“This means more than it would at any other time “
Bette looked at Tina

“My mother’s only let me come here to this school because I convinced them that my grades would improve”
“They have”

“And that needs to keep happening “
Once outside Bette released Tina’s hand – they were in agreement that they were going to keep their relationship secret for as long as it took them to tell their parents. Tina was leaning towards telling her mothers first and Bette had said that when Tina told her mothers – she would speak to hers. The whole issue of telling her father was one that Bette wasn’t ready to deal with.

“And when I tell them about us I want to be able to say that us dating hasn’t messed up our grades”

Bette looked at Tina

“My mothers are driven by wanting me to be a success of whatever I do and it matters to them that I am a success at school. I could tell that me doing badly at my last school was something that they both hated. Emma – well you know what she is like – driven doesn’t come close to describing her. I could get away with long afternoon’s in the movies and being dreamy as long as my grades were good. As soon as the grades started to slip – that was when I started being told that I was a dreamer and I needed to buck my ideas up. I know they are not going to be that upset that I am gay – I also think that they both like you and they will like you as my girlfriend. But the only thing that worries me is that they are going to start to get antsy about my grades suffering. So for the next three weeks you and I are going to work our tails off and when we come out to our parents it will be as two grade A students”

　

—

When they got back to Tina’s place Tina made them both ham sandwiches and with a couple of bottles of coke they sat down together and relaxed. Bette took Tina’s hand and kissed it

“School is going to be hard “