East Kids - Tessa & Elijah

Chapter 24

Tessa

"But you must not hate me and you must promise that we will remain friends forever", now the first tear rolls down your cheeks. Her words shake me too deeply. Why does she think that I could react in this way to what she immediately confides to me? "I would never do that', now tears come to my eyes. The thought that my best friend thinks I would give up our friendship if she told me that now breaks my heart. I cling firmly to her hand. "Nothing in this world could be so bad that I would hate you', I promise her and it is the truth.

She swallows one last time before she starts talking: "All right, I'll tell you what's going on, but I really have no idea how to tell you." She's having a pause, which almost drives me crazy. But then she continues: "I've had this certain feeling for quite a long time." "What kind of feeling?' I hack after, out of fear that nothing will come from her now. "The feeling that I'm not into boys', she starts crying again.

This time I have no idea what to answer. Instead, I wait for her to finally continue her monologue. "But into girls", she sobs.

My first reaction is a huge shock. I really didn't expect that. I had somehow always thought that she liked boys and never doubted it. But her words make me think. Were there perhaps indications from time to time that she might not be quite as hetero as I thought?

"P-Please say something, Tessa", the trembling in her voice almost brings tears to my eyes. The fear that I now notice in her saddens me.

I gently stroke her blonde hair: "Hey, there is nothing bad about it. Were you afraid to say that to me?" She nods to me, still trembling and crying. "But you don't need to. We are best friends', now my voice also trembles with pain. The fact that she was afraid to tell me the truth breaks my heart. "You are therefore no other person after all. She raises her head and looks at me with big eyes: "B-But you always tried to set me up with some guy from our school. It seemed so important to you that I finally had a boyfriend."

"It was never important to me that you were with a boy. I just wanted you to be happy," I pressed her even harder against me and gently stroked her back: "No matter who you were with. I just want you to be happy. Nothing more. "Thank you, Tessa," she wipes away her tears.

"What did you expect? That I turn my back on you?", I look at her a little hurt. "I don't know, but I was really scared. You are important to me and I did not want to lose you. "You will never lose me. I swear."