Okay, everyone knows the drill: girl/girl relationship. If this offends, you're on the wrong website. If you're not 18 or whatever the legal age is in your country, then don't read any further. For everyone else, enjoy part 4 of The Keeper! As usual, send me e-mails for feedback of either positive or negative remarks! Also, don't forget to visit and support my blog! http://princessauthor.blogspot.com/
"Hey, Bella. Do you want to go shopping right now?" Alyssa asked Bella. Alyssa, Kayla, and Bella were walking out of the school, most students roamed the parking lot to head home for the day in their cars.
"Sorry, I can't," Bella replied and pulled her keys from her backpack.
"Why?" Kayla asked, her friends confused. Shopping was their best and favorite hobby, also it was a girls only activity most of the time. The boys couldn't keep up with them.
"It's the 14th," Bella answered simply and shortly. Both of her friends had a flash of realization in their eyes and nodded without a single word of protest.
"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then," they said, then left. Bella sighed and headed to her car. She sat down and started the engine, the song Krazy by Pitbull played and she turned it up.
After Bella left the school's property, she drove to Janice's Floral Shop about a mile and half away East from the school and went inside. She grabbed a single red rose.
"Hello Bella," said Janice when Bella stepped up to the counter to pay. She smiled warmly in reply.
"Hey Janice," Bella greeted.
"How have you been?"
"Same old, same old. How is Richard?" Bella asked, referring to the woman's husband.
"He's just fine, thanks for asking."
Bella paid the couple dollars, bade Janice goodbye, and walked back to her car. She drove west of the floral shop and, fifteen minutes later, drove into the dirt parking lot of a small church called Memorial Lutheran Church. The building was white with green shudders and a few stain glass windows that needed to be cleaned. The garden needed to be weeded as well, but Bella didn't pay any attention to the negligence of the building. She walked the very familiar path that she took on the fourteenth day of every month for nearly five years.
She stopped in front of a knee high granite headstone that was about twenty yards from the church. It wasn't extravagant, but it was fairly simple in curved handwriting. Bella knelt in front of it and placed the rose on the top of the slab of stone. She looked at the front of it and traced the letters of the first name.
Keira Samantha Peterson January 21, 1992 March 17, 2004 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."
"Hey Keira," Bella whispered as she felt the sense of loss and sadness fill her heart. Bella stared at the grave of her twin sister and sighed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter. She leaned down and lit the in ground candle her family had placed there as part of the burial arrangement. The cylinder walls kept the flame safe from being blown out immediately. She placed her lighter back in her skirt and sat on the grass a foot away from the stone.
"So, kind of a lot has happened since I last spoke to you," Bella said out loud as if speaking to someone standing in front of her. "First of all, mom went on some kind of diet...again." Bella chuckled. "She bought a book on blood types and it tells you what kinds of foods that are beneficial or bad for your body along with all these other things about exercise. She took us both to donate blood and find out what our blood type is. Mine is O positive. According to the book, I should exercise vigorously and eat more red meat.
"Also, for Christmas, mom and I visited Grandma Bellatrix and Grandpa Henry," she continued. "It was all right and they wanted to know all about school. I wish you could have been there to deflect some of the attention off of me. I don't know how an only child does it for their whole life. Attention is kind of annoying, to be honest.
"However, the biggest thing that's happened is...I think I'm a lesbian."
Bella paused and took a deep breath, glancing at the cloudless sky and watched a few birds fly overhead.
"I'm surprised, but I bet if you were here, you wouldn't be. You always had this weird habit of knowing things about me that I didn't," she said. "I know you're wondering, and yes, I do have a girlfriend. It sounds strange, girlfriend, but good. She's really great, Keira. It's Katerina, if you can believe it, the co-worker whom I've become good friends with. You would love her. She's smart, beautiful, strong, confident, and independent."
Bella proceeded to explain how their relationship began the previous night and how she fears that her feelings are coming at her too quickly. She told her deceased twin about the physical part of it and how it feels.
