The Planet buzzed with its usual morning chatter, women, men, boys, and girls all gathered over mugs of steaming coffee and fresh baked croissant. This was where half-zombified folk rose from their crisp linens, bathed, dressed, and came to the place that they’d need to kick start their day, to quell their need for caffeine and morning gossip. Amongst these, was a particularly lively group, each noted as a regular at the coffehouse, and each a bit notorious in the lesbian community and otherwise. Perhaps this was due to the fact that one of their members could single-handedly account for the conversion of 95% of bisexual women with her boyish charm and rough-around-the-edges good-looks. Perhaps this notoriety was from the renowned art-guru, the magazine writer, or even from the Lesbian tennis star, that had closeted butches cheering from coast to coast.

Despite their well-known reputations, one simple thing brought them together- friendship. Exes, girlfriends, and just honest to goodness friends, they were there, every morning. Alice was usually the first to arrive, with an almost-silent Shane in tow. It was a known fact that Shane didn’t say a word in the morning until her caffeine boost, mostly because she hadn’t gone to bed yet. The others filed in on their own time and the hours of 7:30-9:15 were spent in good company at their standard table on the patio- weather permitting.

On this particular morning, Alice was raking a hand through her choppy blonde locks and sipping on her usual Chai that Marina had made special for her. She was never one for strong caffeine and with the knowledge she had from reading every issue of Cosmo and Curve, she knew how bad caffeine actually was to a person. The heroin of the soda machine. Watching Shane wolf down another steaming espresso, she smirked and basked in her self-knowing power, having repeated the same mantra to Shane thousands of times, though the brunette never listened, and constantly told Alice that "she’d go when she was ready."

A familiar ‘Good morning’ alerted the two sitting at the still somewhat empty table and Bette and Tina filed into their respective seats, kissing each others’ hands and stealing long, doe-eyed glances, acting as though no one else was around. Bette whispered in Tina’s ear and Tina grinned, whispering back. Alice stared in amazement, brows lofted in only the way that she could.