Our New Normal

by Jennifer Brooks

  Chapter 19

  Staring at the wall, Sabrina lay on her stomach in her bedroom as she talked to Mandi on the phone. The topic of discussion at the moment was Tori, mostly about the company she’d been choosing to keep as of late.

  “They’re together all the time now,” Mandi declared. “Tori practically ditched us last night for that fat blob.”

  “She did ditch us last night,” Sabrina corrected her. “I don’t know what’s up with those two, but I think they’re a little too close.”

  “Definitely,” Mandi agreed. “Do you think Tori’s just using her for that midterm assignment?”

  Sabrina frowned. “I used to think that, but now I’m not so sure,” she replied. “If Tori was using her for the grade, why wouldn’t she just let Chloe do all the work? Why would she spend all this time with her and go with her to the dance? It all seems to be too much to be fake.”

  “You’re probably right,” Mandi said. “What should we do?”

  “Nothing,” Sabrina replied sinisterly. “Let Tori hang out with her little dyke friend. As long as she’s occupied, she won’t know about me and Aaron.”

  “Yeah, but what if she switches Tori? We can’t have a lesbian on the squad!”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Sabrina instructed quietly. “We’ll deal with that if and when the time comes.”

  * * *

  Kristen couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe and Tori together. They had danced the night away together, only paying attention to each other, smiling and laughing the entire time. As much as she hated to admit it, they made a cute couple. She’d seen the way Tori looked at Chloe, and she instantly knew that Tori wasn’t faking. No matter how awful Tori had been in the past, there was no way she could fake the way she looked at Chloe: the look of contentment, of admiration, of deep affection. Kristen understood why Tori had suddenly changed.

  Tori liked Chloe.

  It blew Kristen’s mind. Never in a million years would she have thought that Tori liked girls, let alone someone like Chloe. Granted, Chloe was hot in Kristen’s opinion, but she wasn’t the perfect, supermodel-type bimbo she’d imagine Tori falling for.

  Maybe Chloe was right: maybe Tori being a Frosted Flake was the real act. It would explain why Tori always looked so angry; having to put up a constant front had to be frustrating after all of these years. It would also explain why Tori had started leaving people alone after her break up with Aaron and becoming friends with Chloe: Tori was finally happy.

  Kristen could tell that Chloe had a crush on Tori, too, and she couldn’t help but feel jealous. She’d tried to pay more attention to Jim during the dance to avoid looking at Chloe, but she couldn’t help it. Chloe had looked stunning, and Kristen found herself stealing glances at her several times throughout the night. She wasn’t sure if Jim had noticed, but he knew that Kristen and Chloe hadn’t been talking; she could’ve easily dismissed her behavior as the desire to rekindle their friendship if he ever asked about it.

  Kristen wished that she could rekindle more than their friendship, though. She missed the time she spent at Chloe’s after school—the gentle kisses and caresses, the way that Chloe could send her body into waves of ecstasy with the slightest touch, and the cuddling once they were both satisfied. While she was sure that she’d one day have the same familiarity with Jim, she longed to brush her fingers along the curves of Chloe’s soft skin.

  Chloe’s moved on, though, Kristen reminded herself. You missed your chance, so just be happy with Jim and work on building the same closeness you once had with Chloe. One of these days you’ll be just as close to him.

  Even as she thought it, she knew in her gut that she was just lying to herself. She’d never find another Chloe.

  * * *

  Midterms were just a week away, and the school was buzzing with anxiety. The library was packed with students wrapping up their assignments and studying for their exams, and evenings were filled with study sessions for Chloe and Tori. Their debate as ready as it could be, they spent every night at the Rabbit Hole making sure that they were ready for the rest of their midterms. Chloe had taken the week off of work to ensure that she had time to get everything done for all of her classes, and she promised Tori that she’d help her study for her exams. By Friday, Tori and Chloe felt like they lived at the Rabbit Hole. Chai had nearly become a food group as they plugged away for their midterms.

