Blake Baum grinned as she ran up to one of her two girlfriends, Usha Krishnan, who had watched the soccer team practice from the bleachers, as she had many times before. In years past, her observations had been secret, perhaps because she was unsure of herself when it came to adoration. She had known she liked Blake since almost the beginning, but thankfully she could now be more public about her support—and her love. Blake was sweaty but she kissed her anyway. "You're going to knock them down in the homecoming meet," she said. Blake shrugged. "Well, me and the others. Zane and Katt are carrying this team; I'm just working according to Leena's ideas." "You're so cute when you're humble." She grinned and scooted over so her girlfriend could sit next to her. They clasped hands and shared several kisses (Alexis Walker gave a rude wolf whistle before hiding away). Blake giggled once she was freed, and rubbed her nose against her girlfriend's. Of all the things circumstance had given her, to share the hearts of both Mira and Usha—from out of nowhere! It had been her due, she reasoned: she had gone on long enough without romance. Usha returned the smile, but it was pale, far away, nestled in thought. "What's wrong?" asked Blake. Krishnan sighed and looked away. "It's Mira. We had another fight." Blake rolled her eyes glumly. "Oh." Do you wanna be a poet and write Do you wanna be an actor up in lights Do you wanna be a soldier and fight for love Do you wanna travel the world Do you wanna be a diver for pearls Or climb a mountain and touch the clouds above Be anyone you want to be Bring to life your fantasies But I want something in return I want you to burn burn for me baby Like a candle in my night Oh burn Burn for me Burn for me Are you gonna be a gambler and deal Are you gonna be a doctor and heal Or go to heaven and touch God's face Are you gonna be a dreamer who sleeps Are you gonna be a sinner who weeps Or an angel Under grace I'll lay down on your bed of coals Offer up my heart and soul But in return I want you to burn Burn for me baby Like a candle in my night Oh burn burn for me burn for me Yeah Ooh I want you to burn baby ooh Laugh for me Cry for me Pray for me Lie for me Live for me Die for me I want you to burn Burn for me baby Like a candle in my night Oh burn burn for me burn for me Yeah Ah yeah I want you to burn I want you to burn for me baby Ohh yeah "The Election Results" "What is with you two?" she asked, making a wild gesture. Usha shrank into her own pity. "Blake, it was not my fault. We were merely having a private debate and she... oh! Sometimes that girl can be so stubborn, so impossible! I only presented what I believed to be a strong opinion, but she didn't have to get so upset over it!" "You sound pretty upset yourself," murmured Blake. Usha gave her a look, but she held her ground. "Look, I'm just telling you the truth, sweets. You can get just as temperamental as Mira; you hardly ever back down from a debate. It's like a light goes on in your head, and you can't stop until the other party sees how wrong they were, or at least how misled." "That's not—" "That's exactly the problem," emphasized Blake, giving her girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "It's been my unhappy observation these past few months. Now I realize the election is tomorrow, and we'll have a new junior class president in 24 hours, and you're supposed to be arguing. But sweetness, you can't have a good relationship with anybody if all you do is bicker over the silliest thing." "It wasn't—" Usha stopped herself as she realized she had been pouting, and took a cleansing breath. "Forgive me," she muttered, and continued in her standard tone of civility. "It was not a silly thing. Mira believed in it; that's why she argued for it. I did not see the importance, and I... well, yes, looking back on it, I'm afraid I stressed my feelings far too tightly. I behaved very inappropriately, but the blame is not all mine." "Usha." Blake shook her head and touched her girlfriend's pale-brown skin, the glow of tough love in her blackish eyes. "You love Mira. Don't put any blame on her if it's not due." "But it is—" "Usha." "Blake..." The poor girl shook her head, unable to win and unwilling to admit defeat. She hung her head and sighed. Blake decided she needed some love, and went in to kiss her cheek. "Maybe you better tell me what got you two so riled up. Then I'll understand as well." Usha smiled warmly. "A fine idea. I keep telling you, Blake, you should be in the senate or congress." "Nah, it's not my style. I'd get impeached after a week due to not being able to focus. And speaking of which, before my train of thought derails, the situation?" "Ah, yes, I'm sorry." ...... "So tell me again about this new campaign promise of yours. I hear you're telling people you'll open up a new club if you're elected." "I hope so." Mira fiddled with her lunch and Usha's hand at the