by Yuriko Hime
The three of us turned and saw Denise. She was fuming mad. Oh God. It was going to get ugly. “How long have you been standing there Princess?” Henry asked anxiously. He didn’t have time to explain everything to his new family. The family he made after he left Glace’s mom.
“Now you’re calling me princess?!” she yelled. “I’ve heard enough daddy. I’ve heard enough to learn that you have another daughter. And she’s a bitch!”
I stood up angrily. “Glace is not a bitch Denise.” I wouldn’t allow anyone to talk crap about her like that.
Denise stomped her foot. How could her stiletto still be in one piece? “She stole you from me. I hate her!”
Glace was eerily calm at my side before she heard that. Now she stood up from her chair, mirroring my scowl. “I never stole Dulce from you Denise. I knew her before you could even grasp the concept of love. If you even know what that means.” She was about to walk in Denise’s direction but I quickly stopped her with a reprimanding glance.
“No Glace. She’s your sister,” I warned.
Henry made a move to his blonde daughter. “Princess.” He sounded like he was talking to a crocodile who was about to snap its jaws. “Let’s all talk about this rationally. The way decent people are supposed to.”
“I won’t listen to you. You’re a liar!” she snarled before going for the kill. Denise ran straight to Glace’s direction, her arms poised and ready in front of her. Knowing what she was about to do, I hugged Glace in an attempt to stop Denise. She didn’t. I was smack in the middle while she tried to claw, grab Glace’s hair, and did what enraged women do to their enemies. If I wasn’t in such situation and at the receiving end of her attacks, I would have laughed like a maniac.
The only problem was she scratched like a jungle cat and tried to pry my girlfriend’s hair harshly. Because I was protecting Glace, I was the one who got hurt. They didn’t even realize it. It went on for only seconds, but God it was painful. Henry dashed to Denise and tried to pry her away from me and Glace.
My girlfriend did some attacks to the enemy, but the force was strong with the other one. Ha-ha. Now I was making Star Wars joke that weren’t even funny. Ugh. Twenty claw marks later, Henry was finally able to separate Denise from us. Both she and Glace had a stare match while they gasped and heaved. What were they mad for? I was the one who got hurt. But enough about me.
“I can’t believe you had another daughter after me daddy,” Denise said bitterly.
“Technically, she’s your older sister. But only by a few months,” he added hurriedly when Denise gave him a look. “I know it’s hard, but you have to get along with her Princess. Aren’t you proud that you have a Hollywood celebrity as your sister?”
“She stole my girlfriend,” she whined like a spoiled brat. She wasn’t like her sister at all. Though Denise was the blonde one, she wasn’t the ray of sunshine like she was supposed to be. How did I have a crush on her in the first place?
“I think we’ve already established that I didn’t steal Dulce from you,” Glace said threateningly. She circled her arm around my waist. “We knew each other from the beginning.”
“Oh fuck you and your explanations!” Denise yelled. She looked like she was about to attack for round two.
“Fuck you too!” Glace copied her sister’s tone and stance.
Instead of doing the anticipated, Denise took something from her phone and swiped here and there. Who was she going to call, the fashion police? When she finished, she held the phone for us to see. It was showing a picture of me and Glace, locked in a passionate kiss. All the blood left my face. When and where did she take that?
Before anyone could stop her, she pressed something and smirked to us. “There. I just sent it to the paparazzi. Welcome to hell Glace. That’s for stealing what was mine.”
“Are you stupid?!” Glace yelled, the tone of her voice scaring even me. “You don’t know what you’ve done Denise. You’ve ruined Dulce’s life.” The three of them stared in my direction, the same panicked expressions dawning on their eyes. Everyone knew she was right.
Chapter 30. Chaos
Dulce
The news spread like wildfire. In every tabloid, magazines, news, and websites, the picture of me and Glace kissing was posted like a banner announcing my girlfriend’s lesbianism. Great! The paparazzi hunted Glace like a pack of hungry dogs, ready to rip their victim’s throats. And because they didn’t know where she lived, they tracked me down instead.
