"Hello?

"Oh hi, Matthew!

"Uh-huh...

"Well Matthew, that sounds like a really fun idea and all, but I don't know that I'm ready to make such an important decision yet. It is, after all, my first Junior Homecoming.

"Well, does it have a moonroof?

"Uh-huh...

"Oops! That's my call waiting. Let me get back to you."

-click-

"Hello? Oh, hello Sandi.

"Tonight? Well of course I can make it!

"No, he was just a filler date, you know, in case nothing else came up.

"Yes, I know how important the meeting is, that's why I only made a filler date! What's on the agenda?

"You know, what we're going to talk about.

"Homecoming? We're not doing the whole float thing again, are we? I still can't get some of the exhaust stains out of that outfit.

"Oh no, Sandi, I would never suggest that it was your fault.

"Oops, is that my call waiting? I gotta go, Sandi, but I'll be there tonight. Bye!"

Quinn hung up the phone. There wasn't anyone on call waiting, of course, but sometimes that was the quickest way to get rid of Sandi. Besides, it gave the proper image of overwhelming popularity to suggest that she got a call from someone else every ten minutes (which wasn't actually that far from the truth).

She sighed. The problem with overwhelming popularity was that it was sometimes overwhelming. Sometimes Quinn wished she did have just a single boyfriend, someone who was perfect for her, who she could call and talk to about what she really felt way down deep. She even found herself envying her sister, of all people. Daria had a boyfriend, and not only that, but he was rich, handsome, witty, they had everything in common, and she had the satisfaction of knowing she had stolen him from someone else. Funny how Daria didn't see that one as a plus. Maybe it was because she felt bad about hurting her friend.

And there was another jealous point. Daria had such a good friend in Jane, and the closest Quinn had to that was Sandi. Not that Quinn wanted to hang around with Jane, she was too weird and she had no fashion sense and her house was just creepy, but she was envious of the friendship.

Quinn checked the clock. Ten minutes to six. She had a good hour to kill before the club meeting, which was scheduled at seven, but everyone always showed up fashionably late. Since her outfit for the evening was already decided on (pink long-sleeved tee with exposed midriff, jeans with a flare at the cuffs) there wasn't much to do but kick back and read up on Waif's Homecoming issue. She'd already read it twice, but there might be some subtleties in the fashion spread that she'd missed the first time.

Quinn loved to look over the fashion spreads, and not just because of the outfits. The models always had such expression, in their pose, their faces, their eyes. Quinn wished she could do that. Her attempts at modeling always seemed to end in disaster. But those were the people she wanted to be around and wanted to be like, beautiful women with poise and confidence. The most she could hope for right now was the Fashion Club. Really, they were fairly pathetic sometimes. Well, Stacy was pathetic pretty much all the time. And Tiffany was just clueless. Actually, Sandi was the only one even close to her own level. That was probably why they fought all the time.

Suddenly Quinn felt a rush of regret, and tears welled up in her eyes. Why did she and Sandi have to be on such awful terms? Why did they spend every moment together at each other's throats? The things they got competitive about were so petty, so meaningless. It was as if the arguing itself were more important than the topic. A sudden sob escaped her, and Quinn quickly put her hand over her mouth. It was a good thing Daria wasn't home to hear that.

Stop it, came a voice from inside her. That's the old Quinn, the child, the one who cries over things without even trying to fix them. You're a better Quinn now, you're in control of yourself. David was right when he said you were shallow and superficial. But that's not who you are anymore.

Quinn at up straighter. Tonight, she resolved. Tonight I'll square things with Sandi. After the meeting, she'll be my best friend, or my worst enemy, but I don't want both in the same person anymore.

********

"Take a close look, ladies. Here's where the future is."

Sandi held up a picture removed from the latest issue of Waif, the same one Quinn had been studying. The picture showed one of Quinn's favorite models, decked out in a long red gown with a slit up to the back of the knee.

Stacy thought for a moment, then said "Red?"

Sandi got that scowl on her face. If only she knew how ugly that made her, Quinn thought.

"No, Stacy!" said Sandi, exasperated. "The slit in this dress goes to just below the knee. Last month, the same model was featured in a dress where the slit reached upper-mid calf. The month before, right to the middle of the calf."

"The blue one..." Tiffany said.

Sandi waved her off as unimportant. "The thing to notice is the gradual lengthening of the slit. Each month, the slit in the side of the dress increases in length. The question is, how long will it be next month? This is what we want to reflect in the outfits we wear for Homecoming."

"Wow, Sandi!" Stacy said. "You're so perceptive!"

"I try," Sandi said faux-modestly.

Yeah, right, Quinn thought. You don't even know what Stacy just said. You just assumed it was a compliment.

Stop it!! shouted her inner voice. You're not going to do that anymore! Sandi is your friend, and you're not going to think mean things about her like that!!

"Can I see that?" Quinn asked, holding her hand out for the pictures.

"Of course," Sandi said. "Everyone should get a closer look."

Quinn studied the pictures carefully. "Hmm... It looks like the slit got four inches longer the first time, and three inches the second time. So, this time, we should find outfits that have a slit two inches longer."

Tiffany took a moment to count on her fingers. "Four... three... two... hey, I think you're right... but isn't two shorter than three? I thought we were trying to go longer."

"Don't hurt yourself, Tiffany," Sandi admonished. "But actually, in this case you're right."

"I am?"

"She is?" asked Quinn, wondering if Sandi was disagreeing with her for the sake of doing it, or just being dumb, or actually having a point.

"You see," Sandi said, "If we extended the slit by only two inches, the top would end up right in the middle of the kneecap, which is absolutely the wrong place for it to end up. Therefore, we must extend once again to four inches, thus clearing the knee completely and maintaining the necessity to go longer."

Oh, Sandi, you're so smart, Quinn didn't say. But she heard it in her head, and it shocked her how petty and sarcastic it sounded. Instead, she looked again at the pictures, and then up at Sandi. "You have such a good eye for style, Sandi," she said. "This is what this club is all about."

Sandi looked surprised at Quinn for a moment, seemingly unaccustomed to the tone. It was... sincere. "Um... thanks, Quinn," she said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She smiled just a little.

Wow, thought Quinn. She's so beautiful when she smiles for real.

*********

"All right," Sandi said. "We've covered the slit-length issue, the sequins-or-not debate, the proper degree of accessorizing, and the faux pas of little butterfly hair pins. The final consideration is... Dates."

Silence all around.

"Homecoming is still two weeks away," Sandi continued. "I suggest that we begin making our final decisions such that our dates are given one full week to obtain the outfits we select for them. Think of your date as your largest and most important accessory. If he doesn't match, it can throw off your entire ensemble. Questions?"

Stacy raised her hand.

"Yes, Stacy?"

"Do you think Brian Larson's hair has grown in enough to make him a viable date?"

"It will by Homecoming, unless he shaves it again. Make sure you make that one of you conditions of acceptance. Anything else?"

There wasn't.

"Then I declare this meeting closed. Oh, Quinn? Could you hang around for a moment?"

"Sure, Sandi." What did I do? wondered Quinn.

Sandi busied herself by packing up the visual aids until the the other girls left. Once they did, she looked at Quinn. "Um, Quinn? That was really nice, what you said earlier."

Quinn looked down at her feet. She realized that she was as unaccustomed as Sandi was to sincere compliments. "Well... that's why you're president of the club, I guess. You really do know more about fashion than any of us."

"Um... yeah. Well, I do what I can." It seemed as though Sandi had just flipped a switch, reverting from shy and uncertain to her usual closed-off self. She returned to the visual aids and started sliding them under her bed with countless others.

"Don't do that, Sandi," Quinn said quietly.

"Hm? Don't do what, Quinn?" There was a hint of ice in her tone. She didn't even look up.

"We had a moment there. Don't just shut it off."

"I don't know what you mean. Maybe you should go now. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

Quinn sadly turned to leave, then dragged up the same inner resolve that had been moving her all day. "Sandi, please stop messing with those pictures and talk to me!"

"God, Quinn, don't have a cow!"

Quinn turned around to face Sandi squarely. "This is exactly what the problem is! Sandi, you're like my best friend in the whole world and we can't even give each other a real compliment without it being a major event! I mean, I realized today that all we ever do is fight and argue even though we pretend everything is all right all the time and I just want to be real friends, Sandi! I want to be able to talk to you about really important stuff and not just how long me dress should be and what color earrings go with your hair! And school's not going to go on forever, and we'll both be moving on and I don't want to end up going to the ten-year reunion and picking up with the same petty argument we left off on, because I really like you and I want to be friends with you, you bitch!"

Oops, Quinn thought. That last part probably wasn't a good idea.

Sandi turned away. It was a long moment before Quinn knew what was going on, until she heard a sharp little intake of breath from Sandi, and her shoulders quivered. Sandi was crying.

"S-Sandi?" said Quinn. She felt like crying too. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out, I didn't mean it..."

"But it's true," Sandi replied, her voice distorted by sobs. "I am a bitch. I don't know what you could possibly see in me."

Quinn stepped tentatively forward, and put a hand on Sandi's shoulder. "Well, I'm a bitch too," she said. "You know what they say about birds of a feather."

Sandi didn't move.

"Sandi?" Quinn asked.

Suddenly Sandi turned around and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Quinn!" she wailed. "You are my best friend, and I don't want it to be this way either!"

"Oh, Sandi!" Quinn sobbed, and they cried together in earnest. It was quite a while before they were each able to stop.

Sandi broke the hug gently, leaving one arm around Quinn at they sat on the edge of her bed. "Thank God for waterproof mascara," she joked.

"So, what happens now?" Quinn asked, dabbing at her eyes.

"I guess we start trying to break some habits," Sandi said. "We need to start being really nice to each other for a change."

"Who goes first?"

"I will. Here goes... Quinn, you have... really pretty hair."

Well, duh, thought Quinn. But I suppose we have to start somewhere. "Thanks, Sandi. You have nice eyes."

Sandi blushed and smiled, the way she had before. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"And when you smile like that, you look absolutely beautiful," Quinn added.

"It's supposed to be my turn," Sandi chided.

"Hey, who says we have to take turns? We can say nice things about each other whenever we want!" She giggled, still on an emotional high from her cleansing crying session.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Sandi asked, looking into Quinn's eyes.

"Of course I do, Sandi!" Quinn said. "I thought you knew that!"

"No," Sandi said. "I mean, we know better than anyone that properly applied makeup, hair done up just right, clothes in style, all that can make anyone look good. But I never knew how I looked underneath it all."

"I'll make a deal with you," Quinn said. "We'll both go take off our makeup, let our hair go, and dress in frumpy sweatshirts. Let's get a look at the real us."

"I don't know..." Sandi said.

"Friends have to trust each other, Sandi," Quinn said. "Come on. We've seen each other in the morning, how bad could it be?"

"Everyone looks bad in the morning," Sandi said. "This is, I don't know, different somehow."

Quinn got up, went over to the closet, and pulled two large hair-dye stained sweatshirts out of the back. "You stay here," she said. "I'll go use the other bathroom." She left Sandi to herself.

*********

Quinn took her time. She started by removing every last trace of makeup, rubbing carefully with facial cleanser, hard enough to remove it all but not to leave any redness behind. The freckles emerged from behind the foundation. Her eyes lost some of their illusory depth. The only blush left to her cheeks was her own.

Then she attacked her hair. It was a bit messy, but soon her thick layers of hairspray, mousse, and gel were down the drain. She toweled her hair dry as best she could, then brushed it smooth. The natural bounce remained, as did the highlights. the bangs were brushed straight back now instead of curled just so, however.

After a few minute with nail polish remover, Quinn faced herself in the mirror with nothing to hide. She smiled a bit. It had been a while since she had really looked at herself without all the artifice, and she was happy to see that she still liked what she saw. It was amazing how much younger she looked. Quinn had long ago discovered that when she wanted to, she could easily look twenty-one. She hadn't realized that she could still look sixteen.

Sandi had to be done by now. As a final gesture to the abandonment of all unnatural aids, she slipped her bra off and stuck it in her pocket. With the sweatshirt on, she couldn't tell it wasn't there, but it was all the spirit of the thing.

She went back to Sandi's room.

*********

The lights were out.

"Sandi?" Quinn asked.

"I'm here," Sandi said, and Quinn saw the silhouette in the door to the bathroom off Sandi's room.

"Are you done?"

"Mm-hm. Are you?"

"Yes."

"Turn the light on, then."

Quinn flipped the switch, and there they were.

Sandi had done the job as thoroughly as Quinn. Her hair lay stick-straight and flat, her lips seemed to have lost that remarkable fullness, and her eyes... well, more had changed about them than the lack of makeup. Quinn came closer, and then it hit her.

"Sandi, you have green eyes!"

"I wear colored contacts," Sandi said, looking down. "Green just seemed to clash with everything, so I went to brown two years ago. It was before you moved here."

"No, Sandi, they're beautiful!"

Sandi blushed, and looked back up at Quinn. "Freckles?" she giggled.

