Lexi huffed for the umpteenth time when she saw that no one was answering her calls. The battery bar indicated that her phone was about to shut off, and with it, her chances of getting home. Outside, the wind was rustling the trees and the rain was pounding hard on the windows, so Lexi had no choice but to resign herself, accepting that she would have to stay inside the school until the rain let up. She silently cursed her luck, as well as the teacher's magnificent idea to call a drama meeting on such a rainy day.

She said goodbye to her classmates who were leaving the school premises with a small smile, ducking her head a little, because she didn't want them to know that she was going to stay there because no one could come for her. Surely any of them would have offered to take her home in that storm, but Lexi preferred to keep quiet for fear of being a nuisance. So, with her backpack slung over one shoulder and a pout on her lips, she decided to enter the gym so at least she wouldn't be alone.

She opened her eyes in surprise when she came across a workout of the cheerleader girls. A Latin song was playing in the background and they were all perfectly coordinated. They were wearing gym clothes, athletic, so it was easier to distinguish them, and she was discouraged when she noticed that Harley was not among them. Neither were Maddy or Cassie, but Lexi knew neither would abandon their Saturday plans to commit to rehearsing choreography.

She knew how little responsibility her sister or her friend had, but she didn't think Harley would be capable of letting her team down, even more so being one of the captains. Lexi glanced over the group of girls again, but found that the blonde was indeed not among them. They moved to the beat of the music, in which she sensed sensual movements, and it was no wonder: Lexi did not understand the Spanish of the song, but if she imagined Harley doing those steps a warmth ascended to her face.

Lexi saw how easily her mind led her to Harley. Not that she was obsessed with her —anyone would say she was— but she seemed to find her everywhere. She wondered if she would be okay, especially after what had happened a few days ago, and if that would be related to her absence today. She wondered if, after the confession, her mother would have been angry and decided to seclude her from society for hurting her reputation in that way; or if, on the contrary, Harley had wanted to visit her father, whom she probably only saw a few days a year, and most of them were in the summer. Lexi shook her head and thought about how stupid she was being by imagining scenarios that had nothing to do with reality.

Tired of standing there wasting time, Lexi tried her luck again. Suze must have had at least five missed calls from her youngest daughter, and this was the sixth, because the answering machine answered for the woman again. "Leave your message when—," Lexi hung up before that stupid robot's stupid voice got through her ears. However, another notification demanded her attention.

Harley Jordan: I'm close to the school. Think you mentioned having something today. Do you need a ride home?

Lexi's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected message. How had she gotten her number? Cassie probably would have sent it some day when they were out partying in case something happened. Why was she texting her? Because it's pouring rain, you idiot, she reminded herself. Yeah, but how had she remembered she had a theater meeting? Lexi could have sworn none of the girls were paying attention to her that afternoon in the Howards' dining room. Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. The girl's heart wouldn't stop pounding against her chest.

You: Thank you, but it's okay. I still have some things to grab from my locker.

Lexi struggled not to slap herself in the face right there and then. Was there really no more ridiculous message she could send than that? It seemed like there wasn't.

Harley Jordan: It's pouring. I can wait for ten minutes 'til you're done.

If Harley pushed her buttons a little harder, she could probably convince her. However, the recurring thought that she would be a nuisance and that Harley seemed to have an obligation to take care of her because she was her friend's little sister —and not because she was really interested in her as a person— was too strong, so Lexi declined again.

You: It's nothing. It'll probably have passed by the time I'm out.

Harley Jordan: I'm outside.

If there were any levels to the crush Lexi had on Harley, at that moment it went up another notch. Lexi mumbled to herself at Harley's simple but direct statement that brooked no retort. A tingling sensation in her stomach formed as she imagined the blonde saying those words, somehow dominating the situation, and Lexi could have sworn her legs would have trembled at that moment.

She had to get Harley out of her mind as soon as possible. What was happening to her wasn't normal, she'd never felt anything so intense for a person, and Lexi thought she was probably crazy, because she hadn't had a real conversation with Harley until that very year. Still, she was too attractive. Attractive and alluring, of that there was no doubt. Lexi closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she realized that, at some point, in some football match, she would be able to witness the choreography sliding down Harley's curves.

