Tangle of Thorns
Lana was expecting to walk to the drama theatre in quite reflection on Behr’s eyes, but the moment she stepped into the hall, she was apprehended by a tie-dyed girl with a Farrah Fawcett haircut: Lana’s best friend, Sophia.
“Stop drooling, Lana, we’re gonna be late,” she demanded in a sharp whisper, grabbing Lana’s arm and dragging her down the hall.
Lana laughed, allowing herself to be pulled around corners and finally into the theatre, where Sophia chose some middle seats away from the other noisy club-goers, so they could talk.
“What you’re doing is not healthy,” Sophia began, not looking at Lana, but scanning the crowd. “You stay in your hole while boys fawn over you - boys a hundred times more attractive than your Behr, but you won’t even look at them. Why? Because you’re in love with a teacher!”
“I’m not in love with him,” Lana replied dryly.
Sophia leaned forward in her seat and gazed hungrily at a boy passing out papers. He was tall and attractive, and Sophia was not the only girl staring at him.
Sophia held out her hand in his direction. “Michael,” she said. “Every girl in this room wants him: he’s nice, funny, smart, not to mention hot. But you won’t even look at him, because you’re so caught up with Mr. Behr.”
Lana actually laughed at this analogy. “Every girl in this room is staring at him and drooling all over themselves. They won’t even talk to another boy unless they’re in a league with Michael, but they all drool knowing that they can’t have him, because he’s gay! How is liking Behr and different from these girls falling all over themselves for Michael?”
Sophia’s still-staring face fell, and a long pause followed.
“He’s a teacher,” Sophia finally replied, “It’s illegal - you would both get into a lot of trouble.”
Lana looked at Sophia long and hard, thinking about Behr’s sad, tired eyes, and the expression on his face while they stared at each other. “I didn’t choose him,” Lana said softly.
To this, Sophia had no retort.
“Stop drooling, Lana, we’re gonna be late,” she demanded in a sharp whisper, grabbing Lana’s arm and dragging her down the hall.
Lana laughed, allowing herself to be pulled around corners and finally into the theatre, where Sophia chose some middle seats away from the other noisy club-goers, so they could talk.
“What you’re doing is not healthy,” Sophia began, not looking at Lana, but scanning the crowd. “You stay in your hole while boys fawn over you - boys a hundred times more attractive than your Behr, but you won’t even look at them. Why? Because you’re in love with a teacher!”
“I’m not in love with him,” Lana replied dryly.
Sophia leaned forward in her seat and gazed hungrily at a boy passing out papers. He was tall and attractive, and Sophia was not the only girl staring at him.
Sophia held out her hand in his direction. “Michael,” she said. “Every girl in this room wants him: he’s nice, funny, smart, not to mention hot. But you won’t even look at him, because you’re so caught up with Mr. Behr.”
Lana actually laughed at this analogy. “Every girl in this room is staring at him and drooling all over themselves. They won’t even talk to another boy unless they’re in a league with Michael, but they all drool knowing that they can’t have him, because he’s gay! How is liking Behr and different from these girls falling all over themselves for Michael?”
Sophia’s still-staring face fell, and a long pause followed.
“He’s a teacher,” Sophia finally replied, “It’s illegal - you would both get into a lot of trouble.”
Lana looked at Sophia long and hard, thinking about Behr’s sad, tired eyes, and the expression on his face while they stared at each other. “I didn’t choose him,” Lana said softly.
To this, Sophia had no retort.