I wake up with Diana close beside me, my hand on her waist.
That's new.
She breathes lightly and for some weird reason I look at her sleep for a second, she looks so peaceful. I'm assuming that she dreams about rainbows and wonderland every night.
I move the strand of hair out of her face, I run my thumb along her cheek. She's pale, I wonder if she gets a tan during the summer or if she just gets burned. I only now notice her light freckles, they are so light that they are barely visible, just on her cheeks. I've never had a thing for blondes. Until her...well I never...liked a blonde until now, I've always had a thing for red heads or brunettes. I would describe her hair as a perfect blonde, its light and soft. It's past her shoulders.
She lets out a soft breath before her eyes open slowly, I freeze and she looks up at me squinting a little.
"Hi." She smiles. I fight the smile, I can't fight the kiss though. God I'm becoming clingy to her and I don't like it.
She kisses me back putting her hand on the back of my neck. I pull back slowly.
"Good morning." I say but it comes out a soft whisper, I clear my throat. That's disgusting.
"Good morning, happy birthday." She says.
"Thanks." I lay back for a second, I don't want to get up. I was watching her sleep. God, that's weird.
She sits up, we both slept naked...Things happened and I suppose we fell asleep afterwards and forgot to get dressed. I'm sleeping naked with her now.
"Did you sleep alright?" I make conversation, what a conversation to make.
"...Yeah, did you?" She glances back at me, I look at her for too long. I look away. What the fuck.
"I slept fine...I need to use the bathroom." I get up. I don't need to tell her that I'm going to the bathroom.
"I um....I didn't bring extra clothes, could I just borrow a shirt and sweatpants? I'll give them back, I promise." The blanket falls and I glance down before looking away nodding.
"Yes, do." I walk into the bathroom locking the door. I run my hand through my hair before looking in the mirror seeing a hickey on my neck, she likes to leave marks. I go to the toilet.
I go back to my bedroom and she put on one of my favourite oversized shirts, my black fleetwood Mac rumours shirt along with some grey sweat pants. She put her hair back in a little bun.
I go to my closet ignoring her as I grab a red shirt and sweat pants. I hear the front door opening downstairs and talking.
"Are you okay?" She asks me as I put on my clothes.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I glance at her before looking away.
"You aren't looking at me like you usually do, you're avoiding my eye." She says looking a little confused and honestly upset, she's making me feel bad and I don't feel bad.
"Did I do something?" She adds scratching her neck and I shake my head. I can't let her be upset for fuck sake.
"No, I guess I didn't sleep as good as I thought I did." I walk past her out of the bedroom, she follows closely behind. I stop at the top of the stairs when I see...my siblings along with Tatum and Maria at the door. They all look at me then past me.
"What are you all doing here?" I sigh walking down.
"Happy birthday!..." Camila cheers before stopping and looking at the others, whose eyes are on Diana.
"Looks like you are meeting the family." I glance back at her before walking into the kitchen away from them, Maria and Tatum follow me. Maria runs over to the frying pan.
"Happy birthday." Tatum says and I cross my arms.
"Birthday pancakes!" Maria holds up a plate of pancakes.
"What's the mood about?" Tatum asks holding Olive as I sit at the table, Caleb pulls out the chair beside me sitting down. I hear the front door open and I run my hand through my hair.
"I'm not in a mood." I sit back and hear Camila talking to Diana as they walk into the kitchen, Diana smiles at her and I keep an eye on them.
"Happy birthday, Lilah couldn't come because she's flying home with Anna but she will most likely ring you later." Carson puts two wrapped presents on the table.
"Thanks Carson." I thank him.
"You could model." Camila speaks to Diana and Diana just laughs.
"I'm being serious."
"I don't think Modeling is really my thing." Diana shrugs, how great is my life. She's meeting most of my family now.
"Zack knows—"
"Cami." Caleb cuts Camila off and I get up from the table, I don't like this. I hear the front door...again. The only people who aren't here now are cole and Quinn. I haven't seen them in a while.
It's Spencer and Juliet.
"Happy birthday." They say as Spencer walks over quickly to Tatum taking olive.
"Thank you all...so so so much for this lovely birthday morning but please...leave my house.I mean that in the nicest way possible." I leave the kitchen walking up the stairs. I want this to be like any other day. I don't want this...attention.
✺ ✺ ✺
I sit back on the couch with Maggy on my lap as I reply to some messages I've received, wishing me a happy birthday. Carson got me two big bottles of wine, while Lilah gave me a box of donuts. I texted Anna telling Lilah thank you.
I check the time. It's not even half way through the day.
The only good part of this birthday was last night, I enjoyed that shower with Diana and afterwards. I don't like small talk too much, like when I'm trying to sleep but we stayed up talking a little while. We laughed, I laughed to the point my stomach hurt and we had to tell each other keep it down so we don't wake up anyone.
We're getting close. I don't not like that....I can barely keep my hands off of her when she's around me now. I have a lot of self restraint. While I like doing things with her, just her company is nice. I'm not like that with a lot of people. She makes me laugh for Christ sake. I laugh at her dumb jokes.
I hear a knock at the door and snap out of my thought sitting up as Maggy gets off my lap, I put my phone down, getting up and walking towards the door.
I open it and Diana stands outside. Speak of the devil. She holds a little bag and a bouquet of roses. I lean my head against the door raising my eyebrow a little.
"Happy birthday...again. I know you didn't want anything, it's not much though! I got you flowers, your favourite and jolly ranchers. Oh, and this." She holds up a grammar book and I fight the smile but fail terribly.