  Tori rubbed her eyes and arched her back while she stretched. Chloe glanced at Tori’s accentuated breasts as Tori extended backward in her chair, and she quickly grinned and looked away.

  Tori yawned as she stopped stretching. “I don’t think I can do anymore tonight,” she announced with drowsy eyes.

  “You look exhausted,” Chloe agreed. “Let’s call it a night, okay?”

  Tori nodded groggily. They exited the coffee shop in silence, both too fatigued to think of anything to say.

  “Well, see you later,” Tori said as she started walking towards her car.

  “Wait!” Chloe shouted abruptly, hurrying to Tori.

  Tori stopped in her tracks, turning around. “What’s wrong? Did I forget something?” She patted her pockets to make sure that she had her phone.

  Chloe shook her head nervously. “Um, I just wanted to say that I’m happy that this assignment resulted in us becoming friends, and I hope that doesn’t change after next week.”

  Tori’s mouth went slightly agape, stunned at Chloe’s sentiment. “There’s no way that’ll happen,” she began, “as long as you’re okay with keeping me around.”

  Chloe smiled. “I’m definitely okay with that.”

  They stared each other awkwardly for a moment until Tori opened her arms and motioned for Chloe to come in for a hug. Chloe giggled and obliged, wrapping her arms around Tori.

  Neither of them let go right away—and neither of them wanted to. They only backed away a few inches once they finally parted, and their eyes locked as they both considered going in for a kiss.

  Tori’s breath caught in her throat, exhaustion taking over as she closed her eyes wearily. Chloe frowned and backed away quickly, worried that Tori was upset with her for nearly kissing her.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tori said. “It’s nothing you did; I’m just so tired. I’ve never studied this hard in my life!”

  “No, it’s fine, I promise,” Chloe insisted. “I’m pretty tired, too.” She shuffled her feet nervously. “I know that we’re supposed to be finishing up this assignment, but I thought that maybe we could hang out tomorrow. No work, just play.”

  “That sounds good to me,” Tori replied, exhaustion concealing her excitement. “It’ll be nice to take a break from studying and just relax. What would you like to do?”

  “Well, one of my favorite local bands, Daizie’s Chain, is performing at the Rabbit Hole tomorrow night. I’m off tomorrow, so I was thinking that maybe you could come see them with me? It’s an all-women band, and their music is great to just chill to. I really enjoy them, and I think that you might, too…that’s if you’re interested, anyway.”

  Tori smiled. “Well, you didn’t steer me wrong with the vegan cookies; I might as well give this a shot, too!”

  Chloe beamed. “Great! Well, do you want me to come pick you up?”

  Tori raised an eyebrow. “Um, you mean like a date?”

  Chloe’s stomach felt like it was going to leap out of her throat. “Well…yeah…if you’d like to call it that.” She braced herself for a negative response but tried to keep her cool.

  Tori’s face lit up despite her exhaustion. “I’d love to!” she exclaimed. “That sounds great!”

  “Awesome! I’ll see you tomorrow night, then!” She gave Tori a quick peck on the cheek and hurried to her car.

  Tori’s stomach fluttered as the sensation of Chloe’s lips lingered on her cheek. Well, if we’re going on a date, we might as well take this further. “Would you like to go to dinner first?” Tori shouted, hoping Chloe heard
her.

  Chloe turned around, beaming. “Sure!” she replied. “Give me a call tomorrow afternoon, or I’ll give you a call, and we’ll figure out a time, okay?”

  “Yep!” Tori replied happily. “See you then!”

  Chapter 20

  They had never actually come right out and said that they were interested in girls, but considering that they had almost kissed and were going on a date, Chloe and Tori had figured it out.

  Tori’s room was a mess as she got ready for their date, her bed and floor littered with discarded clothing. She knew that she’d seen Chloe dozens of times before, but this time was special and she wanted to look perfect for Chloe.

  Glancing at the clock, she realized that Chloe was due to arrive in a half-hour. She frantically scrambled to find something sexy enough for their date without going overboard, opting for a low cut shirt and flared jeans. Her long hair flowed down her back, sparkling jewelry bringing attention to her neck, and a touch of makeup enhanced her eyes. With minutes to spare, Tori paced in the living room as she waited for Chloe’s arrival.

