I spend the next two days in a state of constant frustration. All weekend, I thought of the kiss that Aurora and I shared and the pleasant memories we'd made that Friday evening, but after Monday, I can tell Aurora is actively avoiding me. She won't make eye contact, and she keeps making excuses as to why we can't walk home together. My mood has grown bitter because of it. All my friends at lunch notice I'm annoyed, but when one of them finally has the courage to ask, I make up an excuse about Olivia being a teenage brat because that's the most believable.

It's Thursday when I can no longer take it. I miss Aurora, and I wonder if she misses me, too. I'm not sure why, when she acted with such confidence kissing me, that she's shrunk away, but I certainly don't want to lose the friendship we've made, even if it means we don't go any farther than whatever happened on that Friday night.

"Um, I'll be right back," I tell my friends when everyone has settled for lunch. "Bathroom."

No one asks questions, and I slink away to where Aurora is sitting with her friends. I'm not usually so courageous. I never approach her at lunch, and I never interrupt her when she's in a conversation with her friends, but at the moment, I can no longer handle the silence. I march toward her, and I watch her face turn pale as she notices me approaching. Her back is slouching some, as if she is trying to hide from me behind her friends' shoulders. It doesn't work with hair that vibrant.

Her friends grow quiet with my approach.

"Hey, I want to talk to you," I tell Aurora. "Privately," I add after a moment of silence.

"Um, okay," Aurora says. She looks across the table to her friend, Brooke. "Watch my things for me, will you?"

I grasp onto Aurora's wrist and lead her away from the girls sitting and enjoying lunch in the courtyard. She follows me, though she's quiet, and she keeps her head down as she walks, as if she's ashamed somehow.

"Where are we going?" Aurora asks.

"To the back of the campus," I say.

"But you know we're not supposed to be walking around unsupervised at lunch," Aurora murmurs.

"I know," I say. "But I want to talk."

"Can't it wait until after school?"

I shake my head until finally I find a corner near an unoccupied classroom that leads out into the parking lot. It's as Aurora said. We aren't supposed to be anywhere outside the cafeteria and courtyard during lunch hours, but when I said I wanted to speak to Aurora privately, I meant it. I can't risk anyone hearing us.

I stop finally and drop Aurora's wrist. She looks down, refusing to make eye contact with me.

"What's up?" I ask, trying to speak as softly as possible, even though I'm fuming inside. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"You know why," Aurora murmurs. She holds tightly onto the wrist I was previously grasping.

"Why didn't you bring it up? Why didn't we talk about it on Monday? I'm so confused, Aurora. I don't know what signals you're sending me," I say. "Sorry to drag you away from your friends like that, but I'm starting to lose my mind, and I needed to talk to you."

Aurora suddenly lets out a cry and sinks down against the wall, burying her head into her knees. I stand in shock, not sure what to say or do that will comfort her. In fact, I'm not even sure why she's crying. Her face is hidden, and her long red curls cascade down her winter tights.

"I don't want you to hate me," Aurora murmurs.

"What? I don't hate you," I promise her.

Aurora wipes a few tears from her eyes and looks down at her feet. "I feel so guilty. I feel like you should hate me. On Friday I...I had a great time, but I felt like I was forcing you to do something you didn't want to. I didn't have the courage to face you on Monday. I still don't."

I let out a sigh of relief and sink down to the ground next to her, eventually finding a comfortable position with my back against the wall.

"Is that all?" I ask. "You were just afraid you were forcing me to kiss you?"

"Sh, keep it down," Aurora says. "In case someone's nearby."

"But I kissed you back," I explain.

"I thought you were only doing that to make me feel better about myself," Aurora admits. "I thought you didn't want to hurt my feelings by pushing me away."

"Aurora, I liked the kiss," I say at last.

"Huh? You did?"

"Yes. Did that cheek kiss mean nothing earlier? I like you. I just didn't realize until that moment that you'd grown to like me that way, too," I admit. "I...well, let me ask this. Do you like me like that?"

