Straight or Not

EPISODE 1 — RYDER IS BACK ZOEY POV Alarm blaring. It's the weekend already, and yet I have no idea what dress I'm going to wear to the club tonight. Just thinking about it is making me sick. My phone rings. Mia calling. "Hello, b***h. What's up?" I answer. "Guess what, girl." "Tell me. You know I'm not good at guessing." "Okay, fine." She pauses dramatically. "I heard Ryder is back, and he'll be at PULSE tonight." I sit up immediately. "Ryder?" "Yes, Ryder." "Okay... I can't wait to see him. It's been so long, you know." Before I could say anything else, my stomach growls loudly. "Argh! I'm hungry." Mia laughs. "I'll call you back." Before she can say anything else, I hang up. My name is Zoey. I'm twenty-three, tall, dark-skinned, and curvy. I'm single and definitely not ready to mingle. Years ago, I was in a relationship with Ryder-the hottest guy in our school. Unfortunately, it ended badly after high school, and I haven't seen him in a long time. Now he's back. I don't know why the thought of seeing him again makes my heart beat a little faster. Maybe I'm nervous. Maybe I'm curious. Or maybe I'm just being stupid. Either way, I shouldn't be thinking about it right now. I need to go shopping. If Ryder is really coming tonight, then I have to look good. Really good. EPISODE 2 — ALMOST A SECRET MIA POV Did she just hang up on me? I'm the one who called her! "Hmm. She's something else." I look around my room and sigh. "Ahhh! f**k! This room is so messy. Where do I even start?" I stand up and begin arranging everything. I'm almost done when my phone rings. Zoey. I answer immediately. "Hey! This habit of hanging up first when you're not even the one who called is so disturbing," I complain. "Oops! My bad." "Anyways, I called to ask if we can go shopping together." "Of course! Come over to my place. By the time you're here, I should be done with everything I'm doing." "Okay. See you soon." "Bye." I hang up. My name is Mia. I'm twenty-five, tall, light-skinned, and curvy. Zoey has been my childhood friend for as long as I can remember. We share almost everything. Almost. She knows a lot about me-probably more than anyone else does-but there's one thing she doesn't know. And it's almost funny how she hasn't figured it out yet. She knows things about me that even my parents don't know. Speaking of my parents... My dad is a wealthy and influential man who works for a huge company founded by my late grandfather. He was my grandfather's only child, so the company eventually became his responsibility. My mom, on the other hand, owns a supermarket. My parents aren't together anymore. It's a long story, but we've all moved on, and honestly, I think it's better this way. A few minutes later, the door swings open. Zoey. "Hope you bought snacks for me because I'm starving and I haven't eaten yet." Before she can answer, I grab the bag she's holding. "Mmmm. This smells nice. I hope it's all for me?" "Yeah! I've already eaten, and I know you're too lazy to cook, so I had to stop and get you something." "Okay." She stares at me. "Okay? No appreciation?" "In your dreams." We both burst out laughing. "You're impossible," she says. "And yet you keep coming back." EPISODE 3 — SHOPPING ZOEY POV I grab my things and head toward the bathroom. When I walk back out, I notice Mia looking away almost too quickly. I raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" "Nothing." "Sure." I know Mia is beautiful, and she knows it too. She's also from a wealthy family, but that's never been the reason we've been friends. We've been friends since childhood. Money has never mattered between us. There's something else about Mia that I've always known. She's gay, but her parents don't know. I've never asked too many questions about it because I respect her privacy. If she wants to tell them someday, that's her choice. "Zoey!" I hear her calling from the other room. "Come out! You've been in there for fifteen minutes!" The door opens. Mia grabs my arm and pulls me out. "Yeah, of course. I was just... playing in the bathtub." She gives me a suspicious look. "You're ridiculous." "Thank you." We both get dressed and head out to go shopping. SHOPPING "Let's shop here," Mia says. "They have some of the best women's clothes in town." I look up at the building. The name is displayed boldly at the top: SHOP TILL YOU DROP. I've seen their advertisements online. The place is always hyped up, so I'm hoping it's actually worth it. We walk inside. A few minutes later, I spot a pair of boots. "Wow! I love these. I don't even know which one to pick." Mia looks at both pairs. "The white ones." "Okay. Thanks." After hours of shopping, I finally find the perfect outfit for tonight-a black mini skirt, a white top, and a black bag. I also pick up a few other things. I try everything on. I look in the mirror and smile. Okay... Tonight might actually be interesting. EPISODE 4 — BEFORE THE NIGHT MIA POV I try to shake the thought from my mind, but I can't. Zoey. She's my best friend. And sometimes, being around her makes things much harder than they should be. I force myself to focus on shopping. I eventually choose a shiny black gown with a touch of red and a pair of red heels for tonight. "Zoey, let's go get our nails done." "Finally!" We head to our nail technician. Zoey loves white nails. I prefer a bold pepper-red. After getting our nails done, we head home. By the time we get back, we're exhausted. I check the time. 3 p.m. We still have about seven hours before the club. I call my mechanic and ask him to service my car. Since I don't want to wait around for it, I decide to drive Zoey's car to the club tonight. Everything is ready. Now all we have to do is wait. EPISODE 5 — PULSE AT THE CLUB MIA POV The club is already popping by the time we arrive. The music is loud, the lights are flashing, and everyone seems to be having the time of their lives. I take a deep breath. This is exactly what I needed. Then I spot her. A girl standing near the bar catches my attention. She's beautiful. I immediately look away. I need to get Zoey out of my head. She's straight. Completely straight. At least, that's what I've always believed. I take a glass of alcohol and walk toward the girl. "Wow. You have a great sense of style," I say. She smiles, clearly flattered. "Thank you." Before I can say anything else, she looks at me curiously. "Are you gay?" "Yeah." For some reason, I suddenly feel awkward. She laughs softly. "What's with that face? Don't tell me you're shy." I smile. "I'm not." I glance around the club, searching for Zoey. She's nowhere in sight. "My name is Teagan," the girl says. "I'm bisexual." "Mia. Nice meeting you." "The pleasure is mine." She studies me for a moment. "Are you looking for someone?" "Oh, yeah. My friend. She was right there a few minutes ago, but now I can't find her." Teagan shrugs. "Come on. She's not a kid. She'll come around. Trust me." I laugh. "Sure. She will." But even as I say it, I can't stop looking around for her. Because somehow, in a room filled with hundreds of people... I only want to find Zoey.