Fire and Water
by S. Lynne
email: thats.hot.sly@gmail.com
Disclaimers:
Copyright blah de blah
Sex between two women (minors, no less). Not to be confused with miners. That's a different story.
The end
Christmas Day, 1980
"My little girl, Grace," Jill whispered, rocking the little baby in her arms. Jill looked across the room to the other new mother in the small room, who was speaking to a doctor and rocking her own newborn in her arms. Jill knew the other woman from Lamaze class and had struck up a small friendship with the taller woman. As the doctor left, Mary looked across the room and caught Jill's tired eyes.
"So we're moms now, for real," Mary said smiling.
"Guess so," Jill smiled back, "what name did you decide on?"
"Amy, after my sister," Mary said, looking down at her little girl, "how 'bout you?"
"Grace," Jill replied.
"A beautiful name," Mary replied, moving to stand.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't be up and moving around!" Jill worried, knowing that if Mary felt even half as exhausted as she was, she'd drop the minute she started across the room. But, Mary being the heartier of the two, managed to not only get out of bed, but to work her way across the room to the side of Jill's bed.
"I figure, that if our little girls are gonna be friends, like us, we best introduce them right quick," Mary's gentle southern accent reassured Jill. Mary lifted her little girl up in her arms so that she was facing little Grace.
"Amy, I'd like you to meet Grace and her mama, Jill," Mary said. The little girl with a full head of dark hair wiggled around in her mom's arms, and then looked down at the other squirming bundle. Grace looked up, still blinking, at the other little girl. The two seemed to stare at each other for a moment, and then Grace let out an unbelievable wail, causing Amy to wail right back.
"Awe, shhh," Jill soothed, rocking Grace slowly.
"Amy honey, shh" Mary also cooed, gently rocking Amy in her arms. Mary made her way back across the room to her bed and sat on the edge. Once both little girls had calmed down, Jill looked up to see Mary smiling over at her.
"What?" Jill asked, smiling back.
"Well, I was just thinkin', if this just ain't the best Christmas present I've ever got, I don't know what is," Mary said, looking down at the sleeping baby. Jill looked down at her own sleeping girl and smiled.
"You know what Mary? I think you're right," Jill replied. "Merry Christmas"
"And a Merry Christmas to you, too, Jill."
**
December 19th, 1986
"... Happy Birthday, dear Grace and A- a- amy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!" 20 little voices belted out at the top of their lungs, causing Ms. Donner to rub her temples for the twentieth time that day. As the final notes of the birthday song concluded, Ms. Donner reached into her desk and pulled out a bottle of Advil, almost wishing a comet would strike the earth and swallow her whole.
Two young girls stood at the front of the class, one standing proudly with her arms folded across her chest, a smirk on her lips, and a fancy little paper crown resting proudly on her head. The other, smaller by a good four inches, stood with her head down, a severe red blush coloring her neck and face. She held her similarly decorated crown in her hands, terribly shy standing in front of her classmates.
"Ok, Amy, Grace, why don't you two go ahead and help me pass out the cupcakes your mothers brought this morning," Ms. Donner stated to the cheers of the rest of the class.
Grace and Amy both moved to the back of the class behind Ms. Donner, hurrying to get to the treats first. The moment the two girls had found themselves in the same class, the competition had begun. Grace, normally shy and reserved, seemed to only get riled up where the taller, dark haired girl was concerned. And for her part, Amy couldn't stand to let the short, blonde haired girl beat her at anything.
Both girls reached the counter with the cupcakes at the same time, and both reached for the same cupcake.
"Hey! My mama made dese, don touch!" Amy shouted at Grace.
"S-so? I c-can give 'em some if I w-wanna!" Grace stuttered, looking at the taller girl indignantly.
"Nuh uh! These are mine!" Amy yelled louder.
"Girls, girls! There are plenty of each to hand out," Ms. Donner tried to intervene; knowing that with these two fiery little girls, things could get out of hand at any minute.
"But Ms. Don-ner! She's tryin' to take da ones MY mama made!" Amy whined.
"Well, since it's both of your birthdays, don't you think you should share?" Ms. Donner tried.
"No!" Amy replied, grabbing for the cupcake.
"S-stop! G-get away from th-that one, d-dopey!" Grace shouted back. Unbeknownst to the girls, and Ms. Donner, the rest of the class had now gotten up from their seats and were making a small circle around the fighting girls. Suddenly, Grace made a grab at the cupcake in Amy's hand, and Amy jerked her hand back and, unfortunately, slammed the cupcake right into little Brian's face. Amy looked shocked for a moment, that is, until she heard Grace's laughter. Outraged at Grace for laughing at her, Amy grabbed another cupcake, and this time, shoved it right into Grace's face, stunning the little blonde. Ms. Donner, seeing the impending doom tried to intervene, but Grace was too quick for her. Before she had a chance to stop her, Grace grabbed another cupcake and threw it at Amy. Amy, for her part, ducked, and the cupcake soared right onto Carl Dasher's new shirt. Grace froze, eyes wide as saucers, knowing Carl was the class bully, and that she was gonna be in a whole lot of trouble. Carl picked up the cupcake off the floor, looked down at his shirt, then looked at Grace, then Amy. Taking the cupcake and pulling it into two, Carl moved toward the two girls, backing them against the counter. Before either could move away, Carl shoved the gooey mess onto both of the little girl's shirts.
And that was the straw that broke the first grade camel's back.
The rest of the class squealed and made a b-line for the rest of the cupcakes. Ms. Donner, for all her effort, could only hold a few back. The children-turned-combatants began throwing around cupcakes left and right, yelling and screaming as gooey bombs found their mark in hair, on faces, and all over their clothes.
"Class! Settle down! Stop throwing the cupcakes! Mike! Stop shoving that in your mouth, it's been on the floor!" Ms. Donner tried to intervene to no use.
"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" a loud, booming voice sounded from the front of the classroom. All activity ceased as all eyes turned to the large man at the front of the class, "Ms. Donner, will you please tell me why there is chocolate frosting on the ceiling and floor?"
"Principal Good! I..." Ms. Donner started, and then stopped, looking at the mess that had been her classroom. I do not need this today, she thought.
"Well, will someone please explain to me what happened here?" Principal Good repeated, looking at the twenty-two little frosting covered faces.
"They started it!" twenty little voices shouted, all pointing to Grace and Amy, who had both frozen in the same position: arms calked back, cupcakes in hand, ready to let them fly at each other.