"Yeah."

"They're cute. I like it."

Quinn noticed something else. "What's that on your cheek? Is that a natural beauty mark?"

"It's, um, a mole," Sandi said, covering it with a fingertip. "It's only a beauty mark if the rest of you is flawless."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sandi," Quinn said. She took Sandi's hand and gently lifted it away from her cheek.

Sandi looked into Quinn's eyes for a moment. Their faces were only inches apart. The moment became a little longer, and then, Sandi did something that took Quinn completely by surprise.

She kissed her.

Not a short, friendly peck – this was a real, genuine Kiss, with no mistake about the feeling behind it. This was the sort of kiss that Quinn imagined sharing with a special guy someday, the kind that makes your heart race in that moment, the kind that makes you feel like your whole body tingles with tiny sparks.

Except it was coming from Sandi. Her best friend. Another girl.

With that thought, Quinn stepped back. "I-I-I... I gotta go," she stammered.

Sandi looked as scared as Quinn felt. "Quinn, wait!" she said.

"No, I gotta go!" Quinn turned and ran from the room, ran down the stairs.

At the front door, she heard Sandi yell, "Quinn!!" one more time, and then she was gone, out the door and running back to her own house.

*********

Quinn was a fairly good shape, but she was no sprinter. By the end of the block, she was already out of breath. It didn't help that she had started out that way, either.

She looked back behind her. Sandi wasn't following.

My God, she thought, what the hell just happened?

It was one thing to want to bond a little closer to a friend. It was another thing entirely to get a passionate kiss from her.

Quinn started walking slowly, trying to breathe, trying to get her thoughts around what Sandi had done.

And what she herself had done.

Quinn realized that she had, after an instant's hesitation, actually kissed back. She had even pulled Sandi a little closer. Only then had come the shock of reality, the pushing away. Was it possible she had actually liked it?

Well, sure, she thought. I mean, it was my first kiss. You're supposed to enjoy it.

But with her best friend? Another girl?

This probably happens all the time, she thought. Back at summer camp, some of the girls would joke about practicing on each other. Some of them probably went through with it. There's nothing wrong with that. It's the nineties, or it was a few months ago... what would you call this decade, anyway? The zeros? The turn of the millennium? Except that doesn't actually happen until next year, Daria said. I should look that up, she was probably pulling a fast one on me.

"Whoa!" she said aloud. "What the hell am I thinking about? I kissed Sandi, and I'm worried about the Y2K problem? Get a grip, Morgendorffer!"

Oops. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to say that aloud.

Quinn glanced around in the bushes on either side of the sidewalk. No sign of anyone. Her little confession must have gone unheard. God help her if Upchuck had been listening in, though Quinn didn't see how she could be that unlucky. Besides, Upchuck usually sat in trees on the same side of the street as the full moon, to better light his subjects. In any event, this was a fairly poor evening for eavesdropping, the wind was a little noisy, and weren't those rain clouds moving in? Good thing, too, they could use the rain, it had been dry lately.

"Ugh!" she shouted. She was doing it again! Why was she avoiding even thinking about what had just happened?

Because you enjoyed it, said her inner voice. And you don't want to admit it.

"Shut up!" she whispered harshly. "I listened to you once, and look where it got me!"

Now Quinn was talking back to voices in her head. She was starting to act like Daria.

********

The next day, at school, Quinn frantically loaded books into her locker after history class. Thank God DeMartino hadn't called on her today, she probably couldn't have given her name correctly.

"Hey, Quinn."

"Eep!" Quinn dropped half her books. She turned around quickly enough to almost lose her balance in the process. "Oh, hi Stacy!" she said, a little too loudly.

Stacy jumped back half a step. "Whoa, Quinn, what's wrong? I was just wondering why we didn't see you outside the school today for coordination check."

"Oh, that? Well, I was late for class, so I just ran in and got started. You know how it is."

"Sandi seemed kind of worried about you."

"You don't say? Well, tell her I'm just fine, everything's fine. I just walked a little more slowly to school this morning, had to stop and kiss the roses – smell the roses I mean!"

Stacy looked nervous. "Um, Quinn, you're acting awfully weird."

"What do you mean, Stacy? This is how I always act. I haven't done anything out of character lately." Quinn noticed that Sandi and Tiffany were approaching over Stacy's shoulder. "Well, gotta run, don't want to be late for class again! See you later, Sandi!"

"But... I'm Stacy!" Stacy called as Quinn took off. "And, we have lunch this hour?"

"What's with her?" Tiffany drawled as she and Sandi arrived at the scene of Quinn's departure.

"I don't know," Stacy said. "She's acting really weird. Does this have something to do with the meeting last night, Sandi?"

Sandi said nothing. She looked sadly after Quinn, and walked off in the opposite direction.

"Sandi?" called Stacy. "Was it something I did?"

*********

Quinn ran into Daria and Jane a little further down the hall.

"Daria!" she shouted.

"Check it out, Jane," Daria said. "She looks just like Quinn, only she talks to me in public."

"Daria! I need to use your key!"

"Huh? Did you lock yourself out of the house?"

"Not that key!" Quinn said. "The other key! The copy you made of the key to the roof!"

"Not so damn loud!" Jane whispered angrily.

"Fifty bucks," Daria said, producing the key.

"Here!" said Quinn, shoving her entire purse into Daria's hands. She then grabbed the key and took off.

Daria and Jane just stared after her. "What the hell was that?" Jane asked.

"She didn't even bargain," Daria replied. "Weird. Come on, let's go ransack her purse before class."

*********

Quinn sat on the roof, desperately hoping that Kevin and Brittany would choose a different make-out spot for the day. Company was not what she needed.

"Not you again! Can't you just leave me alone!"

"No. I can't."

Quinn looked up. Sandi was standing there in front of her.

"How did you get up here?" Quinn asked.

"I ran into your weird cousin and her friend. They had your purse. I asked where you went and they gave me the other key. For twenty dollars. Oh, and here's your purse back." Sandi put down the purse and sat some distance away.

There was a very, very awkward silence.

"We need to talk," Sandi said.

"Gee, what about?" Quinn said sarcastically. "Um... sorry."

Sandi shrugged. "I actually expected worse."

There was some more silence.

Quinn decided to break it. "Why did you do it?"

Sandi looked her straight in the eye. "Honestly?"

"I think we can't afford anything else right now."

Sandi took a deep breath. "Because I've always wanted to."

"What?' exclaimed Quinn.

Sandi shrugged. "It's, you know, the way I am," she said. "Statistics say it's one teenager in twenty. I'm the one. I, um, like girls."

Quinn gaped. "How long have you felt like this?" she asked.

"I always have," Sandi said. "It's not like you wake up one morning and start being gay. It's just the way I've always been, for as long as I can remember."

Quinn turned that over in her mind. "And you thought I might be too?"

"No!" Sandi said, a little too loudly. "I mean, I can't deny that maybe I hoped a little, but I never meant to... rush into things like that. It's just, there you were, and there I was, and... I had never been so close to you... and I looked into your eyes... and I couldn't help myself..."

Quinn watched the tears fall down her friend's face.

"You're so beautiful, Quinn," Sandi said. "I fell for you the first day I ever saw you. I wanted you in the club so I could be close to you in some way, but then I couldn't handle it, having you there all the time but never being able to... you know. So I pushed you away. I acted like a terrible bitch to you. I guess I hoped that I could make you quit or something. Then, last night, you got all upset with me –"

"Oh, Sandi," Quinn said, her own tears falling now.

"No, I deserved every word of it. And you made me realize how unfair I was being to you. So I decided to give friendship a try. But then, right when everything would have been perfect... I ruined it. I destroyed everything. I made you run away after all."

Quinn got up and walked over to Sandi, and sat down. "I'm sorry I did that, Sandi," she said. "It was just a real shock, that's all. I didn't know how to deal with it."

Sandi kept crying.

Quinn hesitated, then put an arm around her shoulders.

Sandi ducked away. "Please don't, Quinn," she said. "I don't think I can handle it right now."

A sudden urge took hold of Quinn, one that she needed to act on before losing her nerve. "Maybe this will help," she said. She turned Sandi toward her and kissed her full on the lips.

Sandi was surprised enough to try and pull away at first, but Quinn would have none of it. She put both arms around Sandi and pulled her close, kissing her gently but firmly enough to show that she meant it. It wasn't long before Sandi responded in kind. They stayed in their embrace for what seemed like hours, and finally broke apart.

"Oh, Quinn," Sandi whispered. "I... I never thought..."

"Shush," said Quinn. She pulled Sandi to her again, and this time, Sandi gave as good as she got, and then some. Their lips parted and Sandi tentatively flicked her tongue across Quinn's. Quinn broke the kiss just long enough to take a sharp breath and then plunged ahead, thrusting her tongue deep into Sandi's panting mouth, feeling Sandi return in kind. She also felt Sandi's fingers clench in her hair, pulling her in closer and closer, in a passionate frenzy that Quinn had never even imagined.

The bell rang.

Sandi and Quinn broke apart, startled. They had been up on the roof for almost an hour. Both of them were panting hard, sweat glistened on their faces, and their lipstick was pretty much shot.

"Wow," whispered Quinn.

Sandi nodded.

"We need to get down from here," Quinn said. "We need to get into a bathroom, fix ourselves up, and pretend for the rest of the day that this never happened."

Sandi nodded again.

"And, we need to get together tonight, and talk about what we're going to do about this."

Sandi just nodded a third time. Then her eyes focused on Quinn's lips.

"Talk is cheap," Quinn said, as they fell into each other's arms again.

*********

Quinn waited at home that evening, watching that stupid show that her sister seemed to like so much. Mom was at work, of course, and Dad was out wining and dining a potential new client. Daria was out with that friend of hers watching that godawful band play. No one was likely to be in until after ten o'clock.

No one but Sandi.

Somehow, they had managed to get off the roof and into separate bathrooms without being spotted. They couldn't go to the same one, of course, of the whole thing might have started all over again. Then the day had gone on, fortunately without incident, until Sandi had slipped her a note just before the last class. It said, "Where should we meet?"

Quinn wrote back "My place at six o'clock" and stuck it in Sandi's locker.

Then she had gone home. And went straight up to her room and had a good hard look in the mirror. "Is this what you want?" she had asked. "Is this really what you want? Because if you don't, you have to stop now. This isn't just some guy you're toying with, this is your best friend who took a chance on trusting you."

The mirror didn't have the answer.

Quinn had gone to her closet then, searching through it to find the best outfit to wear for the evening. It was a hard one. Waif had never done an issue on "A night with your lesbian friend."

Lesbian.

Quinn hadn't even thought the word until that moment. She went back to the mirror, looked herself straight in the eye, and asked, "Are you a lesbian?"

No answer, but Quinn was satisfied. She had been able to ask the question. And sure, she liked guys. She was probably bi. Or maybe Sandi was a special case. They would work on some answers together.

Quinn had then returned to the closet with renewed vigor to select her outfit. In the end, she settled on a low-cut blue velvet top, a white skirt that was layered with sheer fabric, and blue heels to match the top. She decided that since she and Sandi had already done the "no makeup" test, she would go ahead and do her face. She chose a shade of lipstick that was a shade darker than usual, but otherwise stuck with what worked.

Standing before the mirror, her outfit hanging beside her, it suddenly occurred to Quinn that on this occasion, her lingerie might matter a little more than usual. Then it occurred to her that this was no ordinary evening, that she and Sandi could conceivably go all the way tonight. The thought made her shudder with excitement. She thought back to only a few hours before, on the roof, when she had taken the leap and let her inhibitions go. Who was to say how far things might have gone if the bell hadn't rung? Who was to say how far they might go tonight?

With that, Quinn's mind was made up. She wouldn't wear any lingerie at all, tops or bottoms. That way, even if she and Sandi spent the entire time talking, it would still be exciting to know that she had one layer less between them.

She was ready ahead of time. She was so anxious, she could hardly stand it. This was so unlike any date she'd ever been on. Too worked up to wait quietly, she nonetheless forced herself to sit on the couch and watch TV.

At two minutes before six, the doorbell rang. Quinn smiled – even Sandi wasn't going to be fashionably late for this. She got up and ran to open the door.

Sandi was there. She wore a hot, tightly-fitting green dress that set off her eyes. Her eyes, Quinn thought. She took out her contacts.

Sandi had also done her makeup, but it looked different than it usually did. Her lips were emphasized a little less, her cheeks had just a little more blush, and she had not only left her beauty mark visible but even accented it a bit. It was a Sandi that Quinn had never seen before.

"Hi, Quinn," she said, smiling. "This is for you." She held out a single deep red rose.

"It's beautiful, Sandi!" Quinn said, overjoyed somehow at such a simple gift. "Come on in, I want to put this in a vase right away. Can I get you something?"

"Just hurry back out," Sandi replied, sitting on the sofa. Quinn noticed that she had brought a bag or something, but couldn't tell what it was. More surprises, she thought. How many can I take?

