in the middle of the night ~c.l.~

vii

"Miss, you okay?"

Chloe realized she had been gaping and shut her mouth. "Y-yeah. I'm fine, thank you." She willed her hand to wake up from it's trance and offer up to shake the poet's. "I'm Chloe. You're," she forgot her words for a second, the woman's galaxy-black eyes boring into her.

"You're an amazing poet."

The woman smiled, all gapped front teeth and pearls. "Thank you. I'm Alona. I'm here every Monday afternoon and Friday night. Friday's are when it's really crowded here. Do you come here often?"

Shit. This beautiful, talented woman was trying to make small-talk. Chloe extended her hand to the nape of her neck, as she always did when someone attempted making light conversation with her, undertaking a façade of interest and disguising her anxiety.

"Not really. I just came in here because my bag broke. But boy, I'm sure glad my bag is ripped now that I've seen you perform." Chloe giggled gracelessly, desperately yearning for Alona's phone number. (I'm rusty.)

"Oh thank you!" She replied, glancing down at the floor to the abused bag. "Since you've been so kind, I volunteer to buy you a new one." She shot her glare to Chloe (Jesus, there must be a five inch height difference or something.)

A blush spread across Chloe's cheeks. "Oh my god, you so don't have to do that. I was literally just on my way and I'm so sorry to-"

With a quick wave of her hand, Alona cut her off. "It's 100% fine. I get paid before the show. I actually just did a whole set and you came in for the finish. C'mon, there's this really cool little shop a block away. My last name's Santiago-Martinez, by the way. How far away do you live, if that's not creepy? Also, I'm twenty-one. How old are you, if that's an okay question. I don't want to buy you shit without knowing you at least a bit, you feel? Where were you going?" The poet spilled questions over the sidewalk, walking Chloe out of the store and round the block, every sentence packed with a strange combination of ease and anxiety. Chloe could practically smell her trying to be polite and questioning at the same time.

"Um... Ok. I live, maybe three blocks away? I was going to the YMCA, I go there every Monday. I'm twenty-three. I'm a professional dancer." She didn't want to tell Alona her last name. People always reacted kinda weird, because they could probably tell who she was, and then they treated her like dented gold - something that was once beautiful that now was lackluster.

"Cool!" Alona said, stepping over a grate.

Alona led her to a spiffy boutique, curtained in orange with 70s-inspired outfits displayed on sleek black mannequins strategically placed all around the store. Chloe stared at this smaller human in front of her, who was bustling and energetic and kind (I mean, she offered to buy you a hat within ten or so minutes of meeting you, jeesh). Alona looked up at her and smiled. (Is she just being polite or is she flirting with you?) This situation of being nice or flirting was forever a battle in Chloe's mind. Alona opened the door for her. Chloe's long fingers skimmed the hem of her shorts and proceeded inside.

~

They had been in there a while, and Chloe was looking at a green towel-bag but she was really admiring Alona, who was chatting up the cashier, her hair unpinned and spilling on the counter.

(My hands on her waist, her's in my hair, grinning like crazy, like how Lucas looks at Kalani, twirling round and round like a fouetté, but better.

Wait, the fuck, do I like this girl?)

Chloe grabbed the bag from it's rack and felt the material to get a fucking grip. There had always been a section in the back of her mind she had put away, swept with the dust under the bed, dedicated to thinking about girls and how pretty there were and their mannerisms and their bodies. But there was a full-working factory when it came to boys. Full of workers and gears and oil changes. Maybe it was time to open up the girl sect.

Chloe caught ahold of the price tag: $14. She brought it up to the cash register, running her fingers through her mop of blond hair before smiling down at Alona.

"Wanna go to my place?"

i'm back from the dead yall and bisexual! chloe for the win #amirite.

the video is Hayley Kiyoko's awesome song girls like girls (I highly suggest you check out the music video for it) and it was literally all I listened to while writing this.

(is my gay showing yet)

leave some comments! if you want! have a nice rest of ur day/night/afternoon and stay safe. I love yall -Colleen