“Yeesh, that doesn’t sound fun at all.”

“It’s not. I don’t want to be a lawyer but everyone expects that from me.”

“Well what do you want to do? What does Tina Kennard eat, sleep and breathe?”

“Film. I work at a film studio downtown, editing and putting together indie films, music videos, and things like that.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“Then you should do what makes you happy, life is too short to not do what you want and what you love. That’s why I majored in art. I love art, everything about it from the simple brush strokes to the clicking of a photographer’s camera. It’s intense.”

“That’s how I feel about film. Just putting scenes together, making someone’s dream come alive, it’s a magnificent feeling.”

“Then I think you should go for it,” Bette said and Tina smiled at Bette’s intensity. There was a moment of silence in which they felt like magnets toward each other, and then the patio door opened.

“Hey TK, I need your help, Cynthia’s puking and we need to take her home.”

“Ok, well, Bette it was nice to meet you and I will take your advice under consideration,” she said and they awkwardly shook hands. The party went on for a couple more hours then everyone started to leave. Dana was knocked out in the guest bedroom with a couple of her friends. Bette started to clean her house up a bit; she was thinking about that blond, she was amazing. This woman made her feel, alive. She never thought love at first sight was real until she saw Tina. Bette, she’s straight remember. That is true. What was she thinking? She had to put Tina out of her mind. The last time she fell for a straight girl, she nearly killed herself. She was pouring herself a glass of wine when she heard a knock on her door.

“Tina?”

“Um, I think I left my sweater,” she said and Bette let her in, closing the door behind her. Tina picked the sweater up immediately “here it is, here.”

“Oh, ok,” Bette said staring at her. The sparks were flying everywhere, and Tina started to close the gap between them, “what, are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” Tina said, inching closer, their faces so close together. Bette’s heart was racing and she couldn’t stand it anymore. She closed the gap between them and kissed Tina, the kiss was so gentle and passionate. What am I doing? Bette thought and pulled away from Tina.

“I’m sorry Tina, I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I’ve had my troubles with a straight girl before. I can’t go down that road again.”

“Bette I feel things for you. I have these feelings that I don’t even have with my own boyfriend. There was always something missing with my relationships, no chemistry.”

“What is it you want from me Tina?”

“You. Just you.”

Bette and Tina had decided that night to try their relationship out as friends first. Bette wanted Tina to be sure of herself and her feelings before Bette even decided that she wanted to traipse through a straight girl’s world again. After that school year was over, Tina decided to withdraw from Harvard and attend NYU’s film school. Bette and Tina eventually couldn’t hold their feelings for each other in very much longer and decided to give a relationship a try.

Bette had long forgotten about Kelly until this moment. She was so wrapped up in her own world, being with Tina, her great friends and starting a family made her completely happy. How could the mention of her name, send her back to feeling that same feeling? The feeling of dread had come over her body. How could she face Kelly? Did she even know what she did to her? All the torment, all the pain she caused, did she have a clue?