Matched Up With My Tomboy Childhood Friend

Bath

“You two didn't do ‘anything’ last night, did you?” asks Mom!

“What're you talking about?! Of course, nothing happened!” I made my way to the bathroom to escape the awkwardness.

“You better be telling the truth!”

“I am!” I insist just as I opened the door to the bathroom.

Once I was inside, I never felt so relieved. What was she assuming? Eli and I would never do that! She's a lesbian. But she said she's queer... It'll take time to really define her gender. Also, we just started this relationship yesterday. Maybe not now... but soon. Yeah, soon.

Raising my upper lip. I'm thinking about it again, unconsciously!

So, the ride began. We ride our pickup truck that Dad drives. Mom is at his side with Kyle on her lap, sleeping already. Most of the things we need are at the cargo bed behind us. We brought meat to roast—the food I'm craving for. At the back seat, I'm in between Sophia at my right and Eli at my left. I wanted to sit near the window because I love watching the view but I'm not immature to argue with Sophia. Eli is so stubborn and I gave up to stop making a fuss in front of my parents. It's very silent here at the back. Ugh... I feel awkward. At the same time, sleepy.

“Are you sleepy?” Eli asks after I yawned.

“Yes,” I nod, rubbing my eyes.

“Here,” she suggests, tapping her shoulder. She's telling me to sleep on her shoulder.

I take her offer, closing my eyes as I put my head on her shoulder. It makes me bend my neck a little too much because she's short. There it is again—her scent. It's like I'm in a field of flowers. And her hair too, they smell wonderful. I dunno but I kinda get the feeling that I wanna kiss her but no... I shouldn't even think of that.

It's a shame that I couldn't enjoy the road. But at least I'm enjoying Eli's shoulder. For like an hour, I slept and woke up feeling a little better. Eli is still looking through the window. She tied her hair into a ponytail and wears sunglasses that her bangs almost sit on its frame. I think we're climbing the mountain now. At the left and right are just sugarcane fields as well as hills and cliffs. Simple farmer folks with their carabaos, tilling the fields. Some even ride it on the road. Eli seems to be liking it. I can see it on her face.

“What are you looking at?” she asks me. I'm startled.

“Oh, uh... nothing. I'm just wondering if you like the view.”

“I do like it. It's like the countryside of Japan.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. During spring and summer, there's a lot of greens. It's winter in Japan right now and it blows my mind seeing that it's always summer here.”

Now that she mentioned it, I would like to go to Japan to experience winter for the first time. I also want to find out how sakura trees smell like when they bloom. Maybe someday when I get rich enough, I could go there whenever I want to. But the life of a teacher is so occupied and I'll barely have enough time for that. I know this since my father is a teacher.

Then I notice that Sophia is still looking at her phone, having no care about how wonderful the view is. Why is it so hard for me to talk to her? I want to but I'm afraid that she will hate me even more because I will bother her.

“So,” Eli whispers to me. “have you been to where we are going?”

“Yeah, since we were kids.”

“You don't get sick of the same place?”

“Actually, no. It's so good to chill there. They even have free wifi even though the place is high up in the mountain.” She narrows her eyes at me. “What?” I ask.

“That's so boring.”

“Wait until you see.”

She sighs that slowly turns into a yawn. “Lend me your shoulder for a bit.”

“Go ahead.”

I lean back and she puts her head on my shoulder. Her hair is tickling my neck. The fragrance of her hair becomes more obvious now that my nose is so close. I could use to this, all day. Then... I got a glimpse of my sister, Sophia rolling her eyes when she looks away from me and back looking at the window. She's bothered by this? I know I'm going to be bothered if a couple does this beside me. But that could be true if I was still single.

After an hour or two, we finally arrive at the place. *Shiver* It's very cold out here when we're walking to find a hut around the spring pool. Dad and I carry the heaviest things like the cooler and the grill. This resort is not very fancy but just simple. With dirt pathways, covered by a lot of trees, simple huts with roofs made out of coconut leaves, and a few attractions. This resort is popular and there are many people in the pool right now—not the ideal time for me to swim. I hate swimming in a crowded pool.

The pool is not a perfect rectangle but in a shape that almost looks like a number eight. It's understandable why it is that way because of the terrain and huge trees surround it. Leaves constantly fall from the tree canopies above but are then washed off from the pool because the spring is unendingly spewing out fresh water from below. In my opinion, I like this kind of pool rather than the resorts you can find in the city. The water has chlorine and makes my eyes red, making me look like a drug addict after swimming for a few minutes.

Eli and I walk last when she whispers, “Is this it?” She sounds like she's disappointed.

“No, this is not all. We can go hiking deeper in the mountains or chill at the local coffee shop with freshly ground coffee. They even have a sulfur spring here that I think you might like.”

“A bath?! Let's go!”

“I'll take you there, later. I still have to help in setting up our stuff.”

