10 Things I hate About Her (10 Things #1)

14. Will I Die if I Drink This?

Val escaped the notice of Naomi's parents, but not Ursula's hawk-like senses.

Naomi walked alongside Val as she wheeled Ursula down the winding pavement. Fir, pine and spruce trees decorated the unaltered ground around them. The fall air carried the fragrances of moist earth and manure. Bird calls rung out as they prepared for migration. Naomi's shoulder bumped into Val's as Val turned the chair to the right, following a divergence that brought them closer to the lake. The girls exchanged a smile at the brisk touch. Val wheeled the chair to the tip of the land, where it met the water, and brought it to a gentle stop, the front wheels getting stuck in the earth's sticky grip.

Water ebbed an flowed, lily pads and algae shifting along the surface. The sun paraded bright streaks across the crystal waters. Its powerful illumination led to the prevalence of shadows. Naomi stared at the mirrored reflection of her, Val, and her grandmother sitting on a lower level, Val's hand resting on the worn handle of the wheelchair. It had been Val's idea to come out today. She said that Grandma had been locked up inside the house for far too long and should be freed. She had been right. Naomi saw the laughter in her grandma's eyes and the child-like joy in her smile. It had been a long time since grandma had smiled.

"So," Grandma told Val, "What was it like under that child's bed?" She jerked her head at Naomi who frowned in response.

"Dirty, there were lots of forgotten clothes, books." A sidelong glance at Naomi and she mouthed, "Underwear."

Naomi slapped Val's butt.

Val stuck out her tongue but told Grandma, "There was hardly enough space under there for a full-grown human."

"You almost got away with the whole charade until I saw your feet poking out," Grandma said.

"Almost, but not quite, that last minute stretch foiled my plans," Val said. She started to massage Grandma Ursula's shoulders, easing out the tension, "What about you? Aren't you glad you found me?"

"If you were a man, I'd marry you to the granddaughter I actually liked. The one that's studying medicine."

Naomi glared, but Val was too distracted to notice. Val's laugh was forced. After years of being together, it was easy for Naomi to pick up on when Val was faking her emotion. Her hands withdrew from Grandma's bony shoulders and slid into her sweater pockets. She was wearing a peppered grey-black hoody Naomi had stolen from her and the same jeans she had worn the prior night. She looked warm enough, but Naomi plotted to steal the hoody back. It was comfy and had Val's initials on the back. Whenever she wore it, Naomi felt connected to Val in way that wasn't possible otherwise.

Grandma continued, "Did you know that there are many people that identify as homosexual these days? More than when I was young."

Naomi and Val froze and exchanged an uneasy glance. Val said, "Yes."

"Are you one of them? It's okay, you know, I like you, so I wouldn't care if you were. When I was younger, I knew a few girls who were... lesbian as you call it, they were good people. Sometimes you remind me of them."

Val swallowed, her eyes shifted to Naomi and back. "No, I'm not."

Since Naomi had missed Val's reaction to being called gay that night by the pool, this time she watched carefully. Val's jaw was tight, firm. Her countenance was as cold and callous as ever. Naomi wondered why she had never noticed it before. Why she had always joked about Val being gay, but never realized that it might be the reality. The realization hurt her. She wasn't a very good friend if she didn't see how uncomfortable these situations made Val. She wanted to hold Val's hand but restrained herself in front of her grandma.