Mack wondered how many years of good karma she was getting paid back for right now. Was it the time she rescued some baby kittens from a dumpster and took them home? Then got the worst ringworm right on her neck and got shit for it at school for at least a month? That had to be worth at least one month of good luck.
That must be how she ended up here, lying on Beth’s bed with their lips attached. They were facing each other, Beth’s hands up the back of Mack’s shirt while her own were wandering up and down Beth’s sides. Every few minutes she’d get brave and let her hand graze the side of Beth’s breast over her shirt or her hands would roam down to the swell of her ass. But Mack kept it very respectable. Mostly because she was sure she would combust if her hands wandered any further.
Believe it or not, the night had started innocently enough. Beth had a surprisingly large collection of video games that she and Mack had nerded out over. How their very innocent two-person shooting game had turned into an intense makeout session, Mack wasn’t sure. But she certainly wasn’t going to complain.
It felt like every time they hung out, Mack learned something new and interesting about Beth. Part of her wished she had started talking to her sooner. And not just because she really really liked kissing her.
“You taste like peanut butter,” Beth whispered as she kissed across Mack’s cheek and down her neck. Mack frowned but the feeling of Beth’s lips on her neck made all the questions she had fly out of her mind. Goosebumps erupted over her skin and her grip tightened on Beth’s hips.
She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket but ignored it. It buzzed again and Mack groaned in annoyance. She took it out to turn it off but saw a text from Daphne and quickly opened it, Beth’s lips still attached to her neck.
Hey. Come over and hang out.
Mack’s heart jumped and she thought for a moment. She didn’t want to leave Beth, especially with whatever it was she was doing with her lips right now. But she also didn’t want to piss off Daphne in any way or else she might spill the beans about them never actually kissing.
“Babe—I mean, uh, Beth,” Mack said, quickly correcting herself and hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. “I have to go.”
Beth pulled away, either not catching Mack’s slip up or not caring. But she looked at her with those big eyes, lips slightly swollen. Mack hated that look because it made her stomach clench every time.
“Wait, why?” Beth asked. Mack brushed some hair behind Beth’s ear and smiled awkwardly.
“I have to go. My mom needs help with dinner,” she said before sitting up. Beth sighed, turning to watch Mack as she slipped her boots back on.
“Aw, that’s sweet,” Beth smiled.
Mack felt guilt settle in her stomach but sent off a quick reply text to Daphne anyway, saying she was on the way. Mack frowned when she felt how chapped her lips were.
“Can I ask you a question?” Beth asked, her voice small and vulnerable.
Mack immediately stopped lacing her boots and sat up on the bed. “Of course.”
Beth smiled and pulled Mack’s hand into her lap. “I know your original plan was to kiss a bunch of cheerleaders but…are you?”
Her mouth ran dry. Really, she should have been expecting this question. “Am I what?”
“Kissing other cheerleaders,” Beth already looked on the verge of tears.
Mack couldn’t bring herself to hurt Beth, so instead she just forced a smile. There was no way Beth would find out the truth anyway. Meghan certainly didn’t want people to know they were kissing, and Mack could cut that off at any time. After this weekend, she reasoned, she would only kiss Beth. So instead of telling the truth, Mack just avoided it.
“You’re the only girl I want to kiss, Beth,” Mack deflected, leaning down to kiss her again.
Beth’s smile was blinding and she tried to pull Mack back down onto the bed, but she managed to pull away.
“Do you have any Chapstick?” Mack asked. Beth threw herself on her stomach to reach into her side drawer. She held up a tube triumphantly and sat back to hand it to Mack. Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers. Mack smiled and took it. “Thank you.”
Mack put some on her lips and Beth stood. She gripped Mack’s collar and pulled her forward, planting one last firm kiss on her lips and leaving Mack dazed. Beth pulled away slowly, a lazy smile spreading across her face.
“Dr. Pepper is my favorite,” Beth said.
Mack swallowed thickly, licking her lips and nodding. “Y-yeah. I’ll text you?”
“Please,” Beth said, sitting back on her bed as Mack walked out the door.
* * *
The next morning, Mack walked into school taking a long swig from the giant water bottle she had grabbed on her way out the door. Her mouth felt dry and she smirked to herself. The weekend had been spent juggling Beth and Daphne and Meghan. Sure with Daphne there was no actual making out involved, just another weird woodworking project, but it was still tiring. Wonderfully so. But still.