"I have no idea how this will turn out. I care about her and I know she cares about me, but I don't know how mom will react. We've never really talked about gay people, but she's never said anything about hating them. She's pretty conservative, which is why I'm worried. Even if she is fine with it, Katerina is a few years older than I am. Granted, she's nineteen and I'm almost seventeen, but she does have her own place and I can see mom having a slight problem with that. She'd probably be really strict and not allow me over there until she really gets to know Katerina. I can tell Katerina will take some persuading to meet mom. For some reason, I don't think that she is very big on meeting parents. I don't know why..." she trailed off and wondered about her girlfriend. "But we have our first date on Friday. I'm really excited, but also nervous. It'll be a dinner and a movie. I get to choose the movie and she gets to pick the restaurant. I hope it goes well. I know, I know. Just be myself. That's what you would always tell me."
Bella paused and decided to move onto school and what's going on with her friends. She kept it simple since she's already told her sister the major things. After a half an hour, she stood and rubbed at the imprints the grass left on her bare legs.
"I'll see you in a month," Bella said. "I'll let you know what happened with Katerina and I on our date. Maybe by then mom will be doing some other crazy new idea. I love you, Keira, and I miss you every day."
She ran her fingers along the granite and then turned and walked back to her car. `````````````` "Horror or comedy?"
"Oh, please. This is a given. Horror is so much better than comedy."
"But I love to laugh."
"So do I, but getting that skin crawling, spine tingling fear is much more entertaining."
"You are twisted."
"You just figured this out?"
Bella and Katerina laughed together. They were discussing movies during Bella's free period on Tuesday. They were eating ice cream at the same park and debating which genre was better. Bella has always loved horror and Katerina was a fan of comedies.
"Okay, okay. Jordana Brewster or Reese Witherspoon?" Bella asked.
"Depends. Jordana Brewer was hilarious in DEBS, but I loved Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama," Katerina answered. Bella raised an eyebrow.
"What's DEBS?" she asked.
"Oh, my God. It's hilarious. It's a comedy that is completely ridiculous, but the love story is so cute," she replied. "We're so going to watch that next time you're over at my place."
"What's it about?"
"There's this secret government agent training academy for girls that call themselves DEBS. This group of four girls who are seniors are put in charge of capturing a dangerous criminal, Lucy Diamond, who is played by Jordana Brewster. Amy, the main character, begins to fall for Lucy and they sort of runaway together for a little while. The government academy is far-fetched along with the weapons and technology, but it's hilarious," Katerina explained.
"I am so game," Bella said with a smile.
"Speaking of movies, have you decided on one you want to see on Friday?" she asked.
"I'm having some trouble. What kind of movie do you want to see?"
"That's up to you."
"I know, but I don't want to pick a movie you're going to hate. We should both enjoy it."
"Well, romantic comedy would be good for the mood, however a horror is always fun to snuggle up to," she said as she played with a strand of Bella's hair.
"All right. I'll look through the paper and see what's playing," she said. A comfortable silence enveloped them. They sat close on a bench and watched the cars and people pass by, but both were very much aware of the other's presence.
Bella thought back to yesterday when she visited Keira's grave and felt her heart twist in pain. She missed her twin more than words could ever express, even after five years. Their birthday was coming up and that was always a difficult time for Bella. For twelve years she shared it with her best friend, someone who was even closer than her and Kayla were. It was painful and hard to celebrate it alone.
Bella and Keira were the stereotypical twins. They were identical to the last freckle, both of them even had the same birthmark on their hip, something that was fairly uncommon even with identical twins. They had that sixth sense that only twins seemed to have; they finished each other's sentences, always knew what the other was feeling without them telling each other.
Although it was easier to speak about Keira, Bella did it as little as possible and only when asked about it, which is why she has yet to tell Katerina about her.
Thinking about Keira made Bella realize how little she knew of Katerina's past. She rarely spoke of it and it always seemed to be a touchy subject. She knew she was home schooled and that she grew up in a small town, but she never gave any specifics. Bella planned on asking her during their dinner. For now, she was content with just being with Katerina.
Bella finished the last bite of her ice cream and sighed happily as she stared into the sky.
