Evie & Adams | LGBTQ+

Romeo and Juilet

"Shh." Evie hissed, as they tiptoed across the wooden floors of the kitchen. Evie led the way, Roxy following behind with a duffle bag slung across her back. All the lights were off and both of Evie's parents were confined to their separate wings of the house.

They were halfway up the stairs when Evie felt Roxy tense behind her, then breathe in deeply. Evie whirled around. SHE'S GONNA SNEEZE.

Evie leaned forward and grabbed Roxy's face, placing a hand over her mouth and nose. They both froze. Phew, it worked. Evie thought, and was going to remove her hand when she felt a wet tongue lick her palm.

Evie shrieked and let go; then it was Roxy's turn to muffle her. Both paused, listening for any sign of movement. But nothing stirred.

Evie turned around and led Roxy forward to her room, barely containing her laughter till after she shut her door. Then they both burst out laughing.

"You licked me!" Evie wheezed, gasping for breath, hugging her stomach. From a similar position Roxy tried to defend herself but couldn't get a word out from laughing so hard.

"And you loved it." Roxy teased back after subduing her fits of laughter. Evie blushed, glad for the darkness. As a distraction she walked over and switched her light on, revealing her room. It was spacious, with a double bed covered in a pink quilt, a dressing table on which sat a large mirror, a wall mounted TV and an enormous walk-in-closet.

Roxy turned around slowly, doing a full circle, admiring the room. She whistled. Evie felt a twinged embarrassed, something she hadn't felt before. All of her other friends had houses as big if not bigger than hers, so it hadn't ever felt so... much.

But Roxy turned back to Evie, a gleam in her eye, mouth upturned in a crooked smile. "Wicked." Evie's fears dissipated.

"You haven't even seen the best bit yet." Her eyes twinkled and she walked to the closet.

"You're not gonna go all Charlie's Angels on me right? Because I'd be totally into that." Roxy said, following after Evie.

"I wish. Ta daa." Evie responded. At the end of the closet there was a door that opened into a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, fit with large shower, spa tub, double vanity and toilet.

"Impressive." Roxy said, eyes taking in every feature. Evie walked across the tiled floor to a door at the end, and opened it up.

"You can stay in this room, if you want. No one ever comes in here, it's only purpose served as sleepover spaces when I was younger." Evie said, eyes on Roxy. Roxy stepped through into the other room. It was smaller than Evie's, but only just. "I put fresh sheets on the bed, and there's clean towels in the cupboard."

She was nervous. Evie had never had anyone stay over that she cared about, that she wanted to impress and make feel at home. I hope it's okay...

"It's perfect." Roxy said, eyes sincere, as if she could read Evie's thoughts. Roxy dropped her duffel on the floor and kicked her converses off, a movement so natural it made Evie beam.

"But what about your mother? I don't wanna stay here if she's gonna have an issue with it." The smile slipped off Evie's face. She hardened her jaw and leaned on the doorway frame.

"Fuck her."

Roxy tilted her head. "Is she hot?" She asked seriously. Evie blanched.

"NOT LITERALLY." It came out like a high pitched squeal. Roxy winked at Evie, causing her insides to go all gooey. Evie turned away, giving Roxy some privacy to settle in. She walked back to her room, humming, and hoped onto her phone.

A text from May had come through an hour ago.

Girl, I heard about Dylan 😢 need some girl support tonight? I can make ice cream sundaes and put on Brigit Jones Diary? 😊

Evie shot off her response, saying she was fine and not to worry. I've got the only girl I need.

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"Is your mother anti-sexual-fluidity?" Roxy asked and Evie thought about it. Evie and Roxy lay on her bed, watching reruns of Orange is the New Black. They weren't touching, but were close enough that the whole thing felt intimate.

"No, I don't think so." She wouldn't dare to be. She's all about being perfect and 'PC'. "But she's got this... image, in her head, of who I'm supposed to be. The perfect daughter; beautiful popular girl with shining-star boyfriend; American sweet-heart. And it's just so exhausting. Trying to be that girl all the time.

"Besides, she behaves like we're the Blossoms. From Riverdale." Evie laughed at how ridiculous that sounded and even Roxy snorted.

"Nah, it's more like the Capulets from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet." She responded casually. Evie sat up abruptly and looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just surprised that you know literature." Evie said, lying back down, to which she got a playful punch. "And if that's right, then are you Romeo?" Evie teased before she could stop herself.

Roxy watched Evie with that unnerving expression of scrutiny. "Do you want me to be Romeo?" Her voice was sultry and deep, beckoning. Evie felt the heat rush to her cheeks. And to other parts of her...

"Erm. Was it my fault you and Kate broke up?" Evie quickly changed the subject. Roxy stiffened next to her, and Evie regretted bringing up her ex. But, the question had been nagging at Evie the whole night. She'd already told Roxy about what happened with Dylan, who had found it absolutely hilarious.

"It was about time for Single Evie to come out," had been Roxy's only response, and Evie wasn't sure if the double connotation was intentional.

"No." Roxy's voice was quiet, contemplative. Evie couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed. "Kate and I... we'd been together for a while. And we'd both changed a lot from who we were when we met. So it wasn't a surprise really, more like natural progression."

Disappointment pooled in Evie's stomach like oil. Kate broke up with Roxy... Evie kept her eyes fixed on the TV screen in front of her.

"But," Roxy continued, arms flexed behind her head, "if she hadn't ended things earlier tonight, I would have. Especially after what she did."

"What did she do?" Evie asked, hope rising in her chest again.

"Became possessive, jealous. Domineering and controlling. I'm not okay with that in my relationships. We're together because we want to be, not because we're obligated, or scared." Her voice was stronger now, passionate, firm. Evie found herself nodding, even as her eyes started to close.

"Night Princess." She heard Roxy whisper in her ear. Evie opened her eyes to Roxy leaning over her, eyebrows wagging. Evie's heart sped up, and she opened her mouth to say goodnight back, but no sound came out. Roxy winked and leapt up, sauntering out of the room, through the bathroom and into her own. The door shut behind her.

Suddenly wide awake, Evie started at the ceiling above her. She changed into pjs and switched the TV off. Crawling back into bed, she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep, trying not to think about that unanswered question.

Do you want me to be Romeo?