SuperLuminal

2.0 - Edited by: Rellawing, AlliterativeArts, Raleon, Trismegistus Shandy - 9/3/2020 

 

Thankfully, Quinn didn’t need to go to the hospital. She was, however, furious and looked everywhere for the dickheads who shoved her down the water slide so roughly, but she couldn’t find them. The three decided it was time to leave.

 

After they piled into her car, Quinn turned to look at the girls. “Why don’t we go to a drive-in. We were supposed to spend a few more hours out.”

 

“I’d like that…” Sarah smiled. “Mom baked an apple pie and I can’t wait to share some with you, but I just… I want to be out with you as long as possible. Um… let’s not tell my dad about this. He might not let me out like this again if he found out you got hurt.”

 

Quinn nodded. “Yeah… he probably wouldn’t trust me or this city. It’s true really… we know things are getting worse… bad characters like those bums do hang around. Don’t worry though,  we keep those kinds of creeps out of our raves. You weren’t in any danger there. You couldn’t have chosen a better one to try out.”

 

“I don’t know… your friends seemed kinda rough,” Leona pointed out.

 

“Nah! Tough on the outside, sweethearts on the inside. You can’t judge a book by its cover!” Quinn winked in her rearview mirror.

 

“That’s so true… most people are better than we think.” Sarah smiled brightly.

That’s probably a bit too optimistic, but she’s so cute… Leona, who knew how dark the world could be, smiled at her friend. Just the thought of anything happening to her made her want to cry, but things had thankfully worked out.

They pulled up to a parking spot in the drive-in after paying for admittance.

 

“Hey, squirt. Why the long face?” Quinn asked Leona seriously. “Come on, let’s get some concessions at the stand.” Her eyes turned to the other girl and she smiled as she said, “Sarah, chill out here. What would you like? A hot dog? Some chicken strips? Popcorn? Something to drink?”  

 

Sarah’s head tilted as she considered the question. “Um… I think… Do they have pizza? And maybe a soda?” Sarah asked with a wondering expression. “But why can’t I come with you? We’re here together, right?”

 

“Pretty sure they got pizza!” Quinn laughed. “It’s sister talk. I wanted to ask if Leona’s okay after my near-tragic demise there.”

 

Sarah nodded. “I understand now! I wasn’t thinking about how she’d feel… I mean I know she’s a little sad right now…” She threw her arms around Leona in a tight hug. “She’s absolutely right! Go have a talk! I’ll keep myself occupied.” Sarah pointed at the central movie screen playing trailers and advertisements for businesses in Seaside City and San Isidro.

 

“Thank you.” Leona blushed looking at Sarah. Her heart thudded. She was so absent-minded sometimes but she was also so incredibly cute. She felt a spontaneous and intense urge to kiss her.

 

Quinn waited, smiling. “Stop making googly-eyes so much!” She laughed. “C’mon!” Quinn vaulted out of the car and Leona hesitated before finally hopping out as well. Sarah watched them go with a questioning expression.

 

When they were far enough, Quinn took Leona’s hand. “You know… I mean, I know you were scared… but that’s not what I really wanted to talk to you about.”

 

A commercial played in the background, “Extensive Enterprises. Always look for silver-linings!”

 

Leona shook her head. “I was hella scared. I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do. Nothing at all…” Tears started leaking out again.

 

“Awwwww… it’s okay… that’s life sometimes. Things will happen… and y’know… worrying about what might happen or thinking too much about it all isn’t good for you either.”

 

“This from the woman who ran around like a rampaging maniac looking for the guys who did this to her.” Leona laughed weakly.

 

“Can you blame me?” Quinn grinned. “Still, they got away after that stunt. But honestly, I’m more glad Sarah didn’t find out your secret. I mean… if my eating it hard saved you from being outed, I’m happy enough.”

 

“Your life is worth way more than a stupid secret, idiot.” Leona laughed, but her expression quickly turned serious. “When I look into her eyes, I just… I want to kiss her… and... I regret I’ve kept secrets from her. I’m afraid of what she’ll think of me when I tell her, but I think…”

 

Quinn gave a low whistle. “So you’re going to tell her. If her parents catch wind of it, you know what’ll happen. They don’t seem like the types who’ll understand it. I’m not sure it’s for the best.”

 

“I don’t know… they seem like decent enough people…” Leona protested.

 

“I don’t know about that, but Sarah…” Quinn responded, “I’m one thousand percent sure about this… she’ll call you a best friend to your face, but her feelings go deeper and I think she’s hiding from it. I think she likes you and it confuses her. If you’re not out of the closet even to yourself, it can scare you. With parents like hers… I can understand. If you want it to bloom, you can tell her, but doing that might also put an end to it. Right now, nothing will happen if you don’t say anything, but if you try to date her without being upfront, probably things’d end up even worse.”

 

Leona stared down at the ground, nodding softly.