Quinn collected herself in the kitchen while she cut and watered the rose. Sandi looked so hot! Quinn couldn't believe that she'd never had these urges before. She wondered how Sandi had held it in for so long.

"Quinn? Are you coming?"

"I'll be right there!" she called back. Quinn took a deep breath, then headed back into the living room.

-POP!-

Quinn just about jumped through the ceiling. Sandi smirked at her, and revealed a bottle of bubbly freshly uncorked. "I thought we should have something special tonight," she said.

"Where did you get that?" Quinn asked.

"Borrowed it from the wine cellar," Sandi said. "My folks have more of this stuff than they'll ever drink, they won't miss it." She poured into two slim flutes that she must have brought with her.

Quinn sat down close to Sandi, and took a glass. "What shall we drink to?" she asked playfully.

"To friends," Sandi said. "And so much more." She clinked her glass with Quinn's, then they linked arms and drank it down.

Quinn coughed just a bit. "Wow! That's so fantastic! I've never had anything like that before!"

Sandi smiled and said, "More?"

"Please," said Quinn. This was going to be a night to remember.

********

One empty bottle later, Quinn and Sandi were laughing together like they never had before.

"You had a minister fighting over you?"

"Uh-huh, and he kept going on about 'Love thy neighbor, Love thy children...' he was so pathetic! And then that groomsman, whoever he was, came up and got in his face, and before I knw it they were pounding at each other like... like... I don't know, what do a minister and a boy in a tuxedo look like when they're fighting?"

"Penguins in heat?" Sandi offered.

That set off another round of uncontrollable giggling. "Oh... oh God, I think I need another nip of the bubbly..." Quinn said.

"This is it." Sandi held up her half-empty glass.

"Maybe I could share?"

"Hmm... I don't know..."

"Oh, come on, Sandi!"

"Well... okay. but you have to let me hold the glass. Come in close, and close your eyes."

Quinn did so without hesitation.

"Here it comes," said Sandi.

Instead of a cold glass, however, Quinn felt warm, wet lips. They tasted of champagne, but also of something far sweeter.

"Mmmm... delicious," Quinn whispered when the kiss stopped. "Why haven't we been doing that all night?"

Sandi's giggling stopped for moment. "Well, I just... remember when you said you wanted to be my friend? I want that too. I wanted to make sure we could still be that way, even after, you know, everything else."

"So, now we know we can."

"Mm-hm. So let's see what else we can be... lover."

The word excited Quinn. She took Sandi in her arms and kissed her deeply, tickling her tongue against Sandi's. At once, she felt something cold and wet on her chest. "Eep!" she exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Quinn pouted. "That was the last of the champagne! And I got it all over your shirt!"

"I'll just have to get rid of it," said Sandi playfully. She stood up and walked slowly, deliberately around to the front of the couch.

"Want to see what you've been missing, Quinn?" she asked.

Quinn nodded, and with an effort, got up from the sofa. She took Sandi into her arms and kissed her deeply, her knees almost giving way as she felt the delicious sensation.

Sandi broke the kiss after a moment. "Upstairs, lover," she whispered.

They Quickly gathered up their discarded clothes, the glasses, and the empty bottle, and fled to Quinn's room.

********

The soft, gray light of dawn awoke Quinn the next morning. She felt Sandi's arm across her, and smiled. Then she began to realize the position they were in, and what would happen if they were caught. "Sandi?" she whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Sandi, wake up, we can't get caught like this!"

Sandi's eyelids fluttered open, and suddenly she was wide awake. "What time is it?" she asked

"It's five thirty AM! What are we going to do?"

"It's okay," Sandi said. "I arranged to be able to sleep over."

"But Sandi, what if someone saw us!"

Sandi raised herself on her elbow. "There's still a champagne glass in front of the door," she said, sighing with relief. "Anyone who came in would have knocked it aside."

Quinn let out a long breath. "Still, we can't stay here like this."

"Bored with me already?" Sandi teased, blowing gently in Quinn's ear.

Quinn shivered with a moment's delight. "Oh, Sandi, I could never be bored with you," she said in the patronizing tone they both knew so well.

They both giggled, and then quickly stifled the sound. The wall between Quinn's and Daria's room was awfully thin. "You stay in bed," Quinn whispered. "I'll go to the floor."

"It's your bed," Sandi said.

"But, what about your condition?"

"Oh, that," Sandi smiled. "I made that up."

"What?"

"Well, one time Stacy and I slept over at Tiffany's, and I woke up in the middle of the night with my arms around Stacy. She didn't wake up, thank goodness, but from the sound of it I inspired some interesting dreams. I didn't want to take that chance again."

"Should I be jealous of Stacy, now?" Quinn asked lightly.

"Oh no, you're way cuter than Stacy." That inspired another potentially disastrous giggling fit.

"Come on," Sandi said. "Let's just borrow some of your pajamas, and we'll both stay in the bed. It's not that weird, after all. And that way, we'll be able to cuddle each other some more."

"I'd like that, Sandi."

They were soon back in bed, not quite as intimate as before, but it was better than being separated.

"Sandi?"

"Yes, Quinn?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

********

Emotional turmoil. That pretty much summed it up for Quinn.

Sandi had dropped her off an hour ago, after having spent the bulk of the day shopping with Quinn. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Quinn had enjoyed the company more than the shopping. She hadn't even bought much, just two or three bags worth. Well, objectively that might be seen as a lot, but compared to what she usually brought home it was nothing.

It had been as relaxing and, at the same time, stimulating a shopping trip as she had ever been on. It was astounding the difference it made to be totally honest with someone about what looked good and what didn't, and to get that kind of advice in return. Not to mention kissing Sandi in the dressing rooms.

Quinn sighed in a way that could best be described as lovestruck. If someone had told her even a week ago what was in store for her, she probably would have screamed and run away. Who could have imagined that Sandi was in love with her? Who could have further imagined that Quinn would discover she felt the same way?

It had only been last night that they had bared one another's souls completely, embracing in ways that Quinn had never imagined. In the heat of the moment, she had known her budding feelings for Sandi were real. In the afterglow, she had felt Sandi's love and returned it wholeheartedly. And now, having spent the day together as the friends they had never been before, she knew it was still true.

The problem was everyone else in the world.

They had been honest and forthcoming with each other about everything except one detail: what to tell people about their new relationship. The subject had pointedly not come up. Quinn knew that they couldn't keep it a secret forever, though they did have the advantage that no one would think it was strange to see them together all the time. Quinn wasn't sure how people would react, especially the rest of the fashion club. Could Stacy and Tiffany handle it, knowing that Quinn and Sandi were lovers? Quinn figured that Stacy would probably scream and faint, and Tiffany would need to have it explained to her at least three times using small words. Then she might also scream and faint.

Things were suddenly very complicated.

*********

"Quinn Morgendorffer! Stop right there!"

Quinn had gotten halfway up the stairs before Helen stopped her. "Oh, hi Mom! Don't worry, I didn't spend too much money at the mall. Wait until you see the cute little sandals I got, though. I'll be right back!"

"Not so fast, young lady! You have some explaining to do."

"Um, Mom? Can this wait?"

Helen set her feet and put on her absolutely-no-nonsense-will-be-tolerated expression. "I want to know exactly what went on here with you and Sandi last night!"

Quinn paled. She grabbed the railing for support. "L-look, Mom, I can explain..."

"Explain? What if I had to explain this to her mother? Do you know how embarrassing it could be for me?"

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you??" Quinn ran down the stairs. "You can't do this to me! I mean, Sandi trusted me and everything!"

"Oh, so this was her idea? That figures, I suppose, she does seem the type."

"Well... I suppose it was more of a mutual thing, but yeah, it was Sandi's idea first. I mean, I didn't know how to react at first, but... she was just so, well, convincing." Quinn had the impulse to assert herself a little. "Besides, I'll bet you did a little experimenting of your own when you were my age."

"That's beside the point, Quinn!" Helen had lost some of her resolve, but you had to know her to see it. Quinn knew her very well.

"Come oooon, Mom. You can't tell me you didn't try something similar with your girl friends when you were growing up. What's the big deal, anyway? I mean, it's not like you have a problem with Daria and Tom."

"What? Daria and Tom are doing this too?"

"Well, I haven't actually caught them at it, but I mean, come on, they're teenagers, they like to have fun too... then again, this is Daria we're talking about."

"Let's not change the subject, Quinn," Helen said, slipping back into Mom mode - or lawyer mode, it was hard to tell with Helen. "I'm willing to let this slide just this once. But I don't want this sort of thing going on again. Not until you're an adult. Is that clear?"

Quinn deflated. "All right, I guess..."

"Fine. Oh, and by the way, I have to say I'm impressed with your choice."

"MO-OOM!! That's just weird!"

"I mean, the first time I tried it, I didn't select nearly so fine a vintage."

"Huh?"

Helen held a champagne cork out to Quinn. "But, I was a little more careful about cleaning up the evidence. Seriously Quinn, underage drinking is no laughing matter. Can I count on you to be more responsible in the future?"

Quinn stared at the cork, then at her Mom, and finally got what this was all about. "Um, sure, Mom. I'll make sure Sandi knows that we shouldn't drink anymore."

"All right. I think I can trust you, Quinn. But, I still think you need to stay in for the rest of the night. You can call Joey or Jeffy or Jamie and cancel."

"It's Jeremy, Mom."

"Well, whomever it is will just have to see you some other time. You should be grateful I'm letting you off with just one night of grounding."

"Oh, believe me, Mom, I know it could have been much worse." Quinn grabbed her bags and ran back up to her room. Once behind the closed door, she let out a long, cleansing breath.

*********

After about an hour, Quinn was sure that there was no evidence to be found anywhere in her room of the previous night's goings-on. Her bed was made, her clothes were off the floor, and the champagne bottle was carefully packed away in a box in the bottom of her dresser. She wanted to save that as a keepsake.

The phone rang.

"That's for me!" she said to no one in particular. She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Oh, Jeremy, hi!"

"That's what I said."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. Mom grounded me for the night. Could we take a rain check on that?" Quinn paused to think. Did she really even want to go out with any guys any more? This was a complication she hadn't thought of.

"Look, Jason, I have to go, I can't talk now."

"That's what I said. I really have to go, the, er, kitchen's on fire." She hung up.

Oh, great, she thought. The boys are just going to keep calling. What do I do? I can't stop dating, or people will know something weird is going on, but what about Sandi?

Quinn threw herself down on her bed. She would just have to think about this.

*********

The next day at school, Quinn got out of History class and went straight for Sandi's locker. She had missed coordination check again that morning, this time because she genuinely was late for class, and didn't want Sandi to get the wrong idea.

She turned the corner and there was Sandi with the rest of the club. Quinn took a moment to drink in the sight of her friend. Ever since their night together, Sandi had changed her look in subtle ways, showing the beauty mark on her left cheek and wearing outfits to match the true green color of her eyes. She was smiling more, too. Especially when she turned and saw Quinn coming.

"Quinn! Over here!" Stacy waved to her. Quinn hurried over. "We were just talking about scheduling an emergency fashion meeting tonight, since Sandi's gone back to her original eye color. Doesn't it look so much better on her?"

"She looks beautiful," Quinn said, trying to keep the lust out of her voice. She succeeded just enough for no one to get it except Sandi, who sneaked a wink at her.

"Really pretty..." said Tiffany.

"So, when's the meeting?" asked Quinn.

"I thought we could get together at my place, around seven-thirty. Oh, and Quinn, could you show up just a little early?"

"Sure, Sandi!" Quinn realized she might have sounded a little too enthusiastic. "I mean, of course I will."

"Then it's arranged. We'll meet tonight."

*********

"What's with your sister lately, anyway?"

Jane and Daria perched in their usual location on the school roof, just under the heating vent.

"You mean, aside from her usual shenanigans?" Daria didn't care for the direction the conversation was taking. Quinn was hardly her favorite topic.

"Well, it all started with the roof key thing. I mean, she was in an absolute panic, which made sense when I saw that Sandi was after her. But then today, she and Sandi were laughing together in the halls, and Sandi actually said hi to me and asked how I was doing before returning my key. Then Quinn thanked me for loaning it to her."

"That is weird," Daria said. "You know what else? I found a champagne cork sitting on the sofa the night before last. Sandi and Quinn must have had some slumber party. I made sure I put it where Mom would see it."

"That was mean."

"Thank you. But I figured I owed her one. I don't know for what, I just felt like I was a little behind."

"What vintage?" Jane asked.

"You'd never believe it. Dom Perignon '53"

Jane whistled. "Boy, these fashion girls don't do anything halfway, do they?"

Before she could answer, Daria was startled by the access door opening. "Oh, great," she said. "I thought Kevin and Brittany were going to the janitor's closet lately."

"Look again," Jane pointed.

Sandi and Quinn emerged from the roof door and glanced around, failing to notice Daria and Jane behind the heating vent.

"What the hell are they doing up here?" Daria whispered.

"This is our spot," Jane said angrily. "Can't the popular kids be satisfied with the rest of the school?"

