Book Club

Emma slowly placed the mini sandwiches on the plate and brought them over to the coffee table. “Why do I have to do this?” She moaned to her mother, pulling her phone out of her pocket. 

“Sweetheart it’s a punishment.” Her mother said as she poured chips into a bowl.

“I know that..” she rolled her eyes, “But how is joining your neighbourhood book club a punishment.”

“Are you having fun?” She asked Emma grabbing her phone and placing it in her purse lying on the counter. “You get this back tomorrow.”

“Hey! I guess I’m not having fun. All for coming home two minutes late.” She crossed her arms and slouched herself on to the couch.

“It’s not all bad, Maria’s daughter Haley is coming, she’s being punished too.” 

“Really? Why?” Emma perked up at the sound of Haley’s name. 

“Apparently she got caught with a girl in her bed overnight.”

“Oh,” Emma said suddenly realizing what had happened. The door bell rang. 

“Can you get that, please” Emma opened the door and within the next ten minutes all of the mothers of the neighbourhood were in her house ready for book club. When Haley arrived with her mother she went to go sit down next to Emma. “Hey” Haley stretched her arm around Emma’s shoulder on the cushion behind her. “Hi.” She smiled at her. Haley placed her hand on Emma’s thigh. Emma looked at her and then at her hand and grabbed her palm with her thumb and forefinger and dropped it back in Haley’s lap. “You know why we’re both here right?” 

“I’m only here because I had someone over not because of who I had over.” Haley replied.

“Well, I’ll be in trouble if my mother knows who I was with, so go sit somewhere else.” Emma poked Haley’s shoulder.

“She’s not gonna know anything if I just sit here.” Haley’s mother leaned over her shoulder,

“You’re not sitting next to her.” Haley groaned and started to move towards a chair on the the other side of the living room.

“I think that settles that.” Emma waved mockingly to her. Haley stuck out her tongue at Emma. Everyone at the book club finally settled in. “What is this book about anyway?” Emma asked.

“It’s about a love affair between a countess and duke from opposing side of a war. The duke wants to show the world their love to end the war but the countess just thinks it would cause more outrage.” Emma’s mother summarized.

“Humph.” Haley scoffed. “I think the world would be better for it if the duke and countess went public with their affair. You know, being true to yourself and what not.”

“I don’t really think so.” Emma protested as she picked up the book and looked at the back. “You see the countess could get in a lot of trouble for marrying outside her father’s agreed upon terms and it could lead him turning on the duke’s family in a negative way.”

“Well maybe if she told her mother she would approve and be able to convince the her father it was okay.” Haley sat up straighter.

“Um Haley,” her mother got her attention, “the countess’s mother is dead honey.”

“Oh, well it doesn’t matter if she could convince her father that her mother wouldn’t care than, she’d be golden.” Haley leaned back in her chair.

“The countess doesn’t have it the same as the duke,” Emma began to argue, “Everyone knows that the duke would like someone like the countess, it’s different.”

“It’s not that different, around their friends she could try not to ignore the duke, just pretending to be friends with him couldn’t hurt.” Haley’s voice rose, the women in the book club looked around at each other confused, starting to relise they might not be talking about the book.

“I don’t think you understand Haley, what the countess has at stake.” Emma said also raising her voice.

“I think you two need the read the book.” Emma’s mother pitched in.

“Maybe it would just be nicer if the countess at least acknowledged the duke at school!” Haley bursted out. Haley’s mother rubbed the roof of her nose as she whispered, “gosh these guys are bad at this” under her breath. “I mean courtyard or what ever.” Haley said, trying to correct her self. The mothers and the two bickering teenagers sat there in silence trying to figure out what had just happened. Finally Haley’s mom grabbed Haley by the arm and gestured Emma to follow her into the the hall way. “Okay, you two need the figure this out.” She pushed the girls down the hall. “Talk.” She ordered.

“Sometimes I feel like you ignore me at school because your embarrassed to even be associated with me.” Haley said. Emma rolled her eyes.

“I hate it when you talk like that, we’re not in therapy.” Emma crossed her arms.

“What else am I supposed to say, I’m mad at you,” Haley lightly pushed Emma, “‘cause I’m not. I love you.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t be mad at me Haley.” Emma uncrossed her arms. “I get it, I do kind of avoid you at school but you’re...” Emma paused trying to think of the right words, “really gay, and everyone and school knows it. It’s kinda your whole shtick, all your friends are guys and I feel like if I hung out with you at school, people would talk.”

“Why would that be so bad-”

“‘Cause what if it got to my parents,” Emma cut off, “they’re not the most accepting.”

“Yeah, fine.” Haley began to hug Emma. “It’s a process, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Can we at least tell some of our close, mutual friends.” She kissed her on the forehead. “So I can have someone the complain about you to.” Emma shot her a look.

“Regardless of that, sure.” She leaded into kiss Haley.

“See was that so hard.” Haley mother said as she sipped her wine, slightly angered by moony-eyed teenage romance. “Let’s go back to the living room.” They walked back to the women staring at them. “Don’t worry,” Haley’s mom reassured, “just some boy problems, normal teenage girl things.”

“Doesn’t Haley like girls.” One of the moms pointed out.

“Yep.” Said Haley’s mother as she sat down.

The End