Relief washed over Tori as Sabrina stood up. Thank goodness she’s too ignorant to notice the discrepancy.
Sabrina gave Tori a small hug as she retrieved her book bag. “Well, I’ll talk to you later, I guess. I’m going to sneak out of here early.”
“Bye, hun,” Tori replied.
As Sabrina walked away, Tori noticed that Chloe was looking in her direction with an angry expression on her face. She then noticed Chloe’s glare following Sabrina until she left the cafeteria.
What was that about? Tori wondered.
* * *
“I hate fake people!” Chloe declared as she watched Sabrina cross the room. Once Sabrina left, she looked over at Tori and noticed that she was looking back at her with a puzzled expression. Chloe smiled sheepishly and waved, trying to communicate that her scowl hadn’t been directed at her. Tori smiled shyly, moving her gaze down to the table.
“Huh?” Kristen asked, startled by the outburst.
Chloe sighed. “There’s this one girl whose boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, and the best friend keeps acting like nothing’s wrong. It’s so screwed up! I don’t understand why people act like this!”
Kristen frowned. “Indeed,” she said, looking away as pangs of guilt erupted in her stomach. Yeah, look what I’ve been doing to Jim, she thought. He doesn’t deserve the way I’ve been cheating on him with Chloe.
Kristen had been avoiding Chloe since she returned from her weekend with Jim. A part of her loved Chloe and what they had, but she didn’t love her in the same way that she loved Jim. They were going to have to end things—and she was going to have to be the one to call it off. She knew the “breakup,” if she could call it that, would be rough; Chloe had wanted to be girlfriends for a long time, and she wasn’t going to take the news well. Kristen didn’t want to lose the one person who’d always been there for her. No one knew Kristen like Chloe did, and she couldn’t imagine not having her in her life. She just hoped that Chloe would understand.
Chapter 11
On Tuesday, Chloe invited Kristen over after school. Chloe was off of work that night, and there was nothing she wanted nothing more than quality time with Kristen after not seeing her for days. Kristen agreed to come over, much to Chloe’s delight, and she parked behind Chloe in front of the house.
Chloe held both of Kristen’s hands, gazing into her eyes as they stood in the hallway. “I’ve missed you,” she said, leaning in for a kiss.
Kristen turned her head, her lips pursed with worry. “Um, we need to talk.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. She hated that expression. That was the phrase someone that said right before bad news was delivered, and she could tell by Kristen’s face that this would be no exception. They went into the living room and sat next to each other on the couch, their bodies facing one another and fingers laced.
Kristen’s eyes began to well with tears. “Chlo, I know we’ve been fooling around for a long time, and we’ve had some amazing times. The thing is, though, that I love Jim—really love him, and things between him and me are getting pretty serious.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” she muttered bitterly. She felt like she was going to throw up.
Kristen frowned. “Well, we always promised each other that if one of us got serious with their significant other then things would have to slow down between us. The thing is, I didn’t realize how it would feel when I got serious with someone. I don’t think either of us did.”
“So, what are you saying?” Chloe asked with a hint of anger in her voice. She already knew the answer, but at this point, she was growing tired of Kristen’s lengthy explanation and wanted her to just get it over with.
“I…I want to be exclusive with Jim. I think us fooling around, even sporadically, would be a bad idea. I would feel guilty for cheating on Jim, you know?”
Chloe rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I make you feel guilty for cheating on Jim? How is it that you’re cheating on him, yet I’ve been around longer? It’s fine for you to stop seeing me so that he doesn’t get hurt, yet it doesn’t matter if you hurt me just because I don’t have a dick and he does? That’s what it boils down to, doesn’t it?”
Kristen glared at her. “That’s not it! It’s just that-“
Chloe let go of Kristen’s hands and sprung to her feet, her heart pounding with rage. “Oh c’mon, Kristen! You call it ‘fooling around’ because we’re both girls, yet if I were a guy we would’ve been an official couple for almost three years now! You’re too ashamed to admit to anyone that you’ve been with me because I’m a girl, and it’s bullshit!” Chloe was shaking with anger and sorrow.
