The Love Letter (girlxgirl) (lesbian story) gxg

Chapter 21

"Hey uncle." Olivia greeted Diego.

He smiled. "Hey kiddo. If you're looking for Alison she's unloading an order of coffee with Charlie in the back."

"Not anymore," said Alison as she came into view. "I'm sorry we took so long, it was Charlie's fault." Alison said, not sounding apologetic.

"That's ok," Diego answered. Alison walked past him not uttering a word and started to get ready to work the register. Diego made a face at Charlie. "What's wrong with her?"

Charlie shrugged and also walked past him towards the back room to wash her hands.

"Are they fighting again?" He asked Olivia.

"You don't want to know."

The bar was bustling with activity as the evening rush began so Diego didn't have time to ask any more questions. Charlie wiped down the counter with a rag while Alison took everyone's order. For what seemed like the hundredth time she could feel Alison's eyes on her, but she refused to make eye contact. Alison sighed and turned to serve a group of college students who had just walked in. Charlie watched her move with a graceful ease, enviously admiring the way she effortlessly charmed the customers.

As the night wore on, the bar became more and more crowded. Charlie and Alison were both working non-stop, mixing drinks and taking orders as fast as they could. She tried to push aside her thoughts about Alison and focus on her work, but it was a struggle. Matthew was sulking on the bar stool in front of her. He had been on a date earlier that night, but it had gone terribly wrong and Charlie knew that Matthew had been really excited about it, so seeing him so down was heartbreaking. As she mixed drinks and served beers to the students crowded around the bar, Charlie tried to offer Matthew some words of encouragement.

"Look, Matt, you're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to go out with you. You just have to be patient."

Matthew snorted. "I've been patient my whole life."

Charlie smiled at that, it was true and a little sad.

"You can't force someone to like you. It either happens or it doesn't."

Juggling beers and trying to cheer Matthew up was a difficult balancing act, but she was determined to be there for her friend.

He looked up at her, his eyes shining. "What if I never find the right girl? And if I do what if I say something stupid and mess it up?"

Charlie sighed. "Then you apologize and move on. It's not the end of the world, Matt."

At one point, a group of rowdy college students stumbled up to the bar, demanding shots and high-fiving each other. Charlie rolled her eyes when one of them started flirting with Alison.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the shift was over. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as she wiped down the last of the glasses and turned to clock out. She saw Matthew waiting for her by the door, but before she could walk out Alison blocked her. 

"Charlie-"

Charlie shook her head and darted out the door quickly, her stomach turned upside down. The air was cold and clean as it usually was on campus, it tasted of nothing, not dirt or smoke or metal or other people. Just air. Charlie took a deep, unnecessary breath of it as she walked beside Matthew.

"What do you think?"

"Huh?"

Matthew sighed. "Did you listen to anything I just said?"

"No, sorry."

He studied her carefully, before speaking again. "You've been really weird lately," he commented, Charlie however did not reply. "Does this have anything to do with Alison?"

Her head snapped. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," he dragged out. "I know something happened between you two, I still don't know what but something definitely happened and ever since yesterday things are weird whenever she's around." Charlie remained quiet. "I hope you know you can tell me anything." He added.

What would she say though? She couldn't come out, because she wasn't even sure what she was, but she did want to tell him about what she was feeling - as much as the thought of someone other than her knowing scared her to death, maybe getting that weight off her shoulders would help her breathe a little easier.

"I've never told anyone this but," she swallowed hard, "I-I don't know what's happening." Matthew nodded but remained quiet, wanting to give Charlie space to elaborate. "I've... never really liked anyone in my life... never had a crush on anyone," she felt as if her throat was closing suddenly, "I mean I have but I don't think I've ever felt those butterflies for anyone... Anyone but..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud, and Matthew could see that. As quirky and awkward as he always was, he knew now wasn't a time to be oblivious, so he felt it was his duty as Charlie's friend to help her find her words. "Anyone but Alison?"

"Y-Yes." In that moment her heart dropped to her feet and her eyes got watery, there was a huge knot in her throat, so big it felt more like a rock - the type of rock you'd find on a lake or a volcano after an eruption.

"So you're a lesbian?" Charlie shook her head, as if saying I don't know. Matthew stopped walking and so did she. "Well you know what? I think anyone would be lucky to have you, you're smart, you're kind, but most of all you're special Charlie. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I don't care if you're gay, bi, blue, yellow, you're still Charlie and you're still my friend."

The girl could only smile. She just did something she never thought she'd do and she was proud of herself. "Come here."

"I didn't know coming out was still a thing," he added as an afterthought. "I thought people just went about their life and that was that."

Charlie laughed. "Some of us still need to do it, Matt."

He smiled. "Well now that you got that off your chest we can talk about what she did to make you so angry."

"You could tell?"

"Char, I think even Diego could tell," he said.