“So, Carmen, you must be gay, right? Or bisexual? Are you straight? ‘Cause you wouldn’t be with a group that’s predominantly gay or bi if you aren’t, huh? We’re one of the few groups in school that don’t really have that one straight friend within the gang. Don’t get me wrong, we all have straight friends though.” Alice blurted out to keep Dana from pestering her about what was up.

Shane’s jaw dropped after hearing what Alice said, and covered her face with the magazine she was holding out of pure embarrassment. Jenny patted her on the back, laughing with her clique at Alice who wore a what-did-I-say kind of look.  Tina was trying to hold back her own laughter, and what Bette could only do was shake her head and smile to herself, astonished at how Alice could come up with her indiscreetness.

“Alice!” Dana whacked Alice’s arm. “Sorry, Carmen.” Even though she reprimanded her friend for being too tactless, she was interested in hearing how Carmen would reply to a reasonably big question about her sexuality. And she assumed that the rest of the group also was, considering that Carmen was as difficult to read as smeared ink on paper. Dana could sense that even the person in the group with the best-working gaydar was all over the place with this new girl.

“That hurt a lot, Dane. You slapped my arm as hard as you’d smash a tennis ball.” Rubbing her arm with her hand, Alice pouted. “Forget I asked, Carmen. You don’t have to answer that. Sorry.”

“No harm done, Alice.” Carmen smiled.

Some in the group let out a heavy sigh after Carmen spoke – it wasn’t much of a relieved sort, rather, Papi, Jenny, Dana, and a part of Shane were left hanging. Tina and Bette couldn’t care less as they were perfectly contented with their own little world as a happy, steady pair.

“This is a disaster. Fucking embarrassing.”

Parking Lot @ Miriam High School

Shane and Alice were walking on their way to Shane’s car, all the while arguing about what took place at lunch break. Alice was trying to keep up with her friend as she was talking her way into getting on Shane’s better mood. “Okay, okay. I know I was out of line, all right? Why in the world are you so pissed off? If anything, it should be Carmen that’s supposed to be snapping at me like that, Shane.”