Chapter 14

“Claudia, I’m sorry if this ruins things. I get it if you don’t wanna be friends, I know it’s gross, and-” Robin stood up as Claudia walked into the bathroom.

“Shut up, Robin,” Claudia cut Robin off, closing the cubicle door and locking it. “I never liked Steve. I never even liked Daniel. I just felt this need to be loved. To be loved by a boy, and to love a boy. This weird urgency. Like, if I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d be shunned. But I’ve never even liked a boy. I hated dating Daniel. He was horrible. He abused me, and he hit me, but I stayed with him because I didn’t want people thinking I was different. I mean, I never realised it for so long, but…”

“But what?”

“It’s always been girls. I’ve always looked at them differently. Admired them differently. In movies, when all of my friends would be fawning over the guys, I’d be looking at the girls. I thought it was just because I wanted to be them, to look like them, but it wasn’t. It’s because I wanted to be with them.”

“Claudia…”

“I like you, Robin. You broke my heart when you stopped talking to me. I stopped wearing out friendship bracelet but it upset me, and I thought that by replacing it with Daniel’s bracelet my feelings for you would go away, but they didn’t. I always knew you were in Click’s class. I’d catch myself taking glances at you every time I walked in, and you looked up at me and Steve with that look in your eyes. I thought you hated me.”

“I didn’t hate you. I hated the idea of you and Steve together.”

“I know that now. I’ve just been so scared all my life to accept myself for who I am, but I guess I’m doing it now. I mean, I’ve been abused by evil Russians already today, what else do I have to lose? I’m just so glad you came back into my life when you did. If it wasn’t for that girls night we had, I’d probably still be with that abusive dickwad. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Claudia. You know, I’d totally kiss you right now, but I threw up.”

“I have mints.”

“That’ll work.”

Robin downed a bunch of mints. “This is kinda gross,” Robin said.

“Who cares? I’m still kinda high.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Robin leaned into Claudia, wrapping her arms around her waist and letting their lips meet. She finally got to do what she’d been waiting to do for years, without judgement. She knew that there were some very obvious challenges ahead, that they’d have to keep their relationship secret for a long time, but she was happy as long as she got to be with Claudia.

Claudia placed her hands on Robin’s face, her thumbs landing on the edge of her jaw and her fingers softly gripping her hair. Robin’s back slammed against the wall as they pulled apart. “Is it too early to say I love you?” Claudia asked, breathlessly.

“Hell no,” Robin said, “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Well, in that case, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They leaned back into each other, only managing to get a small peck in before the bathroom door opened. They jumped away from each other, unlocking the cubicle door to see Erica and Dustin, Steve quickly followed them in.

“Okay,” Dustin said, “What the hell?”

The two laughed. They all left the bathroom, and Steve, Robin and Claudia strayed slightly behind the two kids. “Did you guys figure it all out?” Steve asked. The two girls looked hesitant. “Hey, hey, don’t worry. You can tell me.”

Claudia smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, we got it worked out. Thanks, Harrington.”

“Anytime, Fuentes.”