As she walked down the hall, she saw Lila at her locker and practically skipped up to her. She leaned against her own locker, smirking at her friend. If anyone would appreciate her activities that weekend, it would be Lila.
“Hey,” Mack said, “Sorry I couldn’t answer your calls over the weekend. I was so busy with Beth and Daphne…and Meghan. Gosh.” Mack tipped the water bottle back and took a long sip as she shrugged. “I think I’m dehydrated. Like, seriously. I lost so much spit over the weekend.”
Lila rolled her eyes so hard, Mack was surprised she didn’t strain something. She frowned and kicked Lila’s shoe lightly to get her attention but Lila just sighed dramatically.
“Mack, I don’t have time to talk,” she said closing her locker and finally gracing Mack with a glance. “I have to be somewhere. Excuse me.”
Lila pushed unnecessarily past Mack who just stood there blinking, mind trying to catch up with what just had happened. She hadn’t heard Lila talk to her like that since the fourth grade when she got mad that Mack won the spelling bee and she didn’t. Mack turned and followed her.
“Wait, where are you going?” she asked as she caught up with her.
Lila faced her dramatically, a sigh leaving her lips as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “If you must know, I’ve become a cheerleader.”
Mack stared at Lila for a moment just as she walked away again. Still, Mack stood and stared where Lila had been standing before her weird announcement. There was no way. She must have misheard her. Mack ran after her.
“You’re kidding,” Mack said with a sarcastic laugh. “There’s no way you became a cheerleader. You can hardly get out of bed without tripping! Can you even use pompoms without punching yourself in the face?”
Lila spun around, anger on her face. Mack almost ran into her with the sudden stop, eyes wide as she looked up.
“You know I used to be a baton twirler,” Lila said, waving her arms dramatically.
“Yeah, until you tried to do a triple-axle back wrist twist and gave yourself a concussion.”
Lila blushed, stomping her foot angrily. “You know it was humid that day. My baton was slippery! Plus, what do you expect me to do? Huh? It seems like you only have time for cheerleaders these days.”
Her voice broke a little and Mack stuttered in disbelief. To say she felt taken aback would be an understatement. She felt anger rise up in her chest and she shook her head.
“You know that’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? You’re so busy trying to get into their Spankies that you hardly give me the time of day anymore.”
“That’s not true,” Mack growled in frustration and she ran a hand through her hair. “I— How did you even get on the team? They’re not having tryouts right now.”
Mack watched as Lila’s face fell for a moment. She could practically see the wheels spinning in her head as she looked away for a moment and back at Mack. She sighed and crossed her arms.
“Well, I’m not necessarily a cheerleader,” Lila said softly, eyes finding an interesting spot on the ceiling. “I’m the towel girl. But I still get to go to Nationals and I still get a T-shirt.”
Lila spun on her heels, nodded once firmly, and walked toward the girls’ locker room.
Mack followed again, sputtering and trying to find her words. “You’re being ridiculous!”
She knew she’d made a mistake as soon as Lila turned toward her again, eyes wide and angry as she pointed at herself. “Me? I’m being ridiculous? Ha!” Lila pushed her finger roughly into the middle of Mack’s chest, sending her stumbling back. “That’s rich coming from the girl who spends all her time making out with the same cheerleaders you used to make fun of!”
Mack pushed Lila’s hand away and poked her in middle of her chest in retaliation, backing her up toward the lockers as she spoke. “Listen, you’re the one who encouraged this!” Mack said before taking on a mocking tone. “Oh, ‘steal all the football players’ girlfriends,’ you said. Now look what happened! You’re getting all butt hurt and tried to fix it by volunteering to take these girls’ sweaty towels!”
Lila’s back hit the lockers and she snarled, pushing Mack away from her. But Mack didn’t move. She held her ground even as Lila yelled back at her.
“Well I’m sorry I was trying to be a good friend by encouraging you to have some confidence for once. And it’s not like I actually thought you would get your head out of your ass long enough to make yourself look presentable and actually get a girl at all. Let alone a cheerleader.”
Mack flinched a little, hurt. Lila’s words stung more than she thought they would. All of her insecurities bubbled to the surface, doubt once again seeping into her brain as she tried to think of a response. All she wanted to do was push Lila and go cry in a corner somewhere. But she bit back her tears and tried to seem unaffected instead.
