Page 62 of WASP

“Annie,” her mom called before spotting them at the counter. “Oh, hello Maxine. I didn’t realize you were coming over this afternoon,” Colleen said coolly, her assessing gaze scanning the room, and Max couldn’t help the way she bristled at the use of her full name. The words be good echoed in her mind.

“Max,” Senior said jovially. “Nice to see you again.” He waved as he moved towards the front hall and out of sight.

“I thought you guys were going to be out for a little longer. Max and I still have some, uh, things we need to go through.” Annie’s voice was more annoyed than panicked.

Colleen raised a skeptical eyebrow, clearly displeased with Annie’s response. “You know,” she started, “we were having lunch with Bill and Allison Whitaker. Allison mentioned she’s seen you two around town together a few times now. She asked me about it and put me in a little bit of an awkward position because I didn’t know what to tell her.”

Max shot Annie a glance, unsure how to handle this interaction, but Annie didn’t even blink. “The easiest answer would have been to tell her we’re dating. What’s so hard about that?” she retorted.

Dating.

Max’s ears perked up at the sound of that word, a thrill shooting through her. They had never really discussed putting a label on what they were doing but now that it was out there, Max was obsessed with it, obsessed with the idea that Annie was, by her own definition, her girlfriend. She tried to hide her smile.

Colleen huffed, placing a hand on her hip. “Well, how were we supposed to know that when you don’t tell us anything?”

But it was the ghost of a smile on Annie’s mother’s lips that perplexed Max. If she were being honest, Max had never fully been able to tell how Annie’s mom felt about her in the handful of times they had interacted. Sometimes she could have sworn Colleen harbored downright disdain for her, but then other times, like this moment, Max wasn’t so sure.

“I didn’t realize it was something I needed to announce to you, but now you know, and we’re going to pack things up here.” Annie began piling the papers on top of her laptop, looking at Max. “Can you help me bring these upstairs?” she asked, and Max nodded, grabbing the stack next to her, following closely as Annie’s pink skirt swished behind her.

Max stopped at the bottom of the stairs, hesitating before turning back towards Colleen. “Good to see you,” she said, smiling softly because this was Annie’s mom, and if they were—as Annie said—dating, she sure as hell was determined to make Colleen like her.

“Always a treat, Maxine,” Colleen called after them as she and Annie ascended the stairs.

“Dating?” Max asked smugly, a few moments after Annie had closed the bedroom door behind them.

A small smile settled on Annie’s full lips as she set the stack of papers on the dresser. “Was that okay to say?” She held her hand out to Max, taking the papers from her and adding them to the pile.

Max was already nodding. “Absolutely—I mean, yeah. It’s okay—it just caught me off guard a bit, but in a good way.” Her words were hurried as she tried to explain, not wanting Annie to think she didn’t want this.

“Okay then,” Annie said matter-of-factly. “It’s decided. We’re girlfriends.”

“Why does that always sound so silly to say out loud?” Max asked, taking a step closer to Annie.

“I don’t think it sounds silly.” Annie placed a hand softly on Max’s chest, fiddling with the collar of her shirt, smoothing it down. “Would you prefer partner? You know, for a more serious touch.”

Max thought about it for a moment. “No, you know what, let’s stick with girlfriend.”

Annie giggled into the kiss she was leaning in for, hands landing on Max’s hips, the pressure of her fingertips insistent as she guided Max back towards the bed, never breaking the moment between them. Eager hands pushed her down as Annie climbed on top of her, mouth finding her neck as Max struggled not to give in to what she wanted most.

“Ann-ie.” She shuddered as Annie sucked on the sensitive area along the underside of her jaw.

Max blinked hard, opening her eyes to see an array of women looking down at her as Annie’s hands toyed with the hem of her shirt.

“Annie,” she hissed, gently wrapping her hands around her delicate wrists, stopping her movements in their tracks. “We can’t, not in your parents’ house—especially not when they’re home and the walls are thin.”

Annie ducked her head, grumbling into Max’s neck, “I live here too.”

“Yeah, you do, but I also kind of want your parents to like me, and I don’t think defiling their daughter in her childhood bedroom is going to win me brownie points.”

“Oh dear, heavens me.” Annie giggled, propping herself up on her forearms as she clutched at imaginary pearls. “Do you intend to sully my good name now?”

“Tarnish, stain, besmirch, mar—take your pick.”

Swatting at her playfully, Annie rolled off Max, positioning herself next to her on the bed, hand slipping into hers, intertwining their fingers as they both stared up at the collage of women fixed to the ceiling. “I really need to get my own place.” She sighed, a hint of frustration in her words that had Max trying to guess the root cause.

Her body stilled, unsure if Annie’s statement was meant to be rhetorical or an invitation to an entirely different conversation, one Max wasn’t sure she was ready to have yet. Not because she was afraid of it, but because it felt way too early to have it.

Annie shifted, rolling onto her side. The fabric of her skirt draped over her hips, flowing over the edge of the bed. Max rolled over to face her, bringing a hand up to tuck a long strand of blond hair behind Annie’s ear as a curious question left her.