"So, tell me more about your friends," Katerina suddenly said, turning and facing Bella completely. Bella looked at her, slightly taken aback.
"Uh...what do you want to know?" she asked.
"Well, how long have you and Kayla been friends?" she said. Bella smiled and explained to her how they became friends in pre-school and remained that way for years. She told her about their far and in between fights, all of them over within twenty four hours.
"Wow, so, you guys share everything with each other?" she asked.
"I haven't told her about us, if that's what you're asking," Bella replied. "I want to, but..."
"Yeah, I get it, it's hard. But, if you guys are as close as you say and you care about each other as much it seems, then she'll love you no matter who you are."
"I know she will. There's like, a one percent chance that she won't. That's not what's stopping me."
"Then what is?"
"I'm not quite sure. Maybe I'm just not ready."
"And that is a very good reason. There is no point in rushing it, you'll only regret it," Katerina advised.
"Who was the first person you came out to?" Bella asked. Katerina smiled as she remembered.
"Before I really came out to anyone, I wanted to see if I really was a lesbian, which I had no idea how that was going to happen, however. I've always known that I've never been attracted to boys. When I was fifteen years old, I was at my Aunt Christi's wedding. Her maid of honor was her best friend and her daughter, Lauren, and I hung out the whole night since we were the same age. Well, while we were eating, I noticed that she was flirting with me, which shocked me at first, but then I was happy. I flirted back and it soon became incredibly obvious that we were in some way into each other. I completely forgot that my family was there when I would touch her arm when I talked or when let our knees touch under the table," she explained. "After a few hours of this, she asked if I wanted to take a walk and I excitedly accepted. We left the building and walked along the lake where the ceremony was held. We were quiet even though we had talked the whole night.
"Suddenly, she pushed me against a tree and got really close to me. She whispered, asking me if I was interested in kissing her. She phrased it like that too. She didn't ask if she could kiss me. She simply asked 'would you like to kiss me?' I was so nervous I couldn't even speak, so I nodded. Then, she leaned in a kissed me. I knew instantly that I would never be with a boy and that I was, in fact, a lesbian.
"Well, while we were making out, we heard someone say 'oh, my God. Katerina?' We parted and looked to see my cousin Bethany staring at us. With her was her boyfriend and they were both shocked. Bethany's mother, the bride, and my mother were very close so I knew that if Bethany said anything, Christi would say something to my mom. She knew I was a lesbian and I made her swear that she would never tell her mother or anyone else.
"So, I outed myself on accident, but Bethany kept her promise and left to give us some more privacy, but I was too shaken up to continue."
Bella contemplated Katerina's story before she replied.
"Did you have a relationship with Lauren?" she asked, deciding that was the only thing she would ask at the time.
"No. She went to a different school than I did and soon her family moved to Virginia."
Bella didn't push her luck by asking any more questions. This was the first really specific memory that Katerina has given Bella of her past before they met. She was a patient person, but Bella's curiosity was going to get the best of her soon. ``````````` "So, what do you say to pizza and movies?" Bella's mom asked her that night. Bella glanced up at her mother from her Calculus textbook. Her mother was Bella in twenty two years. The same blond hair and striking green eyes as well as the same build.
"Tonight?" Bella asked.
"Yes, tonight. Do you have plans?"
"No, but I'd love to have pizza and watch movies," Bella said with a smile. She loved it when her mom randomly wanted to veg out with her daughter. "But what about your diet?"
"I think I can give it up for one night. Once you're done with your homework, order the pizza, and I'll pick up the movie," Diane said with a smile. Both of them women very much enjoyed the other's company. Bella has never pushed her mother out of her life or tried to rebel against her. They have been close Bella's entire life and Bella had no plans on changing their relationship.
"Gross! Why are we watching this?" Diane exclaimed, putting a hand over her eyes.
"No, no. You have to watch this part!" Bella laughed, pulling the hand away. Diane opened her eyes and watched Josh Hartnett chop off the head of one of the villagers on a children's swing set with an ax.
"Bella, this was a horrible choice of a movie," the woman growled at her daughter, feeling her toes curl with disgust.