The Howard decided there was no point in delaying it any longer. She pulled a folder out of her backpack, pretending that was what she was supposed to take from her locker, because if she showed up empty-handed it was certain that Harley would think she had been trying to avoid her. Nothing could be further from the truth, Lexi was dying to be near her, but in a very different way than she should feel. And, most of all, very differently than Harley felt.

She felt small, tiny even, as she walked down the stairs, knowing that she thought things about Harley that the blonde would never think about her, and she wondered if things would change much if Harley could get inside her mind and see all the things she imagined. Once again, the blonde would think she was crazy.

From the entrance to the high school she could see Harley's black car. It was of a very well known and reputable brand, but Harley didn't seem to care about any of that. She dressed very normally, behaved normally and didn't say anything that would give away how much money she had —and it was a lot.

You: I'm here.

Lexi sent the message with the last 5% of battery life left in her cell phone to get the girl's attention, who quickly looked up.

Harley Jordan: Good.

The brunette looked up at the sky slightly, careful not to step through the puddles and get wetter than she was already going to get, and silently obliged when Harley leaned against the passenger seat so she could open the door for her. "Thanks," Lexi sketched a small smile, pulling her backpack off her back and dropping the folder as an umbrella. "I'm soaked, though."

"I can see that," Harley commented as she nodded. She wasn't smiling, but Lexi could appreciate the amusement in her tone of voice. Lexi suddenly felt oddly watched, so she tucked her wet locks of hair behind her ear to disguise it. "Don't worry about the car. It's seen worse."

"Like my sister passed out?"

Harley cracked a smile that seemed to struggle not to appear so that a funny dimple appeared on her right cheek, a dimple that Lexi took her time admiring because she'd never seen it before. "You said that, not me. Do you mind if we stop by my house before yours? There's something I need to drop," the blonde had already stepped on the gas, so she finished the sentence by pointing with her free hand to the back seat, where she had her class backpack, the one Lexi had seen so many times in her room.

Lexi just nodded, humming something that seemed like a positive response, so for Harley that was enough. The blonde seemed to want to be quiet, because she didn't turn on the radio and none of her playlists were playing either, so Lexi took that as a sign to be quiet. That was all the time she needed to take notice for the first time of Harley's appearance beyond how pretty she looked to her, and that was that she was also wet, and not from sweat. Lexi doubted from her attire that she came from the gym or somewhere else where she worked out, and noticed that the white shirt she wore under her jacket was wet, revealing the white bra she wore and her abdomen, her belly button decorated by a piercing she'd never seen before. Lexi cleared her throat, her cheeks flaring in a not-so-disguised way, and she looked away to avoid further notice.

She didn't know at exactly what point it had happened, but Lexi had known for a long time that she would never talk about the same things Cassie talked about with her mother, nor would she like them. Cassie had her part of the room decorated with posters of teen series, with their male leads shirtless or in sardonic poses. Lexi, on the other hand, had never been as attracted to them as her sister, and while she knew Cassie had problems she intended to solve with the male presence in her life, Lexi knew that, in her case, she didn't want any male presence at all.

Nothing could be further from the truth, for months now something had awakened in her, enough to start admiring the female body more than a male one. She would catch herself staring at the short skirts of the cheerleaders, the bra straps of the older girls when it was already hot, the smell of vanilla or expensive perfume that many around her exuded, or the slender legs of strangers she would never see again at the mall. And, to her luck or misfortune, she found all of that on Harley.

"You can come inside, if you want," Harley proposed as she slowed the car in her garage. Lexi was so engrossed that she hadn't even realized they had arrived. "I don't think mom has arrived yet."

"Er, sure," Lexi stammered, not knowing how to feel. The brunette remembered right then and there how Cassie had once said that they didn't go to Harley's house for some reason they didn't know about —but had quickly dismissed as if not having visitors was the most normal thing in the world— so Lexi felt somewhat privileged to even step onto the Jordans' porch. "Your mom is never home?"

