“So we’re good then?” Bette didn’t care. She just showed a childish toothy smile and bounced a little in her seat.

“Ye-yeah… you can say so.”

“Great!” Even with a little clap of her mocha colored hands, Bette wriggled with content.

The lightheartedness was contagious. At that point, Tina could only shook her head and laughed. “Why Porter, why are you so happy?”

“’cause I don’t hate you.” The brunette shrugged and stated the truth. She not only did not hate her, but found her really interesting, pretty, whether she was frowning or smiling. But she liked when she smiled better. “Now we get to be friends alright?”

“Friends…” The blonde tasted the work on the tip of her tongue.

“Friends.” To seal the deal, Bette held up her glass of drink and gestured Tina to do the same. Then she gently clicked hers with her companion.

The progress they made during the last couple of days was unexpectedly good. ‘Father is going to be pleased.’ Tina thought to herself and feeling a bit of disappointment in her chest. The closer she got to know this girl, the more she wanted to be genuine to her, the more she was falling. And knowing that her father was going to require her telling everything, she felt her desperation to keep this sweetness just to herself.

The word “Friend” apparently meant something very intimate to the brunette, possibly more intimate than she realized. Bette ordered her personal chef to prepare extra dishes everyday so that her little new friend wouldn’t have the poor sandwich for lunch. But when she grabbed the tender wrist to invite the girl over, Tina pulled away.

“I can’t take it, Bette.”

“What? Why?”

“Your meals are expensive, I’ve seen it once. And I can’t pay you back.”

“Don’t be silly, Tina. You’re not gonna eat up my money. It’s really fine.”

“No, Bette. That’ll be pitying, don’t you get it? Do you pity me?” Now that she knew she was falling for her, Tina wanted to have dignity in front of this girl. At last, Bette thought she was different. And she was. That was what made her special in this hole of gold and silver, being a tough little grail.