Act Two, Chapter Twelve

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Early-mid October, about a week later

Mikah: heyy

Taylor: hiii

Mikah: wyd

Taylor: Literally in a meeting w my publicist lmao
Wbu

Mikah: js in bed doing nothing
when's your meeting over?

Taylor: Idk
Gonna see I can pull the "hey guys I'm not feeling great" card in a sec tho

Mikah: does that work?? lmao

Taylor: Usually like 80% of the time
They kinda see through it a lot these days 😭

Mikah: do you ever actually feel bad when you say it? or are you just lying??

Taylor: In the times we've hung out have I ever felt good

Mikah: mmmm i think i could name a few times

Taylor: STOP

"What are you smiling at?"

Taylor whips her head up, shutting her phone off and quickly putting it in her jacket pocket—well, technically Mikah's jacket, she'd left it at her place a few days ago, and it was only fair that Taylor keep it since Mikah still has her sweats. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked what you were smiling at, that's all."

"Oh, nothing. Just something a friend sent me."

Tree just shakes her head affectionately, "That didn't look like a friend smile."

Taylor's stomach rolls over, Jesus Christ this woman can read her like a book. Not knowing how to respond, she just buries herself in her phone again.

"You know you can tell me if you're seeing someone, right?" Tree mentions, "I really don't care who it is, just as long as he's not an asshole or anything." The use of he punches Taylor in the stomach. She swallows hard,

"Yep, yeah. I know," She clears her throat, "I know, and I will"

"Are you..?"

Taylor nods, "Kind of, it's nowhere near official so I don't wanna make a big deal out of it, but yeah."

"You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready," Tree assures her, "And just make sure they're chill and not a fucking weirdo."

Taylor laughs a little, "Oh, they're a weirdo, alright, just a different flavor of weirdo, a good weirdo."

She hopes Tree will just drop it and get back to business. They haven't even had the what are we? talk yet, it's way too soon to consult anyone outside of the two of them, with the exception of therapy.

"I know from a work standpoint it might not seem like it, but as long as you're happy, I am too, you hear me?" Taylor just nods again, slowly coming to the realization that her publicist definitely has a vague idea of what's going on. "Just make sure you're taking care of yourself."

***

Mikah bangs on the door to her brother's bedroom, "AYDEN! I have a girl coming over in 'fifteen, if you don't get your ass over to Keith's right now you're gonna hear some stuff you don't want to!"

"Okay! Jesus," Ayden grumbles, "Since when do you have a girlfriend?"

"I don't, now shoo!" Mikah says as her brother leaves his room, "Text me when you get there, okay? And tell me how long you're gonna be staying."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ayden rolls his eyes, grabbing his bag and coat, heading out the door, "Bye."

"Bye," Mikah sighs, locking the door to Ayden's bedroom. Slowly regretting the decision to invite Taylor over, her place is fucking tiny and messy and there's a full-ass man cave just seven feet away from the bed she knows Taylor will be sleeping in. She goes to rummage through the kitchen, trying to find something she could maybe make, but unfortunately only finds frozen pizza,

Mikah: will you be okay with frozen pizza? it's all i have 😭

Taylor: Of course
You don't have to make anything though

Mikah: i want to :(

Taylor: You're adorable 😂
I'll see you in a few

Mikah takes a deep breath. It's fucking frozen pizza, stop being a pussy, she tells herself, genuinely no clue why she's so nervous. This should be routine by now, just because it's Taylor's first time at her house doesn't make it any different. She tosses the pizza in the oven, and tries to distract herself until Taylor arrives. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding when the doorbell rang.

"Hey!" Taylor exclaims, going in for a hug as Mikah greats her at the door.

"Hey! Sorry the place is kinda messy."

"Oh please, I don't care," Taylor chuckles, "Whats this I hear about frozen pizza?"

"It should be done soon," Mikah goes to check on the oven while Taylor flops on the couch, "Wanna watch a movie? I feel like that's the only appropriate thing to do while eating pizza."