  Chloe was facing the same dilemma as she hurried downstairs. She’d pulled out every piece of clothing from her closet and dressers, and her room was so wrecked that it looked like she’d been robbed. Closing her bedroom door so that her mom wouldn’t see her clothing tossed all over the floor, she promised herself that she would put everything away when she got home from their date.

  She finally settled on a low-cut sweater that laced up in the front. Usually, she’d wear a camisole underneath, but she opted to forego it this time so that her cleavage was visible without it being too noticeable to a casual observer. Her jeans showed off her curvy hips and bottom, and her curly hair framed her face as it hung in locks past her shoulders.

  Her stomach fluttered with a thousand butterflies as she parked in Tori’s driveway, and the feeling worsened as she approached the door. Chloe rang the doorbell, practicing what she would say to Tori’s parents. After only one ring, though, Tori swung the door open.

  “Hi!” she greeted breathlessly, slamming the door behind her.

  Chloe laughed. “I guess you’re ready to go, then,” she joked as they walked to the car.

  Tori smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I was a little excited for you to show up.” They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment until Chloe opened Tori’s car door.

  The first few minutes of the car ride were awkward and silent. Even though they’d hung out dozens of times, this was their first date—and it was their first official date with another woman. Chloe and Kristen had been to dinner and other events several times over the years, but it had never been labeled as a date. Chloe frowned, resentment boiling beneath the surface at the years that she’d wasted fawning over someone who’d never care for her the same way.

  Tori gently put her hand on Chloe’s knee. “Are you okay, Chlo?” she asked quietly. “You looked pissed. Did I do something wrong?”

  Chloe gasped, shaking her head vigorously. “I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, placing her hand over Tori’s and squeezing gently. “My mind wandered off for a moment. I’m fine, I promise. I’ve been looking forward to going out with you tonight more than you know.”

  Tori sighed with relief. “Me, too.” She squeezed her hand. “So, um, is anyone else playing at the Rabbit Hole with your band?”

  “Well, Retro Speck and the Buzzkillz are the openers. They’re a little more rock than folk, but both are good bands we can chill and jam to. Other than that, we can just hang out and talk and drink chai like always.”

  “Sounds good,” Tori replied, wringing her hands. Even though they’d been together nearly every day in the past month or so, Tori felt a tremendous amount of pressure. She wanted to make a good impression on their date, even though Chloe knew nearly everything there was to know about her anyway. “Is there a cover?”

  “Yeah, but don’t worry about it.” She glanced over at Tori and grinned. “I’m the one who asked you out on a date, after all.”

  Tori blushed. “Okay, that’s fine. I get to pay for our next date, though.”

  Chloe grinned and nodded, hoping that things would go well enough for a second date—not that she had any doubts. “Deal.”

  Chloe briefly released Tori’s hand as she turned up the radio, glancing over to smile at her before returning her hand. Tori spread her fingers, and Chloe laced hers between them. Content smiles spread across their faces, their tension lifting as they sang along to their favorite songs and made small talk.

  Determined to ignore their midterm assignment for the evening, they excitedly discussed their interests and hobbies over dinner. Most of their conversations in the Rabbit Hole and library had revolved around school, so Chloe was excited to learn more about Tori outside of a classroom setting. Though Chloe hadn’t said it out loud, she’d been worried that they wouldn’t have anything in common outside of their project; it’d be a lot harder to maintain a relationship if they had no common ground. Thankfully, she soon discovered that Tori enjoyed many of the same movies and TV shows.

  “I spend a lot of time alone,” Tori reminded her, “so I have a pretty extensive DVD and Blu-Ray collection. If you can think of a movie, I probably have it.”

  “I guess that means we’ll be having movie nights soon,” Chloe said playfully, squeezing Tori’s hand.

  Tori giggled, blushing as a few dirty thoughts flitted across her mind. “I would like that.”