"I see," Principal Good said, shaking his head slightly. Truth be told, he liked both little girls. They were both exceptionally bright for their age, and when not together, both were quite charming. However, on more than one occasion, both girls had ended up in his office for either mouthing off at each other in class or fighting each other out on the playground. Try as hard as he and their mothers may, nothing seemed to work with these two. It seemed odd to him, that the mother's had such a close friendship, that their little girls couldn't get along for even a minute.
"Well, first things first, Grace, Amy, you two are coming with me to the office. Ms. Donner, have the kids wash up, then have them help you clean up this mess on the floor. I'll get Doc in here with a mop to clean up the ceiling," Principal Good stated, looking up. "Whoever got that cupcake up there could probably be a pitcher for Oakland when he grows up."
"That was me, Mr. Good! But I ain't gonna be no pitcher, I'm gonna be a catcher!" Amy stated proudly.
"Hmph," was all he replied as he led the still pouting girls out of the classroom. As the trio made their way down the hallway to Principal Good's office, Grace took the opportunity to push Amy, and in return, Amy smacked Grace in the arm. Principal Good turned around, looking down at the two girls.
"You two need to start behaving right this minute, or I am going to call both of your mothers down here," he stated, glaring at the two. Grace looked down at her shoes, properly chastised. Amy, always the bolder, crossed her arms in confusion and locked her blue eyes on the gray ones of the Principal.
"Ya mean your not gonna call my mama?" Amy asked, confused. Usually, when she and Grace got into trouble, their moms had to come down and pick them up, and then she'd be in a whole lot of trouble.
"No, since today is the last day before the holiday break, I'm going to let you two off the hook, but just this once. You two need to start getting along, or at least start ignoring each other," the older man stated, looking from Amy to the hanging blonde head next to her, "is that clear?"
"Yes sir," Amy stated boldly.
"Yes s-sir," Grace stuttered as well.
"Good," Principal Good smiled, "let's go down to the nurse's office, and maybe she can help you two get cleaned up before your moms get here."
The two girls started back down the hallway, this time walking a couple of feet away from each other. Principal Good walked behind the two, shaking his head. Note to self, he thought, these two will never have another class together here as long as I am principal.
**
Christmas Day, 1990
"Look, just 'cause our moms are, like, best friends, it doesn't mean we need to be friends, you got that Stutter Face? So get away from MY trampoline!" Amy yelled at the little girl standing before her.
The two girls had gone outside to play on the trampoline Amy had got for her 10th birthday, sent out by their mothers after fighting over Amy's Christmas present from Santa: a brand new snare drum, complete with a set of cymbals. Ever since Amy had gotten her hands on a pair of maracas at school, she'd been begging her mom for music lessons, and had been particularly taken by the drums. Grace had been jealous because of the fact that Amy got TWO maracas, while she had just gotten the stupid old triangle. A fight had ensued, ending both girls' chances at playing any musical instruments at their school.
The two small families had spent Christmas together for the first time this year. Amy's father, who had never been around all that much anyway, had finally disappeared earlier that year, and Grace's had split the year before. Jill and Mary, seeing this as an opportunity for both of them to start anew, had decided that the best way to spend the holiday would be with each other, and maybe their daughters would finally get along. Things had gone well, up until the point of present opening. Mary, having finally sold her manuscript to a publisher, had received a healthy sum of money just as the holidays were coming up, and was able to get Amy what she truly desired for both her birthday and Christmas. Jill, on the other hand, was still working a low paying job, trying to make ends meet. On more than one occasion, Mary had offered to help Jill, but the shorter woman wouldn't hear of it, always stating that she and Grace were just fine. So this year, Grace had asked for tickets to see the Nutcracker Ballet in San Francisco for her birthday, and Jill had saved every extra penny she had and was able to take her daughter to see the performance.
Grace had been ecstatic, that is, until Christmas morning rolled around and the only thing under the tree for her was some new clothes from her mom and a new computer game from Mary and Amy. While Amy had set up her new drum set, Grace had fumed. As Amy began to tap the drum with one of the sticks, Grace had got up, grabbed it from Amy's hand, and threw it across the room. Amy, shocked for a moment, looked at the other girl as if she had grown another head. Then, she got angry and threw the other stick at Grace. The two girls then started yelling at each other, and their mothers came into the room and banished them outdoors to play on Amy's other present, the trampoline. Grace, insisting that because she was a guest at Amy's house, she should go first, started to climb up onto the trampoline, but Amy grabbed her by the back of her sweater and started yelling at her.
"S-stop calling me st-stutter face!" Grace shouted at Amy, righting her sweater.
"Stutter face!" Amy shouted louder.
"Stop it!" Grace yelled, balling her little fists.
"Stutter face, stutter face, stutter face!" Amy yelled, getting right up in Grace's face.
"STOP CALLING ME STUTTER FACE!" Grace shouted, pulling her arm back to sock Amy in the stomach. Amy wasn't prepared for the hit, and when it connected, she doubled over and fell to the ground.
"What is all this yelling goin' on out here? What are you...?" Mary stopped speaking as she saw her daughter lying on the ground, holding her stomach.
"I...I..." Grace began, fear clouding her green eyes.
"Grace Lee Dennis, what is going on here?" shouted Jill as she came up behind Mary. Both women had been sipping coffee in the kitchen when they had heard the raised voices of their daughters. Both had sighed, put their coffee cups down on the counter, and moved out to the backyard.
"M-mom, I...I..." Grace tried again, this time a quiver present in her small voice.
"I'm waiting Grace," Jill stated, crossing her arms in front of her. Mary leaned down to check on her daughter when she sat up, still holding her stomach.
"Mrs. Dennis," Amy said, "it's nothing, I just got a real bad cramp is all."
Grace stared down at Amy, mouth hanging open. Jill looked skeptical.
"Honest," Amy continued, "we were just arguing about who gets to jump first, when I got this bad cramp here in my side. Must be 'cause I ate too much at lunch, y'know?"
"You do have a tendency to eat to much at once, darling," Mary said, still squatting down next to her daughter, smiling and ruffling her dark hair a bit.
"C'mon, I'm a growing girl mama," Amy said, blushing.
"Alright, but if you've got a cramp you probably shouldn't be jumping around on that trampoline quite yet. Grace, you can take your turn first," Mary said, standing.
"You take it easy on that thing, too, kiddo," Jill said as she followed Mary back into the kitchen.