I swear to God, those people had a homing device up their sleeve or at least they were trained spies. The very next day, they were knocking on my front door, bombarding my mom with questions that she couldn’t answer. In an attempt to protect me, Glace issued a press release, telling everyone that the picture was fake. Her announcement was quickly dispelled by experts who deemed that it wasn’t photoshopped.
I didn’t know where Denise was when all of this was happening. Not because I was ignorant or she was absent from school but because I wasn’t able to step out of my house for days now. Paparazzi and Glace’s fans were camped outside my property, hoping to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend.
It was one week short from graduation, and there I was, locked inside my own home. The teachers understood the situation quite well. Mom talked to the school’s admin about it, so I was free from any responsibility. If it was only that easy. I haven’t seen Glace for days. Aside from being unable to leave, she couldn’t go here either. Things would get crazier if that was to happen.
I didn’t bother switching the TV on. What was the point? It would be the same old stuff on the news- me and Glace happily being gay. Wait till Ellen hears about this. Wanting to hear my baby’s voice, I grabbed my mobile phone from the bedside table and dialed her number. She picked up in one ring.
“Dulce.” There was evident relief in her voice, as if she was waiting all day for me to call. “I thought you were still asleep.”
“I just woke up.” Pinning the phone between my cheek and my shoulder, I used both my hands to part the curtains. A distinct flash from outside blinded me for a second. “They’re still here,” I said in disappointment as I replaced the curtains, shutting myself inside again. Now I knew why Rapunzel was so desperate to come out of her tower. Was she gay too?
Glace sighed. “I want to see you so bad right now. It’s been ten days, fourteen hours, and twenty-five minutes since I’ve last held you. Can I just go there, kidnap you, and be done with it?”
“You’re so cute.” I chuckled. Underneath it all, I was getting depressed for not being able to see her or any of my friends. It was slowly killing me. “Hey.” I sat on my unmade bed.
“Yes baby?”
“This will stop soon right? People will get tired of this and leave me alone right?” My hand tightened on the phone as I waited for her to give me hope. She didn’t answer immediately. When she did, Glace didn’t lie.
“It will take months, even years for that to happen. The paparazzi and the fans may leave your house in days, weeks, I don’t know. But they will take pictures of you from now on. That’s just the way it is. I’m sorry.”
I caught the desperation in her tone. She would resort to anything to help me. “Don’t you dare break up with me because of this Glace McKenzie,” I said hurriedly. “If you do, I will find someone hotter than you and make out with her in front of everyone.”
She snorted at my threat. “There’s no one hotter than me.” Glace had every right to be confident. “Well there’s you. But then you’ll have a hard time making out with yourself, so I’m not really scared. Besides, I will never leave you for this Wendy.”
Her reference made my stomach somersault. “I love you Glace. I wish I can see you.”
She took a deep breath. The sound was so palpable I could almost touch it. “I love you too. I’ll think of something.”
I went into zombie mode again after the call ended. As usual, I cooked, cooked, and cooked, for no one in particular. When I got tired of that, I lay on my
bed and read a book, as I did for the last couple of days. Something was wrong with me. I usually enjoyed cooking and reading. But for the past weeks, it was like my passion for those activities fizzled out. Maybe it was because I’ve been missing everyone, especially Glace. What I would give in this moment to embrace her again and smell her creamy scent. Everything would be alright if we stayed together. At least I kept convincing myself that.
My mobile phone rang around midnight. I was so groggy that I kept my eyes shut while my hands explored the bed, hoping I’d be able to find the phone like that. Something rectangular and sleek was on my right. I grabbed it, attempting to swipe the screen with my eyes still closed.“Hello mom," I said sleepily. “I thought you’re not coming home until tomorrow evening.”
“I’m not your mother, virgin girl. Oops. Sorry I forgot that Glace did the dirty with you already.”
“Eris?” I mumbled.
“Uh huh. Listen carefully because I will not repeat this. Dress comfortably and wait on your front door. I’ll be there with the entourage in ten minutes. Don’t ask questions.” The line went dead. What did she mean dress comfortably? And she said she was going to be here. Oh snap.
