Lela and I didn't return until close to nightfall. I bid her goodbye than ran over to Brady, who was waiting for me in front of Big Momma's.
"Well?" He asked.
"Nothing. She didn't take the bait, because she was way too busy flirting with me." I said, rolling my eyes.
Brady leaned on the wooden fence behind him. I could tell he was angered, but I couldn't quite tell why.
"Do you like her?" He said out of the blue.
"Oh, Lela? Yeah, she's pretty cool."
He stared into my eyes, "That's not what I meant."
"Oh. My. Goodness. Are you seriously jealous of me and Lela?" I burst out laughing, "You were the one who suggested we should date."
The blonde surfer boy flinched at her last word, and I rolled my eyes. I felt a poke on my left arm and smiled when I saw Lela standing there.
"Oh, hey Lae"
The raven-haired girl grinned ear to ear at the nickname. Brady, however, glared at me. She grabbed both my hands, making me blush.
"So, guess what? Me, Cheechee, Struts, and the other biker girls are having a pajama party tonight. Do you want to come? It would be fu-un!" She shook her shoulders, just to be silly.
I laughed, ignoring Brady's constant mouthing of the word 'no' I accepted her invitation. She was a cute girl, and it's not like I had anywhere else to spend the night. Lela squealed with glee and clapped her hands. The biker girl grabbed my right hand and dragged me away, getting one last look at an enraged Brady before the scene changed.
I was sitting in her bedroom, atop her cushy bed. I laughed as I watched Struts trying to do something new to Cheechee's hair, who protested and ordered her to keep teasing it.
It was then that Lela came out holding a lovely blue dress with white polka dots, "What do you think about this for my date with Mack tomorrow?"
I blushed a deep red, averting my eyes as I saw her begging for my approval.
"She likes to surf, and the water's blue, and this dress is blue. So next time she goes surfing she'll see the blue water and think of me."
The other girls said nothing. They seemed a big hung up on the whole girls dating girls thing.
"Why should I influence what you have to wear? Or, anything you do?"
Lela seemed shocked but said nothing.
"Wait...you's two's dating?" Cheechee asked, "Has a spark come off your plugs?"
The female biker laid down her dress, "Um...um..." She seemed to regret saying it. Lela looked like a person shoved under the spotlight. I slid off the bed and grabbed her hand, which caused a lot of surprised looks.
"We like each other. What's the big idea?" I squeezed her hand tighter, "It's the twenty firs- twentieth century." I sighed, and gay marriage wasn't legal back then.
Even so, I wasn't just going to let Lela be here with her tail between her legs. I leaned onto her shoulder, smiling as the girls just stared at us.
"Jiminy Jeeps, Lela! This isn't right." Struts said, grabbing Cheechee's arm and walking out the door, "We ain't gonna be no friends to a girl like you."
Lela collapsed onto her bed as she watched her friends leave. All but me. My heart broke in half as I watched her cry. I laid down next to her and wiped away some of her tears, "They don't deserve you as a friend."
The biker looked up at me, "I should'nve said anything."
"Lela, never let anyone tell you what you can and can't do in life."
"But...how do I do that?"
"It's not always easy, believe me, but..." I snuggled deeper into her shoulder. I was positively exhausted. But just as my eyes started to droop closed, my face flushed red as I felt her kiss my forehead. Then I fell asleep in her arms.
The next morning, I was walking down the beach, hand in hand with Lela, when a memory from yesterday came to mind.
"Hey, um...Lela?" I gulped, feeling nervous, "I need your advice on something."
She nodded and motioned for us to sit down. I did so, being careful not to crinkle up my skirt.
"So, Brady and I've known each other for a while now, right? And the thing is, I just found out that he likes me. Like, likes me, likes me." I sighed, "How are you supposed to turn a boy down without hurting his feelings?"
"I...I don't know." Said Lela, frowning, "I don't think I've ever been put in that type of situation before."
"The thing is, he's really jealous of you and me." I said sadly, leaning my head on her shoulder.
"Oh."
I nodded and looked up at her with a smile. She blushed and squeezed my hand, "What?"
"You're not at all what I'd thought you'd be."
"Yeah. I'm not as much like me as people think."
Another impulse came over me, and suddenly, our lips were locked together. It felt so perfect. So... right.
"Mack!" Brady's voice called from a few feet away, "Mack!"
I reluctantly pulled away from the kiss and watched him jog over. He grabbed my hand and yanked me upwards, "Come on, you're coming with me."
"No, Brady. I'm with Lela right now." I yanked my hand away. He seemed surprised, but grabbed it again, "We have to go."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Just c'mon." He ordered.
