Afternoon Run

thirteen; ❝busy night❞

When we arrive at home, emotions are at an all time high.

Jesenia takes her denim jacket off, and places it on a white hanger on one of the light blue walls of my bedroom. She then goes back to my bed, and rests with me.

The frustration is clear across her face.

I lay my head on Jesenia's chest, and she gently runs her hand through my hair.

"The nerve of that place," Jesenia mutters. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," I tell her and I feel her release a breath, as if she were worried that I wouldn't have responded that way.

No other response from me would make sense though.

I'm the kind of person that will try to make peace with what I'm given. Jesenia, on the other hand, is a fighter and will try to make change through larger efforts.

"You're right. It was Kara's and Alex's fault," she hastily says.

Her words annoy me.

A lot.

I sit up on my bed, and I frown as I tell her, "It was the fault of the restaurant. They didn't know that they weren't going to allow us in there."

"I know, I just don't want to believe that in this day and age. . . people are like that. It's easier to blame people than to blame the ridiculous ideas."

  She sighs deeply, and I try to give her a comforting smile as I play with a strands of her soft brown hair. I even try to hug her, but she resists the small interaction.

"I'm annoyed too, but it doesn't mean that you can just blame Kara and Alex."

Jesenia says, "I fucked up by saying that, I know. I'm sorry."

"It isn't their fault, it's just the way some people are. We can't change them even though we wish we could," I tell her.

"Why do people have to be homophobic?" Jesenia asks.

It's a confusing question.

It's one that I had always asked myself, even when I thought I was straight. Despite my greatest attempts to find the answer, I was never capable of figuring it out.

  "I don't know," I respond honestly, "we can't control other people's behavior but we can control how we react."

  "How are we supposed to react?"

  "We can try not let their actions affect us. We can ignore their stupidity and hope that the world will change for the better," I tell her.

  "What if the world doesn't change?" She asks me, and this time, fear is in her eyes.

I wish that I could change that.

  "Then we change our reactions again, and this time, try to pour our anger into a movement. We can try to fight against this. We can't necessarily change anything in the world right now, but one day, we will."

And that is something I wholeheartedly believe.

"You're right. How are you always right?" She says comfortably.

She's trying to change the mood, so I choose to tell her with a laugh, "it's a gift."

She's warmer now, exuding a vibrant sense of energy and a better attitude. I know that, like me, this issue will continue to bother her, even if she doesn't want to admit it. I just hope that I'll always be there for her.

Then, she tells me, "I love you."

I return the powerful statement, smiling as I say, "I love you too."

She holds my hand, and even places a dreamy kiss on it. She boldly comments, "we should make the night ours."

She looks down at my lips, and I already believe there's a newfound magic in the air. I know she feels it too, and I find myself thinking about all for the ways that we can express that.

I quietly tell her, "I think we should."

Instantly, Jesenia leans in, and our lips connect in a slow yet passionate kiss. I move my hand to cup her jaw, effectively deepening our sign of love. Our bodies get closer, and our kisses seem to have more of an effect after each one takes place.

We spend the night together, content with each other and our love.