I rolled out of bed in a panic fit and ran to my closet. Nine minutes later, I was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a blue top, waiting beside the front door as instructed. Glancing at my watch, I saw that ten minutes have passed since Eris called. I was tingly with anticipation and nervousness at what was about to occur.
Someone rapped gently on the door. It was so soft that if I wasn’t standing right there, I would have missed it. “Dulce it’s me,” came a whisper.
“Tim?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Open the door. Everyone is asleep outside so we’re going to escape.” Trusting my best friend, I opened the door as noiselessly as I could and shut it behind me. True enough, the pesky paparazzi and Glace’s hordes of fans that were camped outside were all asleep. At least no one was visible enough to catch us.
“Hurry,” Tim said. “Eris parked the car a few blocks from here so we wouldn’t wake anyone. Let’s go.”
Tim and I headed to the direction of the car stealthily. It felt like we were the remaining survivors in the zombie apocalypse, and if we made a noise, the flesh eating creatures would rip us apart or turn us with a bite. It was in the wee hours of the morning and was surprisingly cold enough, even whilst summer was upon us, but I was dripping with sweat.
It was largely because I was nervous about the whole thing. My heart thumped loudly on my chest that I was afraid it would wake everyone. I saw the car from the distance. It was Patty’s black SUV and looked normal enough, but to me it was like salvation. Just a few steps more, I chanted to myself as we walked briskly. A few blocks from the vehicle, someone in the opposite direction spotted us. The woman recognized me immediately. She started to run straight towards us while screaming, “Hey everyone, it’s Dulce Gavin!”
Fudge! The people who I thought were invisible or weren’t there came out of nowhere and suddenly materialized all around us. Some of them blocked our way to the car. There was a flash here and there, making my eyes water as we desperately tried to find our way out. Tim took what appeared to be a walkie talkie and pushed a button before whispering, “Cruela Devil are you there? Over.” Tim grabbed my hand and started to sprint. “Cruela Devil, this is Kitty galore,” he said to the receiver while we dashed to the left. “Bella Swan and I have been discovered. Switch to plan B, over.”
A low static sounded, followed by a muffled reply. “We got you Kitty Galore.”
Tim continued dragging me along with him, while the paparazzi and fans followed a few meters from us. We ran and ran until we lost them, heading straight to the playground to hide underneath the slide. Tim and I gasped for air. My heart pounded like it never did before. I slapped his shoulder when I was able to catch my breath. “Bella Swan?” I whispered in irritation. “Why would you nickname me that? I hated that movie.”
Tim shrugged and looked around for any signs of fans. “The lead is a lesbian,” he mumbled.
“Nooooooo,” I said in denial.
“She is. Just look at the signs. God Dulce, your gaydar is broken.”
The walkie talkie crackled to life. “We’re near the playground,” said Eris’ broken voice. “But I can only park it a few blocks from there. You have to walk. Over.”
“Affirmative,” Tim replied. He looked at me. “Let’s do this Bella.” I rolled my eyes at him as we made our way to the direction they were talking about. Miraculously, the car was there, shining invitingly under the moonlight. We started to jog again, happy that no one was in sight.
A few feet more, a man with a camera slung over his neck came between us and the car. “I’m going to be rich for this,” he said with glee as he raised the camera to his face. Before he could click, someone tackled him from behind. Camera dude, together with his toy slumped to the ground. He was unconscious in a second.
“Oops,” Patty said sheepishly, getting up to compose herself. “What? I didn’t know the guy wasn’t athletic.” The three of us stared at the dude. He was faint on the ground but totally alive.
“Let’s go,” Tim urged.
We left the guy sprawled there. My friends almost threw me inside the car in a hurry. Patty went beside Eris in front while Tim shut the door and went to the back. Someone else was there. Someone I was dying to see. “Glace!” We met for a hug, nearly molding against each other as our front touched and our arms embraced. I felt the car move. We were safe, and she was here. It was all that mattered.
