Milkshakes and Red Heads

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

I'm not a princess. Evie thought in annoyance. But deep down, a part of her liked that Roxy called her that, not that she'd admit it. It wasn't possessive or belittling, but playful. And who can blame her, after she found out about my parents party?

They were now seated at a window table in this hip 60s style diner on the edge of town. Evie directed them here because Mama's had the best milkshakes in town, and the joint was too run-down to be a hangout for Mount Georgia students. In fact, Evie only knew of the place because she spent a summer working there pro bono, part of her community service.

Roxy sipped her strawberry milkshake, no, more like slurped. Evie hid her smile by taking a sip of her own mint chocolate shake. Roxy's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"How can you drink that? It tastes like tooth paste." Evie laughed and accidentally snorted up some of her drink. She started to cough as green-brown milk dribbled down her chin and out of her nose. Roxy howled with laughter, leaning back in her chair.

Finally under control again, Evie wiped her chin and glared at the grinning Cheshire Cat before her. "If your toothpaste tastes like chocolatey minty goodness, then you've got more issues than I thought."

"Hold on a minute." Roxy said and before Evie could blink she'd leaned forward, licked her thumb and gently run it over Evie's lower lip. Evie's skin tingled from the touch and her breathing hitched in her throat. Roxy leaned back in her chair like nothing happened. "Better."

Evie forced her heart to slow down and cleared her throat.

"Anyway, so what were you doing at the game?" She asked, changing the subject. Roxy's eyes went distant, reserved suddenly, and she paused. As if weighing up how much to say. Something I can relate to.

"My cousin is a freshman on the cheerleading squad. Wanted some moral support for her first game." Roxy offered nonchalantly. Oh, that's so... nice. She looked both out of place at the dinner, and completely at home, in her black bomber jacket, camouflage jeans and white singlet top that revealed a black bra. Evie lifted her eyes up to Roxy's face and with effort kept them there.

Roxy smirked. "Like what you see?" She purred. Evie gulped.

"Shit!" Evie suddenly exclaimed, almost spluttering on her milkshake again.

Roxy raised an eyebrow. "That's not the response I usually get..."

Evie leaned forward and whispered, "what will your girlfriend think of this?" Evie's eyes glanced around, taking in the diner staff, a young family, an old man and two couples, as if the dreaded girlfriend could appear magically.

Roxy leaned in real close, till they were only inches away from each other. Her gaze moved from Evie's eyes, to her lips and back up to her eyes.

"She won't care." Roxy said simply and leaned back, lounging in the chair. She lifted her straw up to her lips.

"Why not?" Evie asked, confused. This literally looks like a date. If you are a lesbian of course, which I'm not.

"We trust each other. Not into that possessive, dominance bull shit. That's not healthy." Roxy said, as if it were the most simple thing in the world. Evie held onto that, mulling it over in her head.

To have a relationship like that... I wonder what's that like. To still be 'you' not just 'so and so's girlfriend' and to have so much feeling for each other. Must be nice.

Dylan and I definitely don't have that. We're always a thing, I'm always his girlfriend and have to behave as such. And the same for him – though he doesn't seem to be playing by the rules.

Even with my parents, 'trust' and 'freedom to be myself' isn't exactly... the norm.

"Helloooo?" Roxy called, fingers clicking in front of Evie's face. She kept her nails short, but clean.

"Oops, sorry." Evie laughed, flicking a strand of hair over her shoulder.

"Don't apologise. You can zone out as much as you want, I don't care. It's just that some tool walked in here, looked at you and walked out." Evie's emotions went from surprised, to pleased, to horrified. She spun around in her chair, craning her neck to see through the glass front door.

Sure enough, Evie saw the unmistakable retreating form of Dylan. She leapt up, about to run outside and confess and explain everything, when she saw the red ponytail swishing in the wind beside him.

Evie froze, one foot in front of the other and mouth agape. Her brain couldn't process what she was seeing. Dylan opened the passenger door of his mercedes, ushered the red head inside and sped off like his life depended on it.

"E?" She heard Roxy ask, and felt her hands on her shoulder, pulling her back into her seat. Evie sat down numbly, staring at her abandoned milkshake. "That the boyfriend?"

Evie nodded, still staring at the milkshake. Illegible thoughts ran through her head, thinking both everything and nothing at the same time.

"Right. Come on darl." Roxy pulled Evie up, hooked one arm around her waist and steered her through the door. She pulled Evie into her car and was off.