Daria's reply was cut off by her mouth dropping open in shock as Quinn and Sandi threw themselves into a passionate kiss.

"That's... that's really going to mess up their makeup," Jane said.

Daria was speechless.

"You were right. That must have been some slumber party."

Daria found her voice. "That's not funny, Jane."

"Hey, just because you're the only one on the roof who's never been picked up on by a girl before...."

"How would you like to be picked up by me and dropped off the side of the roof?"

"Sshh! They're coming over here!"

Daria grabbed her pack and slid around the heating vent, keeping it between her and her sister. "This is bad," she said to Jane.

"How so?"

"Either we pop out and become irrevocably involved, or we stay here and witness what happens next."

"Ew. This is bad."

"So, what do we do?"

"I say we show ourselves."

"Hm..."

"Or, we could pretend they caught us in the same act."

Daria stood up quickly. "Hi, sis," she said.

*********

A mile and a half away, Mrs. Rosenthal looked up from feeding her cat and wondered what the scream was about.

*********

"Fifty dollars!"

"Quinn..."

"A hundred dollars!!"

"Quinn, listen..."

"All right, you can have my Social Security!"

"Shut up, Quinn!" Daria fairly shouted. "I don't want your damn money!"

"I'll take it," Jane smirked.

"Jane, you're not helping. Look, Quinn, I'm not going to blackmail you. What you do with Sandi is your own business."

"Thanks, Daria," Sandi mumbled. It was hard to tell how she felt. Her face was completely blank.

"You're really not going to tell anyone?" Quinn asked hopefully.

"No one would believe us anyway," Jane pointed out.

Daria sighed. "Quinn, I've never really cared about who you were dating. I'm not going to start now. All I ask is that if you find you need advice at some point, for God's sake, go to someone besides me. I. Don't. Want. To. Know."

"I'm kind of curious, though," Jane said.

"Jane!"

"All right, all right, you don't have to yell. Jesus, Daria, why are you taking this so seriously?"

"Can I say something?" Sandi asked.

"Since when do you ask for permission?" Jane returned.

Sandi turned to Quinn. "Let me talk to your sister and her friend alone for just a moment. I think I can straighten this out."

Quinn started to say something, but saw the look in Sandi's eyes. With a last, worried look at Daria, Quinn walked back over to the access door and sat down.

"Look, Daria, Jane," she said. "Quinn's feeling really unsure right now. I don't want her to give up on this because she's afraid of rumors."

"I wasn't going to start any," Daria said.

"I only like spreading false rumors," Jane said. "True ones aren't any fun at all."

"The thing is, I do want to, er, come out at some point. But not until Quinn's ready. We haven't even had the chance to talk about it yet. Like I said, she's really scared."

"Fair enough," Daria said. "Tell me, though, what's with your change in attitude? I mean, you're suddenly not acting like a, er..."

"Cast-iron bitch?" Sandi said, smiling a little.

"My thoughts exactly."

Sandi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Not really," said Daria.

"Never for more than five minutes at a time," said Jane.

"I'm in love with Quinn," Sandi said. "I have been since I met her. You can't imagine what it's like to have that need fulfilled after so much time of feeling like it was hopeless. It's, well, given me a reason to be happy. You see, I could handle it if Quinn didn't feel the same way... but I couldn't handle it if she were scared off before she had the chance to find out." She looked straight at Daria. "You might not believe this, but Quinn listens to you. She puts a lot of stock in what you say. I'm... begging you, don't destroy this." Sandi had tears in her eyes as she turned away and left with Quinn.

Daria watched the spot where Quinn and Sandi had disappeared for a long time. "Damn," she finally said.

"What?" Jane asked.

"She got to me," Daria said. "Dammit, she really got to me."

"Hey, there's a little speck of sentiment in my eye too. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"Come on," said Daria. "Let's get downstairs. I really need an Ultra Cola."

*********

Quinn sat on her bed, fighting back tears. She and Sandi hadn't talked much after coming off the roof. Sandi had just said that she hoped to see Quinn at the club meeting, and then left for her next class.

The phone rang. Quinn picked it up and angrily slammed it back down on the cradle. She didn't feel like talking to any guys at the moment.

There was a knock at her door.

"Go away!" she shouted.

"That's my line," Daria said. She came into Quinn's room.

"Look, I don't know what you came in here for, but I don't care what you have to say. Save your funny little remarks for your friend Jane!"

Daria sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Look, Quinn... I might have been a little, well, thrown off my stride up on the roof before. I just got this mental image of you and Sandi making out in here the other night while I was trying to sleep. It's got nothing to do with the fact that she's a girl, I'd have been just as weirded out if you had a guy in here."

"Really?" Quinn wasn't convinced.

"Okay, maybe not quite as weirded out. Hey, I can tell this isn't just another date for you, you know."

"What was your first clue?" Quinn asked, her sarcasm rivaling Daria at her best.

"She called me your sister."

Quinn looked up. She hadn't expected a real response. "What?"

"She knew I was your sister, and you didn't deny it. That, at least, shows you're being totally honest with each other."

Quinn smiled a bit. "When I mentioned it, she said she already knew."

"Well, she's not that dense, you know. Look, I just wanted to let you know that I've got nothing against same-sex relationships, and if you want to pursue this with Sandi, I'm not going to spill the beans on you. I'll even run a little interference if you need me to."

Quinn smiled even more. "Really?"

"But you owe me big time for this." Daria said, smirking.

"Oh, thank you!" Quinn jumped up and hugged Daria tightly.

"Gahh! No hugs! NO HUGS!!"

*********

Sandi waited in the living room. Her brothers were off to the video arcade, thanks to a twenty-dollar bribe and a threat of crippling injury should they return before seven thirty. She found herself glancing at the clock every half-minute, wondering when (or if) Quinn would arrive. Everything depended on, of all people, her weird sister. Sandi didn't know whether her words earlier had made things better or worse. She could only hope that somewhere, under that cold, sarcastic exterior, Daria had a heart.

The doorbell rang.

Sandi jumped off the couch and stumbled over the coffee table. She checked herself after two sprinting steps toward the door, calmed down a bit, then went to see who was there.

It was Quinn.

"You're here," Sandi said, smiling.

"Of course I am," said Quinn, her face perfectly deadpan.

Sandi lost her smile. Something didn't seem right.

Quinn came inside, closing the door behind her. "So, Sandi, what did you want to talk about?" Quinn asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, you wanted me here early, right?"

"Um... sure."

"So, did you want to talk about dress choices for the Homecoming Dance?" Quinn asked brightly. Then she stepped very close to Sandi, put her arms around her, and whispered, "or, would you rather make hot love to me?"

"W-what?" Sandi stuttered.

Quinn smiled. "I had you going there for a second, didn't I?" she said, and kissed Sandi lightly on the lips.

Sandi burst out laughing. "Oh God, Quinn, don't do that to me!" she squealed.

"Hey, Sandi," Quinn replied. "That's what happens when you get involved with a compulsive tease." She wet her lips with her tongue and kissed Sandi again, drawing her closer.

"We have over an hour before the meeting," Sandi whispered in Quinn's ear. "Can we go up to my room?"

"Now?" asked Quinn, delicately nibbling Sandi's earlobe.

"Right now," Sandi replied. She grabbed Quinn's wrist and ran for the stairs. The two of them giggled wildly as they ran up the stairs.

*********

"So we're settled," Sandi said. "Let's review. I'm going in green, to set off my newly revealed eye color. Floor-length gown, slit to just above the knee, small bow on the shoulder. Emeralds. Stacy?"

"Little black dress, white lacy knit sweater, pearls."

"Excellent," said Sandi. "Tiffany?"

"Dark purple strapless, slit to just above the knee... um, what's my jewelry again?"

"Stacy, do you have that is the minutes?" asked Sandi.

"Um, sure. Tiffany, you're going with gold and amethyst to match the dress, and your hair will be down."

"Sorry I forgot," Tiffany slurred.

"Don't worry about it, Tiffany," Sandi said sincerely, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "With all the combinations we tried out, it's easy to forget."

Tiffany and Stacy both looked at her in shock. Quinn just smiled. They weren't used to Sandi's new attitude yet, and certainly didn't know the cause.

"Quinn?" Sandi continued. "What's your outfit?"

"Baby blue dress, cut at an angle from the floor to the back of the knee. White silk scarf. Sapphires."

"Excellent. Well, that should wrap it up for the meeting."

Stacy and Tiffany got up to leave.

"Hold on," Sandi said. "Who wants to go someplace fun tonight?"

"Huh?" asked Stacy.

"That's a great idea!" Quinn gushed. "Let's go take in a movie. I hear 'My Infinite Wanderings' is really good."

Tiffany and Stacy just looked at each other.

*********

Quinn went for another handful of unbuttered popcorn. As she did, her hand brushed Sandi's, and even though she never looked away from the screen, she felt Sandi's smile.

They held hands, hidden in the popcorn bucket, for the rest of the movie.

********

The two girls embraced in the candlelight, their hands delicately stroking one another as they shared a loving kiss. Quinn loved the feel of Sandi's full, sensuous lips caressing her own, and the touch of her soft fingertips as they lightly stroked her neck. Their first two encounters had been fast and furious, hotly passionate. This time, they wanted to take their time, and feel the love instead of the lust.

Sandi's tongue trailed a wet line down Quinn's neck, pausing for a kiss just below her ear. Quinn leaned slightly forward onto Sandi's waiting arms to feel her warmth –

A knock came from downstairs. Quinn heard the front door creak open, then Stacy's voice. "Sandi? Are you home?"

Panic shattered the moment. "I forgot to lock the door!" Sandi whispered. Quinn and Sandi separated and scrambled for their clothes. Someone was definitely coming up the stairs.

"Sandi? We do have a meeting tonight, don't we?"

"Crap-crap-crap-crap-crap!" Quinn stuttered as she struggled to figure out how the hell her bra had been tied in a knot.

A second voice came from the hallway. It was too low to hear clearly, but it was obviously Tiffany.

"Quinn!" Sandi hissed. Quinn turned and caught a bathrobe in the face. "Put that on, and get into a lotus flower!"

"Sandi, this is so not the time for that sort of thing!"

"Just do it!" Sandi whispered frantically. She was likewise pulling on a bathrobe, a horrid avocado green one from the back of her closet. Then she grabbed a CD from the bottom of a small stack on her dresser, slapped it into the player, and assumed the lotus flower position in the middle of the floor. Quinn caught on, and dropped next to Sandi in the same position just as Stacy knocked.

"Who is it?" asked Quinn, as the Enigma disc started playing. She noticed an incriminating pile of underwear next to the bed, and scrambled to shove it underneath.

"It's, um, Stacy and Tiffany," Stacy replied. "Uh, can we come in?"

"Sure, Stacy!" Sandi replied, tossing Quinn's pants into the closet and tying her legs back up into the appropriate position as Stacy and Tiffany came in.

They looked around at the dozens of candles, the incense burner, the various hair-care implements. Not to mention Quinn and Sandi sitting back to back in the middle of the room in threadbare bathrobes, their legs tied up in knots and their eyes closed.

"It's power yoga," Quinn explained. "Inner beauty is just as important as outer beauty. It's so important to maintain balance."

"Wow... lots of candles..." Tiffany observed.

"Um... What are you guys wearing?" Stacy asked.

Quinn opened her eyes and got a look at the bathrobe she had on. It was a horrible shade of brown, with a hole in the armpit that was fortunately facing away from the door and therefore not revealing her left breast to Stacy or Tiffany.

Sandi temporized, "We, um, felt like we needed to dissociate ourselves from fashionable concerns for the purpose of, uh..."

"Achieving a one-ness with ourselves," Quinn finished. That came from O'Neill. Quinn earnestly hoped Stacy wouldn't recognize the reference.

"Oh," Stacy said, not convinced but not bold enough to say so. "So, we do have our Thursday meeting today, right?"

"It's Wednesday, Stacy," Quinn pointed out.

"Oh... bummer..." Tiffany said.

"So, I guess we'll see you tomorrow?" Stacy asked.

"Sure," Quinn said.

"I'll um, walk you out," Sandi offered.

"No, that's okay, we know the way!" Stacy stumbled backwards out of the room and ran down the stairs.

"I guess I'll leave too," said Tiffany, seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness. She followed Stacy out of the house.

Quinn breathed a long sigh. "That was close," she said.

"Yeah," Sandi agreed. "Um, Quinn?"

"Yes, Sandi?"

"I think... maybe we should, you know, tell them."

Quinn bit her lower lip. "I... I don't know if I'm ready for that, Sandi."

"We can't keep this a secret forever, Quinn. Tiffany wouldn't notice an avalanche bearing down on her, but Stacy knows there's something going on. Are you sure you'd rather just let her think whatever paranoid thoughts she might have come up with?"

"Could they possibly be worse than the real truth?"

Quinn felt Sandi's back stiffen behind her. "Is that really how you feel? That this is the worst thing that could have happened to you?"

