The Only

Baggage

A thickened silence fell between the girls. Des was beginning to feel uneasy in her own skin, which didn't happen very often. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about the question, she'd just never been asked anything like that so directly. She also felt a strange sensation each time the pair locked eyes, and it both scared her and filled her heart with joy. It was as if they were looking past the superficial exterior and staring into each other's souls. The feeling was certainly uncomfortable, yet pleasing all the same; she never wanted to look away.

"Uhmmm..." Des trailed off without an answer. Her heartbeat boomed in her ears and her mind felt like spaghetti. She glanced over at the cute brunette behind the easel and saw that her focus was mainly on her creation, a soft smile affixed above her chin. From Des's position, the front of the canvas couldn't be seen; it was facing the opposite direction so the painter could easily glance between her subject and the artwork.

The room wasn't completely quiet, however. Pearl continued to diligently work on her art. Ruffling of paper, the ambient swishes of brush strokes against the canvas, and the occasional word spoken under Pearl's breath could be heard among the stillness.

Finally, the artist reacted. "Come on, Destiny. You have to play the game. All I'm asking you for is honesty. It's really an easy question, silly lady. Do you like girls or boys... or both?" With a sly smile, Pearl turned her attention back to the painting.

"Well... uhm... to be honest. I don't really... I n-never... ya know. I've never been in..."

Pearl broke her concentration, shaking her head in disappointment. Standing from her stool, she started walking towards her subject. "Been in what? A relationship?"

"Yeah. That."

"Destiny, please. As shocking as it is to hear nobody has snatched you up yet, you don't need to be with someone else to know about yourself. Take me, for example. Do you think I'm pretty?" Pearl cheerily tilted her head with an oversized grin stretching the skin on her cheeks.

"Of course. You're... you're... fucking gorgeous." Des heard the words leave her mouth, but it was almost like listening to someone else; a younger version of herself that wished she'd grown close to Pearl years ago. She was realizing she'd had a crush on this girl since they were kids, and it felt both intimidating and freeing to begin opening up.

"Awww, Destiny! That's so sweet. But, like... okay. Let's get to the bottom of this, shall we?" Pearl set her paintbrush down and slowly strolled around the taller girl, stopping when she arrived directly behind her. Des felt the warmth from the painter's breath on her neck and ear as she craned forward and whispered. "Maybe you can recognize beauty when you see it, but that doesn't mean very much. Here's the real test, have you ever thought about kissing me?" Pearl moved back and remained standing behind the still-seated blonde, an eyebrow cocked waiting for an answer.

Des slightly shivered from the delightful vibrations of her friend's voice. She looked over her shoulder and could see Pearl in her peripherals waiting for an answer.

"Does right now count? Because... well..." The biker began to spin around. Pearl raised her leg and caught the stool before it could spin too far, lining the girls in front of one another. Des looked upward and noticed a confident smirk on her friend's face but wasn't feeling too confident herself. The thought of Pearl's lips on hers made her heart leap in her chest like a puppy jumping up and down begging to be released from its cage.

"Well, Des," the painter started, "the verdict is in. It looks like you're guilty of liking giiiiiirls." The teasing tone in her voice was apparent.

"Y-You called me Des."

"Just something I'm trying out. Is that okay? If I remember correctly, you were going by Des at the end of sophomore year in high school. But we've known each other what, 15 years now? Plus, Destiny is such a pretty name."