Grace looked down at Amy in awe. Amy, for her part, continued to hold her stomach until the older women disappeared inside. Once they were out of sight, Amy dropped her hand and scrambled to her feet, once again towering over Grace.
"Look, don't think I did that for you," Amy started, "its just, our moms hate it when we fight, and I don't want to give my mama no more trouble today."
Grace simply nodded her head.
"Now," Amy said, rubbing her stomach, "why don't you go ahead and jump around a bit while I recover from my 'cramp'".
Grace had the decency to blush to her roots and look away.
"I...I..." Grace started, then took a deep breath, "I'm sorry I hit you, Amy."
Amy looked down at the bashful blonde and smiled a little to herself.
"Eh, whatever. It's not like you hit me all that hard anyway," Amy taunted.
"Well, I'm st-still sorry," Grace said softly. Amy, deciding to take pity on the girl, put her hand on Graces shoulder, causing Grace to look up. When green eyes met blue, Amy smiled and pushed Grace towards the trampoline.
"Go on, before I miraculously heal and feel like jumping."
Grace, deciding she had truly been forgiven, smiled brilliantly up at Amy, then turned and scrambled up the short ladder onto the trampoline. Amy sat down on the ground and leaned back on her hands to watch Grace jump around on her trampoline. As Grace squealed with laughter, Amy smiled a little to herself.
**
New Year's Eve, 1995
"Jesus, Al, I can't believe I let you talk me into going to this thing," Amy grumbled to her best friend as he drove them down her block.
"Honey, it's not everyday we get invited to a party, let alone one thrown by Jordan 'I'm-The-Hottest-Guy-On-The-Planet' Blake," Al replied, fanning himself. Amy laughed at her friends antics, knowing the only reason they were going was so that Al could stare longingly at Jordan from afar.
Al looked over at his best friend of four years, knowing that the only reason they had been invited was because she was drop dead gorgeous. In the four years he had known her, the girl had grown from a gangly little tweener into a young woman, complete with the knock out body to go with it. And, standing at 5'11", all the boys at school, and some of the girls to boot, seemed to think that the gods had blessed the school when she had arrived. And the best part was that Amy had no idea that practically everyone was in worship of her and her beauty. If Al had been a religious man – wait, no. If Al had been a religious, straight man, he would have been one of the many fawning at her feet, damning himself to hell for praying to false idols.
"I don't even know why I got invited to this thing," Amy muttered. Al made a guttural noise in his throat, causing Amy to look over at him.
"Oh come ON!" Al shouted, "You're just, like, the hottest little thang at school, of course you're going to be invited!"
Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Never one lacking in confidence in herself, this new phenomena of being the center of attention wasn't really the brunette's cup of tea.
"What do you know, you never tear your eyes from Jordan's ass," Amy scoffed.
"Well, true, but girlfriend, you are definitely one hot number and I wish you would get that through you're thick skull," Al sighed. "Besides, I bet she's going to be there."
Amy swallowed loudly, trying to hide her sudden nervousness.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Amy stated, folding her arms across her front.
"Oh yes you do," Al teased, "Ms. Grace Lee Dennis, the little vixen who is your absolute most bestest friend in the world!"
At the mention of Grace's name, Amy started to blush.
"She's not my best friend, numb nuts, that would be you," Amy stated.
"Well, yeah, but I'm guessing, by the way you watch her walk through the halls any chance you get, that you'd like to be even more than a best friend, am I right?" Al prodded, taking his hand off the steering wheel to poke his friend in the ribs.
"Hey, you've had your license all of three weeks, keep your hands on the steering wheel," Amy pointed out, "and no, I don't wanna get to know Grace any more than I already do. It's bad enough we have to spend every holiday together."
Deep down, though she protested, Amy really did want to get to know Grace better. They had always been at each other's throats when they were kids, but Amy had done a lot of growing up since then, and so had Grace. And Amy had definitely taken notice. Grace had grown into a bit of a cutie. She grew out her blonde hair and had lost the glasses that she had started wearing when she was eleven for a pair of contacts. She'd never really gotten all that tall, but at 5'5", she was just the right size to fit under a guys arm, or Amy's, if she was completely honest with herself. Amy had figured out real quick that while her girl friends were all lusting after Jared Leto, the male lead on My So Called Life, she herself was only interested in watching the show for Claire Daines. After realizing that she was definitely into the girls, Amy had withdrawn into herself and her music. She'd stay after school and work with any percussion instrument she could get her hands on. When Al noticed that she was now a master of the timpani and bongos, Al felt the need to intervene and find out what was going on with her. After a lot of needling, and even some chocolate sundae bribing, Amy had confessed what was bringing her down. For a moment, Al hadn't said anything. Then he jumped up from his seat, wrapped his stunned friend in his arms and whispered in her ear, "welcome to the club, baby girl!" Since then, the two had been as thick as thieves. And Al was right, though she was loathe to admit, she was hoping that Grace would be there.
Amy was pulled from her musings as Al slowed the car down and put it in park a couple of houses down from Jordan's house. She took a deep breath, undid her seat belt, and opened the car door to get out. Once the two were outside, they paused for a moment, looking up the street at all the people hanging around outside of Jordan's house.
"How do I look?" Al asked, doing a small spin.
"Like gold, Al," Amy replied, laughing at his antics, "how 'bout me?"
"Like silver, babe," Al replied, ducking when Amy's hand shot out to smack him, "great, I mean, you look great! Hot female coming through!"
The two friends made their way up the street to the party. Amy could feel the bass from the music all the way to her bones as she walked through the front door behind Al.
"Hey everyone, look who's here! It's Big Gay-" someone shouted from outside. Al turned and cut him off.
"Al! That's right, Big Gay Al is here! Like I haven't heard that one a million times from you Trey! Shit, you'd think that he'd get over that stupid nickname. Why did Jordan have to invite his stupid cousin from Colorado and that dumb ass friend of his, Matt?" he shouted, flicking off the guy who had made the comment, and then curtseying, much to the amusement of the onlookers.
"C'mon, tough guy, don't worry about those two," Amy said, grabbing Al by his sweater and pulling him all the way inside. Amy knew that her friend Al thought anyone born east of Nevada and west of New York were hillbillies. Once he got started, he wouldn't stop until he'd insulted everyone from the Midwest by making some inbreeding joke about third cousins being married and dancing a two-step.
"Hey, I was having fun, you grumpy Gus!" Al pouted, then smiled when he saw who was standing across the room, "eh hem, I think your prayers were answered my friend, looky who's here."