"No, I didn't mean that, I –"

"You're ashamed. You're ashamed of me, and of us."

"Sandi –"

"I think you should leave, Quinn. Just go."

Quinn felt tears forming. "Please Sandi, that's not what I meant at all."

"I said, get out." The tone in her voice left no room for argument.

Quinn unfolded her legs, which fortunately hadn't gone numb yet, picked up her clothes, and left. She got dressed in the hall. As she made her way down the stairs, she could hear Sandi crying in her room. Quinn hesitated for a moment at the foot of the stairs, then turned and walked out the door.

*********

Quinn hardly slept that night.

Her mind kept playing the events of the past week over and over. Their first moments as true friends, when they managed to get past two years of bitterness and petty power struggles. The first kiss Sandi had given her, how shocking it had been. The moment on the roof of the school when Sandi had let down her barriers and told Quinn how she really felt, and how Quinn had found the same feelings in herself and responded to her. The warmth of Sandi's touch, the passion with which they made love.

Then there was the dread at the thought of being discovered. The panic when Helen seemed to have found out her secret, the absolute horror when Daria and her friend actually did. Then, Stacy walking in on them, obviously not buying their rapidly constructed cover story. And the hurt in Sandi's voice... the hurt that Quinn had caused.

Quinn had held in the tears all the way home, up to her room, and then let loose. She had cried for almost a half hour until there was just no more left. Physically, she felt relieved. The emotional hurt went on.

She didn't know what to do.

*********

Helen checked the thermometer carefully. "Hmm... you do seem to have a temperature, Quinn. All right, I suppose you should stay home today. I'll make sure Daria picks up your assignments. Can I get you anything?"

"I'll be all right, Mom. I'm pretty tired, I think I'll sleep some more."

"Just know that you can call me at any time –" Helen's cell phone cut her off. "Hello? Yes, Eric, I'm on my way in now..." Helen left with the phone attached to her ear.

Quinn sighed. She hadn't used the fake fever trick since fourth grade, when Daria had shown her how to pump up the temperature on a clinical thermometer by rubbing the bulb briskly on denim cloth. Fortunately, Helen was too busy to sit by her bedside for three minutes.

After the front door shut for the third time that morning, Quinn thought to herself: So this is what alone feels like.

*********

Quinn awoke thrashing in sweat-dampened sheets. The panic from her nightmare faded quickly, but the real-life anguish was still there. She checked her bedside clock – it was two o'clock in the afternoon. There wasn't much point in going back to sleep.

She went to the bathroom and downed a pair of aspirin. This problem wasn't going away on its own, and she couldn't play sick forever. Sooner or later, she would have to face Sandi again. But what to say to her?

Quinn stopped by her mirror. It had only been a few days ago that she had stood in front of that same mirror, and questioned herself as to whether she should pursue this new relationship with Sandi, her best friend.

There had been no answers. There were still no answers.

If the mirror had no answers, then Quinn would have to ask someone else. And there was only one person she could go to. The one person who had pointedly asked her not to go to her for advice.

Daria.

*********

An hour later, Quinn walked into the Pizza Prince. No one noticed.

That was exactly how she wanted it. Her hair was carefully tucked under a large black baseball cap with "Barlow's Alligator House" inked across the front. Her usual pink baby tee had been replaced by an oversized plain gray sweatshirt, and Daria's (stained) spare jeans took the place of her form-fitting Levis. Large sunglasses hid her face. She glanced around, saw a number of Lawndale's finest scarfing down pizza. There was no sign of recognition from anyone, not so much as a second glance. Except from Daria.

Quinn sighed. She should have known that Daria would see through her disguise without difficulty. But she had hoped to at least reach the table where she and Jane sat, making it that much more difficult for them to leave before Quinn could talk to her sister.

Daria was indeed getting up to leave. As she and Jane walked by Quinn, she whispered, "I'll see you out back."

Quinn took a deep breath. By the tone in Daria's voice, she could tell this wasn't going to go over well.

*********

"Let me start," Quinn said as they stood next to the absolutely icky dumpster, hidden from view to all but the most curious onlooker.

"No, I will not let you start," Daria said. "You're here because you're having trouble with your new relationship with Sandi. You don't want anyone else to know about it, and that's caused some hurt feelings. So now you've done exactly what I asked you not to do, and come to me for advice. Am I in any way wrong?"

"Um... no, that's about it."

Daria sighed. "Jane?"

Jane dug into her pocket, pulled out a ten-dollar bill, and handed it over to Daria.

"You're placing bets on me?" Quinn asked, horrified.

"I bet Jane that it would take you less than three days to come to me for advice on exactly this matter. She just lost."

"You know, Daria, it's a sad day when Jane has more faith in me than you do."

"Actually," Jane said, "I bet her it would take you less than two days."

"I don't believe this! What gives you guys the right to automatically assume that I'm going to mess this up?"

Daria said, "Quinn, you and I will both agree that you're hyper-concerned with your image. You give way too much of a damn what other people think of you to be able to make this kind of relationship work for more than a couple of days."

"But... what about Sandi? She wants to be popular just as much as I do!"

"True," Jane agreed, "But I've known Sandi for longer than you have. Deep down, she's an arrogant, self-centered, prideful bitch, no matter how she's been acting for the past couple of days. She needs to be able to show off her romantic conquests, and now she can't, partly because of the image thing, and partly because you won't let her. My guess is that she suggested, maybe not even entirely seriously, that you come out of the closet about your little love affair. You freaked, and that gave her an excuse to be mad at someone besides herself."

Quinn just stared at Jane incredulously.

"So you have two choices at this point," said Daria. "You can do nothing. You'll find it impossible to be around Sandi, and vice-versa, which means you'll quit the fashion club. You will then lose popularity, but probably not so much that you fade completely into oblivion – after all, there's always the three J's. Sandi, of course, will be fairly crushed, and will likely respond to it by being twice the bitch she was before. Her friends will leave her, and she will sink into a deep depression, eventually ending up lying in a ditch by the side of the road, clutching a bottle of paint thinner."

"Don't sugar-coat it, Daria," Jane admonished.

"What's my other choice?" Quinn asked in a small voice.

Daria shook her head. "You'll have to figure that out yourself. If you can't find the courage to do what needs to be done on your own, the relationship is doomed anyway. I don't hate you enough to help you draw this out to inevitable failure. Twenty dollars."

"What?" Quinn asked.

"Payment for services rendered." Daria held out a hand.

Quinn sighed, and fished a twenty out of her pocket.

*********

Quinn went to school the next day. Those who knew her well would have noticed a definite change in her bearing, something that one usually didn't see on Quinn. She was doing some hard thinking.

"Hey Quinn!"

Quinn rolled her eyes. This was the absolute last thing she needed right now. She turned around and, sure enough, there was the usual gang of idiots.

"Joey, Jeffy, Jamie," she said, nodding to each of them.

"Quinn! You got it right!" said Jamie, beside himself with happiness.

"It was a lucky guess," Joey said.

"Hey Quinn, can I carry your stuff to your locker?" Jeffy offered.

"It's only six feet away, Jeffy," Quinn pointed out. There was a definite irritation creeping into her voice.

"Can I open your locker for you?" asked Jamie.

"Can I walk you to your next class?" Joey asked.

Quinn threw her books to the ground in frustration, and spun around to face her team of admirers. "Will you guys just SHUT UP!!" she screamed.

One could almost hear the sound of a needle scratching off a record as all activity in the hallway came to a sudden halt.

"You are the most pathetic bunch I have ever encountered!" Quinn continued. "I mean, why don't you just lie down and put an apple in your mouth? Do you really think it impresses me to have you guys falling all over each other all the time? For God's sake, take a look at yourselves! You guys are MORONS!!"

"I don't understand, Quinn..." said Joey.

"Was it something I said?" asked Jamie.

"Can we make it up to you somehow?" Jeffy offered.

"ARRRGH!" Quinn shouted, throwing up her hands in despair and running away.

The three J's looked at each other for a moment.

"Someone should pick up her books," Joey pointed out.

The three of them scrambled to gather Quinn's belongings.

*********

Stacy pulled books slowly from her locker, mentally preparing herself for her next class. She earnestly wished for the school to catch fire so she would be spared the ordeal of sitting next to Sandi. All the previous day, Sandi had been an impossible grouch. She lectured Tiffany for at least five minutes on how inappropriate her shoes were, and when Stacy had tried to say something in Tiffany's defense, Sandi had turned on her and ripped into her choice of accessories, the way her purse fell six inches too low, and how her dress made her look like an absolute cow. The meeting that night had been cancelled. Stacy had spent most of the afternoon crying, and even Tiffany hadn't missed the biting tone in Sandi's voice, or the venom in her words.

A ruckus down the hall grabbed Stacy's attention. She looked and was amazed to see Quinn hollering at Joey, Jeffy and Jamie, who stood there looking dumb and confused. The whole school, it seemed, was gathered around watching. Stacy couldn't hear the words, but Quinn finally ran off in a huff – in Stacy's direction.

Stacy looked for a place to hide. There wasn't anywhere she could get to before Quinn got to her.

Stacy swallowed hard, and prepared for the worst. "H-hi, Quinn," she stuttered as Quinn stomped by.

Quinn took absolutely no notice. She just kept going.

Stacy didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing, but one thing she knew for sure was that there was no way she could go to class now. Shoving her books back into her locker, she ran to find a restroom where she could hide out for the rest of the hour.

*********

Tiffany sat in class, waiting for her friends to show up. She was hoping Sandi would be in a better mood than yesterday. Just in case, though, she had made sure to wear different shoes.

Quinn came into the room, stomped over to her usual seat, and sat down.

"Hi Quinn," Tiffany said.

"Hi," Quinn said back. She didn't even look at Tiffany.

Tiffany forged ahead. "So, what's up with Sandi lately?" she asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Quinn asked.

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I guess I shouldn't have asked." Tiffany looked downcast.

"No, you shouldn't have."

Tiffany looked sadly away. Neither Sandi or Stacy showed up in class at all that day.

*********

"Quinn wouldn't even talk to me today," Stacy said as she and Tiffany walked home.

"She wouldn't talk to me either," Tiffany said. "Well, not very much..."

"There's something going on here." Stacy stopped and sat down on the curb. "Tiffany, what are we going to do? The club is falling apart around us, it's only a week until Homecoming, and we don't even know what's going on!"

"They're really mad about something," Tiffany pointed out helpfully.

"You figure that out all on your own?" Stacy said sarcastically.

It wasn't lost on Tiffany. "Sorry," she said. She turned and started walking away.

"Tiffany, wait!" Stacy called, getting up to follow her. "I'm sorry! I'm losing all my friends and I'm scared!" She grabbed Tiffany in a desperate hug.

Tiffany hugged her back. "It'll be okay, Stacy," she said.

Stacy broke the hug and sat back down. "We need to do something," she said. "We can't go on like this. I mean, first Sandi and Quinn are all nervous about something, then Sandi starts being all nice and everything, I mean it's not like she was always mean before, but she suddenly became all sweet and everything."

"Yeah..." Tiffany agreed.

"Then it's like we're going out to movies and having fun together, and I'm thinking, this is so cool, this is what I joined a club for in the first place."

"Then they start doing yoga," Tiffany said helpfully.

"That was really weird. And then all of a sudden Sandi turns into a total thunderbitch, and Quinn's all mad about something –" She stopped suddenly. "They're doing drugs! I just know they're doing drugs!! Oh God, my friends are going to overdose and die!!" Stacy buried her face in Tiffany's shoulder and cried her eyes out.

"That is so sad..." Tiffany agreed, and started crying along with her.

*********

Quinn lay in bed awake, counting the cracks in the ceiling.

The doorbell rang, startling her out of her aimless thoughts.

"Quinn!! It's for you!!" shouted Daria from downstairs.

"Tell him to go away!" Quinn shouted back.

"It's not a guy, Quinn!" called Daria. "It's Stacy! She wants to talk to you!"

"I don't feel like talking!"

There came a knock at her door. Quinn jumped out of bed to answer it.

"I said I don't –"

"GET HER!" shouted Stacy. Jamie and Joey threw a large bag over Quinn's head and dragged her away down the stairs.

"Sorry about this, Quinn," Jamie apologized.

"It's for your own good, Quinn," Joey added.

"DARIA!!!" screamed Quinn, her voice muffled by the sack.

"Forget it, Quinn," Daria said. "I've been well-paid, on top of the fact that this is something I've always wanted to see."

It was probably just as well that Quinn couldn't hear the sound of a Polaroid camera snap several shots before Joey and Jamie bundled her out the door.

*********

Quinn's protests went unanswered by Stacy as she drove her for at least ten miles, most of it uphill from what she could tell. Joey and Jamie, at least, weren't in the car. Quinn was starting to regret her earlier outburst with them. She passed the time dreaming up horrible revenge against Stacy for this.

The car stopped. Quinn thought for a moment she heard Sandi's voice, and decided she must be hallucinating. Sandi wouldn't go this far, would she?

