Girl's Love | Editing |

Chapter 14

I knew it was inevitable. I knew she would tell our family, and I was ready for the worst possible reaction. But this somehow felt worse. My brother was unaccepting, even though my uncle was. I couldn't even tell what Aunt Mary was thinking.

To think, just a few moments ago, we were back to normal.

Once we got inside from the car, the silence was so heavy that it made me sick. I attempted to break it by speaking to the whole family. "Um... good night, everyone. Love you."

"We don't have to go to sleep, you know," said Uncle Erik. "We can try to clear the air..."

He looked to Amber, biting his lip. "If you're up to it, that is."

Amber shook her head. "I just want to go to bed."

Her hoarse voice only made me feel sicker. I wished there was something, anything, that might make her better. But something told me we would just have to ride this out together.

I looked to Neal. He stood indignant, with his hands in his pockets. Part of me wondered if his outburst was less about Amber liking girls and more about her coming out to me and not him. To him, Amber was once cold and distant, but she grew into someone nicer and more caring. Excluding him from something that important was not very nice or caring. In his eyes, she was regressing.

Uncle Erik nodded solemnly. "Alright... good night, kids."

"Good night, sweethearts," Aunt Mary said, hugging the three of us.

We all said good night and retreated to our rooms. It was just me and Amber, alone with the tension in the air.

"Hey..." I said, testing the waters.

Amber looked at me, and the sickness whirled in my stomach. Hurt and shame lingered in her eyes. "What?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um... if you need some space to, uh... process, or think... I can always sleep in the living room."

Amber shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, but... I'm afraid that if I'm alone..."

Her voice trembled. "I'll just end up spiraling, you know?"

I nodded. We changed into our pajamas, and I started to crawl in bed. Then an idea hit me like a brick.

I turned to Amber, who was getting her bag ready. I cleared my throat.

"Hey... mind if I join you on the floor?" I asked. "Just for tonight."

"Do you have any other bags?" asked Amber.

"Hold that thought..."

I hopped out of bed and went to my closet. The bag Amber was using was on the shelf about my clothes. I scanned the shelf in vain. Then I looked to the floor, behind the sliding door. Sure enough, there was an extra.

I grabbed the bag and held it up in front of Amber like a victory pose. My sister managed a soft laugh. I opened it up and tried to look for a good place to lie down. I could go next to the door, but then I'd have to keep it closed, and we couldn't get to the restroom. I could lay it perpendicular to Amber, along the foot of my bed. But then we'd either be kicking each other's feet, or she'd be kicking me in the head.

Unless...

"You mind helping me move the bed?" I asked. "This way we can be next to each other, and it won't block the door?"

Amber nodded and rose to her feet. We pushed the bed closer to my closet. I laid my bag next to the bed, but before I crawled in, I retrieved some plushies from off the bed.