"Totally! I'm gonna put on some stupid romcom, if you're okay with that."

"Just as long as it's not Twilight."

"Twilight is not a romcom! What's your issue with it, anyway?"

"I'm gay!"

"So is Kristen Stewart!"

"Touché," Mikah says, placing the pizza on the coffee table, "It's probably hot so maybe wait a bit."

"Got it," Taylor grabs Mikah's sleeve, pulling her onto the couch, "C'mere weirdo, get comfy." She pulls a blanket over them, leaning her cheek onto Mikah's head. "What do you actually want to watch?"

Mikah sighs, resting her hand on Taylor's knee, "I don't knowwww, I'm not a big movie person."

"Oh, I'm gonna turn you into a movie person, I'm literally an academy member!"

"Sometimes I forget how famous you are.."

"Me too, babes, me too," Taylor laughs, "Also if you don't choose something to watch I'm gonna put on Twilight."

Mikah wrinkles her nose, "Alright, alright. Uhm, just like the Muppets or something."

"You're such a dork," Taylor murmurs against the younger girl's hair, finding the Muppet Movie and turning it on. Mikah breaks away briefly to grab a slice of pizza, before settling back down against Taylor's shoulder, effectively making her heart jump into her throat.

They make light conversation, mostly just watching the movie and eating until, as usual, they start kissing.

"Hey, T," Mikah says, pulling away as she feels Taylor's hands wandering underneath her shirt, "I really don't want to have sex while the Muppet Movie is playing in the background."

Taylor chuckles, "Yeah, I'm not really up for it in general tonight."

"Alright," Mikah kisses her forehead, "Do you still wanna stay over?"

Taylor nods, leaning back on the couch, focusing on the TV. Scooting away from Mikah when her hand on her thigh starts feeling claustrophobic. Why does she always spiral at the worst possible times?

The TV pauses. "You okay?" Mikah asks, cautiously laying a hand on Taylor's shoulder, watching as she silently nods, "Did I do something..?"

"No, I mean, kind of, not directly but.." She sucks in a breath, "I've been spiraling lately and you've, more or less, been at the epicenter of it. Not in a bad way—just making me have a lot of...realizations, I guess."

"Taylor—"

"What are we, Mikah?"

She felt the question coming from a mile away and yet somehow it still clocked her over the head. "We don't have to be anything, if you don't want to."

"I- I don't know-"

"That's okay, you don't have to."

"It's just so confusing," Taylor laments, "I'm used to having close friends—I'm literally infamous for it—but never..this close, and I don't know, there's just something different about this and about us."

Mikah takes Taylor's hand, threading their fingers together, "Yeah, it is different. That's not what's bothering you though, is it?"

Taylor takes a shuddering breath, shaking her head.

"It's because we're both girls, isn't it?"

Taylor nods, curling in on herself as she begins to cry. "I don't know why I'm so upset," She chokes out, "I'm thirty-fucking-four years old why am I just figuring this out now? I feel so fucking stupid!"

"Hey, hey, c'mere," Mikah murmurs, gently pulling the upset girl into her arms, "It's okay, it's different for everyone, we'll figure it out together, m'kay? Just cry it out for now, you'll feel better after."

Taylor nods against her shoulder, letting herself be held, calming down a lot faster than she would've without her.

"We don't have to label anything until you're comfortable, okay? We can just tell the media that we're really really close best friends." Mikah says, voice just barely about a mutter, making Taylor smile.

"Gal pals until further notice?"

"Exactly," Mikah says, kissing Taylor gently, "I'm here for you, alright? Even if that means I'll have to go from a nobody to the second most famous person in the country overnight."

🩶🩶🩶

currently in snow jail. i don't think i've ever updated this quick in my life 😭
not proofread i am posting this at 11:30pm
drama incoming 💕💕
vote/comment/etc love you allll