Her door was opened for her, and her seatbelt unfastened. Quinn was about to run for it when the bag was pulled off her head. She blinked with surprise when she saw Tiffany and Sandi standing before her, Sandi obviously having been recently removed from Tiffany's car and a similar bag removed from her head.

"What the hell is this all about??" Sandi screamed.

"We had to do it, Sandi," Stacy said. "I mean, your life could be at stake, not to mention your complexion!"

"We're just trying to help..." Tiffany insisted.

"What are you talking about?" Quinn asked, bewildered.

"Quinn, listen to me," Stacy said, placing her hands firmly on Quinn's shoulders. "It's never too late to quit. I know it'll be hard, but Tiffany and I are here for you." She turned around to look at Sandi. "We're here for both of you. Please, you have to stop before it's too late!"

Sandi and Quinn looked at each other. "She's lost her mind, hasn't she?" Quinn asked.

"Small things are easy to lose," Sandi growled.

"I know that's not you talking," Stacy said. "You don't really mean it, it's just the chemicals."

Quinn looked at Tiffany, Sandi, and finally Stacy. "You think we're taking drugs?" Quinn asked incredulously.

"That is, like, so bad for your skin!" Sandi protested.

"You mean, you're not?" Tiffany asked.

"Of course not! Where'd you get a silly idea like that?" Quinn demanded.

"Oh God! Now I've messed things up even more!!" Stacy dropped to the ground, trembling with shame.

Quinn sighed. "Look, guys... can Sandi and I have a moment alone?"

"I don't want a moment alone with anyone, I want to friggin' go home!" Sandi shouted.

Quinn turned pleading eyes on Sandi. "Please, Sandi? I'm begging you, don't destroy this."

Sandi's eyes went wide, then softened. "All right, Quinn," she said. "I'll give you five minutes."

Confused, but hopeful, Stacy and Tiffany watched their friends disappear into the trees off the side of the road.

*********

Quinn and Sandi sat down on a pair of rocks.

"So," said Sandi. "Let's talk."

"Sandi," said Quinn. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"No, it's probably for the best," Sandi said. "It would never have worked out."

"But I want it to," Quinn insisted.

"Sure, as long as no one knows about it."

"Come on, Sandi," Quinn said. "You're just as scared of going public as I am. Admit it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, then. Let's call Stacy and Tiffany in here, and we'll kiss in front of them."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

Sandi looked toward the road, with fear in her eyes. "But... what if they... I mean..."

"See, Sandi?" Quinn said. "They're our closest friends, and we can't even be truthful with them, let alone everyone else in Lawndale. Sandi, people have gotten used to seeing us a certain way. We're the popular girls, the ones who could date any guy we want – and we do date any guy we want. We're on the top of the food chain around here. But that just gives us farther to fall, and you know as well as I do what could happen if we go public with this. I'm frightened out of my wits. So are you."

Sandi hung her head. "You're right," she whispered. "I am scared. I'm scared of what our friends will think, of what everyone else will think... oh, Quinn, I'm so sorry!"

"For what?"

"I had no business getting so upset with you! I just... I don't know..."

Quinn smiled. "Maybe you were worried about your own image being damaged, and were looking for a way to pass the blame to someone else."

Sandi looked up, a touch of hurt in her eyes that quickly faded. "Maybe you're right," she said.

Quinn stood up and walked over to Sandi, sitting down next to her. She reached up to stroke Sandi's hair. "I love you, Sandi," she whispered. "And I'm not going to be ashamed of it anymore. If you want anyone to know about us, we can tell them. You mean more to me than my popularity."

Sandi looked into Quinn's eyes. "Oh Quinn... I love you so much..."

As they kissed, the last of their inner turmoil vanished.

*********

Stacy looked at her watch. "They've been in there almost fifteen minutes," she wailed. "What could they be doing in there?"

Tiffany shrugged. "Maybe they're talking about what to wear to Homecoming," she suggested.

*********

Quinn lay Sandi down beneath her in the cool grass, laying gentle kisses across her throat as she did. Sandi looked so lovely in the moonlight, her eyes shining like stars, her alabaster skin glowing radiantly. Her panting lips reached for a kiss, and Quinn gave it to her.

A sudden chill swept through Quinn and brought her back to reality. "Sandi," she whispered, breaking the kiss, "we should probably tell Stacy and Tiffany about this, not show them."

Sandi shook her head to clear her haze of lust. "You're right," she agreed, and reluctantly allowed Quinn to stand up and help her to her feet. "Let's go find them, and tell them everything will be all right."

"We should tell them something else, too," Quinn pointed out.

"What?"

*********

"Thank you," Sandi said to her friends Stacy and Tiffany, holding one of their hands in each of her own.

They had come back down the hill overlooking Lawndale and gone to Quinn's house. Her parents were out, and Daria had left as soon as the foursome arrived.

"Um... you're welcome?" Stacy said.

"I owe you guys an apology," Sandi said.

"We both do," Quinn agreed.

"Oh, don't be silly, guys," Stacy said. "I mean, we were the ones who threw burlap sacks over your heads and dragged you out into the middle of nowhere."

Quinn turned to Sandi. "Out of curiosity, who did they get to drag you out?"

"My brothers," Sandi scowled. "They threw a couple of ropes around me and popped me in the sack. Then they dragged me down the stairs and knocked my head against every one."

"I didn't even have to pay them," Tiffany pointed out. "We're really sorry about it."

"You had the best intentions," Quinn reassured her. "We have been acting a little odd lately, I'll admit that."

"Yeah... odd..." agreed Tiffany.

Stacy looked nervous. "So... what has been going on?"

Quinn looked at Sandi, who nodded slightly. "Well... this is going to take a little explaining," she began.

"You see..." said Sandi, "the thing is... I've fallen in love with someone."

"You have?" asked Tiffany.

"That's great!" Stacy squealed.

"So have I," Quinn put in.

"Wow..." said Tiffany.

Stacy looked at both of them, put two and two together, and came up with five. "You both fell for the same guy, didn't you?" she asked. "Oh, that's so sad! No wonder you've been acting so mad at each other lately!"

"That doesn't really explain the yoga, though..." Tiffany pointed out.

"We didn't fall in love with the same guy," Quinn said.

"That's for sure," Sandi agreed.

"Oh," Stacy said. "So, what's the problem?"

They both shrugged and smiled.

Stacy was confused. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Umm... Stacy..." Tiffany said, pointing at her friends' hands. They were clasped together.

The truth rolled in on Stacy like a long, slow wave coming up the beach. Her mouth moved, but didn't make the words. "You... and you... both of you?"

Quinn and Sandi nodded, and scooted closer together on the sofa to make the point.

"No way," said Stacy, her voice completely flat.

Quinn turned Sandi's face toward her own and gave her a long, slow kiss.

"Whoa..." Tiffany said.

Stacy's eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed on the floor.

*********

The world spun slowly into focus around Stacy's head. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw the concerned faces of her three best friends. Then she remembered that she had recently seen two of those faces stuck tightly together.

"Eep!" she said.

"Stacy, it's all right," Quinn tried to reassure her.

"We're still the same girls you've known for years," Sandi insisted.

"I'm still not a lesbian," Tiffany added for the sake of clarification.

"But – but – but – " Stacy stuttered.

"Come on, let us help you up," Quinn offered. Stacy took her hand and Sandi's, while Tiffany pulled a chair over for her to sit on.

Stacy looked at Quinn, then Sandi, back to Quinn, back to Sandi again. "How long has this been going on?" she asked, still bewildered.

"A week," Sandi said. "Ever since the first Homecoming meeting."

"I stayed afterwards at that meeting to tell Sandi I wanted to be closer friends," Quinn said. "I ended up with more than I bargained for."

"So... all this time, you guys have been, um..."

"The word is, 'lesbians'," Quinn offered.

"I've felt this way all my life," Sandi said with a small smile.

"I'm still a little unsure," Quinn admitted. She looked at Sandi and smiled. "But I know I love Sandi."

"We still want to be friends with you," Sandi said. She looked at Tiffany. "With both of you. I don't think we're planning to come out to anyone else yet. But we decided we wanted both of you to know, because you're our friends."

Stacy looked at both of them oddly. "So... how do you feel about me? You know, were you, um, hoping I'd be..."

"A lesbian," Tiffany offered.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, you're really cute," Sandi teased. "But my heart belongs to Quinn." She pulled Quinn close and kissed her on the cheek.

"This is going to take a lot of getting used to," Stacy decided.

"Look at it this way," Quinn said. "It means that many more guys for both of you!"

No one laughed.

"So, what'll it be?" Sandi asked Stacy. "Does the Fashion Club go on?"

Stacy stood up, looked Sandi straight in the eye... and hugged her. "I'll always be your friend, Sandi," she said. She turned to Quinn, hugged her as well. "And yours too."

Tiffany happily followed suit.

*********

"And so, for the Homecoming dance, Quinn and I will officially be without dates." Sandi announced.

"Unofficially, on the other hand..." Quinn took Sandi's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

The emergency Fashion Club meeting was drawing to a close, as the foursome made up for the previously missed sessions and finalized their plans for Homecoming.

"Get a room, guys," Stacy said, smiling.

"Really..." Tiffany added.

"So, who will the two of you be taking?" Quinn asked.

Stacy and Tiffany looked at each other. "Well, we talked about it..." Stacy began.

"We decided to go without guys too," Tiffany finished.

"Fashion Club solidarity and all," Stacy explained.

Quinn looked uncertain. "Um, Stacy, that's really nice and all, but Sandi and I don't want you to stop dating guys just because we are."

"It's just this once," Stacy reassured her. "Besides, Brian Larson shaved his head again."

Sandi smiled. "So be it. I therefore declare this meeting to be closed."

Stacy and Tiffany got up to leave.

"Wait, guys!" Quinn said. "Don't you want to go out, or something?"

"Well..." Tiffany said.

"We thought you might have some catching up to do on your own," Stacy said shyly.

Quinn and Sandi looked at each other, and then back at Stacy and Tiffany. "Thanks," Sandi said.

"No problem," Stacy replied. "Just... spare us the details at the next meeting." The two of them left.

Sandi turned back to Quinn. "So, what should we do now?" she asked.

Quinn smiled, and leaned in for a kiss. "Let's light a few dozen candles... put on some mood music... and pick up where we left off."

********

Stacy paused outside Sandi's house and looked back. She was startled to discover Quinn and Sandi's silhouettes clearly visible on the blind in Sandi's window.

"Oh my gosh, Tiffany! Look at that!"

Tiffany turned, and saw the forms in the window. Quinn's long hair flowed behind her as she leaned her head back and let Sandi kiss her throat, and then lower, and lower still. Something that could only be a brassiere was tossed over Sandi's shoulder.

Stacy knew her friends would be mortally embarrassed if they knew she was watching, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Then they dropped below the window frame, and a bit later, the light went out.

A sudden chill went through Stacy, though it was a warm night. "Wow," she whispered.

"We should tell them to be more careful about that," Tiffany pointed out. "I mean, if they don't want to get caught."

Stacy just stood there and stared at the darkened window.

"Stacy? Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, I'm fine!" Stacy shook herself. "It's just... you know, I wasn't sure I believed it until now. That Sandi and Quinn are, um..."

"Lesbians."

"Yes, thank you Tiffany, I know the word."

"Then... how come you can never say it?"

"Lesbians! Lesbians-lesbians-lesbians! How's that?"

Tiffany shrugged. "Why are you getting so upset, Stacy?"

Stacy started to get more upset, then relaxed. "I'm sorry, Tiffany. I guess I just never expected this. I mean, it just seems so weird that Quinn and Sandi are a couple now. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

Tiffany looked back up at the window. "At least they're both really cute. I'd hate to see either of them dating an unattractive girl."

"I wonder what it's like," Stacy mumbled under her breath.

"What what's like?" Tiffany asked.

"Um... never mind. Come on, let's go home."

They got in Tiffany's car and left.

*********

"I wonder what it's like?" Jane pondered as she sketched in her book, showing Quinn and Stacy making out in the lunchroom.

"What are you talking about?" Daria asked in an annoyed tone. She wasn't terribly pleased with Jane's choice of subjects for her next work, and had said so several times.

"You know, kissing another girl," Jane said. "I was just curious what it was like."

"You stay away from me," Daria warned.

Jane laughed. "Relax, Daria. I'm not trying to make a move on you here. Can't a girl be a little curious without being homosexual?"

"No, they can't. Trust me on this one."

Jane stopped drawing and looked sternly at Daria. "You know, I would have expected you to have a more open mind about this. You don't seem to have a problem with Quinn and Sandi."

"I have lots of problems with Quinn and Sandi. And Stacy, and Tiffany, and Brittany, and Kevin, and Upchuck –"

"Don't change the subject. I want you to explain your last remark."

Daria sat up, put down her book, and sighed. "It's kind of a long story. Goes back to Highland."

"All right, I love these stories!" Jane said, immediately captivated. "Does this have anything to do with those two mutant Neanderthals you used to hang out with?"