Amy didn't need to look to know that Grace was there. She tried not to swing her head in Grace's direction to quickly, but once she made it all the way around she was confronted with a vision of beauty. Grace was wearing a dress that even the most pious of men might commit adultery in order to get a chance to talk to her. Slit up the leg to mid thigh and slung low in the back, it was a deep green color, bringing out the brilliance in Grace's green eyes. Needless to say, it took Amy's breath away. And when Grace turned and saw Amy and smiled at her, Amy felt sure she would faint dead away.
"Whoa there girl," Al said, steering his friend from the deadly gaze across the room, "you better be careful, she looks like she could be arrested for theft tonight... you know, for stealing some hearts!"
Amy shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at Al, rolling her eyes.
"Oh shut up, you woulda done the same thing if it were Jordan standing over there smiling at you," Amy grumbled into the cup Al had handed her. She took a sip and almost spit it back out, "Al! What the hell is this?!"
"I'm not sure," Al said, indicating a large punch bowl filled with a yellow liquid in it, "I thought it was lemonade, guess I was mistaken."
Amy saw the mischievous gleam in her friend's eyes and new it was no mistake.
"Thanks, but no thanks man. I gotta be functional tomorrow and this stuff always makes be feel like someone is banging a gong in my head the next day," Amy said, putting the cup down.
"Suit yourself then," Al said, picking up the cup, "if you're not gonna drink this, and might as well make you the D.D."
"Um, are you forgetting that I just turned 15, not 16, therefore no license?" Amy stated, crossing her arms.
"Crap, I forget how young you are," Al pouted, putting the cup down again.
"I'm not young, you're just old," Amy stated smugly.
"Ugh, whatever," Al stated, throwing his hands up in the air, "Ooo! There's Jordan! C'mon, let's go for a waltz around the room and thank him for inviting us to his lovely home, and maybe he'll give us a tour of his bedroom!!"
Amy laughed and let her friend lead them over to their obviously inebriated host, while Al was singing, "Cupid, draw back your bow-ow, and let your arrow go-o!" and doing his best to imitate a Polka. As Amy and Al spoke to a slurring Jordan, Amy kept a surreptitious watch on Grace. She noticed that Grace was still talking to the same guy she had been talking to when they walked in, and it looked like he was moving closer to her. She also noticed that each time Grace ran out of something to drink, he would disappear and then reappear with another cup of the yellow concoction from the kitchen. As midnight quickly approached, Amy watched as the guy leaned down and whispered something in Grace's ear, making her giggle and sway a little bit. Definitely drunk, Amy thought. Amy watched as he led Grace out of the living room and down a short hallway.
Amy furrowed her eyebrows at this, knowing this guy had a reputation at school as a bit of a womanizer. She told herself that she was only going down the hallway to look for a bathroom when she decided to walk down the same hallway. She noticed there was a closed door on the right and passed by slowly, listening for anything going on inside.
"Wait... no, Brad, I don't want to," she heard Grace say and stopped in her tracks, continuing to listen.
"C'mon, Gracey, just one little kiss?" Brad asked sweetly.
"No...I think... *hic*...I think I might be a little drunk," Grace slurred.
"Grace, you know you want to," Brad insisted.
"No, Brad, I don't," Grace stated firmly in between hiccups.
"Yes, Grace, you do," Brad said with a little to much force for Amy's liking. So, deciding it was time to intervene, she swung the door wide open, revealing Brad standing in front of Grace, backing her into the washing machine.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," Amy said, walking into the room, "I thought this was the bathroom!"
"Well, this ain't the bathroom," Brad said, turning to face the intruder. When he faced Amy, he had to look up a bit, seeing as how she was at least two inches taller than him.
"Oh, well then, that's a bummer," Amy said, crossing her arms, glaring down at him. Brad visibly gulped, knowing he had been caught.
"Yeah, a big bummer," Brad stated, slowly moving past Amy. As he moved past her, she leaned down and whispered menacingly at him.
"It takes two to tango, bud. First, when one person says no, it sure as hell means no. Second, try that again and you won't have anything left to try it with," Amy said icily, indicating Brad's crotch with a dip of her eyes.
"Yeah, right, whatever, freakin' amazon," Brad muttered as he hurried out of the room leaving the two girls behind. As soon as he was gone, Amy closed the door and turned back to Grace with concern in her eyes.
"Hey, you OK?" Amy asked the trembling blonde.
"Y-yeah," Grace stuttered, fighting back tears. Amy knew that Grace must have been really upset because of the stutter. Grace hadn't stuttered since finishing speech therapy three years earlier, and only did so when she was really upset.
"You're OK now, he's just a big dumb jerk off," Amy offered, not really sure what to say. Grace nodded her head, then buried her face in her hands. Amy let instinct take over at this point and pulled the crying young woman into her arms.
"Hey, hey. It's alright, you're safe now," Amy murmured into the blonde head held against her shoulder. Grace continued to cry into Amy's shoulder for some time, and all the while Amy whispered words of comfort to the upset girl. Eventually, Grace's tears slowed, then stopped. Amy continued to hold Grace, knowing that she was trying to make this moment last as long as it could. Suddenly, the music outside of the room stopped, and a deafening quiet ensued for a few seconds. In those few seconds, Grace pulled back and smiled a watery smile up at Amy.
"Thanks, Amy," Grace whispered.
"Anytime Grace," Amy smiled back. Through the closed door,
Amy could hear the countdown begin.
"10...9...8..."
Grace, still smiling looked into Amy's eyes as if searching for something.
"7...6...5..."
Amy was frozen in place by the imploring green eyes, then felt Grace reach her arms up to Amy's neck.
"4...3..."
Grace gently pulled Amy down so that their lips were within a hairs breath apart.
"2...1...Happy New Year!"
And with cheering and singing in the background, Grace pressed her lips to Amy's. Amy had never felt anything so soft as Grace's lips. Her whole body felt like it was on fire from the touch. She wrapped her arms more tightly around Grace's back, pulling her even closer. Grace, ever the bolder of the two, snaked her tongue out and ran it gently across Amy's lips, begging entrance. Amy readily accepted what Grace was offering, opening her lips to the questing tongue. For a moment, time stood still for Amy. No matter how many times she had fantasized about doing this very thing, they all paled in comparison to the real thing. Grace brought her hands up to Amy's hair, running her hands through it and down to her shoulders. Suddenly, Grace pulled away from the kiss and looked up at Amy, surprise evident across her features.
"Grace, I..." Amy started, letting go of the shorter woman.