same time, liking one considerably more than the other. The rib meat, if it could be called that, tasted more like somebody had poured watered-down expired barbecue sauce on a sheet of beef-flavored cardboard. There were more nutrients in Mira's sneakers than in the meal; she stuck to the corn and the brownie, and turned her nose against the inferior beef. Not even if she were starving... "Go ahead, don't be so picky," Usha prodded, noticing her girlfriend's reactions. "It's not like it's deadly." "It's insulting. Pity, though; a good waste of money too. You want?" "Uh, I'm trying to avoid meat altogether." "Bah! I have a Vegan girlfriend!" Mira coughed and shoved her lunch tray away. Usha gave her a sad smile and kissed her cheek. "I'm not that bad, am I?" "Joking." Mira's soft smile convinced her, and with an ahem, she vouched for her idea. "I want to start a club centered around love for Japanese animation. I could include many people, myself being president, and I can have meetings whenever it is convenient. I don't think I am... abusing? Is that the right word? Oh—abusing my power. It's very small." Usha mulled over it for a second. "Japanese animation... That's the, uh, ominay you like, right?" "It is anime," Mira corrected coolly, "and yes it is. I've already started a petition and had many people sign it. Miss Marbel will have to recognize it once I'm president." Usha gave an unreadable look. Mira knew for a fact that she was not the only one who wanted an anime club; many, many women at the school, student and faculty alike (Ms. Keeping, for example), had wanted an official place to discuss, view, and immerse themselves in their love. Usha had been largely unaware of this ideal, since she ran with the people who saw themselves as "above" childish things like that. "Mira, one way or the other, I hope your dream comes true. But if I'm elected, I can't promise condoning that. It's just not something that interests me. I'm more likely to focus on the Homecoming Festival, the Winter Social, Prom, and things like that. If you want to start a club, keep that petition and speak with the Headmistress. I'm sorry; I can't bother myself with something like that. No offense. "But it does offend me!" argued van Dijk, looking hurt. "Yusha, you are my girlfriend and I love you, and I had hoped we could share many interests together. We already do, but I'd like to show you more. Don't you think you could at least give it some thought?" "But that is not one of my promises." Usha gave her a gentle stare and took her hand. The softness of those fingers was euphoric. "It could be." "Ah. But it's so late. Tomorrow is the election; you've got your promises and speeches, and I have mine. I cannot change my mind so late. Mira, honestly, if you win, all the better for your cause, and if you don't, you can still try and—" "Usha, please, for me." She squeezed her hand, her eyes begging. Krishnan shook her head. "I can commit to very few actions I did not promise to embark upon. I could grant you the power to start one, if necessary, but I won't be the one to do it myself." "Then I guess I'll have to win." Mira gave her a nasty look, snorted, and got up from the table. Feeling insulted, Usha dashed after her, making a scene in front of the entire cafeteria. "Don't be so certain of yourself, Mira! I respected you greatly because, let's face it, you're an amateur doing the job of a professional! If you did win, how long do you seriously think you can hold office? Huh? How long before you're overwhelmed?" Mira whirled around, now visibly angry, her face vivid. "You think I am stupid, don't you? That I don't know what I'm doing! You may as well say it; you've never taken me seriously since I began this!" "I have so! I liked you and respected you because—" "Because silly girl who never had any experience now shows that she knows a few things, right? Am I right?" Usha froze, half sad and half furious. She put her hands on her hips and rubbed her eyes. "Mira, no—no. I liked you because you gave me a challenge; you made me go outside my own expertise and work harder. None of my previous rivals have ever done that before, and... why are you getting so worked up about this?" Mira practically spat at Usha as she answered. "Because maybe you need to get your stupid butt off your throne and let somebody new take over." She stormed away furiously, pushing a few people aside and nearly getting detention from several irate teachers. Usha growled and whispered a very quiet curse, and excused herself in front of those who had observed. She took a deep breath, returned to her table, and disposed of her tray. Out of kindness, she took Mira's, and left the lunchroom in a hurry. ...... "Jeez," sighed Blake, "you can be a real bitch sometimes." Usha's calm face exploded in shock. "Excuse me!!!" "Honey, it's true, okay? Look, I still don't know you very well, but I already know you have a hard time hearing