 

“W-well… let’s go get that food… and when we get back, I’ll go to the bathroom. I think… if you’re gonna do it you need to do it alone.”

When they returned with food, Quinn did as she said. She passed Sarah a big foldable New York-style slice of pizza and a giant plastic cup of regular soda. Sarah grinned brightly. Leona held her chili cheese dog and equally large cup of lemon-lime soda.

 

“Enjoy your food. It’ll be a bit before the show starts, and gosh… all that water I swallowed’s catching up to me. Be back when I get this settled.” She pointed at her waist. Sarah cracked up while managing to not dump her food on the car’s seat. Leona grinned broadly, but fidgeted. Her heart was actually thundering. Quinn’s exit was quick and surprisingly graceful, though she walked exaggeratedly so no one watching would question her excuse.

 

Leona settled down in the seat next to her friend while they shared smiles, though they smiled at each other in silence for a good bit. The announcement that the movie was starting soon was broadcasted through the radios of the cars. Sarah was the first to break the silence, “Did you settle things? You seem happier now. Your sister seems tough, if not silly.” She giggled.

 

“Yeah… we did.” Leona nodded and swallowed a gulp of her own saliva. “Um… y’know… there’s something I want to tell you… and I hope you’ll whisper with me…” Her voice lowered into a whisper.

 

“What? Is she hurt? Does she need to go to the hospital after all?” Sarah concernedly asked.

 

“No… nothing like that. It’s… I’m… something about me that… it’s… unexpected… maybe…” Leona blushed.

 

Sarah smiled. “You’re way cute and you’re emotionally strong and…” She puzzled it over. “Oh Lord, are you a Satanist?”

 

Leona practically fell over, her head crooking. “No! Your parents might think that if you ever blabbed about this, but no… I’m a good person!” She gulped.

 

“I know you are. You’re my best friend.” Sarah gulped herself. “No, I can’t pretend… I think I already know what you’re going to say…”

 

“You do?!” Leona gasped.

 

“I still want to be your friend despite it, but I… I don’t think I really like you the way you want me to.” Sarah looked down sadly, fidgeting.

 

Wow! She figured out that I like her? But that’s not what… well it’s part of it maybe… Leona blushed furiously. “Y-you think I li-li-li-like you?”

 

“You… you don’t?” Sarah’s eyes widened and she seemed like she might cry. She blushed even more profusely. “I… I… I thought… You know…”

 

Leona giggled lightly and shook her head. “No...it’s, it’s not that…” Maybe there wasn’t any hope that her love would be returned. She decided to lay out her cards anyway. “I’m… I’m just literally not who you think I am. That’s what I’m saying.”

 

“You’re not…? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” Sarah says, “but I’m a little relieved it isn’t that… I mean, hahaha… you kind of made me question some things that I… that my parents--”

 

Leona blinked, realizing Quinn was right about her. She reached over and put her hands on Sarah’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. Sarah blushed redly. “Hey… Biologically, I’m a boy. I wasn’t born a girl. I mean… there’s still that part of me that is one even if the rest of me is 100% girl… well, that’s not exactly accurate but… I needed to tell you… before things got out of hand I… I couldn’t live with myself anymore.”

 

Sarah gulped and her eyes widened. She seemed like she was going to slip away in fright, but then she burst with merry laughter instead. “Oh, oh wow! That’s…. That’s so weird! I’d never have…. But it’s good! Weird but good! And if you’re a boy, that means I’ve been worried over nothing!” Sarah beamed brightly and embraced Leona, snuggling against her chest. Leona gaped cluelessly as Sarah continued to laugh and began to cry at the same time. “Mmm… I’m so happy I can’t express it.”

 

Leona couldn’t stop gaping, all she could do was blush and embrace Sarah warmly in return. “I’m happy too.” She felt a weird sense of worry. “But, why were you worried?”

 

“Never mind that… but now that I know the truth, I can feel comfortable with these feelings.” Sarah continued to snuggle with a smile and after she laughed aloud again, she leaned back to poke one of Leona’s breasts. “These feel so real… wait, they’re really real! Snuggling up against them, I just know they’re not fake.”

 

“I’m… well, I went through some real changes. It’s hormonal replacement. I’ve been on it for years now… three… and some day I’ll be a real girl… with surgery. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now… it just never felt like the right time… and I know this might cause some problems, but… I didn’t want to trick or lie to you. And until now I didn’t know how to…”

 

Sarah embraced Leona again, more warmly. “It’s so weird, but I hope we can still be really good friends.”

 

Leona gaped down at Sarah, uncertain about how to proceed. Sarah continued to mumble while against her chest. “I don’t really understand how you can be a boy, but like I said, I’m glad you’re one. I um… I… kind of… Ever since we met I’ve been happier… y-you know?” Sarah blushed, looking up through lowered lashes into Leona’s eyes.

 

“Me too…” For Leona, the whole world was entirely turned upside down.