"Not really. See, I was on the newspaper staff, you knew that."

"It still amazes me that you were involved with a school activity."

"Let me finish. Anyway, they had made me the fashion editor, if you can believe that. Needless to say, I got old on that very quickly, and asked for a different position. So they put me in charge of reporting on the activities of the various clubs. They wanted me to start with cheerleading, but I wanted to do something a little more offbeat than that."

"You? Rebelling against authority and not wanting to involve yourself with cheerleading? You astound me, Daria."

"So, I decided to report on the local Gay and Lesbian Alliance. I sat in on a few of their meetings and took notes. Remind me to give Trent the lyrics to 'Lesbian Seagull' some time, I'd get a kick out of hearing the Spiral perform it."

"It was that bad?"

"Worse. So in the end, I got my story, and it went out in the Highland Howdy. Thus began three weeks of hell. People jumped to the conclusion, based on the fact that I never wore makeup, paid little attention to my wardrobe, didn't gush over the cute guys, didn't talk to the girls, and that I went to the meetings in the first place, that I had to be a lesbian. This being Highland, Texas, I was seen as a deviant and a demon-spawn, bent on corrupting others to my bizarre way of life. To make matters worse, the Gay and Lesbian club felt I was putting them in a bad light, and I was attacked by them too."

"You were actually attacked?" Jane asked, concerned.

"Mostly with words. Occasionally with substance. Someone threw a strap-on dildo tied to a brick through my bedroom window one night, that was as close as it came to physical assault. Mom was in a total outrage, of course, but she mostly blamed it on me. She figured that it was the result of my being so anti-social all the time, that naturally the other kids would get the wrong idea."

"How did Quinn take it?"

"She didn't know about most of it. She was going to a different school at the time. What she did see, she figured was just the usual harassment unpopular kids like me always got. Anyway, like I said, it only lasted for three weeks. Then we moved to Lawndale."

"Hm." said Jane.

"So you can see why I'm somewhat opposed to being mislabeled as homosexual. I don't care how others live, but I won't be persecuted for something I'm not. I have enough trouble with persecution for the things I am."

"Okay, I can see your point." Jane looked critically at her sketch of Quinn and Sandi, ripped it out of the book, and chucked it in the can.

"You don't have to do that, Jane," Daria said.

"I didn't like how it was coming out anyway."

"Coming out. Funny."

"Let's go get some pizza," Jane suggested. "You can bring Tom along and kiss him in front of people, if it makes you feel better."

"He is a good kisser, isn't he?"

"I had no complaints. Not about the way he kissed me, anyway.."

"Hey!"

"What'd I say?"

*********

Stacy thumbed idly through her latest issue of Waif, which she had already studied in detail in preparation for the last meeting. She couldn't get her mind off the image of Sandi and Quinn embracing. First they had kissed in front of her, to prove they were, in fact, a couple. Stacy was fairly embarrassed about how she'd reacted to that, but they really couldn't blame her, could they?

Seeing them in the window, though, had been different. The kiss for Stacy had been for show. The scene in the window had been for real. Stacy found herself imagining what it could be like to touch Sandi's body the way Quinn had, or to kiss her soft, full lips. Another chill ran through her as she imagined either or both of them kissing her.

Oh my God! she thought. I can't believe I'm sitting here thinking about this! What would Sandi think?

Stacy put the magazine aside, turned out her light, and settled under the covers. Sleep didn't come easily that night.

*********

Stacy woke up with a rush. Her eyes snapped open, and after a moment's disorientation, she realized where she was.

I've had that dream before, she thought. When did I have that dream before?

She stayed still in her bed, trying to grasp at the wispy tendrils of memory that she knew were there. There was no questioning that the dream had left her in a state of powerful excitement, but that was fading as the dream state slipped away and wakefulness took further hold. After a short while, Stacy gave up on trying to remember and fell back to sleep.

Her dreams for the rest of the night were... eventful.

*********

Quinn sat on the grass just outside the lunchroom, catching up on some reading before her English class. Sandi had become a lot more tolerant of Quinn's eccentric, scholarly ways since they had gotten involved. Quinn hoped that eventually Sandi would see the wisdom in paying a little more attention to her schoolwork, but that hadn't happened yet.

"Quinn?"

Quinn looked up. Stacy was standing over her. "Hi, Stacy! What's up?"

"Um, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, Stacy!" Quinn indicated a patch of thick grass where Stacy might sit without getting dirt on her jeans.

"Quinn, I've uh, been wondering something," Stacy said quietly.

Quinn cocked her head to one side. "I suppose I can guess what this might be about."

Stacy looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. "Well... How did it happen? You know, between you and Sandi."

Quinn smiled with the memory. "Well, it was after the meeting, and I was trying to tell Sandi how I wanted to be better friends with her and stop fighting all the time. And, I called her a bitch."

Stacy stared. "No kidding? Right to her face?"

Quinn nodded. "The thing is, she started crying. I told her I didn't mean it, but I suppose the truth is that I did. And she told me how sorry she was, and that she wanted to be better friends too."

"Wow," Stacy said.

"Well, we decided to start being nice to each other, and one thing led to another, and I got the idea that we should take off our makeup and stuff and see what each other looked like without it."

"So that's when she switched back to her normal eye color!" Stacy realized.

Quinn stared into space, remembering. "She's still beautiful under all of it," she said. "I still don't think she realizes how pretty she is. And I told her so, and we were standing really close, and... she kissed me."

Stacy looked around again. There was still no one watching or listening. "What did it feel like?" she whispered.

Quinn giggled. "It scared me out of my friggin' wits," she said.

Stacy giggled too, but rather nervously. "No, I mean, what did it feel like?"

Quinn's expression grew thoughtful. "It was... very soft," she said. "It felt like kissing a flower... very soft, and sweet. Even though it scared me, I wanted more. I guess that's why I eventually went back for more, and then once we got started, we couldn't stop. We went all the way the very next night."

"All the way?" Stacy whispered. "What do you mean?"

Quinn paused. "Why are you asking me all this, Stacy?"

Stacy stuttered, "I... um, that is..."

The bell rang.

"Whoops! Gotta go! Thanks, Quinn!" Stacy took off.

Quinn got up slowly, watching Stacy run away. It was only natural that Stacy would be curious about all this, but there seemed to be something else bothering her. Quinn got the idea that things were going to get more complicated before they got easier.

*********

Jane twirled the dial on her locker with only half her mind on what she was doing. The rest of her mind was on Sandi and Quinn at the other end of the hall. Jane noticed how they were standing closer together than they used to, laughing more, casually touching hands every so often. One might have thought they were simply close friends, but the signs of something deeper were there if one knew to look for them.

She found herself continually flashing back to a night just about two months ago, which made sense, under the circumstances...

"Hey, you awake?"

"Huh?" Jane was startled out of her reminiscing by a familiar deadpan voice. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Just, you know, thinking."

"I know a lot of people who could profitably join you in that endeavor," Daria mused as Kevin demonstrated his tackling technique on a nearby trash can. "But this is school, and therefore not the place for original thought. Let's go have lunch on the roof."

"I'm with you," Jane said, hefting her books into her locker. She glanced one last time back in Quinn and Sandi's direction, but they were gone.

*********

"And, then," Daria said, "Jake goes flying out the patio door and tries to tackle the squirrel with his bare hands. He spent most of the rest of the evening face-down in the backyard, screaming about the injustice of it all."

"Mm-hm," said Jane.

"Then Trent came over. We went into the basement, covered ourselves with chocolate syrup, and screwed each other's brains out."

"Sure," said Jane, absently.

Daria reached down and unlaced her boot, took it off, and whipped it hard over her head to clang loudly against the heating duct under which they both sat.

"YAAH!" Jane shouted, jumping to her feet and nailing her head on the same heating duct, producing a second, almost identical clang. "What the hell was that for?"

"If I'm being that boring, Jane, I wish you'd just tell me."

Jane rubbed her head. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Something you'd kick yourself for missing if you knew, which you won't, because I'm not going to repeat it. What the hell is on your mind?"

Jane sighed. "Remember Allison?"

Daria nodded. "I was wondering when this would come up. Considering what's going on lately, it was only a matter of time. What are you thinking about, specifically?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm thinking how I was kind of curious what it might be like to kiss another girl, and I had my chance before I even knew I was curious about it, and didn't take it."

"From what you tell me about Allison, it was probably just as well."

"Yeah, she was definitely a self-serving slut. But still, what harm would just a kiss have done?"

"You know she wouldn't have let it rest at that," Daria pointed out. "She would have pressured you further, and you would have either left anyway saddled with further complications and self-doubt, or you would have given in and would now be living with the fact that you got shamelessly used."

"True." Jane looked off into the distance. "I'm not gay, you know."

Daria shrugged. "I believe you."

"I'm just a little curious. I mean, what's life without an unusual, shocking experience here and there?"

"Maybe you should ask Quinn to indulge you."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd leap at the chance to suck face with Jane. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need Quinn's rejection, I've seen what it does to the guys around here."

"Look, Jane. We're still in high school, here. I'm sure you'll get your opportunity in college, there are plenty of art students willing to kiss a lot stranger things than members of their own gender." She checked her watch. "Come on, let's get down. We need to go endure an hour with O'Neil."

*********

Quinn walked home by herself, and savored the fact that her usual gang of admirers seemed to at least temporarily have gotten the hint that they weren't welcome. Her thoughts wandered between Sandi, the approaching Homecoming Dance, Sandi's beautiful eyes, the bogus assignment O'Neil had given that afternoon, Sandi's sensuous lips, going shopping for her Homecoming accessories, Sandi's hot body, and Stacy's peculiar behavior.

Well, to be fair, it was difficult to call Stacy's behavior peculiar, especially given how Quinn's own behavior had taken such a spin lately. Likely, Stacy just needed some time to adjust to new circumstances. Quinn mused that if she had discovered that, for instance, Stacy and Tiffany had been having an affair, she would need some time to get used to the idea as well.

Quinn rounded the corner on her street, and stopped short. Stacy was waiting in front of her house, but didn't see Quinn yet.

"Stacy?' Quinn called, walking faster.

Stacy looked up. "Oh! Hi, Quinn!" she said. "I was just in the neighborhood, thought I might wait for you to show up!"

"You live four miles away from here, and there's no one else in this neighborhood you might be coming to see," Quinn pointed out. "Is there something wrong, Stacy?"

Stacy started to smile and object, but saw that it would get her nowhere. "Can we go inside, Quinn?" she asked.

"Sure, Stacy."

*********

Once inside, Stacy asked, "Is there anyone else here?"

"Um, no," Quinn said. "Daria's goes to her friend's house on Tuesdays. What's this all about?"

"Quinn..." she began, but couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Is this about me and Sandi?" Quinn asked.

"Mmm... kind of," Stacy replied.

"Well, what is it? You can tell me, Stacy, I won't be upset."

Stacy swallowed hard. "Will you... kiss me, Quinn?"

"What??" Quinn asked. This was definitely not what she expected.

"I know, it sounds weird!" Stacy squealed. "I just can't get the idea out of my head! I mean, seeing you and Sandi together got me thinking, and I know I'm not gay or anything, but I just... want to know what it's like..."

Quinn sighed. "Stacy, sit down."

Stacy hesitated.

"I'm not going to attack you, Stacy. Just sit down."

She did. Quinn took a seat far enough away to hopefully set Stacy at ease a little bit. "Look, Stacy, I'm not sure what this is about, but it's not like it's that latest trend. Just because Sandi and I are, well, having sex with each other, you don't have to get involved to."

"It's not that!" Stacy objected.

"What is it, then?" Quinn asked.

Stacy hesitated again.

"Look, Stacy, you just asked me to kiss you. Trust me, everything else you're likely to say will shock me a great deal less than that. Just say what you want to say."

"Okay," Stacy said in a small voice. "The thing is... I've kissed a few guys, you know?"

"I know."

"Well, it's just not ever what I expected. I thought kissing was supposed to be tender, and sweet, and nice, and all that stuff. Instead, the guys usually mash my lips against my teeth, or they try to force their tongue into my mouth when I don't really want it there, or they grab for my tushie and I have to fend them off."

Tushie? wondered Quinn.

"To make a long story short, it's no fun at all. And then I saw you and Sandi doing it..."

"And you fainted," Quinn finished.

"No," Stacy said. "After that. You guys were, um, kind of visible through Sandi's window the night after the meeting."

"We were??" Quinn panicked.

"No one else saw but me and Tiffany!" Stacy hurried to mention. "I hope you're not mad, but I watched for a little bit. It was... beautiful, Quinn. It was everything I've been missing." Stacy took a deep breath and sobbed. "I wanted to be there with you, just to know what a real, tender, loving touch could be like..."

Quinn felt like crying too, but she held it in for Stacy's sake. "It's okay, Stacy," Quinn said.

"I want to know what you know," Stacy said. "What it's like to... kiss a flower."

Quinn came a little closer, and took Stacy's hand. Stacy jumped a bit, and looked nervously into Quinn's eyes.