Aurora nods. "I couldn't quite read you, so I wasn't sure, but at the sleepover...you...you touched my cheek or something. I woke up."

"I thought you were asleep!" I exclaim, suddenly embarrassed. She was awake?!

"I was in and out of sleep, and when I woke up a bit later, you were holding some of my hair. I thought maybe I was just imagining it. I was going to ask you about it in the morning, but I chickened out. And then...I was upset when you suggested the date was ironic, but I mean, I hadn't told you differently, so I dressed up for you, and then you kissed my cheek, and well, I just took that as a sign," Aurora admits. "I don't know why I got so bold all of the sudden. The moment just felt right."

I sit in shock, taking these details in. They seem so strange to hear. Because not once in my life have I felt this way before, not once in my life has anyone admitted to liking me this way, and for a second, I still can't really believe it.

"But...did you really want to kiss me, Callie? I really thought I was forcing you. You seemed surprised at first," Aurora admits.

"Well, I wasn't expecting it," I state, playing with my fingers as I speak to her. "I'm...I'm a lesbian, Aurora."

"No, really?"

"That was supposed to be a vulnerable moment!" I say.

Aurora laughs a little. I'm happy to see most of her tears have dried at this point. I suddenly feel guilty for not reaching out sooner. She must have been driving herself mad, thinking I was upset with her, when in reality, she just needed me to assure her that she hadn't made a mistake.

"I thought I was straight," Aurora murmurs.

"Until you met someone as attractive as me?"

"Shut up," she murmurs. She begins tracing her fingers delicately on the pavement as she continues to speak. "I thought I was straight. I've dated boys before. Sure, none of the relationships lasted, but I never hated those relationships. But then I met you, and I don't know. I wasn't really sure what I was feeling, but I didn't want to lose that feeling, if it makes sense. So I'm starting to think I'm bisexual."

"Starting to think," I tease.

"Hey, this is a big moment for me, too," Aurora says.

For a minute, we sit in silence. I feel strangely calm, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, after sharing all our thoughts together.

"Does anyone else know? About you?" Aurora asks.

"No. I, um, just finally accepted it myself," I admit. "It was hard, but...but I feel happier because of it."

"Was I your first crush?"

I almost laugh. "Sorry, no."

"Have you liked anyone else at this school?"

"Um..."

"Who?!"

"That—why do you get to hear that?" I ask.

She narrows her eyes.

"I liked Isabella Sandoval," I murmur.

Aurora immediately bursts out laughing. "That's why you acted so strange when you sat with us that day?"

"Hey, don't be mean."

"She's bi too, you know."

"Are you serious?!" I exclaim. To think that I actually stood a chance with Isabella...My thoughts wander off because now Aurora appears to be glaring at me. Oh. Right. We were just discussing our feelings for each other.

"So, what now?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know. Everything is so complicated right now, but I don't want to lose this feeling, not yet," Aurora states.

"Me either." I stand up finally and offer my hand. Aurora smiles and grabs onto it. I keep hold of it as I murmur, "Sorry for making you cry."

She wraps her arms around me and holds me close to her. I do the same, burying my face in her soft, coconut-scented hair. All I want to do is stand like this. I don't want to go back to lunch or class. I just want to stand here holding Aurora for hours on end.

"All is forgiven," she says as we pull away.

"Yes," I say, reaching up a hand to stroke her cheek. I gently cup her neck and pull her head down toward me, closing my eyes, when...

"Callie," Aurora whispers because the sound of footsteps are now very apparent. We immediately break apart, putting a good few feet distance between ourselves when one of the teachers rounds the corner.

"What are you ladies doing out here in the middle of lunchtime? Get back to the courtyard. You're lucky I don't give you two a detention," she grumbles.

Our hiding place has been discovered it seems, and our conversation has inevitably come to an end. As we walk back, we decide to disperse a little farther away from the courtyard so as not to draw suspicion.

"See you after school," I say.

"See you, then."