Harley shrugged slightly, downplaying the matter, as she pulled a brown bag out of her backpack that she quickly pushed out of Lexi's sight, so the brunette pretended not to have seen anything. "Not really. She works a lot."

"Wow, that must be so relaxing. Sometimes I wish my mom went outside more, so she and Cassie would stop yelling at each other," Lexi let out a laugh, at which Harley looked at her and raised her eyebrows as if she found the unfamiliar tension she provoked in the Howard amusing. "Where does she work? I feel like mantaining this house costs a hell of a lot."

"She's a lawyer," Harley conceded. "She started as a prosecutor, but left the job when I was born, and now she's working in a firm. The more hours you work, the more you earn," she concluded, but there was a sadness behind her words. The more hours she worked, the less time she spent with her daughter. "I'm going up to my room just one second. You can lurk around as much as you wish."

Lexi frowned to herself for giving off the vibe of doing that. Though she tried not to, her eyes were moving from the huge television on the wall, with a huge gray couch to match, a huge kitchen, and huge stairs leading up to the second floor, which also augured to be huge. Lexi heard something fall from the floor below and a growl immediately follow from Harley's mouth, but didn't ask any questions so as not to pry into her business. Besides, she heard a drawer close instantly, so she figured it probably wouldn't have been anything.

"Ready?" Lexi heard Harley's voice behind her, and when she turned around, she cursed herself for having done so. The blonde had changed clothes, taking off her damp shirt and replacing it with a sweatshirt whose zipper had yet to be fastened when Lexi turned around. The brunette made a point of focusing her gaze on the girl's face, even if her belly looked like the most interesting place in the world.

"Yeah, just let me try and call my mom. It's weird she hasn't tried to reach me yet, she's always —Shit," Lexi interrupted herself as she found her phone, but no house keys. She continued to rummage through everything in her bag, but to no avail. "Shit. I left my keys at home. And I don't know if someone's in there because no one answered my calls before," Lexi admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

"I can see if Cassie answers."

You: Hey, you. Are you or your mom home? Lexi says no one is answering her calls and it's raining.

Lexi watched in disbelief and open-mouthed disbelief as her sister responded almost instantly to her friend's message.

Cass: okay first of all what are u doing w lexi? second of all, no, i'm w mckay and mom will probably be driving home from dropping me off.

You: It's raining, Cassie. Tell your mom she's at mine while you're gone. She forgot her keys at home.

Cass: i swear sometimes lexi is a pain in the ass. i hope she's not bothering u much, u can always drop her off at our porch.

You: Goodbye, Cass.

"She says neither her or your mom are home. You can stay here until you have a way of entering the house without breaking the windows," Harley smiled a little to keep Lexi from getting more nervous.

"No, it's okay. I can—"

"Do you want anything to drink, Lexi?"

The way her name rolled off Harley's tongue caused the brunette to have dozens of unholy thoughts about the blonde. Her mind flashed back to how the piercing glistened on her stomach, how the fabric of the shirt clung to her skin, and the way she drove, so focused but at the same time in such a carefree manner that brought Lexi a certain sense of security. She let out a breath that almost felt more like a gasp and sat down on one of the kitchen stools for a more comfortable —and more hidden— leg-crossing position.

"Water will be fine."

"You can ask, you know?" Harley surprised her as she closed the fridge and passed her the water bottle, which rolled into position.

Lexi swallowed hard, and wondered if at some point she had let any thoughts slip out loud that would find her out. Her heart pounded in her ears as Harley took a seat in front of her, looking at her with those deep green eyes that seemed to look right through her. Lexi laughed nervously, as if she wasn't understanding her. "What do you mean?"

"About what I said the other day at school," Lexi breathed knowing Harley meant something else, but tensed again as she remembered the subject of Harley, her father and his abandonment. "It's no secret anymore, so it doesn't make sense for you all to act cautiously around me."

"Oh," Lexi nodded to herself. Yes, it was true that she had thought about Harley's situation once or twice, but she had never imagined the situation where she could freely ask about it. "You said you don't see him very often, but do you talk?"

