She shied away for a moment.

“You’re welcome.  I’ll be here around 8:30.”

**

I walked inside my house only to find my mother there, tapping her foot on the floor and her arms crossed.

“What did I do this time?” I ask.  I know that look and I know it well.

“Why didn’t you call me, instead of getting a ride with a stranger?”

“Well, first of all, she’s not a stranger.  Secondly, she offered.  And thirdly, I’m not going to get a ride from my mother.  This is L.A.”

“What does that mean, Christina?”

God, I hate it when she calls me Christina.

“It means that, in order to maintain some semblance of popularity, I can’t have you taking me to and from school.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to my bedroom.”

Inside my room was my only safe haven from my mother’s rants.  She wouldn’t dare come into my room without permission.  It was a mother-daughter boundary she was not allowed to cross.

On my bed, I sat with my Mac across my lap.

It was time to stalk Miss Bette Porter.

Facebook makes finding people so very easy.

Bette’s profile was open, so I could see all of her information.  Her status read, “Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot achieve it in anything—Eugene Delacroix *I wish I could follow that.”

I easily found out that Bette was into art, that she was single, and interested in women.  Now, I see why she didn’t have a boyfriend.

I smiled.  The idea of Bette being a lesbian was intriguing.

I quickly leave her page and found Eric’s page.  Maybe if I stare at him long enough, I could remind myself that I love him—that I’m attracted to him, that I want for him to be next to me.

**

A week later

Bette was on my mind constantly.  Every morning, I couldn’t wait to hear her car horn from the front of my house.  Just to be near her made every day worthwhile.

After Ceramics class, I went to my locker.  I watched Bette as she went in the opposite direction of our lockers, towards the Science Wing.  Luckily for me, because I needed time regain my composure from being so close to her in the car and then again in class.