“You know what? Screw you,” Mack said, hating how her voice cracked as she backed away from Lila, who stomped over to a bin of dirty towels, gripping the edge and frowning at Mack.
“Screw you!” Lila replied.
“Enjoy not being able to wash the smell of mediocre athleticism off.” Mack shouted, walking out.
Lila pulled two dirty towels from the bin and used them like pompoms as she yelled, “Ra, ra, fuck you, jerk!”
Mack stormed away, tears still stinging behind her eyes. She decided spending her next class in the bathroom would be better.
Mack managed to drag herself through the first half of classes, avoiding Lila as much as possible. She allowed herself one angry cry and then proceeded with her day. Her chest felt empty and she hated that she actually missed Lila. It had been, what? Four hours? She was fucking pathetic.
Before lunch, Mack found herself at her locker. Beth appeared beside her, seemingly out of nowhere and she felt her heart lift a little bit. She smiled softly at the other girl as she put her books in her locker.
“Hey,” Mack said.
“Hey there, secret girlfriend,” Beth said with a small wink.
Mack felt her heart skip before realization hit her and it immediately sunk. Girlfriend? Since…when? If they were girlfriends, there was a whole lot that Mack already fucked up on. Mostly the kissing other girls thing.
“So are we coordinating for prom?” Beth continued, not noticing Mack’s wide eyes and shocked face.
“I um…” Mack shook her head, hoping some clarity would come with that but nothing. “I uh, thought we were supposed to be a secret?”
Beth bounced a little in excitement while Mack’s panic only grew. “That’s why I’m a genius.”
She pointed proudly to the button on her chest and Mack looked down. The button was huge, probably because there was so much writing shoved onto the little metal disk.
Friends of LGBTQ (but only friends and definitely not gay) Club
“Wow,” Mack said flatly. “That’s very specific.”
“I’m a genius, right?” Beth wiggled her eyebrows. “As the president of this newly formed club, I want to make a statement. And what would make a better statement than going to prom with the most popular and only out lesbian at school?”
Mack chuckled and shook her head. “I’m not popular, Beth.”
“Of course you are, silly,” Beth said hitting her arm lightly. “You’re popular because you’re gay.”
“I hardly call that popular. I’d say it makes me more notorious than anything.” Mack closed her locker and turned toward Beth. She looked so sweet and hopeful. The last thing Mack wanted to do was to disappoint her. Mack wanted to protect her at all costs. But then Mack remembered what Lila had said earlier. She was just a nothing girl who barely got her head out of her ass long enough to change her appearance. Mack wasn’t good enough for Beth. Clearly. “I think you should go with someone else. Someone who’s actually popular.”
Beth’s face fell and Mack almost instantly regretted saying it.
“But…why? I wanna go with you.”
Mack pushed some hair from her face and shook her head. “Beth, if you go with me, it could ruin your reputation. Do you want people talking about you behind your back?”
Beth shook her head and took a step closer to Mack, her perfume wafting into her nose. “They’re not going to. I’m one of the hottest girls in school. Plus,” Beth took another step closer, her body dangerously close to Mack’s. “Even if they did, I don’t care. I want to go with you, Mack.”
Mack’s heart fluttered, stomach twisting in a pleasant way as Beth’s words registered. Beth wanted to go with her. Her. Mack. To be her date and they could get to the secret girlfriend stuff later.
“I—thank you,” Mack said, shoving her hands deep into her pockets to resist the urge to reach out and touch Beth. Big hazel eyes looked up at her and Mack found it extremely difficult not to lean down and kiss her. Something over Beth’s shoulder caught Mack’s eye and she looked up to see Meghan walking quickly towards them. She frowned in confusion before a realization hit her.
“Shit.”
Meghan pinched Mack hard on the arm and she flinched.
“Ow! What was that for?” Mack asked, rubbing the spot.
Meghan stared at Mack for a moment, clearly unamused, before she held up a familiar tube. Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers.
Shit.
“You left this at my house the other night,” Meghan said with an angry look.
Beth frowned and tugged lightly on the edge of Mack’s shirt to get her attention. “Why were you at her house?”
Mack only chanced a small look at Beth before shaking her head. She looked between them for a moment before settling on Meghan.
“It’s just Chapstick.”
Meghan stomped her foot. “It’s Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers! Only one person actually likes that flavor!” Meghan’s eyes were practically blazing with anger. “I knew you tasted like repressed childhood.”