"Amy..." Grace murmured, moving towards the door.
"No, wait, Grace..." Amy made a move to stop Grace from leaving, but Grace maneuvered away from Amy, throwing the door open, and running out into the throng of party goers. Amy stood stock still for a moment, trying to figure out what happened. She was still standing there when Al popped his head into the room.
"Hey! Did I just see little Miss Honey Hair run out of here?" he asked excitedly. Seeing the confused and upset look on his friends face, he frowned and moved into the room.
"Hey, are you OK? What happened?" he asked, concerned.
"I...I don't really know what happened, I just..." Amy tried, but couldn't say anything. She closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of Grace's lips against hers, then the shocked and confused look on her face when they pulled apart.
"Hey, c'mon, let's get out of here, huh?" Al said, worried about the way Amy was acting.
"Yeah, OK, let's go," Amy agreed, letting Al lead her out of the laundry room. As Al was pulling her towards the front door, she caught a glimpse of Grace talking to her friends, emphatically pointing towards the door as if asking to leave. When Grace caught Amy looking her direction, she quickly averted her eyes, blushing. Amy, for her part blushed as well, and then turned to leave with Al, more confused than she had ever been before.
**
December 18th, 1997
"I know, right? My mom thinks we should be all chummy together like she and Amy's mom, but it's just awkward since we, like, never hang out," Grace complained to her best friend Sara.
"Yeah, it's so weird how you're families are always doing stuff together, but the two of you are totally polar opposites, y'know?" Sara replied, reaching for the Tater Tots she had ordered from the lunch lady. Grace and Sara moved through the line quickly, and then headed for the square table furthest from the front of the cafeteria where the rest of their friends were sitting. As seniors, they had their pick of tables to eat at, and this one had won out since it was the farthest from the cafeteria bathroom, which no mater how many times that thing had been cleaned, always smelled like some animal had up and died in there.
As Grace and Sara sat down, Grace purposely chose a seat with a view of the entrance to the cafeteria. Every day had been the same this year, Grace would sit down, start eating and chat with her friends, but she would always keep one eye on the entrance, watching, waiting. And, like clockwork, with about ten minutes left in the lunch period, Amy would stroll in, her friend Al in tow and move her way quickly through the lunch line, then would hurry back outside. No matter if it was raining, foggy, or just cold as a witch's tit, Amy would never stay inside with the rest of the kids at school.
"Hello? Earth to Gracey!" Marianne waved her hand in front of Grace's face, drawing her out of her musings.
"What?" Grace asked, batting the hand in front of her face away.
"I was asking if Josh had asked you to the winter formal yet," Marianne repeated, all eyes at the table turning towards Grace, who immediately blushed.
"No, not yet," Grace mumbled into her sandwich.
"Well, if what I heard is true, he's gonna ask you pretty soon. I'm so totally jealous, you don't even know!"
"Sara, an idiot could tell how jealous you are," Marianne quipped back, receiving a pop in the arm.
"Hey, he's got the hottest body and is probably the best dancer at this school, who wouldn't be at least a tiny bit jealous?" Marianne indicated pinching her fingers together to show how tiny her jealousy really was.
"Whatever, he probably won't ask me," Grace grumbled, looking back towards the entrance.
"Honey, c'mon, you gotta get over this modesty thing, I mean, look at you! You are a regulation hottie!" Sara explained, looking her up and down as if to check her out, "yup, definitely the hottest one at this school by far."
Grace blushed profusely, "no way, Sara. Definitely not."
Right as Grace was at full blush, the doors at the entrance to the cafeteria swung open, and Amy and Al sauntered in. Grace was captivated by the way Amy walked, her long stride, her long hair flowing behind. Sara, noticing where her friends gaze had landed, smirked. Sara had figured out a while ago that all of Grace's blustering about having to spend time with Amy and her mom was just that. Every day, like clockwork, Grace would watch as Amy entered the cafeteria, bought her lunch, then left. I wonder when she's gonna be honest with herself and realize she had a crush on that girl, Sara thought, hell, when am I gonna be honest enough to tell Grace that I've been thinking more about her lately, and not in that sisterly-best friend kind of way.
Grace, unknowing of her friend's scrutiny, continued to watch Amy as she went through her routine. As Amy was about to walk out of the cafeteria, she stopped and turned, looking right at Grace. Grace, having been caught, looked quickly away, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. When she had the courage to look again, Amy was long gone. Grace threw down the rest of her sandwich, having suddenly lost her appetite.
"You gonna finish that?" Sara asked, reaching for the half eaten sandwich.
"No, you can finish it, I'm not hungry anymore," Grace mumbled.
"You? Not hungry? Ok, are you sick or something," Sara reached out and put her hand on her friends forehead, as if to check for a fever. Grace giggled and pushed Sara's hand away.
"No, I'm just...um...nervous, y'know? I've got a big debate today after school," Grace replied quickly, unwilling to share the real reason as to why her stomach was suddenly roiling.
"Um, OK? You don't usually get nervous before one of these debate thingys, you're an ace when it comes to arguing," Sara responded through a mouthful of sandwich.
"Well, today's is a big one, we qualify for the state championship if we when," Grace answered, sipping her diet Coke.
"What do you mean, 'if'? It's just a matter of when, baby girl! You are gonna knock them dead!" Sara emphatically replied. Grace smiled at her best friend, knowing that she was really trying to make her feel better.
"Thanks, Sara. You are the best friend a girl could have, love you," Grace said, getting up to throw the rest of her uneaten lunch away.
"Yeah, love you, too," Sara said quietly to the retreating form. Oh honey, you have no idea.
The same day, just outside of the cafeteria...
Amy leaned against the wall, her head hanging low, cursing under her breath. Each day so far this year, she had gone inside the cafeteria, stood in line to buy her lunch, and walked out. And each day she could feel the weight of Grace's gaze on her as she moved quickly in and out of the cafeteria. Today, though, she couldn't stop herself from looking back at the girl. When she turned and caught Grace looking, she wasn't prepared for what she would see in the blonde's eyes. Almost wistful, she looked at Amy as if she were the only one in the room. It only lasted a moment, however, until Grace realized she had been caught looking and turned quickly away. Free from the powerful gaze, Amy made a hasty retreat out of there, only to find that she couldn't move once she was outside. She had leaned up against the wall, trying to get her heartbeat under control. Why was she looking at me like that, Amy wondered, she's barely spoken three full sentences to me in the last two years.