"Fine." I reluctantly answered, about to follow him when I paused. I bent down next to Lela and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you later, alright?"
She smiled and nodded, whispering me good luck.
"Mack!" Brady shouted again, and I ran after him.
"What was that?" He asked angrily.
"What was what?"
He scoffed, "You're kidding me, right? The kiss on the cheek, the "I'm with Lela."" He paused, "Answer me honestly Mack. Are you into her?"
"So, what if I am?" I asked, crossing my arms.
He ran a hand through his hair, "I can't believe this. You're ditching me for a smoking hot chick from a movie?"
"Brady, I think we've been over for a while. Lela...she makes me feel happy."
"So, I didn't make you happy?"
"Of course, you did." I defended, grabbing his hands to reassure him, "She just makes me happier."
"So, what happens now? I thought you wanted to go home?"
"I don't know anymore. But I do know that I want to be with Lela. Even if she is from a teen beach movie."
Fuming, Brady walked away. I sank down into the sand and cried into the palms of my hands. What was going on with me?
I ended up staying at Lela's for a second night, but tonight it was just the two of us.
I was standing by her record player, trying to place the needle on the groove of the record.
Lela walked behind me, "I know, this electronic stuff can be really complicated." Then she grabbed the needle and moved it, a soft tune playing.
"Come here, come here!" She grabbed my shoulders and led me to her vanity mirror, "Sit." Lela ordered, then sat me down onto a stool.
"No, Lela, you don't have to--"
"We're just gonna try it." Then she began to brush my hair, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, um... just Brady hates me now." I confessed.
She set down the brush and looked at my reflection in the mirror, "I'm sure that can't be true."
"It is. He...um, he was trying to get me to break up with you."
Lela looked down at the ground, "Seems like everyone wants that, huh?" But then she smirked, "But I seem to remember someone telling me not to let anyone tell you what you can and can't do."
I smiled through my tears, "Yeah. It just hurts so much more because I've known him for so long. I never thought he would do something like this."
"Do you want to break up with me?"
I shook my head, "Never."
"It's funny, I feel like I could tell you anything."
"Yeah, it does feel like that, doesn't it?"
"There's something I've been wanting to say to you ever since you saved my life."
"Okay, what is it?"
"I don't know if I can say it. I am just way too nervous."
"Alright." I replied, turning back around.
"Wait, you're okay with that?"
"Of course, I wouldn't want to force you to say anything if you're not ready."
Lela smiled and pecked me on the cheek, which made me blush.
"You are way better than any surfer or biker I've ever met."
"You are better than anyone I've met." I admitted, "People don't usually ask me out. I guess they find me weird 'cause I act so different than everybody else."
"And what's wrong with being different?"
I laughed, "Where I come from, being who I am, feeling the way I feel about you isn't accepted that well. I mean sure, same sex marriages are allowed, but that doesn't automatically get you accepted by society." I ducked my head, a single tear running down my face.
"Well, I think different is amazing. Just look at us, two girls going steady."
That single comment made me smile. Whenever Lela spoke to me, she made a whole situation brighter.
I pecked her on her lips, then laid down onto her lap. She rubbed my back and played with my hair. I couldn't have felt any happier than I did right now.
My eyes drooped closed. This was the second time I had fallen asleep on her, and it felt so right.
I awoke again the next morning on her bed. My cheeks flushed red and I looked beside me, but it slowly faded away when I realized I was alone.
Wait, where is Lela?
I jolted upwards and looked in all directions, trying to find my girlfriend. But when she came out of her wardrobe holding a beautiful dress, relief washed over me.
"Oh, good morning Mack!" She greeted with a chipper tone.
"Yeah, morning. Hey, why am I on your bed?"
"Well, you were exhausted, and I wanted to let you rest, and the floor wasn't going to be very comfortable. So, I carried you to my bed and tucked you in."
"What about you? Where did you sleep?"
"On the ground." She smiled, "And don't worry, I had an extra sleeping bag in my closet." She reassured.
"That must've been uncomfortable. I'm sorry."
The female biker shook her head, "No, no. Your fine. Now c'mon." She smiled at me, "Let's go, let's go!"
"Where are we going?"
"To the beach, so you can teach me how to surf."
"And when was this decided?"
"Right now."
I rolled my eyes, "But I don't even have a swimsuit." I pointed out, but then the scene changed, and I was wearing an orange bikini.
The magic of the movies.
"So, where do we start first?" Lela asked eagerly, practically bouncing on her toes.