"You know..since you are an English teacher and all." She smiles and I roll my eyes leaning off the door.
"You are too much." I step closer to her kissing her, being clingy again. I pull back and she looks at me, I just look back at her for second.
I look away stepping back.
"Do you want to come in?" I ask her and she nods stepping inside. I close the door and she hands me the bag.
"Thanks." I say. I stop my hand as I want to reach for her, god I need to stop that. She hands me the flowers and I smile at them.
"I'll put them in a vase. You can go sit down." I tell her and she nods. She walks to the living room and I go to the kitchen. I grab the empty vase from the windowsill and fill it with water as I get lost in my thoughts again.
Of course she would show up with my favourite flowers and candy, along with something ridiculous. And of course I kissed her for it, I smiled like a child who got a new toy afterwards. She smiled too. That damn smile—
"Natalie." She speaks and I jump a little looking to her.
"What?"
"Your phone is ringing, I brought it in." She holds it out to me and I shake my hands taking it as my hand touches hers we make eye contact, I pull away answering my phone and walking past her.
"Hello?"
"Are you ready to party as a recently divorced woman?" I hear Tatum on the phone and I sigh to myself.
"Tatum—" I cut myself off when the door opens and Maria runs in with a bag. Tatum follows behind with her own bag...followed by Quinn and cole, Quinn in a short hot pink dress making her look like a highlighter honestly. While cole is in all black with a black button up that's buttoned up half way.
"We're going clubbing! Diana, you too! I have an extra outfit as always, you are gonna look amazing come on." Maria wraps her hand around Diana's shoulder who glances to me and I give up. There's no fighting these demons off.
"What did you get?" I ask her and she nods up the stairs to follow Diana and Maria.
"We will wait down here." Cole says and I look at him and Quinn who don't say anything else. I ignore them walking up the stairs.
I walk to my bedroom where I suspect Maria and Diana have gone to, I open the door and Maria holds up a blue dress at Diana who looks at me as I walk in.
"It's a little short." Diana says looking back at Maria.
"Exactly."
"I don't know, me and Natalie are already chancing ourselves being together outside of school. A club is a very public place."
"Nobody's gonna see you! Come on, don't be boring!"
"I don't know, this is kind—"
"Invite Charlie." I tell her and she looks at me.
"What?"
"Invite him, that way you won't be all awkward like always. Charlie's a social butterfly, you are more social around him." I say as Tatum walks over to my vanity looking through the drawer.
"Are you not uncomfortable with that though? Your other student going clubbing with you."
"No, I'm not."
"I want to meet this Charlie! Is he straight? I'd prefer to keep this group strictly non straights." Maria says sitting beside Diana on the bed.
"That's straightphobic." Tatum comments.
"Quinn is straight." I cross my arms.
"Charlie isn't." Diana says and Tatum pulls my arm.
"You two change in here, me and Natalie will change in the other bathroom." Tatum pulls me and I roll my eyes as we walk out of my bedroom and to the bathroom.
She walks over to the sink putting the bag down on the counter. She unzips it taking out black clothing and hands them to me.
"You're lucky you got me black clothes."
"You won't wear anything else." She rolls her eyes and I take off my shirt. Even though me and Tatum are both lesbians...we change in front of each other, god we had sex once and it was awful. We were fourteen, both knew we liked girls and we just tried it and it ended horribly.
"Take off your bra." Tatum says and I look at her shaking my head.
"Sometimes I'm convinced you are in love with me." I smirk before turning away from her. I put on the dress, it's silk, quite low but tight, a slit under my right boob to down near my stomach and a slit at my right thigh as if it isn't short enough.
She got me knee high lace socks too, going all out then.
"I got you boots too." I turn around to her as she hands me a pair of black boots before she changes herself. She wears a dark green dress, shorter than my own and a lot more...openings.
"I don't have my makeup in here." I go to walk but she stops me.
"I got you a present." She reaches into the bag pulling out a box handing it to me.
"I hate you." I shake my head taking it with a small smile.
"You don't. You love me. Now open it." She points and I put it down on the counter lifting the lid. I drop my arm once I see a vibrator and a flog in the box.
"You're ridiculous." I shake my head smiling but turn to her and she moves forward hugging me.
"You love me, admit it." She says and I roll my eyes.
"I do. Happy now?" I lean back and she nods.
"You've been smiling since you started hanging around Blondie more. Are you going soft?" She asks and I stop smiling clearing my throat, I put the lid back on the box.
"Don't be ridiculous, Tatum."
"Do you like her?" She smiles. I don't answer her question instead I pretend to struggle with the box.
"You're not denying it—"
"I do. She's been on my mind all day today for some weird reason. I'm becoming clingy...and attached to her." I shake my head cringing at myself.
"I like her, you should keep her around."
"I'll try." I mumble before picking up the box and we walk out of the bathroom and towards my bedroom. I open the bedroom door and Diana sits on the bed as Maria does her makeup.
Maria wearing a light pink sparkly dress, she curled her hair. I look to Diana, she's wearing a short tight light blue dress, that has thin straps.
She looks to me and she looks over my body, her eyes stopping at my boobs. Maria looks back at me and smiles. I whistle snapping Diana out of it.
"Eyes up here." I point and she looks away quickly going red. I hear knocking at the door as I sit down at my vanity.
"I'll get it." Tatum says walking out of the bedroom. I plug in my straightener as I begin doing my makeup.