After the 'New Year's Incident', as Amy had dubbed it in her journal, Grace barely acknowledged her existence, let alone spoke to her. The only times the two had even been near each other was when their mom's forced them to be together for some reason or another. Each girl had remained silent and aloof, only speaking when spoken to by either of the mothers. To say family get-togethers were awkward was to say the least. But silently, Amy also looked forward to those moments with Grace. Even if they weren't speaking, it was nice to feel her presence.
But why was she looking, why is she always looking?
"Hey girl, did you get your daily dose of grease yet?" Al asked, walking up to his friend. Amy took a deep breath and looked up, smiling.
"Yeah, you want it?" she held out her order of fries-in-a-bag.
"Oh, you know it!" Al grabbed the bag and opened it greedily, "I don't know why you always buy this stuff, you totally hate it."
"I dunno either," Amy said, moving away from the wall.
"I bet it has nothing to do with blondie in there, does it?" Al asked, winking at Amy. Amy shoved him in the shoulder, but chose not to reply. Instead, she started walking down the hall, with Al trailing behind.
"I bet it's gonna be a loooong Christmas, being stuck up in Tahoe, just you, your mom, Mrs. Dennis and Graaaace!" Al sang while in between greasy bites.
"Awe, just shut up Al," Amy sighed, "I'm in no mood for this."
"Fine," Al held up his hands in defeat, "just trying to have a little fun here, sue me!"
"Nah, you ain't got nothin' I want, darlin' I'll just have to go ahead and murder ya," Amy replied, mimicking her mother's Texas drawl to a T.
"Well, I do declare! Is that you young Amy, or did ruffian just pop out in front of me?" Al drawled back, fanning himself. Amy just laughed and put her arm around his shoulder.
"C'mon, cowboy. Let's get a move on before that thar bell rings, lettin' the rest of the cattle out."
"Oh, you do know how to talk to a lady with honor and dignity!"
Amy threw her head back and laughed, unaware of the eyes that continued to follow her as she made her way down the hallway.
**
Christmas Day, 1997
As evening finally started setting in, Grace stood in the kitchen of the cabin, listening to the wind outside rustle the wooden chimes outside the window, musing over the few days that they had been here in Tahoe. She and her mom had arrived a couple of hours ahead of Amy and her mom, giving Grace first pick of the two rooms on the first floor. Her mother immediately went up stairs to claim her room, leaving Grace to put her things away. All Grace could think about was the conversation she had overheard a few weeks ago at school. Could she really feel that way about me? Grace had wondered. Was Al just messing around, or is that why she barely speaks to me?
Grace had felt guilty ever since the New Year's Eve party, where she felt like she had practically thrown herself at her friend. She hadn't meant to kiss Amy, but there, in that tiny laundry room, she had looked into Amy's eyes, and they had been so beautiful, she couldn't resist. Either that or she had just been to drunk to really care about the consequences of her actions. Grace liked to the think it was a combination of both, but knew deep down that she had done exactly what she had wanted to. And that's what had scared her into running out of there as fast as she did. She didn't want to think about what she was feeling, it truly terrified her. When she had asked her friends if they could leave and had looked towards the door, the confusing and pain she saw in Amy's blue eyes had almost broken her, and she had to look away, embarrassed by her actions.
And here they were, nearly two years later, barely speaking to each other. They had probably spoken more to each other over the past few days than they had combined for the last few years. After Amy had arrived, it seemed as though their mothers were bound and determined for the young women to get along. Every opportunity they got, Mary or Jill would ask the two of them to do something together. Grace smiled, remembering when they had been put in charge of placing the ornaments on the tree under the guidance of their mothers...
"No, no. Grace, move that one a little more to the left," Jill told her daughter.
"OK," Grace moved the ornament she was hanging for the tenth time.
"Wait, no, I don't like it there either, maybe move it a little to the right, and down a little," Jill stated. Grace sighed and did as she was told.
"Amy, wait, I don't think we should put that ornament up this year, darlin'," Mary instructed her daughter.
"Awe, mom. Why not? I love this one; it's got Frosty on it!" Amy protested.
"Well, it just doesn't go with our theme, dear," Mary replied, "why don't you take that one... no, the other one... yeah, the one with the flag of Spain on it, and put that one on the tree."
"OK," Amy replied skeptically, placing the ornament above where Grace was still trying to place her ornament.
"How about here, mother?" Grace gritted her teeth, her patience especially being tried.
"Yes, perfect," Jill exclaimed. Grace stepped back from the tree, nodding her head in acknowledgement of the fact that that was exactly the same spot she had started at.
"Here, put this one up, Amy," Jill held up another ornament, this one bearing the flag of France.
"What's with all the flag ornaments?" Amy asked, placing the new one between the flag of Spain and Mexico.
"Your mom and I thought it would be fun to have some ornaments to remind us of the places we've been," Jill stated, handing another ornament to Grace, this one with a flag of the US and a picture of the Liberty Bell on it.
"You guys are weird, you know that?" Grace commented, earning a snicker from the taller girl.
"Well, honey, at least I'm not putting up the wreath we got from your Gramma and Papa this year," Jill replied.
"Yeah," Grace shuddered.
"What was wrong with the wreath?" Amy asked, reaching out for another ornament. "Mom? Where's the box with the reindeer I made when I was a kid?"
"Umm... over by the front door, darlin'" Mary replied. Amy opened up the box to a cloud of dust, making her sneeze.
"Well, sneezy, let's just say that my parents were showing their true southern heritage," Jill replied, looking to Mary, who gave her a questioning look.
"I didn't know your parents lived in the south, I thought they were living up in Nebraska?" Mary asked, handing Grace another ornament.
"No, you're right, they do live up there, now," Jill handed another to Amy. "But they grew up in North Carolina, then moved out to Nebraska before I was born."
"So what did this wreath look like?" Mary asked, opening another box labeled 'Christmas stuff.'
"Well, the outside was decorated like any other wreath, some holly interspersed, a nice bow. It was what was showing through the whole in the middle that really made it just to much," Jill explained while Grace giggled.
"And?" Amy prompted, looking at the giggling blonde, then back down to the small figurines of Prancer and Blitzen she held.
"It had a Confederate flag in the middle with the words, 'God bless the South!' in embroidered letters just under it," Grace supplied, only containing her laughter until she got the final words out. All the women joined in, picturing the gaudy wreath.
"I can just picture the two of them, talking about the 'great war' that divided the nation. 'The South will rise again, dear girl, and the north be damned!' my father would say," Jill giggled.
