OLIVIA, MONROE AND I WON second place at the Battle of the Bands. Our band was named, officially, Intellectual Olive Oil. After the general vibes of Ancient Greece (and also for their general gayness). 

      The goal for March was: Embarrass yourself in front of the whole school. Aaron asked Brady out on a date, radio blaring from the stadium bleachers. Cody took his shirt off, got down on both knees on the track field, and asked the gym teacher to marry him. Skylar stole Mrs. Winter's car and drove it through the baseball fence, windows rolled down and I'm A Single Lady playing.

      As for me . . . I invited Monroe to Bora Bora with me. 

     On the announcement speakers.

     Thankfully, she said yes.

     Now, she held my hand as the airplane hit a patch of turbulence. My seatbelt rattled, tugging hard on my chest, and my fingers squeezed hers tightly. 

    It was my first time on a plane. I couldn't stop my heart from pounding every time the floor of the plane even pulsed. From beside me, Monroe nodded at me reassuringly, her green eyes winking impossibly bright in the light of the window next to her. Wow. I momentarily forgot about airplane crashes.

    "You're so beautiful," she told me.

    I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore my stuttering heartbeat. "That's gay," I whispered.

    She leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose. "I love you."

    "Gross. Are you a homosexual?" I kissed her, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth. "I'm sorry, I just don't believe in that lifestyle." 

    Monroe smiled against my mouth. "From now on, my behaviour will be strictly straight."

   MONROE'S BEHAVIOUR LATER behaviour was not, in fact, strictly straight.

   Actually, as soon as the plane landed, she took my face in her hands and kissed me. And then, after we'd collected our luggage, she took mine even though I protested, refusing to let me hold anything at all. 

    We were still arguing about it when Aunt Whitney and Elena got to the airport in a pink convertible. Elena was holding up a sign in the passenger seat, her face flushed and her hair disheveled, and Aunt Whitney, suspiciously bright-eyed and red-cheeked.

    "Talia!"  cried Aunt Whitney, parking her car by the curb with a screech of tires. "Oh, baby! I missed you! How are you?"

    She got out of the car and hurried towards me in flip-flops and a sundress, wrapping me up in her arms without a second thought. Her enormous bundle of curly red hair pressed into my face, and I nearly choked on the soft, bouncy strands. She smelled faintly like honey and tea leaves. 

    When she pulled back, hands on my shoulders, she eyed me from top to bottom. 

    "What's different? Did you cut your hair? Your face looks so . . ." She narrowed her eyes. "You look so . . ."

    "Happy, darling, is what she means to say." Elena handed Whitney the enormous poster━it said WELCOME TO BORA BORA, TALIA AND MONROE━and hugged me tightly. She looked the same as she had at Claudia's birthday: short, shiny blonde hair, and tall enough that she had to bend over to reach me. "You look happy, Tal. Where's your friend?"

     "My friend?" I blinked. I'd texted them I was bringing a friend named Monroe, but━

     "Hi," said Monroe. She must have gotten it before I did: They had assumed my "friend" was a boy. Monroe was a unisex name, after all. "I'm Talia's friend."

     "Oh,"  Elena squeaked. "Oh, your mom told us your friend was someone you were dating."

     And the last they knew . . . I was straight.

     "Yeah," I said, biting my lip. I snaked my arm around Monroe's waist, pulling her towards me. She leaned into the touch, and I almost melted. "Monroe is my girlfriend, actually."

     A pause. They both stared at me blankly.

     Elena's face was the first to change. She gasped a little, grinning, and hugged me again. Extra tightly. "I'm so happy for you, my love." 

     A car honked behind us.

    Aunt Whitney's face cleared. She kissed my cheek and said, "Congratulations." As if it was completely normal. With a wink, she added, "Come on, you two. Get in the car. Let's check out your new home for the week."

    Monroe loaded my bags into the trunk, but there wasn't enough room for hers anywhere except the backseat. Which left only one spot available. With a sly smile, Aunt Whitney said one of us could sit on the other's lap. 

    Monroe held open the car door for me, but I paused. "It's a convertible, won't the police see━"

    Aunt Whitney laughed from her spot in the driver's seat. Crystal rings glittered on each of her fingers as she clutched the stick shift; Elena placed her hand on top, a gentle and strangely romantic squeeze. 

    If I had ever had any doubt they were a couple, it all vanished when Whitney kissed Elena's lips and winked at me again in the rearview mirror.

    Monroe sat down first in the backseat. I moved towards her. Her hands clasped around my hips, and with an effortless motion, she settled me onto her lap. I could feel the warmth of her legs, radiating against me. I fought the urge to grind down against her, knowing my aunts were less than a foot away.

    And just like that, Aunt Whitney's pink convertible took off from the airport curb. Once we were out of the shade, I began to feel it: the fresh heat of a summery climate, the mesmerizing scent of an island. It only took five minutes of driving before I could see the ocean in the distance, turquoise in colour and gleaming like a polished jewel.

    Monroe's silky hair brushed my cheeks, and I tucked a strand behind her ear. She smiled at me and caught my hand, kissing the knuckles. God. I was so in love with her, with these little gestures. The casual domesticity of her skin against mine, as if we'd been together forever. There was so much intimacy in the act of her just touching me. I'd never felt like this before. I wanted to feel like this forever.