My lips automatically sought the hollow of her neck. I kissed her repeatedly, savoring the gasp she made. “Sorry it took so long baby,” she finally managed to croak out.
“I can take you here and now,” I murmured as I continuously showered her face and neck with feather light kisses, showing her exactly how much I missed her.
“Ehem,” Tim said loudly. They heard everything. Oops.
“Oh let them be,” Eris said in front. “I’d like to see some girl to girl action. We’ll learn a thing or two won’t we babe?” She turned to Patty with a smirk. Her girlfriend stared at the road like she didn’t hear anything.
“Whatever,” Tim grumbled.
I pushed Glace down the seat and attacked her with kisses on her ear. She giggled loudly. “Stop! Stop it Dulce!” It was music to my ears. Everything about her was magical to me. Raising her shirt a fraction, I began to playfully nip on her toned tummy. She shrieked like a child who was in delight as she squirmed against me.
“You two are so adorable,” Eris said. “Now show us something dirty. Just kidding babe,” she added.
Ignoring them, I fixed my gaze on Glace while I was on top of her. “I’m so happy right now. You should have come earlier.” I kissed her nose.
“Eris and I were trying to do damage control,” she said. “But the fans and paps were insistent on seeing you. You’ve got your own fans club now. Apparently people are shipping us. Of course there are also the haters saying we’ll go to the fire for being lesbian.”
“You should have told them that’s hot,” I joked.
“I told her that,” Eris chimed in. “But she ignored me.”
“What happened to your sister?” I asked, shifting my attention back to Glace.
She made a choking sound and looked disgusted. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked yet. But we will. I’ll make sure of it because I can’t leave it like this. She ruined everything.”
I leaned on her chest. “We’ll deal with her later okay?”
“Okay.” She stroked the small of my back. The motion, together with the steady rhythm of her heart lulled me to sleep. It was early morning, and her presence completely calmed me. I have never felt so at ease. Only Glace could do this to me. Before I succumbed to sleep, I heard Eris ask Glace something. The question didn’t register in my mind. Glace replied, “Andrea and I have been talking.” That was the last thing I recalled before I fell asleep.
/>
Chapter 31. Plans
Dulce
“Congratulations sweetie,” mom said as she leaned in for a hug. I let her hold me tightly.
“Thanks mom,” I murmured over her shoulder.
All around us, parents and their newly graduated sons and daughters were doing the same thing. It was graduation day. An end of a chapter for us. Finally! As I looked to the left, I noticed Glace staring at me with a wide smile. Her father Henry was beside her. I broke the hug, saying, “Mom this is Henry, Glace’s real dad.” Henry reached out for mom’s hand while I focused my attention to my girlfriend.
“Congratulations Dulce,” Glace murmured shyly, her ears beginning to turn a light shade of pink. Before I could wonder why she was blushing, she offered me a bouquet of roses. She has never given me flowers before. I took the arrangement with a smile.
“They’re beautiful!”
The two of us glanced at each other, the same expression of tenderness in our eyes. “Oh come here,” she murmured before taking me in her arms. My cheek settled on the hollow of her throat. We stayed like that for a few seconds before someone clapped behind us. Glace and I turned rigid as we realized simultaneously that we were on a public place.
I removed my arms from her, noticing for the first time that people were making a show of us, including my mom and Henry. It was embarrassing. Glace bowed proudly as if it was a performance. “Excuse us,” she announced loudly. She dragged me to the restroom, away from the gaping onlookers. “I’m sure someone took a picture,” she said as she locked the door.
I groaned. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re enjoying this? Have you forgotten that I’m still being chased by your crazy fans and the paparazzi? And where’s your sister? It’s her graduation too.” Only one week has passed since Glace and our friends took me from the house. Things were so chaotic that I haven’t set foot back to the place since then.
Glace frowned at the mention of Denise. “I don’t know where she is. I don’t care either. Maybe she went here with her mom.” Glace stared at the ceiling, then back to me. Her irritation was gone. “Enough about her.” She stepped closer. “Did you like the flowers?”