck off.”
“Hey I’m really trying to apologise. I’m not homophobic.”
“No, you just go around assuming people are lesbians because they look a certain way, that’s totally normal non-judgmental behavior.”
Tegan didn’t answer, knowing anything she said would just dig her in deeper. She knew she should just write this off and walk away but she couldn’t stand the idea of anyone thinking she was a bigot. There was a long silence while Bethany finished her cigarette then flicked the smouldering butt into the empty pool before turning back around.
“Are you still here?” she spat deriseively.
“I… I…” Tegan stammered.
“Oh, you don’t like it when people think you’re a shitty person? Well try not being one.” Bethany started to push past her to go back inside when Tegan caught her wrist in her hand.
“Please, I really didn’t mean anything, I’m…”
“…not a big fat homophobe?”
Tegan shifted awkwardly, unable to meet Bethany’s eyes.
“Kiss me.”
“Kiss you?”
“If you think being a lesbian is ‘so cool’” Bethany aggressively air-quoted “then you’ll have no problem kissing another girl.”
Tegan hesitated, her mind fuzzy from booze and anxiety. She knew the logic wasn’t adding up but she also didn’t really see another way out.
“You’re all talk.” Bethany started to pull away again, and in an urge of desperation Tegan pulled her close and pressed her lips to hers. She had only intended to go for a quick kiss but Bethany grabbed her head in her hands and held her, and she felt the other girl’s tongue pushing past her lips, which she didn’t resist. After the initial shock wore off she realized they had been kissing for some time, and Bethany had pressed her up against the railing. It took her a little longer to realise she had her hands on Bethany’s hips and was eagerly kissing her back. She could feel the other girl’s larger breasts pressed against hers. Bethany’s hands gradually released Tegan’s head and she ran her hands down her slimmer body, caressing her back and holding her waist. Eventually they broke apart.
“Nothing to be afraid of.” Bethany chided.
“I was never…”
“Red, I’m fucking with you. God, you’re so easy to mess with.”
Realization dawned on Tegan “Oh my God, you weren’t even mad!”
“Nope.”
“You tricked me!”
“Yep.” Bethany paused. “But for some reason your hands are on my ass.”
Tegan pulled them away as if burned, Bethany laughed hysterically.
“Babe, you crack me up.” They stared at each other for a long moment.
“I really was just looking at your tattoos.” Tegan emphasized the second half of the word this time.
“Wanna see the rest?”
Tegan blushed.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She stepped back and took Tegan by the hand. “Let’s go to my room.”
***
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