She held the tube out to Beth with a stiff smile. Beth looked at it and Meghan just shook it in front of her face.
“I believe this is yours.”
Beth finally took it, staring at it like it would explain to her what was going on at this moment. Mack’s heart felt like a hummingbird in her chest as she prayed to whatever god was listening that Meghan would leave it at this and walk away.
Instead Meghan shoved her shoulder. “You said I was the only one you were hooking up with. Now the whole plan is ruined. I’m trying to get the gay out but it doesn’t work if you keep replenishing the gay with Beth.”
Mack’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, throat closing. She was at a loss for words and Beth’s hurt face looking up at her certainly didn’t help.
“You…kissed her too?” Beth asked quietly. “I thought you weren’t kissing the other cheerleaders. You said I was the only one you wanted to kiss.”
“Technically, I didn’t lie,” Mack tried.
She couldn’t help the guilty look that passed over her face as she looked down at Beth and shook her head. Hazel eyes filled with tears and Mack reached for her hand. Beth pulled away and Mack was sure she could feel her heart crack. Meghan was staring at her, furious and looking for an explanation, while Beth looked like Mack just kicked her puppy. This situation literally couldn’t get any worse.
Except it did.
Daphne materialized and stood next to Meghan. She didn’t notice the tension among the three and just looked at Mack.
“Are you coming over and polishing my wood for me tonight?”
All the color drained from Mack’s face. “Uh.”
“Daphne too?” Beth whispered.
Mack immediately looked down at her and shook her head. “No. Beth, it’s not—we didn’t—”
“You’re giving me twice the gay back?” Meghan practically yelled in disbelief.
Mack stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. Meghan looked like she was going to kill her. She slowly backed up, deciding escape was the best option here. Without another word, she turned and began to power walk away, ignoring Meghan and Daphne’s yelling after her. She chanced a look over her shoulders and saw the two of them running after her. Mack began to run faster and pat her pockets.
“Shit, shit, shit, where the fuck are my keys?” she said under her breath. Daphne and Meghan had almost caught up to her so Mack took off in a run down the hall. “I can’t believe I’m breaking the rules.”
She broke into a full sprint, leaving the hall and bursting into the parking lot. She didn’t look where she was going and started across the lot, only to have a car honk at her and stop just before hitting her.
Veronica poked her head out of the car. “What the hell, freak? I almost hit you!”
Mack looked back over her shoulder to see Daphne and Meghan pointing at her, closing in on her. She panicked and ran to the passenger side of Veronica’s car, opening the door and throwing herself inside.
“Drive!”
“What the hell?”
“Just drive! Please!”
Veronica rolled her eyes as Mack scooted low in her seat. “Fine!”
Mack watched in the right-side mirror as Meghan and Daphne got smaller and smaller, the car pulling away from them. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Veronica.
“This could be considered kidnapping, you know,” Veronica said as they pulled out of the school. Mack ignored her and just let herself breathe for a moment. She was in Veronica’s car. She had just gotten chased by two crazy cheerleaders, broken another’s heart, but she was in Veronica’s car. Many a daydream had involved being in this car, usually ending with them in the backseat and other embarrassing scenarios. Mack flushed as she remembered and cleared her throat.
“Are you hungry?” Mack asked with the most charming smile she could muster.
Veronica shifted. “No.”
“Don’t lie,” Mack said knowingly. “I see what you cheerleaders use as excuses for meals.”
“Fine, maybe a little,” Veronica said.
“Then let’s go get food,” Mack said, much more confident on the outside when internally she was having a panic attack from being in the car of the girl she’d had a crush on for years.
“With you? What are we going to do? Go to a gay bar?”
“No,” Mack said, rolling her eyes. “I eat normal food, you know.”
Veronica tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and Mack tried not to stare. She was just so damn pretty. She thought about all the times she thought of holding her hand and kissing her cheek. Hell, even just talking to her.
“Fine,” Veronica finally said, “but we have to go somewhere away from school so we won’t run into anyone we know. Well, anyone I know. I doubt you know that many people besides your immediate family.”
Mack smiled dumbly. “I knew you’d agree.”
Veronica muttered. “Fine. Just don’t think this is one of your little dates.”
Mack tried to lessen her smile as she put on her seatbelt but ended up grinning like an idiot out of the window.