Rainbow Central Complete Series

Chapter 3

Jo

JoI parked my bike in one of the designated racks near the Tipsy Hedgehog and followed the jolly music to the place. It had a rustic exterior but the people inside were all around my age. I recognised the song playing and happily bounced my way over to the table in the corner where Ellie was already waiting for me.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late.”

She smiled. “No worries. Soon we’ll know the city on the back of our hand.”

“I hope so.”

She folded her hands under her chin and grinned. “So? How was your first day? Did you make any friends yet? Meet any hot guys?”

I laughed. “You and hot guys. If there were any, I didn’t notice them. But I might’ve made my first friend. Her name is Reggie and she’s really cool. She helped me find my way on campus and she seems friendly, but I guess it’s too soon to tell.”

“As long as you don’t replace me with her,” Ellie teased. She waved at one of the servers and opened her menu. “Hi, can I get a… Dum, dum, dum, what looks good… Oh, I know. Can I get a gin and tonic?”

The server nodded as he scribbled down her order and turned to me. “Certainly. And for you?”

“I’ll have the same,” I replied.

“I’ll bring that to you shortly,” the server replied politely as he returned to the bar.

“I need the loo,” Eie declared, leaving me time to check out the place.

With a lot of wooden beams and old-school decorations, it was a cosy joint. It had lots of intimate tables with candles on top of empty glass bottles and booths that encouraged privacy. Not really a place to get stone-drunk but rather, a place to go with someone you wanted to have conversation with.

There was an old piano in the corner that didn’t look as dusty as expected. Maybe they played live music here now and then. I could imagine how that would give a really nice atmosphere. Maybe Ellie and I should come on an evening like that, soak up the music, get some drinks, have a good time.

The server returned with drinks before my best friend was back and left two big glasses of gin and tonic on coasters. The drink looked really tempting but I wanted to wait until Ellie was back so we could make a toast. After all, this was the beginning of the best time of our life, according to her.

While waiting, I scanned the bar again, this time looking at the people. There were a couple of older looking gentlemen at the bar, a couple of guys and girls in the corner booths, and a surprisingly quiet group of students in the middle. Despite the tight space, everyone was minding their own business but that meant nothing when Ellie was around. She managed to strike up conversation anywhere and everywhere, regardless of the company. A quality that annoyed me as much as I admired it.

It didn’t take long for my best to return, looking just as happy and excited as the moment we got accepted to our colleges. She climbed back on her chair and grinned. “The toilets are decent.”

“Good to know.”

“It is. Now I know to come here if I need to pee instead of the bar across the road. You have to get through the urinals to get to the women’s bathroom there.”

“Eww.”

“I know. Anyway, let’s toast. Cheers.” Ellie lifted her glass, holding it back when I raised mine.

I frowned. “What?”

“Don’t forget to look in my eyes or otherwise, that’s seven years of bad sex.”

I snorted. “Really? We’re still doing that?”

“Yes, I’m not taking any chances. College is the perfect time for bad s*x and I’m not risking it.”

Even though I didn’t believe in such superstition, I made sure to capture Ellie’s gaze. While staring into her dark eyes, I clinked my glass against hers. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but the toast was loaded with the promise of good s*x.

For a very brief moment, the idea of having s*x with Ellie flashed through my mind but I ignored it. It was a logical leap given the topic, not an actual thing I wanted to do.

Ellie smiled as she put the straw in her mouth and puckered her lips. Everything she did, she did with so much elegance. Even something simple as sucking on a straw. No wonder boys flocked to her everywhere we went. If I were a guy, I probably would hit on her as well.

“This is good,” Ellie declared as she let the straw slip from her lips.

I gulped and quickly took a sip from my own drink, almost choking on the bitter taste of the gin. I coughed, trying to free my windpipe.

My best friend reached out, her hand landing on my arm. “Are you okay?”

I focused on her warm touch and nodded, spluttering. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. It just went down the wrong hole. Windpipe. Down the wrong windpipe.”

She chuckled. “I didn’t realise you had multiple windpipes.”

“You know what I mean.” To cover up my mistake, I quickly changed the topic. “So, you’ve already met people in your dorm? You didn’t mention yesterday?”

