Triple Point

Chapter 10: Start of the End

Two years ago

October 13, 31 AE

There were only a handful of times when Elsie had been more nervous than she was at that moment. Sure, she had been pretty nervous during her first day filming her first major film, and giving her first award acceptance speech was also pretty terrifying. But neither situation compared to confessing you have feelings for your friend to that friend, and simultaneously coming out of the closet as a result.

Maybe she should split them up into parts. Obviously, that meant she had to come out first, and that alone might prompt Camilla to question if Elsie had feelings for her. And it wasn't like Elsie could lie. She was a terrible liar, which was ironic since she was an actress. Acting and lying were different though, at least from her perspective. There was something about the morality of lying that made her unable to do it, which is also why she couldn't lie about her feelings for Camilla any longer.

Excited shouts suddenly snapped her from her nervous thoughts, and she spun around looking for the source of the noise.

She was dressed plainly that day, not really wanting to attract attention, and had worn simple denim shorts and a thin flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the buttons that hung open over a fitted white tank top. It was an outfit meant to fit in with the rest of the beach crowd at the pier, and it had been working perfectly so far.

And judging by the fact that no one was trying to sneak pictures of her, it was still working. The excited screaming was directed elsewhere, and if Elsie didn't have a reputation to uphold, she would be right there with them.

Camilla was on the long sidewalk that weaved through the sand as it stretched along the beach, and while it was normally wide enough for pedestrians, cyclists, and other outdoorists to traverse, it was now congested with a growing crowd of fans. From the distant shade that Elsie was waiting under, she could see Camilla politely greeting everyone, taking pictures and signing autographs as if that was the highlight of her day.

Elsie felt exhausted for her, even though she would act the same if she were in Camilla's position. Eventually, Camilla's short frame disappeared within the crowd, and while Elsie knew she was more than capable of protecting herself, Elsie still wanted to help.

"Camilla!" Elsie yelled, stepping out of the relative safety of the shade she had hidden under and waving a hand up to get everyone's attention.

It took a couple of tries, but eventually, Elsie managed to split the attention between the two of them, and Camilla finally saw her. Camilla smiled and, after finishing up one last autograph, jogged up to Elsie.

She, too, was dressed for the sun and the beach, but even her simple outfit caught Elsie's attention in a heartbeat. She was wearing a tiny floral dress that showed off her athletic physique with thin straps and a short skirt that flowed gently in the wind as she ran, but it was mostly held down by the denim jacket tied fashionably around her waist. Elsie would've felt completely underdressed if it weren't for the casual sneakers Camilla was wearing. And dammit, Elsie was staring too much, wasn't she?

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Camilla said with a bright smile. "I'm not late, am I?"

"Early, actually," Elsie said, but she actually had no idea what time it was, and she wasn't going to take her eyes from Camilla to check. "You ready? I got the tickets."

They both waved politely to the crowd that had suddenly grown while Elsie was distracted, then carefully made their way to the pier entrance.

It was a tourist trap, Elsie knew that, but there was something nostalgic about the pier's amusement park that gave her a thrill. The brightly lit rides, rigged games, and the greasy foods were reminders of the county fairs she went to as a child and the simple joys that came with them. It was risky going to a special place when she might have her heart broken and ruin the nostalgia for her, but the excitement gave her the courage to tell Camilla the truth. Not right at that moment, of course, but later on. At some point in the day. Eventually. Maybe.