"Well, I for one am glad you did not bring that," Amy said.
"You and me both," Grace agreed, smiling up at the taller girl. Amy looked down and smiled back and Grace felt more at ease than she had in a long time in Amy's presence...
That had been two days ago, and today was Christmas Day and her and Amy's birthday. Grace had gotten the computer she had asked for, even though her mother had threatened never to get it for her because of the extent of her covetousness for the piece of machinery. But Grace knew her mom would eventually break down and get it for her. Amy, on the other hand, had gotten a brand new drum set that would be waiting for her in her room when she got home. Grace smiled, remembering the many school concerts she had attended, pretending to do so out of loyalty to her friends in band, but mostly going to see what kind of instrument Amy would be playing. This year had been exceptional. Not only had Amy used a standard drum set, but she'd also played the xylophone, something Grace had no idea the brunette new how to play. She also strut her stuff with the choir, singing two solos and playing the tambourine during the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" The best part had been when Amy had stepped forward for the final number, causing the audience to hush expectantly. When Amy began singing the opening lines to Ave Maria, Grace was at once mesmerized. Amy's voice, deep and rich in timbre, grew in volume until it filled the auditorium. When she was finished, she had closed her eyes and put her head down. The audience had been on it's feet, applauding the shy songstress. Grace had been one of the first to stand, so caught up in the beauty of Amy's voice and the song; she could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes.
And that's when she knew; she had fallen for the beautiful singer. The realization didn't affect her at first, until she remembered back to the conversation she had overheard in the hallway only a few days before, which had consumed her thoughts from that moment on, including now, while she was in the kitchen, sipping her tea.
"Grace, honey, hustle on up, we're about to start the movie!" she heard her mother yell from the living room and jingling the sleigh bells she had received in her stocking from Mary.
"I'm coming," Grace yelled back, moving away from the counter and heading into the living room. When she entered, she noticed her mother sitting in the rocking chair across from the fire place and Amy and her mom sitting on the couch, with Amy in the middle.
"Hey Gracey, why don't you join me and Amy on the couch," Mary said, indicating the space to the right of Amy.
"Alright," Amy agreed, moving to sit next to Amy. Amy turned as Grace settled down on the couch and offered to share her blanket.
"Thanks," Grace murmured, snuggling under the blanket.
"Mmmhmm," Amy turned back to the TV, where the opening credits for Bing Crosby's White Christmas were starting.
**
As soon as Grace had sat down and snuggled under the blanket, Amy lost all track of anything that was happening on the TV. Throughout the entire movie, all she could think about was the fact that the woman she had been fantasizing about for the last few years was sitting only a few inches away under the same blanket. Amy continued to stare at the TV, feigning interest, but couldn't concentrate. She felt as though if she even looked in Grace's direction, her true desires would be clearly written across her features. The last time she had felt so exposed in front of Grace had been at the winter concert about a week ago. She had gotten up to do the final song and had quickly spotted Grace in the audience, so trained was she in finding the blonde in any crowd. She had sung for her that night, trying to let her know how she felt, even if Grace never felt the same in return. She had put all of her emotion into that one song, and when the final note had left her, all she could do was look down, emotionally drained from pouring her heart out. When the applause had started, she finally looked up, seeing Grace standing and clapping as enthusiastically as everyone else. For a moment, she felt as if maybe Grace knew how she felt, seeing the young woman wiping at her eyes. But as she looked around the room, it looked as though many had been moved to tears as well. She smiled and waved to the crowd, then left the stage, all the while seeing Grace smiling and clapping for her in her minds eye.
"Oh, I just love that movie!" Jill stated, moving out of the rocking chair. So caught up in her musings, Amy hadn't realized the movie was over. She turned to her mother, who as usual, had probably nodded off about half way through.
"Hey, Sleepy," Amy poked her mom, "movie's over."
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, OK," the tired woman mumbled, moving to stand.
"C'mon, Mary, let's go on upstairs and leaves these youngin's to the night," Jill said, taking her friends arm.
"M'Kay, night girls," Mary yawned.
"Night mama."
"Night."
Amy watched as Mrs. Dennis guided her tired mother up the stairs. It never failed, no matter how hard she tried, her mom just couldn't make it through that movie and stay awake. Mary had confessed to loving the movie years ago, but secretly, Amy knew she was lying. The only reason they watched that movie every year was because Jill absolutely adored it and Mary just didn't have the heart to tell her that it bored her silly.
"So, what do you want to watch now?" Grace asked quietly.
"I don't know, I wonder what else is up here," Amy said, getting up from the couch. The cabin didn't have cable, but it had a huge collection of videos. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Umm... I don't know, anything I guess," Grace replied, looking shyly up at Amy. For a moment, Amy was caught by the green gaze. She shook her head and turned back to the collection. "How about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation then?"
"Yeah, OK," Grace replied. Amy pulled out the video and popped it in the VCR. She turned to sit back down on the couch. Grace lifted the blanket.
"You'll be warm if we share," Grace offered.
I'll be warm just sitting in the same room with you, Amy thought. "Thanks"
Because they were sharing the same blanket, the two girls ended up sitting very close to each other on the couch. Both girls were wearing boxers, knowing that they would both be heading for bed after the movie was finished. Grace shifted in her seat a little, bringing her bare thigh into contact with Amy's. Amy could feel the warmth and softness of Grace's thigh and turned to look at the blonde, whose eyes were fixed on the TV. Deciding that Grace hadn't noticed that their legs were touching, Amy turned back to the movie and tried to concentrate. After another few minutes, Amy felt Grace put her hand on her thigh, causing her to catch her breath in her throat. Again she looked over at Grace, but Grace was still gazing intently at the TV. Deciding to be as nonchalant as possible, Amy let Grace's hand stay where it was. That is, until Grace started moving her hand back and forth along her thigh. Amy looked down, feeling her heartbeat thudding in her ears. She could see Grace's hand moving under the blanket.
"Grace," Amy choked out, turning to the girl once again.
"Please, shhh," was all Grace said as she continued to look at the TV. Grace was feeling extremely bold, but knew the moment they began to speak she would lose her nerve and go running from the room. Grace drew in a sharp breath when she felt Amy reach under the blanket and place her hand on her thigh. Neither girl spoke as they each explored the length of the other's thigh. Needing more, Grace worked her way to the inside of Amy's thigh and felt Amy unconsciously spread her legs farther apart. Not one to be left behind, Amy mimicked Grace's move and slid her hand down Grace's thigh as well. Amy moved her hand up, closer to the heat she could feel emanating from Grace's center. Looking up at Grace's face, she could see that Grace's eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart, her breathing heavy. With her free hand, Amy reached for the remote, turning off the TV and plunging the living room into darkness. If Grace noticed, she made no move to acknowledge so except to move her hand farther up the inside of Amy's thigh.
