Page 129 of Semantics

“Hey!” Stella said.

“How did you two not realize that you should’ve been dating all along? I mean, just telling each other your favorite TV show got you both all weak in the knees. You could have done that, like, ten years ago. Stella, I know she’s annoying, but you really couldn’t have just asked her out or fucked her brains out back then?”

“She wasn’t single, Sarai,” Stella replied.

“Yeah, she was. She just didn’t know it,” Sarai argued. “I’m just saying… You two could’ve been married by now, living in that house and not having to put up with us here. I know Vi couldn’t have made the first move; that wasn’t her thing and still pretty much isn’t, but it seems like it’s yours, Stella.”

“Will you leave my girlfriend alone, please?” Violet said with a little laugh, running her hand over Stella’s back.

“Uh…” Arlowe walked back into the room, chip bag in one hand and the index finger on her other hand pointing at Stella. “Your face,” she said and laughed hard.

“What’s going on?” Enya asked as she walked in from the hallway.

“When did you leave?” Sarai asked her. “When did you change into your pajamas?”

“I told you I wanted to go to bed. But I heard you were all out here still, and I didn’t want to miss anything,” Enya replied as she sat down next to Sarai.

Violet had heard her friends talk, but her brain couldn’t process their words properly at the moment. She’d just called Stella her girlfriend for the first time, and while she hadn’t seen Stella’s face, Arlowe, apparently, had, and she was laughing about it, which meant that Stella’s facial expression at hearing her definition of their relationship had been something to laugh at. That couldn’t bode well.

“Now, Violet’s face,” Arlowe noted as she continued to laugh on her way to the other couch, where she sat down. She then picked up a chip, ate it, and added. “Hilarious, you two.”

“What are you laughing at?” Enya asked Arlowe.

“I think Violet might have just called Stella her girlfriend for the first time,” Sarai said, nudging Enya’s shoulder with her own.

“She did, yes,” Stella confirmed. “And I think my eyebrows went up, which was why Arlowe started laughing, and now, Violet might be hyperventilating. Babe, are you hyperventilating?”

“What? No.”

“You are breathing really hard,” Arlowe noted.

“Eat your chips, Arlowe,” she told her through gritted teeth.

“I think we’re going to bed now,” Stella said with a little laugh. “She’s being really cute.”

“Just keep it down, please. I’m going to sleep,” Enya replied.

“And we all live here,” Arlowe added. “So, maybe no yells or screams.”

“Arlowe, just shove a handful of those chips into your mouth and chew for the next hour,” Violet replied.

Stella laughed and said, “Babe, come on.”

“But are you Violet’s girlfriend?” Sarai asked. “I’m interested because tonight, the two women we sang Eye of the Tiger with asked about you two. They weren’t into women, but they both knew someone who was, I guess, and they were curious. I said that you two were just dating, and Arlowe told them that you were meant to be. Arlowe was drunker than me. I think we just confused them, so they didn’t ask us anything else.”

“I am Violet’s girlfriend, yes,” Stella replied, taking Violet’s hand. “So, I’m going to take my possibly hyperventilating girlfriend to bed, where we will watch some nerdy show that we both like, even though there’s nothing nerdy about it and the concepts are universal, but if you want to see a slide presentation on the proof of that statement, I have it on my laptop and can show it during your meeting tomorrow morning. Then, we’re going to sleep.”

“So, no loud sex? That’s great. I’m exhausted,” Enya said without moving from the couch.

“Go to bed!” Arlowe, Sarai, and Violet all yelled at the same time.

“But you’re all having fun. I don’t want to miss anything. If I had gone to bed, I wouldn’t have known that Violet has a girlfriend.”

“We’re going to bed, too, so all you’ll be missing is Arlowe choking on that handful of chips she just ate,” Violet stated.

“Love you, too, Vi,” Arlowe replied and shoved more chips into her mouth as she squinted her eyes at Violet.

“Good night, everyone,” Stella said.