“Okay.”

Dad went to the pool to watch over Kyle, Mom cooked the meat—which I'm waiting for, and Sophia is looking at her phone, as always. So, I'm the only one left who's unloading the rest of the stuff. It took me a few minutes until I unloaded our stuff from the car in the parking lot all the way to our hut. A few trips back and forth until eveything's settled. Eli is talking to Mom and they get along well. That's to be expected. Mom and Eli both have exceptional conversational skills.

After putting the rice cooker in the hut, I tell Mom, “Mom, I'll show her around.”

“Alright,” she nods. “be careful, both of you.”

“We will, Mom,” says Eli and both of them smile at each other. The f*ck?

“Mom?” I ask in a whisper.

“What's wrong with that?”

I let her be and we went on our way. She already has her handbag with a towel, clothes, and others things she might need. She made me carry it for her. I also carry my own. I brought a towel, putting it on my shoulder. I just carry my pants and underwear with my hands.

As we get near, her face tells me that she has a high expectation for the sulfur spring. I'm expecting her to be disappointed because she can't expect the bath here is like the baths in Japan.

“I gotta warn you,” I tell her. “don't expect too much. You'll-” Wait, why is there a concrete house here? Where's that sulfur spring?

“What?” she asks.

“They renovated the place. It was here when we visited two years ago. Anyways, let's check.”

Upon looking at the sign on the wall beside the entrance of the house, I discovered that this is the new sulfur spring bathhouse.

“This is it!” she exclaims, entering through the door.

There is a woman in charge of the entrance fees. We look at the offers at the wall of her station. They have public baths and even private baths! Since when? This resort is stonks now. It's obvious when we entered. They have signboards of an organization near the entrance.

“We'd like a private one, please,” she says to the lady. The lady gives her a key with a wooden tag with the number 2 on it.

“You can stay how long you want,” I say to Eli as we walk to that private bath. “I'll wait outside.”

“What? You're coming with me.”

“No.”

“Don't you wanna see me n*ked?” she whispers.

“I don't,” I tell her casually. I'm used to her jokes.

She laughs at me, stopping at the door of the bath. “Come on,” she insists. “I'll wear clothes when dipping.”

“You better do.”

As we enter, I feel nervous all of sudden. A thought passes through my mind. We're alone here? Nobody will see what we're going to do here! But.... what?!! Cease your dirty mind, you fool! Don't even think about it!

I hang her bag and my extra clothes on the nails on the wall then turn around to take a look. The room is small and half of it is the bath occupies, enough for a single person to fit when lying down. It's warm here and smells like sulfur—it smells like egg. I don't like it. The water comes out of the pipe from the wall and the bath overflows. The rest of it goes straight into a canal on the floor. Then there is a shower for rinsing not directly below the bathtub.

“Look away,” she says, smiling. “I'm gonna change my clothes.”

“Oh, of course!” I panic, turning around, facing the door.

It took a minute until she says, “Okay, get in.”

I turn around and saw her in a blue lacy bikini. Turning around once again, I question, “I thought you said you're gonna wear clothes!”

“Don't be a shy little sh*t and just get in here!”

“Fine!” I yell back, removing my shirt.

She's already relaxing in the bath. The water overflows and lets out a lot of steam. “Man... that feels good... Oh, and bring the champagne here.”

“What the f*ck?!”

“Let's drink it together.”

“We're not allowed to drink here!”

“Oh, it'll be fine. Just give it to me.”

*Sigh* I guess we won't get scolded if we don't get caught. So, I grab the champagne from her bag. It's newly bought and expensive! “Where did you get this?” I ask.

“It doesn't matter.”

“You're reckless, don't you know that?”

“That's how you have fun. Let's drink together, babe.”

I give her the bottle before getting in the bath with her. Woah... this feels good! It's so warm and relaxing. I'm behind her as she tries to open the bottle. “Want me to open it?” I ask.

“Please do.” She gives it to me and I easily opened it. As soon as I did, she grabs and takes a sip first. “Oh, that tastes so good...”

Slowly, she leans against me. Her head is under my chin, her back is against my chest, and my legs are at her sides. She gives me the bottle and I took a sip. “You're right,” I tell her. “This tastes so good.”

“Right?” She sighs, before taking a sip as I hold the bottle for her. We take turns drinking.

Is it just the temperature of the room that's making my face feel hot? I should be relaxing right now because this hot bath is so relaxing but my heart is beating fast. I can't help be bothered that... I'm- I hate to admit it but I'm hard right now. It's against her back and she's not saying anything about it. Doesn't she notice it? Or is she just pretending not to? I should feel nervous but drinking alcohol makes me confident.

“Say,” she speaks. “do you like me?”

“What kind of ‘like’ are you referring to?”

“Like you want to be your girlfriend ‘like’.”

“You want me to be honest?” I ask before drinking from the bottle.

“Yeah.”