Courage

Chapter Fourteen

[Francesca]

This may sound surprising but I actually have fun hanging out at home with Maya. Perhaps that's because I'm comfortable around her. Like today, for example, we were watching Spongebob while wearing sweats. Well, Maya was watching Spongebob.

"What are you drawing?" Maya asked me with a mouthful of popcorn.

I stared at the blank white paper.

"Nothing," I mumbled. "Uhhh! I have no idea what to draw."

"Why don't you try drawing a landscape?"

"I'm tired of drawing boring landscapes, and flower fields, and etc," I complained. "I think my love for art is slowly withering away."

"Maybe you just need some inspiration," she suggested. "Let's go out tomorrow so you can find some incentive."

"You think that'll work?"

"It's a possibility." She shrugged.

"Okay," I yielded easily and put the blank sheet aside. I looked at the T.V to see Spongbob coming out of his pineapple house. "Can we please watch something else?"

"It's one of the old episodes, we can't miss this."

Sighing, I leaned my head on Maya's shoulder.

~

"I wish I had a boyfriend," Maya suddenly said, and licked the icing off another Oreo. We'd already watched five SpongeBob episodes and she was now laying her head on my lap.

"Why?" I asked, curious.

"I don't know, I just wanna be coddled, as pathetic as that sound. Like, sometimes I just wanna cuddle with someone and rant to them and tell them about all my problems, and maybe cry into their chest."

"You can do that with me, you know, even though we're just friends," I told her.

"Okay, no offense, Fran, but I don't think I would wanna tell you about all my problems 'cause you're kind of judge-mental."

I felt insulted, however, I wasn't upset because then again it's Maya, and I don't hold her as the type of person to try to willfully offend someone.

"I'm sorry," Maya muttered.

"I'm not upset, Maya," I assured her, and changed the subject, "so do you have a preference in mens' physical appearance?"

"No. I just want a man who's nice and respectful and treats me right."

"Hm, good to know," I mumbled.

"What about you, do you have a preference when it comes to women?" she asked.

"I don't think so." I've only ever liked two people; Amanda Seyfried and Delilah.

"I'm kind of scared to date, though. I don't want my significant other to pressure me or guilt me into doing certain stuff with him. 'Cause when I was a freshman, I went out with Lucas Frazier for a while and we went on this movie date, and he asked me to, like, pleasure him. When I said no, he said 'Don't you love me, baby'? And me being fifteen and naive, I gave him a BJ." She laughed lightly. "God, I wish I could go back in time and never do that again. Have you ever gave anyone a BJ? Are you a virgin?"

"No, I've never put my lips on man's penis and I never will. And no, I'm not a virgin."

"You've done it with Delilah?"

"No, I've never done it with a girl, ever."

"But I thought you were a lesbian. Wait, so who was your first time?"

"Um . . . I don't wanna talk about it."

"'Kay, sorry. Is it okay If ask something else that involves . . ."

I sighed. "Sure," I whispered.

"Do you ever, you know, touch yourself?"

"No," I answered.

"Really?" she sounded shocked.

"I've never felt the need to." I shrugged. "You do?"

"Sometimes," she muttered defensively.

"I'm not judging you, I get that everyone has needs they need to cater to."

Maya chuckled once and laid her head back down on my lap.