Page 77 of Storm in a Teacup
I want to take her hand, but I hold back, wondering if that simple action would be a further element blurring the lines between us that she so desperately needs to remain drawn. We lie there in silence for a long while, me wondering what is going through her mind. What worries and pain has she not voiced?
In a need to fill the silence, I say, “Linny, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m bi.”
She lets out a surprised laugh. I feel so much joy from that simple sound. “I know! Did you think I didn’tknow? Was it a secret?” She sits up quickly, seeming panicked. “Wait,wasit a secret? Are you not out? Am I not reacting correctly?”
I stay where I am. “I’m not not out. I wanted to verbally tell all of my people since it’s a somewhat new development. I figured it out last May.”
She lies back down. “Ah. Got it. Sorry, I assumed it was well-established. I mean, you never gave me a label, but you being desperately in love with your male best friend and the amount of time you spend staring at my boobs equaled bi in my head.”
I scoff. “I don’t spend that much time staring at your boobs.”
“You do, but it’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“I only stare because I know how nice they are.” I know how a feather-light touch makes her nipples perk up. I know how she moans when I pinch them and how often I think about my tongue running over them.
She gently whacks me on the chest with the back of her hand, as if she can hear my lustful thoughts. “Shut up.”
I force myself out of my libidinous haze. “Well, you figured right. I’m men-and-Linny-sexual.” I swallow, staring up at the ceiling. “You’re okay with it?”
She twists on her side to face me, hand landing on my cheek to turn my head toward her. “Of courseI’m okay with it. Sorry, Benny, I really am not reacting correctly. Yes, I am okay with it. One hundred percent. One thousand percent. Onemillionpercent. It’s who you are, and I like all of who you are. Okay?”
I swallow again, throat tight. Instead of saying thank you, I say, “I don’t think that’s how percentages work.”
She groans silently before returning to her back. “Who else have you told?”
“Isla, Rachel, David, Callum, Josie. A few customers.”
“Have you told your parents?”
“Och. No. Do you think I should do that?”
“Only if you want to. Do you think they’ll react poorly?”
I shrug. “They were weird with Isla, but they’ve moved past the weirdness—or are at least making a conscious effort to. Let’s see.”
I pull out my phone to make a group chat with my mum and dad. I also throw Isla in to mix it up.
ME: Hey, just wanted to tell you I’m bisexual
DA: ???
DA: Is it a celebration day? I thought that was June
ME: No. I’m coming out
MUM: Coming out from where?
DA: Did we not already know you were bi?
MUM: Isla told us she was bi. Not Ben
Isla texts me separately.
ISLA: We are not a group chat kind of family. Wtf are you doing?