Kristen stood up, her face turning crimson. “Chloe, listen to me, okay? I’ve always been honest with you. We agreed not to be exclusive years ago, so you can’t hold it against me now! We were just having fun!” She reached out to hold Chloe’s hand again.
Chloe snatched her hand away. “I’m pretty sure we both know it became more than just fun a while ago; I know it did for me.” She walked over to the door. “And now the fun’s over.” She opened it, waiting for Kristen to leave.
Kristen walked over, her eyes penetrating Chloe’s. “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
Chloe looked away. “You should’ve thought about that before you ditched me for a guy.”
“So that’s it?” Kristen demanded, her voice cracking. “After everything we’ve been through, you’re just going to stop talking to me? I thought we’d be okay. You can’t give up over ten years of friendship over this!”
“I’m giving it up? You’re giving up years of us being together because you had one good weekend with your boyfriend!” She sighed, trying to hold back the tears. “I just don’t know what I want to do right now. I’m really upset. You should go and let me clear my head.”
Kristen raised Chloe’s chin so their eyes met, and she kissed her gently on the lips. “I’m going to call you later on, okay?”
Chloe started weeping as she felt Kristen’s lips on hers for the last time. “I’m probably going to need more time than that, Kristen,” she said, her voice quivering. “Please, just leave me alone for a while.” Her shoulders began shuddering, the dam that was holding back her tears beginning to crumble. She leaned back on the wall and covered her face as tears ran down her cheeks.
Kristen knew that there was nothing more she could do to rectify the situation, and she admitted defeat. “Call me when you calm down, okay? I’ll give you time.” She opened the screen door. “I still love you, Chloe.” Seeing that Chloe began to weep even harder, she left the house and shut the door behind her.
Chloe sprinted to her room, bawling even harder as the times they’d spent in her bed together flooded her mind. Her heart felt like it had shattered into a billion pieces. She’d never find someone who’d make her as happy as Kristen, and she felt like the pain would never stop.
* * *
Tori and Aaron were sitting next to each other in her bedroom. He had requested time with her after school, and she’d reluctantly agreed. She hadn’t yet built up the courage to break up with him, and she avoided his gaze as she tried to figure out what she should say to initiate their separation.
Aaron wrapped an arm around her and kissed her neck, goosebumps involuntarily creeping down her arm with the sensation. Tori squirmed, trying to block the attempt at affection, but his hand had already ventured to her breast.
Tori pushed his hand away and sighed. “Just don’t,” she insisted. She stared at the floor, her heart pounding as she tried to form the right words. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she glanced over at Aaron. His arm was still around her, but he was turned towards the bedroom window.
“I’m sorry,” Tori muttered.
“We’re never going to take the next step, are we?” he inquired, still looking out of the window.
Tori’s eyebrow raised. “What?”
“I don’t want to wait anymore!” he yelled as
he stood up. “I shouldn’t have to wait anymore! How is it that I’m the fucking star quarterback and I have to put up with my girlfriend not wanting anything to do with me?” He pointed in the general direction of their school. “Do you realize how many girls in that school would jump at the chance to be with me? Do you know how many have already offered? And yet I stick around here with you and let you push me around!”
“What do you want me to do, huh?” Tori demanded exasperatedly. “I’ve told you I’m not ready. I’m still not ready. If you can’t understand that, then go screw all the whores you want and we’ll end this!” She secretly hoped that he would do just that so that she didn’t have to be the bad guy and dump him. “I’m sick of you trying to force me to do things I don’t want to do!”
Aaron growled. “You know what, you’re right. I don’t want to do this.” His eyes burned into hers. “Because I don’t need to. I’ve been fucking someone else for a while now, so why bother?”