"Every other day," Harley shrugged. "He lives in Philadelphia now, so it's difficult with the timezones, working, taking care of my brother. Not the dad of the year, is he?"

Lexi composed a grimace on her face that denoted some discomfort, because something similar had happened to her. Her father had left overnight, failing to show up in their lives even when her mother guaranteed he'd come to see Cassie's dances or Lexi's poetry recitals. Still, he had never shown up, and one day they stopped seeing him for good. Lexi debated whether to tell Harley that story or let it go, but chose to do the latter because she figured the blonde probably already knew Cassie and Lexi's history with her father. "We still have our moms," Lexi tried to cheer up the situation, thinking of Suze.

Harley's eyes dropped for the first time in the conversation, and Lexi took that into account, closing her eyes, knowing it hadn't been the best choice of words. "I guess," was Harley's only response.

After a somewhat tense silence and several gulps of water that Lexi definitely didn't need, she decided to notice a shelf full of books to divert her attention. "Do you read? That's a lot of books."

"Sometimes," Harley conceded. "It's a hobby I don't think I share with your sister and Maddy."

Lexi smiled. "I don't think you share anything with my sister," she felt a surge of confidence in having a conversation with Harley, so she raised her eyebrows slightly and Harley returned the gesture complicitly. "What's your favorite?"

"Tough question," Harley thought and paused to look at the titles of the works she had. "I'd say Great Expectations. You can never go wrong with a classic, can you?" she said as she pulled out the book, and immediately pulled out another. "I also like this one. You may not know it."

Lexi smiled broadly as she read the title on the cover. "Are you kidding? Twenty love poems and a Song of despair! I can't believe someone reads Neruda."

"You like poetry, then."

"I like reading it. Sometimes I try writing, too. It's so refreshing reading that kind of love through so beautiful words. As someone who loves poetry, you always find yourself wishing someone could write that way about you, but I guess someone like me is doomed to writing it instead of living it," Lexi ducked her head as she realized her words and the sadness behind them, so she didn't notice the weight in Harley's gaze, whose face was indecipherable. The trance she was in seemed to be broken when the doorbell rang, and Lexi took that moment to get off her stool, pick up her backpack and head for the entrance. "That must be my mom."

Before she could open the door, however, Harley firmly pushed her away from her and placed her hand on her chest, pinning her to the wall. Lexi frowned, but Harley's darkening gaze brooked no debate. "I need you to stay quiet. Can you do that for me?" The blonde's closeness to her body was obvious, and Lexi had to look up to keep her eyes from traveling to other parts of her body. "Good."

So, Harley opened the door a little, just enough to see on the other side who was waiting for her and so that it couldn't be seen that, behind, Lexi was breathing agitatedly, a mix between the tension Harley was causing in her body and the blonde's uncertainty and sudden secrecy. A male voice was intuited on the other side of the door. "You got my shit?"

Harley barely moved from her position as she picked up the brown bag Lexi had seen at first, but said nothing, just as Harley had wanted. "You shouldn't be coming at my house at this time. Daylight is suspicious."

"I needed it. It's only one time, I swear. You know I'd never put you in danger like that."

Lexi was surprised when she realized it was Fezco, the city drug dealer, on the other end. What was he doing at Harley's house? Harley Jordan, who seemed like the perfect student, the perfect daughter... Was she into drugs? Lexi couldn't believe it, it was as if she had suddenly met someone else. "I know. Just give me a call next time."

"I will," Fezco replied, but Lexi didn't see his face. "Thank you. You left this, by the way. Rue tried to keep it but Ash almost rips her hand off when he said it was yours," Fez handed a lighter to Harley, who quickly put it away. "Thanks again. I owe you one more."

Harley said nothing more, but simply closed the door. Her gaze was serious and hard when she met Lexi's brown eyes, which were as confused as they were shocked: one part of her didn't want to grasp reality, and the other kept telling her what she had witnessed. Harley Jordan was into drugs.

"You don't say a word of this to anyone. Anyone includes Cassie."

"Okay," Lexi nodded quickly.

Harley's eyes had become so hard that it struck Lexi as odd that up until ten minutes ago they were talking about poetry. "Good."