  “It’s a shame we couldn’t hang out together with our respective friends during the winter dance,” Chloe said. “It would have been nice to get to know your friends; we could’ve had a girls’ movie night.”

  Tori scoffed. “Believe me, you already know all there is to know about mine,” she muttered bitterly. “They’re just as shallow outside of school as they are inside of it. It would get pretty annoying at times, actually; I never understood how people can talk about the same boring topics every single day. Don’t get me wrong; showing off my intelligence isn’t going to stop me from being into fashion and shopping, but there’s more to me than just that.” Chloe nodded. “Besides, you can’t rely on any of them to be there when you need them, and pretty much any secret you tell them will most likely get around the school within a day. I’m still not entirely sure who was sleeping with Aaron behind my back, either, so I have no idea if I can trust any of them.”

  Chloe frowned, remaining silent. “Uh, yeah…”

  Tori raised an eyebrow as Chloe avoided her gaze. “Do you know who it is?”

  Chloe glanced at her, seeing the pleading in her eyes, and she turned away. I don’t know if I’m the right person to tell her, she thought. “Well…”

  Tori stared at her. “Who is it?” Tori begged. “I don’t care because of Aaron; I was planning on dumping him before I even found out he was cheating, like I told you before. I just want to know if it was one of my friends who went behind my back.”

  Chloe sighed. “I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  “I don’t think I will, either, but I have to know.” Tori noticed the concern on Chloe’s face, and her gut told her that the news was worse than she suspected.

  “I don’t know if I’m the person who should tell you,” Chloe argued.

  Tori reached across the table, grasping her hand. “If anyone was going to tell me, I’d want it to be you,” she insisted. “I trust you more than anyone else in my life.”

  Chloe sighed, looking down at their entwined fingers instead of making eye contact. “It’s…it’s Sabrina.”

  Tori’s mouth went agape, her stomach roiling with surprise and anguish. “Sabrina? Are you sure?”

  Chloe nodded. “I overheard them on my break at work. They were making plans in the food court to hook up.”

  Tori held back angry tears. “How long ago?”

  “It was the Friday that you talked about society in class.”

  Tori gasped, her face flushing with
anger. “That’s the day I told her that Aaron and I weren’t having sex!” She pulled her hands away as she clenched them into fists. “I can’t believe that bitch went behind my back on the very same day! I never should have trusted her; I feel like an idiot for ever thinking for a moment that she was a real friend!”

  “I’m sorry,” Chloe said. “I didn’t tell you at the time because…well…we weren’t friends at the time.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Tori muttered. She unclenched her fists, moon-shaped indentations in her palms from her nails. “I can’t blame you for not wanting to talk to me after how my friends treated you and your friend.”

  “Me and Kristen?” Chloe frowned at the thought of her. “Oh, yeah. Well, that’s the past.”

  Tori paused. “I have to ask: were you two a couple? I know we teased you guys about it—which I feel awful about now—but I never actually believed it, not for real. At the dance, though, I saw the way you looked at her when she was dancing with that guy. I’ve also noticed that you have barely spoken to her since the Monday after Aaron and I broke up.”

  Chloe sighed, unsure if she should confess the truth; she’d promised Kristen never to tell anyone. Since Tori knew about Chloe’s interest in women already, though, she felt that it wouldn’t be as much of a shock. “Well, yeah, sort of.”

  “So you were girlfriends?” Tori inquired, a pang of jealousy erupting in her stomach.

  “Not exactly,” Chloe replied. She quickly explained the complications that she and Kristen had faced: how Kristen had wanted their involvement to be a secret, how they’d both pretended to be straight and date other men, and how Kristen had broken things off when she’d started getting serious with Jim. “It wasn’t technically a breakup, since we were never officially together. It still hurt pretty bad that she left me for a guy she barely knows, though.”

  “I’m sorry, babe,” Tori said. “That’s awful.”

  Chloe nodded. “I hated dating other guys rather than being just with her. My relationships never lasted with any of them because I only really wanted an exclusive relationship with Kristen.”