Her eyes widened as she filled with rage. “You son of a bitch! After all the shit you’ve been giving me about us not having sex, you cheated on me?” She sprinted to her bedroom door and flung it open. “Get the hell out of my house, you asshole, and don’t ever speak to me again!”
He snarled as he got to the door, his face inches from hers. “Don’t worry, bitch. You couldn’t pay me enough to put up with your bullshit ever again.” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She heard him stomp downstairs, slamming the front door as he left the house.
Tori trembled as she stared blankly at the closed door. The way that Aaron had gotten in her face scared her; he could’ve easily hurt her, and there wouldn’t have been much that she could’ve done to stop him. As the adrenaline subsided, she walked back over to the bed and buried her face in the pillow. She felt completely drained; while she was relieved that their relationship was over, she couldn’t help but feel betrayed by Aaron’s news.
Never again, Tori decided. I’d rather be alone than to be treated like that ever again. From now on, I’m done dating the people I’m expected to; I’m going to be treated the way I deserve.
Chapter 12
The school was buzzing with the news of Tori’s and Aaron’s breakup. No one knew the exact details of what had happened, but the rumor mill was taking care of all of the theories. Tori kept her distance from the other students as she made her way to homeroom, avoiding everyone’s gaze and trying to drown out the incessant whispering.
Aaron was already in class and having a hushed conversation with Sabrina when Tori walked in. They both looked up at Tori, their eyes both widening as their discussion came to an abrupt halt. Tori glared at Aaron as she sat in a desk on the opposite side of the room. She refused to let anyone see her upset, so she quietly pulled out the public speaking assignment from her backpack and concentrated all of her energy on the list of potential topics.
Chloe walked in a couple minutes later. Tori noticed that Chloe and her friend with the pink hair exchanged a strange look—Chloe’s face was soaked with melancholy while her friend’s wore a look of sympathy—and Chloe began walking away from where she normally sat. She eventually sat at an empty seat a row from Tori, also avoiding everyone by staring at a textbook she seemed to have opened at random.
Tori’s stomach fluttered as she looked over at Chloe. Though she was still pissed at Aaron, seeing Chloe made a little of her anger fade away. She was tempted to move her stuff over to the desk next to Chloe and use their assignment as an excuse to talk to her. As she peered over the assignment, she picked a topic about which she wanted to debate and tried to build up the courage to go over to Chloe. She glanced over again, hoping to get her attention.
Chloe glanced over at Tori once she got settled, and she smiled weakly. Tori seemed to be wearing the same exhausted expression as Chloe, and she was failing to cover her misery with a smile. Chloe had heard about Tori’s and Aaron’s breakup—everyone in the school had at this point—so she knew what Tori’s look meant; still, a part of her was glad that she wasn’t the only person in the room who was suffering.
“Hi,” Tori greeted nervously. She noticed that Chloe looked just the way that Tori felt. Tori wondered what had happened to her the day prior, but she didn’t know Chloe well enough to ask.
Chloe feigned a smile. “Hi there.” Chloe wondered if Tori and Aaron had broken up over him being with Sabrina or if something else had happened. She noticed that Sabrina’s and Aaron’s affair was still hidden, even after the breakup, and the details of Tori’s and Aaron’s demise was still unknown to the general public.
Tori handed Chloe the sheet of paper with the public speaking topics. “I was just wondering if you had given any thought about which topic we’re picking in class today.”
Chloe groaned and smacked her forehead. “I totally forgot about it!” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry! I had such a bad night, and-“
Tori slumped over, resting her chin on her palm. “Yeah, tell me about it.” She nodded towards Aaron. “I’m assuming you’ve heard; the rest of the world has.”
Chloe nodded, frowning. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Tori scoffed. “I’m not.” She insisted. “He’s a dickhead. Trust me.”
“Oh, I bet,” Chloe agreed, recalling his conversation with Sabrina at the mall.