Countless winding roads and ten minutes later, Roxy stopped the car in front of a dingy bottle shop between Mount Georgia and Kleppers Vally. She hopped out, told Evie to stay put and disappeared inside.

Reappearing moments later with a brown bag, Roxy motioned for Evie to get out of the car and follow her. They went behind the building and up a flight of service stairs, and then up a rickety ladder. Roxy got up first and turned around, watching as Evie pulled herself up.

Evie stopped, breathless. The view... It was stunning. Kleppers Valley, ringed by hills like a meteorite in earth, was aglow in warm golden light. The setting sun basked the entire town in a halo. Evie had never seen anything so beautiful.

Roxy walked forward to the edge of the building and sat down, legs dangling over the edge. Evie went and sat next to her. There was something about the cool winter wind in her hair, and the sun setting over Kleppers Valley, that soothed Evie's mind.

"Here." Roxy said, handing her a bottle of pink fizzing liquid. "Vodka cruiser. The closest thing you'll get to a vodka soda here." She explained at Evie's questioning look.

Evie barked out a laugh, amazed. "How did you know?"

Roxy grinned mysteriously, and the setting sun made her eyes sparkle. Evie looked over the valley and took a swig of her drink. Next to her, Roxy sipped her bottle of beer. The silence was comfortable, like a balm to Evie's soul.

After a while, Evie broke the silence.

"I knew. Or at least I suspected. It was just such a shock to see it in person. See him... cheat on me. Me." She laughed, the sound dull and dry. "And I'm angry and disappointed. But... also sort of relieved. Now I can kick his sorry ass to the curb. But I dread what people are gonna say." Evie pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her head against them. She watched Roxy take a gulp, swish the drink in her mouth, and swallow. She watched as Roxy turned thoughtful and tilted her head to the side.

"E," she started. Evie liked the nickname, it sent a shiver down her spine. "You need to stop caring about what other people think. That stops you from being who you're supposed to be, keeps you stuck in an image that is unattainable and suffocating."

The words hit deep. Evie chose to ignore the potential second meaning and focused on the present one at hand. But either way, Roxy is right.

"But how do I let go of who they want me to be? I've spent so long pretending and striving for perfection, that I have no idea who the real me is anyway." The words were sad, even to Evie's own ears. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the setting sun, or the way that this woman looked at Evie like no one had ever looked at her before. Like she really saw her.

Roxy leaned forward and gently tucked a strand of hair behind Evie's ear. The gesture wasn't seductive, it was caring, yet still sent a flurry of emotions through Evie's gut.

"You do it slowly. Piece by piece. And in letting go of that persona, you'll start to discover who you are. Like puzzle pieces falling into place. You can't start again when the old one remains in tact. And, you don't do it alone." Roxy's voice was strong but gentle.

Evie leaned over and rested her head against Roxy's shoulder, feeling the fabric of her jacket against her cheek.

"You'll be my friend?" Evie whispered, the vulnerability in her voice eerie, out of place, so unlike her usual cool and collected disposition.

"Yeah I'll be your friend E. I'm ready for an adventure." Roxy responded, the words lifted away by the wind. Evie smiled and closed her eyes. This is happiness.

—————————————————

After the sun had set, Roxy dropped Evie off a block away from her house. Evie trudged up to the ElClaire mansion, and for once was grateful to see the throngs of elegant guests. Using the confusion as her cover, she slipped into the house with a group of servers and cocktail waitresses.

Finally in her room, door securely shut and locked behind her, Evie sunk to the ground. She could hear the faint strains of the band, along with the clang of silverware and champagne flutes, and the gentle chatter of high society. It's odd how much they sound like birds. Very posh, stuck-up birds.

She and Roxy had made a plan whilst munching on doritos she'd bought with the booze. Dylan didn't know she saw him at the diner, didn't know that anyone else knew his secret. So Evie would continue to "date" Dylan, buying her desperately needed time to figure out who she is, upon which will be the end of their relationship. And, better yet, I get to be friends with the mysterious and alluring Roxy.

Are you sure it's only friends you're after? Evie's brain nagged at her and she pushed the thought aside. Roxy has a girlfriend. I am straight. End of story. She'd repeat that to herself however many times necessary until she believed it.

Evie glanced at her phone, absentmindedly scrolling through the messages from her girls, about hot dates and good sex, and a couple from Dylan that reeked of guilt. Finally she flicked open her contacts app, and stared at that ten digit number next to the name 'Roxy Adams.' She sighed and held the phone to her chest. Ready for an adventure indeed.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net