"Oh, come on. Who doesn't enjoy a gory vampire movie every now and then?" Bella said, her laughter still bubbling.
"I don't. How you are my daughter I'll never know," the mother said, shaking her head.
Bella had decided to rent 30 Days of Night where a town in Alaska doesn't get any sun for thirty days and there isn't any around for eighty miles, which makes it an ideal place for vampires to come and ravage the towns' inhabitants in some of the most gruesome ways.
Blood and flying heads had no effect on the teenager at all. She's never had a problem with gory movies and loved the suspense they held, the thrill of not knowing what's around the corner. Her mother was never a big fan of them, but since Bella agreed to watch one of her movies, Diane put up with the movie, viscera and all.
"Yeah, but you love me all the same," Bella replied to her mother's joke, smiling. "Of course. Nothing will ever change that," Diane said, smiling at her daughter. Bella smiled back, but felt a slight tug in her chest.
Would Diane accept Bella's relationship with Katerina, or would she be disgusted with her daughter? Bella, without really watching the movie, stared at the screen deep in thought, her mind creating more scenarios. Diane could become angry and forbid Bella from seeing her girlfriend, however, Bella chose to push that thought away. Another reaction could be a strained acceptance, but then she would act weird or distant from Bella. She wasn't sure which of the negative outcomes she liked best.
"Bella!" came a sharp voice and a small push on the shoulder. Bella pulled herself out of her head and turned to her mother.
"Yeah?"
"If you're not going to pay attention to this thing you call a movie, do you want to change it?" she asked.
"No, sorry. Just kind of spaced for a second. Did you need something?"
"I asked if you wanted more marshmallow's?" she repeated.
"Sure, thanks," Bella replied. Her mother grabbed their plates and forks, then went to the kitchen. Their favorite snack to eat during movie nights was to put marshmallow's in the microwave and cook them until they become so chewy that it takes five minutes to chew one bite. What was really amusing was watching the marshmallow's grow huge, something the two women called "blowing up marshmallow's" and putting a toothpick in the sides to watch them fence each other.
Bella absentmindedly grabbed a small handful of popcorn and tossed some into her mouth as she watched the screen, her mind wandering again.
Diane walked into the room and sat down as she placed the, gooey, hot marshmallows on the coffee table. She started eating her own and watched the screen for a minute before she noticed that Bella was, once again, not paying attention to the movie. This was not like Diane's daughter at all. She loved movies and was usually in tune with them as she would often point out details no one else would normally see. Instead, tonight she had twice stared at the screen with a far off look in her eyes.
The older woman grabbed both remotes, paused the movie and shut off the television screen, then turned on the lamp next to the sofa they were sitting on. These actions pulled Bella from her head and realized what her mother had done.
"What's up? Why'd you stop the movie?" she asked.
"Bells, is there something you want to talk about?" her mother asked, facing Bella and giving the teenager her full attention. She saw Bella's eyes widen slightly out of shock and, what appeared to be, panic. A stab of worry shot through the mother, but she didn't allow Bella to see it.
"Why do you ask?" Bella dodged.
"You've been acting...a little out of character tonight. Even during dinner you were quieter than usual. I am just wondering if there is something you wish to talk to me about," Diane answered, as she suspicions were confirmed. Her daughter was hiding something and the dodge proved it.
"I'm fine. Just a little day dreamy today," Bella said, telling her mother only half of the truth. Diane sighed and stared at her daughter for a moment, trying to figure out what Bella would be hiding from her.
Diane was not naïve enough to believe that Bella told her every aspect of her teenage life; however, she did trust Bella to tell her the big things that would come up, either seeking advice, comfort, or just to let her know what's going on.
"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me."
"Thanks, mom. I'll be okay, I promise. I'm just a space case," Bella laughed, hoping it would get Diane off the subject. It did. Diane smiled and decided to turn the movie back on. Her mother was in no way convinced.
Bella almost let out a sigh of relief. Lying was hard work...and it made her feel like shit. Bella knew she had to tell everyone and soon. She couldn't keep this up.