“So, yeah, I didn’t think about it all that much last night, either, so don’t worry.”
Chloe sighed relief. “Good; I don’t feel as bad, then,” she said, smiling weakly.
Tori’s stomach fluttered happily as she returned the smile. “I was looking at it just now, and I thought of one I’d like to debate.” She pointed to same-sex marriage. Since the revelation of her feelings about Chloe, Tori desired to learn as much as possible about gay rights so that she could defend herself against anyone who wanted to get in the way of her happiness. Tori also figured that this would be an easy way to know if she ever stood a chance with Chloe; if she was against it, Tori would have her answer.
Chloe grinned. “I was thinking that, too, when I saw it yesterday.” Her eyebrow rose. “For, or against?”
Tori hesitated, fearing that her answer would drive away Chloe. “Um, for.” She braced herself for Chloe’s reaction, expecting the worst.
Chloe nodded, relief spreading across her face. “Me, too. We’ll have to tell Mr. Thompson as soon as possible so that no one else claims it.”
Tori nodded. “I’ll go see him right after homeroom, then.” She chuckled. “This was much easier than I expected!”
Chloe smiled and nodded, relieved that Tori seemed to care about helping with the assignment rather than leaving all of the work to Chloe; the last thing that she needed right now was more complications in her life.
Chapter 13
Mr. Thompson peered at the incoming students from his desk. He was aware that the midterm assignment included many controversial topics, and he wondered if the students would be able to handle the research and the attention needed to meet his expectations. He hoped that they’d take the project seriously; not only could the students gain in-depth knowledge of current events, but they could also learn to confidently defend their beliefs with facts to support their ideas.
“Okay, people, let’s get started,” Mr. Thompson said, calling the class to order. “Yesterday, I handed out an assignment and asked all of you to pick a partner for the team debate. Does everyone have a teammate?” He looked around the room and noticed unanimous nods. “Great! Today, every team is going to pick a debate topic and which side you’ll be on—pro or con. Once everyone selects a topic, we’re going to go down to the library and start researching the subjects for the remainder of class. We’ll be going down there every Wednesday and Friday to work on this assignment, and the debate will be your midterm. Your midterm grade isn’t going to be based on whether your side wins or loses—especially since there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer for most of these topics—but, rather, on the thoroughness o
f your research and the quality of your delivery. With that said, I recommend working on this assignment on more than just our lab days, so please make arrangements with your partners to see when it would be convenient for you to meet after school.”
Some students groaned as they began to realize the scale of the task ahead of them. “Don’t freak out just yet,” he reassured them with an amused grin, sensing their tension. “You’ll all have plenty of time to get this project done, so take it one day at a time.” Some of the students nodded weakly in reply.
“Oh, I wanted to add one more thing.” The students looked up, their eyes wide with fear as they anticipated additional work. “Some of the topics on the list, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, have a strong religious background. I wanted to get this out of the way ahead of time: simply saying, ‘it’s wrong because the bible said so,’ will not cut it in this course. This is a public school, not a catholic one, so simply quoting a bible passage is not going to justify your side of the debate. That can be part of your argument, since many people do take sides based on that, but I want you to research your topic and present your stance with your own thoughts as well as non-religious research. Does everyone understand?” Mr. Thompson saw unanimous nodding again with a few mumbles of agreement.
Tori sighed with relief.
“Okay, now that that’s over with, let’s take some time to pick your side of the debate. I have some topics and sides that have already been claimed, and I’m going to write those on the board. Once your team decides on something, let me know and I’ll take that topic off of the list.” He walked to the board, writing the claimed topics.
Tori had already approached him before class and stated that she and Chloe wanted to be proponents of same-sex marriage, which pleased him; he felt that they would both take the assignment seriously and present valid, well-researched information. He also hoped that it would help to open the eyes of the students who hadn’t thought about the facts and feelings about those who were affected by the subject.
Our New Normal Page 7