    Bora Bora was beautiful. It would have been beautiful without Monroe, but it was more beautiful because she was there with me. 

    It looked exactly like I'd always imagined an island would look. White sand, sifting across the pale grey roads. Colourful little shops. Tanned locals and visitors alike, most wearing only a swimsuit. The palm trees rippled in a slight breeze, and around us, I could hear the bass note of drums, of a guitar and a voice in another language, singing. The air tasted of sea salt and citrus, and it filled me with something inexplicable━a lightness, a floaty feeling. I wanted to tell Monroe that we should have our honeymoon here.

     When we finally arrived at Aunt Whitney and Elena's beach house, I kicked off my running shoes and chose to go barefoot instead. The sand was silky between my toes, so white it may as well have been snow. A few other little cabins were scattered close, but ours had the best proximity to the ocean: about fifteen yards. Close enough that I could run now and make it in twenty seconds.

     "Come inside," Aunt Whitney said. "Let me show you around."

     I didn't realize Monroe was further behind me, talking to Elena, until Aunt Whitney's voice took on a hushed tone.

    "Your girlfriend," she whispered. "She's gorgeous."

    "I know," I said, laughing. I glanced back behind me. Monroe was smiling at Elena, her tan skin flushed and maybe a little sunburnt around the cheekbones. "She's━she's something."

    I didn't realize I was still staring at Monroe until Aunt Whitney coughed a little.

    "Tal, I know what your mom and dad are like. I know how hard it must've been. Even I haven't . . ." She let out a breath. Somewhere on the beach, a few small children shrieked in unison and ran around in circles. "Elena and I have been married for ten years. Well, we will be on Tuesday. That's our anniversary. Nobody knows. Not even my sister, your mom. I know how she feels about it. I know how your grandmother feels about it. I never even dared . . . but . . ." She held my face in her hands. "You're brave. Brave enough that I think I might come out to the family." 

    "You're married?"  I whispered. It was news to me that they were even a couple, but marriage?

    Aunt Whitney smiled a little. "She's the love of my life. Why wouldn't I be? Plus, we get insurance benefits."

    I laughed. "I wish I could've been to the wedding."

    "You're the first family member I've ever told," Aunt Whitney said, kissing my cheek. "And as for your mom, did she cry? I bet she cried."

    "I think she cried about it at least three times in front of me."

    Aunt Whitney rolled her eyes. "Figures. Now, come on. There's this cute little hut that sells the most perfect pineapple smoothies in the world, and you need to try one before the day is up."

    ON TUESDAY, MONROE and I bought a bouquet of pink flowers and a red velvet cake for Aunt Whitney and Elena's tenth marriage anniversary. We had spent only a few days here, in paradise, but I never wanted to leave. 

    Monroe and I had already snuck out twice during the middle of the night to make love on the beach. The water was so warm, even at night. Although the sand ended up everywhere. 

    Now that Aunt Whitney had officially come out to me, she didn't try to hide her love for Elena anymore. They kissed openly: at breakfast, while Whitney fried eggs on a pan. On the beach, while Elena tanned in a string bikini. During our walks to the market, while they took turns carrying handwoven baskets filled with exotic fruit.

    I wanted to be them when I grew up. I wanted to have that. 

    And I knew they weren't without their flaws━sometimes they argued, and Aunt Whitney got heated enough to raise her voice, but the fights always ended in laughter because of one thing. Elena was tall, so Aunt Whitney always stood up on a chair to tower over her. But that sight alone was enough to make Elena burst into laughter, and their arguments resolved quickly enough after that. I loved it.

    Later that night, after their anniversary party had quieted, Monroe and I lounged on the beach. I'd sprayed so much bug spray on myself that my nose itched. 

    "I'm sorry," I said to Monroe. The white, glistening sliver of the moon punctured the dark velvet sky. 

    "For what?"

    "I accused you of cheating. When we broke up. I know we're together again, but . . . I wanted to say it. That was horrible of me." 

    Monroe slid her arm around my shoulders and hugged me into her chest. Her sweatshirt was warm and lemony and soft. "I know, Tal. I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about everything sooner. And it was horrible of me to not show up, but Angel . . . she had the . . ."

    "The emergency." Monroe had told me that the night our band was supposed to play at the Hamilton, the night she hadn't shown up, Grandma Angel had come close to the dying in the nursing home. A mild heart attack, but a heart attack nonetheless. "I know, Monroe."

     Monroe pressed her lips together. I could see the flush darkening her cheeks. I leaned my head against her shoulder, and she made a small sound━a little cry that made me wish there was something, anything, I could do to make it better.

     "Will you━do you want to━I mean, would you be okay with meeting her?"

     I lifted my head up. Ocean waves lapped gently against the shore, laced with moonlight. "You want me to meet your grandmother? Monroe, of course I want to. Of course I do." I twisted around so I could look at her properly. I'd said it a million times already, but I liked seeing the look in her eyes every time as I whispered, "I love you."

     She grinned. And kissed me. "That's gay."

     I snuggled against her chest. "I know."

***

One more chapter left.

From the moon and back,
Sarai