"Stacy," Quinn said gently. "I... I can't."

"Why not?" Stacy asked, visibly relaxing but a bit disappointed.

"It's Sandi," Quinn explained. "I mean, we never said we were going steady or anything, but I don't think it would go over well if she knew I kissed another girl. Especially someone else in the club."

Stacy nodded.

"Let me tell you something. Last spring, my cous- sister, Daria, kissed her best friend's boyfriend. It almost tore them apart. I don't want that kind of thing to happen with us. Me and Sandi are just starting out here, and we need to be careful if we're going to make this last, and if we want to stay friends."

Stacy nodded again. She was crying in earnest now.

"Oh, Stacy," Quinn sobbed, and gave her a close hug. Stacy cried on Quinn's shoulder for some time.

*********

"So, what do I do now?" Stacy asked. "I mean, do I go ask Tiffany if she wants to kiss?"

It had been almost an hour since they had first sat down. Stacy was finally all cried out, and the conversation had returned to the topic that started it.

Quinn chuckled a bit. "Maybe you could find another girl somewhere."

"But I don't want it to be just anyone," Stacy said. "I want it to be someone special. Otherwise, it'll be just like all the boys."

Quinn thought hard. "I suppose we could bring it up at the next Fashion Club meeting," she suggested.

Stacy laughed at that. "Oh God, no." She sighed heavily. "Look, thanks for everything Quinn, but I think I'll just have to wait. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and it will all seem like a weird idea anyway."

The front door suddenly swung open. Stacy jumped a bit, scooting a little away from Quinn on the sofa. Quinn shrugged, it was only natural Stacy should be a bit on edge.

"Hi Daria, hi Jane," Quinn said as the duo came in.

"Hey Quinn," Daria said. "Where's the rest of the fearsome foursome?"

"Oh, Stacy just wanted to talk to me about something. You know, fashion stuff."

"Well," Jane said. "We wouldn't dream of disturbing you further, then."

"You seem disturbed enough already," Daria added.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Funny, Daria."

Daria and Jane headed up the stairs. As they did, Quinn was struck with a thought. "Hey Stacy," she whispered.

"What?" Stacy asked.

"I just had an idea. Come into the kitchen, I don't want them to overhear."

*********

"This is going to sound weird, but hear me out," Quinn said as they settled in with a couple of mineral waters. "The other night, I got home after, um, spending time with Sandi. Jane was still here, in Daria's room. I heard my name come up, so I listened at the wall."

Quinn paused for a moment. "I guess I should tell you, Jane and Daria kind of accidentally found out about me and Sandi even before you did. They caught us in the act, so to speak."

"Whoa," Stacy replied. "How'd they take it?"

"Daria was, well, the usual Daria. Jane seemed to think it was funny. Anyway, they promised not to tell anyone. The thing is, I listened to them talking, and Jane is really curious about it all."

"You mean, Daria and Jane are –"

"Oh, God no," Quinn said quickly. "I thought so once myself, but there's no way. Daria is definitely straight, no question about it." She paused again. "Jane, on the other hand... I think she could lean either way."

Stacy saw where this was going. "Are you saying I should ask Jane to kiss me? But she's so... weird!"

Quinn shrugged. "A little, maybe," she agreed. "But I've gotten to know her pretty well. She's really nice, once you get past the outside. And she'd never kiss and tell. And, you have to admit, she's really sort of cute, in an alternative kind of way."

Stacy pondered. "But how would I do it? Just walk up to her and say, Hey Jane, I'm your friend's sister's friend, how about we lip-lock?"

"I hadn't really thought that far ahead," Quinn admitted. "If you want, I can talk to her about it. I don't have to mention your name. I'll just see if she'd be interested in the idea. Then, we'll see what we can set up."

"I don't know, Quinn..."

"You've got nothing to lose. What do you say?"

Stacy looked down at her feet, then up at Quinn. "Okay," she whispered.

*********

"Why am I here?" asked Jane.

Quinn sat down on her pink bed and looked Jane in the eye. "I didn't really mean to, but I overheard you and Daria the other night talking about me and Sandi."

"Hey, it's something to talk about," Jane said. "And we haven't told anyone else, if that's what you're thinking. It's your life, not ours."

"I appreciate that," Quinn said. "I just thought that if you were curious about anything, maybe you could just ask me instead of wildly speculating."

Jane looked oddly at Quinn. "Why are you offering details? I don't get it."

Quinn shrugged. "I thought it would be better than you and Daria having the wrong idea, that's all."

"So, why me? Why aren't you talking to Daria?"

"Daria doesn't want to know," Quinn said. "You do."

"Fair enough," Jane said. "Except that, having it put to me so bluntly, I don't really know what to ask."

"The other night, you were wondering what it was like to kiss a girl."

Jane's eyes went wide. "Are you offering, or something?"

"Don't be silly, Jane," Quinn laughed. "You're not my type. But hey, I can be curious too, can't I? What if you did get the chance to kiss another girl? Would you take it?"

Jane thought about that. "I had the chance once before," she said. "I didn't take it then."

This was news to Quinn. "When was that?" she asked.

"Last summer at art camp. It's a long story."

"Well, that was then, this is now," Quinn said. "What would you do if you had the chance for just a kiss, nothing more?"

Jane's first impulse was to tell Quinn it was none of her damn business and head back to Daria's room. Something, she wasn't sure what, was making her stay. Maybe it was the sincerity in Quinn's voice – she wasn't used to hearing that from Quinn. "If I got another chance," Jane mused, "and it was under different circumstances, where I wasn't being overly pressured... I think I might do it."

Quinn nodded and smiled.

*********

"She's interested," Quinn whispered to Stacy the next day by their lockers.

"In me?" Stacy asked incredulously.

"No, I didn't say anything about you or anyone specific," Quinn said. "I mean, she's interested in the idea."

"So, what now?" Stacy asked.

"I've been thinking about that," Quinn said. "Tell me, have you ever wanted your portrait painted?"

*********

Jane opened the door. "Hey, Stacy," she said.

"Eep!" Stacy replied. "I mean, hi!"

Jane sighed. "Look, I'm not going to bite your head off or anything, I'm just going to paint your picture."

Quinn had arranged everything for this little project. That day at school, she came up to Jane (that still seemed odd, Quinn just coming up and talking to them like they were normal in her eyes) and mentioned that one of her friends wanted a portrait done. Jane was skeptical at first, but Quinn insisted that everything was on the level and had even paid in advance. In the end, Jane couldn't resist the opportunity to do her first work-for-hire.

Now that Stacy was here, however, she was starting to regret it. The girl would just not sit still.

Jane had set the easel up in the living room, where there was more space and better light, and hung up a black sheet for a background. It was to be a portrait of just her face. Stacy had done her own makeup and hair, of course. Jane began by sketching her face from several different angles, looking for the "best side".

"I can't do this if you keep shaking," Jane said. "Come on, relax for Christ's sake. We're painting a picture, not performing an organ transplant."

Stacy took several deep breaths, and failed to relax.

Jane lay down her sketchbook and approached Stacy. "Stand up!" she shouted.

Stacy leaped out of the chair as if it were spring-loaded.

"Sit down!" Jane commanded. Stacy took a seat.

"Now," Jane said. "I promise not to yell at you for the rest of the day if you can just relax and stop acting as though I'm going to yell at you. Fair enough?"

"O-okay," Stacy said. She did manage to stop quivering so badly.

"All right, then," Jane said. "Let's get on with it." She returned to her sketchbook.

*********

By the time Jane was ready to paint, she had resigned herself to the fact that the only way to get Stacy to relax was to engage her in conversation. "So," Jane said. "Do you, um, have plans for Homecoming?"

"Huh?" Stacy asked, unprepared for small talk.

"That's what you fashion fiends do, isn't it? Sit around and prepare for big events like this?"

Stacy smiled a bit. "Actually, the four of us are all going together. No guys, just us."

Jane smirked. "Imagine, Quinn not having a date. What could possibly have caused such a wild change in the order of the universe?"

Stacy smirked as well. "Quinn's going with Sandi, as you well know."

Jane almost dropped her brush. "So you know all about it?" she asked.

"They told us a couple of days ago," Stacy said. "It sure took me by surprise."

"Tell me about it," Jane agreed. "Daria and I caught them in the act. Blew my mind."

"She told me about it," Stacy said, giggling a bit. As she did, she turned her head toward Jane and her chin dipped a bit into her leading shoulder.

"Wait right there," Jane said. "Can you focus your eyes right over there on the purple twisty sculpture?"

Stacy did so.

"Perfect," Jane said. "Just hold really still while I sketch this out on the canvas. I think we found your pose."

*********

"So, how'd you finally get back in?" Jane asked as she touched up Stacy's portrait with red.

"Mrs. Griffin finally came downstairs to see what Sandi's brothers were laughing about. By that tie, I swear my hair was frozen solid and I had icicles hanging from my swimsuit."

Jane chuckled. "Tell me, why didn't you just get back in the hot tub?"

There was silence for a moment.

"Oh God," Stacy said. "I never thought of that."

Jane managed to put her brush down before she cracked up.

"It's not funny," Stacy said, trying to keep from laughing herself.

Jane shook herself and turned her attention back to the portrait. "Almost done... there."

"Can I come see it?" Stacy asked excitedly.

"Come on over," Jane said. "But don't touch it, it's wet."

Stacy got up, stretched three hours worth of kinks out, and hurried over to see the picture. She gasped when she saw it.

Jane had painted her in a classic renaissance style. Her eyes were shining with life, her cheeks with just a hint of rose, and her smile was sweet and innocent. She was looking slightly over her shoulder in a way that seemed to convey a certain mischievousness. It was more than Stacy could ever have hoped for.

"It's... beautiful, Jane," Stacy said. "Thank you."

"I do my best," Jane said nonchalantly, but it was obvious she was pleased as well. "I'll take it down into the bomb shelter to dry overnight, and you can have it tomorrow evening."

Stacy turned to look at Jane, and as she caught her eyes, she remembered suddenly the reason she was here. It struck her that the painting itself, had she known what it would look like, would have been more than enough reason all on its own. But it wasn't all she had come for. Her stomach suddenly tried to tie itself in a knot, and her vision went gray.

"Are you all right?" Jane asked, sensing Stacy's sudden dizziness. "Do you need to sit down, or something?"

"I... I think so," she said. Jane led her to the sofa and helped her gently into it.

Stacy desperately fought to remain calm and not hyperventilate. "Do you mind if I stay for a bit?" she asked.

"Sure," Jane said, still concerned. "Are you sure you're all right? I mean, my work doesn't usually cause this strong a reaction."

"It's not that," Stacy said. Then, worried that Jane might be offended, she hastily added, "Don't get me wrong, the painting is beautiful. I never dreamed I could look that way. You're an amazing artist."

Jane shrugged, trying to take the compliment in stride, but it had obviously moved her. "Well, I was looking for the best in you. That's not something I normally do, though."

"Maybe I should bring the rest of the club over."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Please, one of you at a time is tolerable, all at once and I'd probably open fire with a shotgun before even putting paint to paper. I will admit, though, that I've been working on one of Quinn and Sandi making out in the lunchroom."

Stacy chuckled. "God, I'd love to see that."

"The painting, or the real thing?" Jane asked with a smirk.

Stacy swallowed hard. This was it. Her chance to turn to conversation to where she wanted it to go – or where she thought she wanted it to go, at any rate. "You know, when I first saw the real thing, I actually fainted."

"You? Go on," Jane said.

The sarcasm went over Stacy's head. "Seriously, I did. It took me totally by surprise, you know? I mean who would have thought it? Quinn and Sandi?"

"If there's one thing I've learned over the past year," Jane said, "it's that I'm lousy at determining who might be gay."

"I wonder what the appeal is?" Stacy asked.

Jane shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe it's something you have to experience."

Stacy decided to go for broke. "You know, I actually asked Quinn to kiss me," she said.

Jane's eyes went wide. "No way. Did she do it?"

"No," Stacy said. "She said it was a bad idea, seeing as she was sort of dating a friend of ours."

"And she was right," Jane said with conviction. "It is a very, very bad idea to even think of kissing your best friend's significant other. Only very bad things can come of that."

"She suggested I try someone else," Stacy said.

"So, who's the lucky girl?" Jane asked. Then her smirk dropped off her face. "Oh, God. I don't believe this. I can't believe this."

Stacy froze.

"She's trying to set you up with me, isn't she?" Jane asked. "No, don't answer that, it's obvious enough. God, how could I have been so gullible?"

"Jane, wait..."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jane asked angrily. "My God, you are first-class manipulators of people, aren't you? You come in here on some hidden agenda, you play me for a fool, you throw some shallow compliments about my work at me, and you think this is the best way into my pants?"

"Now just wait a minute!" Stacy shouted. "I meant it when I said I loved your painting! I meant every single word of it! And I'm not playing you for any kind of fool! You can kiss me or not, however you want it. And don't pretend for one moment that you don't want to, because you told Quinn flat