"Please, Grace," Amy panted, "I need to kiss you."
Grace finally turned her head and looked at Amy. In the darkness, it was easier to let her feelings be known, so Grace leaned forward, meeting Amy in a heated kiss. As the kiss deepened, Amy slid her hand the final few inches and covered Grace's heat with her whole hand. Grace moaned into the kiss, copying Amy's bold move. Grace could feel the wet heat through Amy's boxers and desired to feel that wetness on her fingers, not through the material of Amy's boxer shorts. Just as she reached the hem of Amy's boxers, Amy broke from the kiss, looking into Grace's eyes.
"Are you sure?" Amy asked, all the while still rubbing her hand along Grace's mound. Unable to find her voice, all Grace could do was nod. Smiling, Amy leaned in to kiss Grace once again, this time more hungry and passionate than the last. Grace moaned in protest when Amy removed her hand from where she needed it most, and then sighed in pleasure as she was guided to lying across the tall brunette, whose body stretched the length of the couch. Grace resumed their kissing with vigor, pouring every bit of longing for the woman below her into the kiss. Tongues battled first in one mouth, then retreated to the other. Amy felt Grace gently begin to knead her breast and gasped sharply at how responsive her nipples had become, even through her nightshirt. No longer having lips to kiss, Grace began to place kisses all over the brunette's neck, while Amy ran her hands up and down the blonde's back, finally coming to rest on Grace's shapely rear. Grace squeaked as Amy squeezed and slipped her leg in between Amy's legs. When her thigh came into contact with Amy's center, she moaned once again. Feeling Grace push her leg into her, Amy lifted her leg so she could make contact with the blonde's desire. Both women began to rock against each other, Amy guiding Grace's movements above her. Slowly, the pace began to quicken, both girls panting their need into each others mouths. Amy reached one hand in between to pinch one of Grace's nipples, which only served to double the blonde's efforts on Amy's breast. Grace could feel herself getting close, and from the sound of things, Amy was right there with her. Desperate to feel Amy more intimately, Grace stopped her movements and looked down at Amy. Amy opened her eyes and looked up into the face of the woman she loved. Grace smiled, lowering her mouth to gently kiss Amy, while moving her hand down from Amy's breast to the hem of her boxer shorts. She ran her finger under the hem, looking into Amy's eyes with a question. Understanding, Amy nodded and moved her hand down to the hem of Grace's shorts too. At the same time, both girls reached under the hem, pushing their fingers into the liquid heat of the other. Amy groaned, both from the feel of Grace's fingers where she needed them most and the feel of the abundant wetness between Grace's legs. The two young women continued to kiss, more fervently this time, as their fingers began to mind of their own. Grace could feel the hardness of Amy's clit and began rubbing her fingers over it slowly.
"Oh, God, Grace," Amy moaned, spreading her legs farther apart, giving Grace better access. Grace could feel Amy's fingers sliding against her own clit, and began moving her hips in rhythm with Amy's fingers. Grace felt like she needed more, however, and lifted her eyes to Amy's passion filled gaze.
"Please, I need..." Grace started.
"What? What do you need?" Amy gasped, feeling Grace's fingers slide down to her opening.
"Please...inside," Grace moaned, feeling Amy move her fingers to where she need them most. Not one to disappoint, Amy moved two fingers to Grace's entrance and slowly moved them inside, all the while feeling Grace do the same to her. Grace stopped breathing altogether at the feeling of Amy filling her. Amy winced a little, feeling a small pain as Grace entered her. Noticing, Grace looked concerned.
"Am I hurting you?" Grace asked in a small voice.
"No...it's just... it's my first..." Amy muttered, blushing in the darkness. Grace smiled.
"Me, too," Grace leaned down and captured Amy's lips once more in a tender kiss. As their kiss deepened, so did their touch. Faster and faster they moved against each other. Amy brought her thumb up to Grace's clit and began moving it rapidly over it, Grace gasped away from the kiss, moving her own thumb up to Amy's throbbing bundle of nerves. Amy could tell she was close and sped up her hands movements to bring Grace to the same level. Grace stared down at Amy, concentrating on the feeling of Amy filling her and filling Amy. Grace was close, she knew it, and began to double her efforts between Amy's legs.
"Oh... oh Grace..." Amy panted, feeling the walls around her fingers begin to tighten.
"Amy..." Grace whispered, feeling her orgasm building. Amy's fingers began to move even faster, if that was possible, and suddenly Grace stopped moving above her. She could feel her lover's muscles clenching at her fingers and she could see the look of utter rapture on her lover's face. Feeling Grace come, Amy was soon to follow.
"Grace..." she breathed, feeling a mighty orgasm rip threw her. Grace could feel her lover grasping her fingers and felt her go over the edge moments after she herself had fallen.
Grace looked down at the face of her lover in ecstasy. She felt the tremors inside of Amy slow down, and she slowly removed her fingers from inside Amy. Feeling the loss immediately, Amy groaned, then pulled her fingers free of Grace's warmth as well. They lay together for some time, Amy's arms wrapped around Grace as their breathing returned to normal. Grace lifted her head from Amy's shoulder and looked into Amy's eyes.
"Hey," Grace said, smiling.
"Hey," Amy smiled back.
Grace lay her head back down on Amy's shoulder, sighing in contentment.
"Hey Grace?" Amy whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I...umm...want you to know..." Amy started.
"Yes?" Grace asked, lifting her head to look at Amy once again.
"I...I...well, I..." Amy tried again.
"Yeah, stutter face?" Grace teased. Amy laughed.
"Hey, I haven't called you that in years," Amy protested, pouting. Grace scooted up and kissed Amy's lips, erasing the pout. "What do you want to tell me Amy?"
"Well, I just wanted to say," Amy took a deep breath, "I just want to say that I love you."
Grace smiled and reached up to caress Amy's cheek.
"I love you too," Grace whispered back, leaning up to kiss Amy once more. Grace lay down on Amy's shoulder again. "Hey Amy?"
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas."
"And happy birthday, Grace."
The End
Total words used from list: 78, baby! Rock on!