Act Two, Chapter Ten

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"I wanted her to kiss me how
With open mouth and open mouth
We keep our distance now
I wanna feel her hands go down
I try not to think about
What happened last night outside his house
Too far to go back now
Just wanna feel her hands go down"
– Sudden Desire, Hayley Williams (pronouns adjusted)

Mikah Albright is being ghosted by an uber-famous, international pop star. The same international pop star that told her she was straight with her full chest minutes before making out with her in a bathroom.

"You're being ghosted by the Taylor Swift?" Mikah's best friend, Lucy, exclaimed over FaceTime one day, then immediately followed up with: "Wait, she's gay?"

"I don't fucking know, dude," Mikah groans, "She looked me in the fucking eyes and told me she was straight."

"And then she kissed you?"

"Yes."

"I dunno, man, seems like she isn't straight," Lucy just shrugs, "Maybe you should ask?"

"Luce, she's ghosting me, and she's not really responding to Jack right now, either," Mikah says, slightly exasperated, "I'm actually kind of worried, she didn't seem like she was in a great place when I was talking to her,"

"Maybe you finally pushed her over the edge!" She hears her brother yell from the other room,

"FUCK YOU!" Mikah yells in response, "I swear, I'm one more sarcastic comment away from throwing his ass back with our dad."

Not too long after that interaction, Mikah was scheduled to meet with Jack. She hasn't really seen him since the party so it'll be good to catch up, and also a good excuse to ask about Taylor.

"Have you heard from her at all?" Mikah asks tentatively,

Jack just sighs, "Not really, she's sent me some stuff here and there, but she's clearly not herself. Like, less herself than she was before."

"I can't help but feel like I caused this,"

"Yeah, whatever happened between you two probably has something to do with it," Jack shrugs, "But, she initiated it. Sometimes she just...shuts down."

"I just want to make sure she's okay," Mikah leans back, groaning, "Is there anything I can do?"

"I mean, if she's ghosting you probably not, but I probably could do something," Jack says, hesitating before continuing, "I don't want you to worry too much, though, this is no where near her lowest, and if it gets really bad I know what to do, okay?"

Mikah nods, "Sorry, I don't know why I'm so worried, I just-"

"I catch feelings for every girl I kiss, too, it's okay," Jack chuckles, watching as Mikah's face turns red, rubbing his arm when she smacks him,

"It's still so weird to me that you kiss girls."

"Be friends with lesbians they say! They're nice they say!"

***

For the past four days, Taylor has been thinking about Mikah Albright. Nonstop. Doesn't know why she's so infatuated, she kisses girls while drunk all the time. It never means anything, usually nothing more than just a peck on the lips or the cheek. But something about it was different this time—I mean, it was definitely more than just a peck.

What does she do? Call her mom? Her therapist? Hit up that football player in the hopes of one of the most manly forms a man can come in could take her mind off of the five-foot-seven, converse-wearing girl she had a 20 minute conversation with?

Just call her, Taylor.

As she picks up her phone to text her, it rings. Not Mikah. It's Jack.

"Hey!" She says, "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack shrugs, "Just wanted to check in. Mikah's been asking about you, says you're ghosting her."

Taylor feels her ears get hot, "Not intentionally, I promise. I just open her messages planning on responding and then I just don't do it."

"Ah, yeah, I get that. Are you okay, though?"

"I've been better," Taylor laughs, "I know you worry about me but please don't, I really am okay."

"Alright, alright," Jack says, "Let me know if you need anything, and text Mikah. Invite her over, or something. She needs friends."

***

"Take the elephant by the hand and hold it
It's cruel to tame a thing that don't know its strength
But better to walk beside it, than underneath"
— Sudden Desire, Hayley Williams

Taylor's stomach is in knots, has no clue why she's so nervous. It's not even a date, it's just a hey-sorry-for-not-talking-to-you-for-a-week dinner, but something about it feels different and it's making her head spin.

Mikah texted at 5:45 saying she'd be there after six, lucky for Taylor she's been prepping since, like, noon. What Taylor didn't know, is that Mikah very much underestimated how fast she drives and ended up knocking on Taylor's door at six'o'clock on the dot.

"Hey. Sorry I'm early, you live closer than I thought–" Mikah says, going to take off her shoes,

"Oh, no, it's fine. Come on in!" Taylor says, closing the door behind her, "Have a seat wherever, dinner should be done soon."

"Jesus, T, this is an apartment?" Mikah exclaims, sitting down on the couch,

"Technically it's a townhouse!" Taylor replies from the kitchen.

"It's fuckin' awesome, dude!"

"Why thank you!" Taylor says, joining Mikah in the living room, "It's really nothing much, but y'know, at least it's not like those celebrity apartments where they have a random cement orb on the ceiling that cost 76k."

Mikah shakes her head, "I lived in a studio apartment with two other people for like five years, so, this place is pretty fantastic."

"Yikes, how'd you end up in that situation?"

"College, it was with my best friends though, so it was fine, and we'd planned to move into a larger apartment together but that didn't work out."

"I see, how long has it been?"

Mikah rubs the back of her neck, "Graduated and moved here just this summer, actually. Started school when I was, like, 25."

Taylor nods, "Sorry if I'm asking too many questions- I didn't get to go to college, or really finish high school, so I'm always interested in hearing people talk about it."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I studied music at University of Oregon, I can't remember what my friends studied for the life of me, but yeah."

"You're from Oregon?"

"Idaho. U of O was just closest, and the cheapest, for the most part."

"I didn't think there was anything in Idaho."

"There really isn't, it's mostly just potatoes and conservatives. Boise is nice, though."

"Sounds like Tennessee, but replace potatoes with cows."

Mikah laughs, leaning her head on the back of the couch, "Plenty of cows in Idaho, too, trust me."

Taylor grins, "Oh, I bet."

They sit there, on the couch, just talking, for what feels like ages until eventually they're kissing again. Completely and fully sober this time, which makes it clear as day that this isn't just the result of Taylor being a touchy drunk. Just as she's shifting them so Mikah is pressed against the arm of the couch, the oven timer goes off.

"Ugh, sorry," Taylor says, breathlessly. Mikah just smiles,

"All good. We can do this after, anyway. But maybe not on the couch."

"Yeah." Taylor swallows, grabbing the wall to steady herself as she walks to the kitchen.

🩶🩶🩶

don't fall for the propaganda, idaho is NOT part of the pacific northwest
happy new year!! thank you all for sticking around with me during this crazy year
pls vote & comment i love all of you