starstruck

freddie

School is cancelled for the next week. Freddie manages to be a little happy, but, truthfully, she is a flaming mess. The problem isn't that Freddie is grounded, but that she is unable to access her backpack till the rebuilding is done.

Her whole life is in there- her social studies textbook, a German paper she'd been working on, and some sheet music for her piano lessons. Okay, Freddie thinks, my life is pathetic. She made her peace with that a long time ago, and finds that being pathetic is only a minor annoyance that she has come to accept.

It is near the end of day three of grounding when there is a knock at Freddie's door. Her mother never knocks, and her dad never bothers, so she sits up and makes herself presentable. "Come in," she says, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Elena, that girl, is standing in her doorway. Freddie takes one look, grabs a book off her night stand, and says,"Nevermind." Her cat, Bee, meows. Elena closes the door behind her and places herself awkwardly on the edge of Freddie's bed.

She pauses, like she is the one who has just had a virtual stranger walk into her bedroom uninvited. Freddie makes the first move. "So, you gonna explain how you got in here, or am I missing something?"

"Oh, Karen let me in."

"Who, my mom? Her name's Cathy."

Elena smiles to herself, then mumbles, "Eh, close enough." Freddie puts the book down and sighs, in a very lugubrious manner. "And my address?"

"Um, it's in the school directory."

"Stalker, much?" As if she is not causing a very impertinent disturbance on Freddie's evening grounding activities, Elena frowns. Freddie can't help but think she looks cooler this way, less all happy and cheerful and capricious and more dark and interesting. Dynamic, she guesses.

"You don't have to be so mean all the time, you know."

She pretends to be taken aback, like this is a Big Surprise, but, honestly, this happens to Freddie far more than she can admit. People always tell her to be nicer, or funnier, or more caring. Some might say she needs to get the hint, but Freddie says everyone else does.

"You're the reason I'm sitting here, on a Saturday, in my rather boring room. I'll be as mean as I want."

"I've seen you. You have, like, what, two friends? Tell me honestly that you wouldn't be spending your Saturday in your room anyways."

Despite the initial burn, Freddie is impressed. She's completely right.

"So, I was kidding about that stalker comment earlier, but I'm bringing it back. Seriously, 'I've seen you'?" Freddie is proud of herself for that one.

Elena looks at the ground and wraps an arm around her waist. Bee rubs against her legs. Freddie waits, she really does, for Elena to retort (she was just getting good at it!), but she has thought of five possible comebacks and Elena is still sitting there, petting Bee's head and staring hard at the carpet.

"You never told me why you're here."

Elena looks up. She is redder than Freddie remembers. "Oh, right. I was coming to, you know, apologize about the whole getting you grounded thing, but I guess that's out of the picture."

Freddie nods. They sit in timid silence. Bee starts purring, and jumps into Elena's lap.

"So, what's his name?"

"Bee."

"Oh. Cool." Freddie can tell she doesn't think it's cool.

"You gonna leave?" Elena looks at her, and does the frown thing again. "You gonna leave? Me and Bee are having fun here." Bee meows in agreement.

Freddie groans, and pulls off the covers. She gets up to grab her computer, because she might as well do something useful with her time, and happens to forget that she isn't wearing any pants.

Elena makes a sputtering sound that frightens Bee and makes him catapult himself from her lap. Freddie waves her hand and grabs a pair of sweats from the ground, trying not to think about the fact that Elena just saw her in Disney princess underwear.

Her laptop decides it has low battery, so Freddie has to plug it in the wall by her closet. Elena, Bee-less, has lost all motivation to stay.

"I'm going to leave, um, now."

Freddie nods, smiles, and gets up to open the door.

Elena turns around when she's in the doorway. "Can I ask a question?" She seems nervous, soft. "Shoot," Freddie responds. Anything to have her room to herself.

"Are you really, I mean, are you, uh," Elena is struggling, and Freddie is enjoying it.

"A lesbian?" Of course Freddie remembers. Her mother always does things like that.

Elena nods, too ashamed to meet Freddie's eyes.

"No," she could have sworn Elena frowned again, "I'm actually bi, but when I told my mom, I think she just heard the 'I can be attracted to girls' part."

No, Freddie thinks, I was wrong. Elena isn't frowning. She's smiling.

"Oh. That sucks." Elena does not sound or look like it sucks. She looks like she finds it all a big joke.

"Look, it's not my issue if you're one of those people who thinks being bisexual makes me greedy or confused or whatever. Just go, please."

Elena's eyes widen, and Freddie notices how dark they are. Almost as brown as mine, she thinks. Freddie prides herself in having dark eyes.

"Oh, that's not what I think at all! It's just-" Elena seems at a loss for words. Freddie can not deal with this right now.

"Okay, heard enough. You can go now."

She slams the door in her face.