It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Alex Ryan when she finds herself falling head over heels for Connie O’Reilly. How could she not? There isn’t a person alive who wouldn’t be drawn to the irresistibly beautiful and charming Connie. It seems impossible she could reciprocate -- not when Alex is so awkward, so timid, so very much a girl -- until what starts as a sweet friendship blossoms into something so much more than Alex could have dreamed of. Alex knows what they have is a momentary thing, not enough to be called forever. Connie’s the most popular girl in the school, wealthy and admired. She’s going to go to Trinity, maybe marry a lawyer. She’s going to have everything Alex could never give her. She isn’t stupid, after all. Status and reputation might mean nothing to Alex, but to Connie they are everything. The only out-lesbian they know is ridiculed by everyone she meets, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before Connie lets that be her. But when rumours spark and new faces enter the picture, they’re both set to discover that, while it may be easy to walk away, it’s a lot harder to move on.

The Night Belongs to Us

I strolled out the back door of the gym, heading around the corner to the shaded area hidden away at the back of the building. It had been so long since I encountered anyone else hiding away back there before but I figured plenty of other students congregated in the spot to steal a fag away from prying eyes after school. Mid-day, however, the area was always empty. So, it came as a surprise to swing around the wall and find Connie O’Reilly sitting in my spot.


She jumped a little when I came into view but offered me a somewhat apprehensive smile all the same. Her jumper was scrunched up in a ball at her feet and her sleeves were rolled up and she didn’t have her school bag, I noticed.


“Oh,” she exclaimed in surprise as her voice trembled ever so slightly, “Hi.”


“Hey. I um—sorry, I didn’t realize anyone else would be here—”


“No, no.” She waved a hand, shifting a little further against the wall. “Are you mitching?”


“Maths. We have a test I didn’t study for.”


Chapter 60