“I met them earlier today in the communal kitchen. Some second-years were having a pre-drink before they went out.”

“In the middle of the day?”

She shrugged. “It’s college.”

“I can’t imagine drinking that much.”

“Well, you don’t have to. If you ask me, all the binge-drinking you hear about is rather glorified. And exaggerated. Not everyone in college or university can have a small drinking problem, can they?”

I raised my glass, gesturing to it. “I mean… it’s our first week and we’re drinking.”

“Yeah, but like… one or two drinks at the end of the day to celebrate. Not bottles just for the sake of getting buzzed.”

I shrugged. “You don’t have to convince me. You know I’m not into it and you’re the biggest lightweight I know.”

“It’s my Asian genes,” Ellie clarified like she hadn’t been blaming her heritage since our very first beer together.

“You can’t complain though. You’ve got that gorgeous dark hair and almost no pimples. I’d kill for your complexion,” I mused, fiddling with one of my current spots tormenting my cheek.

Ellie laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget almost no leg hair and I always look like it’s just been summer.”

“Alright, alright, no need to brag.”

“And no need to put me on a pedestal. I have plenty of body issues.” The silly tone of the conversation settled into a more serious vibe. “You know, sometimes I wish I wasn’t half and half. It’d be easier if I was just all Chinese or all white.”

“That’s crazy. You’re gorgeous.”

“Yeah, but sometimes I feel like a fraud. If I’m trying out more Chinese things, I don’t feel like I have the right or that it’s cultural appropriation. If I try to blend in with everyone around me, I feel like I’m betraying my heritage. It would be easier if I fit in somewhere.”

“I can’t really imagine what that feels like but I never think about how you’re different from me. I look at you and I just see Ellie, my best friend. Is that okay? Or is it racist that I’m not seeing you as Chinese?”

She shrugged as she sipped from her drink. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t really think about my race that often either. It’s mostly something I wonder about when I want to date someone.”

Someone turned the music up and the table next to us cheered. A couple of girls got up to dance even though this was definitely not that kind of place.

I focused my attention back to Ellie. “Why?”

She shrugged as she traced her fingers along the glass, leaving streaks in the condensation. “Well… Some guys aren’t into Asians. And some are a little bit too much into it because I’m “exotic”. It’s kind of exhausting having to wonder if someone is or isn’t into me just because of what I am, not who I am.”

“I guess…” I reached across to touch her hand this time. “When you meet the right person, it won’t matter. He’ll like you for you. You’re a fantastic girl. Hey, if I was a guy, I’d date you.”

Ellie laughed as she turned her hand so she could hold mine. “Thanks, that makes me feel better. If I were a guy, I’d date you too.”

Something Reggie said earlier echoed through my head and a blush crept up my neck, just thinking about the implications. I quickly pulled my hand back before things got uncomfortable and took a big sip from my gin, eager to change the topic again. “So tell me about the people you met in your dorm. Anyone interesting?”

“It’s too early to tell.” She shot me a knowing look. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to replace you as my best friend.”

“You better not.”

“What about you? You make any new friends yet aside from, what’s her name, Reggie? It’s an interesting name for a girl.”

I shook my head. “I have only met her and I assume it’s short for something. She’s actually really nice. Casual. She’s also a lesbian. How cool is that?”

“Super cool.”

“Speaking off, this is so funny, she actually thought you were my girlfriend.”

Ellie laughed. “Us? A couple?

Why did she think that?”

“I guess cause you called. She said she was no longer friends with her childhood best friend so maybe she just doesn’t get it.”

“Probably not. People are always jealous of how close we are.” Ellie raised her glass again. “To forever friends.”

I made sure to hold her gaze as we toasted once again. “To us.”

With a satisfied smile, I took another sip and let the bitter gin dance on my tongue. Ellie and I had been friends for as long as I remembered having friends and nothing was going to come between us.

But as I took another sip from my drink, thoughts from before pushed to the forefront of my mind, intrusive thoughts that weren’t all that happy with being friends with Ellie. With just being friends.

justI quickly pushed them back just like I always did in an attempt to forget I even thought about such a thing. I was not a lesbian and I was not into my best friend.

notnot