the truth, at least when it's offensive." "How dare you—" "Listen!!" Blake snorted, calmed down, and apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. But you can really be testy at times, Ush. You hardly ever listen to people's opinions if they oppose yours, and if something offends you, especially if it's true, you go crazy. Maybe Mira's right—maybe you should be replaced for awhile, because honestly, you don't strike me as the kind of politician you should be." Usha growled at her, squeezing her brows tight, but Blake had said everything with honesty and love; she cared for Usha very deeply, and Mira, and she knew they could be better. Usha slowly, reluctantly accepted her girlfriend's words, sagged, calmed, and fell into Blake's arms, moaning in shame. She had been terrible, and one-sided, and stupid, and stubborn, and everything else. She had been a horrible hypocrite, and begged for forgiveness. Blake hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Look, honey, I love you and I forgive you, but you need to apologize to Mira too. And you need to forgive her. Please, god Usha, don't make this a big deal. Does it really matter to you who gets elected? Does it really matter to Mira who starts her club, and when? Does it? Is all this nonsense worth fighting each other, when you know you love each other?" Usha sniffled, wiping her tears away as she smiled sadly and shook her head. "No... it's not." "Then will you apologize to Mira, please, and forgive her? And do it in person, not over the phone?" "Yes. I will." "Will you kiss and make up?" Usha gave a crooked laugh. "Yes, I certainly will. Oh, Blake, you're so wonderful... so very wonderful..." "Bah." She returned Usha's embrace humbly, absorbing the tears and compliments. Usha kissed her below the ear, on the cheek, across the jaw and up to the mouth, where she stayed a very long time, expressing passion and relief and love in the warm embrace. Blake felt herself soaring as her hands held her girlfriend's shoulder blades, traveled to the small of her back, combed her long hair, caressed her face. The two grinned and shared several tender kisses, and rubbed noses softly. "Sometimes I miss you," whispered Usha. "How so? You see me every day." "I mean... I miss this. I've been working so hard, I've not had time to be intimate with you... or with Mira. I think that's the problem. I'm not proving to her how deeply I cherish her. I think I'm getting a little scared." "That you'll lose her? Nonsense, Usha. Mira loves you; she tells me all the time. I should be the one to be worried; I've seen you two together. I'm surprised you haven't left me and gone off with each other!" "I would never—we would never do that!" she insisted. Usha took her girlfriend's hands and kissed them, fingers and knuckles and wrist, and kissed her salty palms slowly, delicately, making sure Blake could feel every part of her mouth. She inhaled sharply and gave a sigh of love. "What would we ever do without you, beautiful Blakie?" whispered Krishnan, placing her girlfriend's hand on her cheek. "You're our glue, lovely. You keep us all together. Mira and I would be terrible to each other—or... maybe... I'd just be terrible to her, if it weren't for you. I know I definitely need you in my life, Blake, to keep my head from getting too big. And Mira needs you too, sweetness; I've seen how much happier she gets with you around. You look so darling together..." "And you and I look pretty hot ourselves," she admitted slyly. Usha giggled, gave Blake a fierce hug, and an even fiercer smooch. Baum laughed and held her girlfriend by the waist, grinning for love and sighing happily. "Eh... sorry. I worry over nothing. Tell you what—you apologize to Mira, make out for awhile, and all three of us will go out on a really romantic date. How's about that? And who cares who wins, we'll all still love each other." Usha smiled warmly, kissed her deeply, and nuzzled her neck. "As always, your wisdom exceeds my own. Hence why I need you. All right, I'll do it. Before we go, um... do you think the two of us could spend a little more time together, in private?" "I guess." Usha gave a glowing smile. "And can we take a shower together, since you're so smelly?" "Uh, no thanks. Just follow me into the locker room and no peeking." "Aww, why not?" Usha smiled playfully and drummed her fingers on her girlfriend's arm, but Blake wasn't as spunky. "Eh, I don't like my body. It's really not very great. Please don't look; I'm very self-conscious." "Oh... but I think you are very beautiful. And... sexy." Usha grinned and blushed; Blake just blushed. She whistled and wiggled out of her girlfriend's grip. "Uh, yeah. Anyway, don't peek. And don't join me in the shower. When I'm ready for it, I want you and Mira with me, all three of us together." "As you wish." Krishnan smiled and locked hands with Blake, and followed her into the locker room, where they parted briefly so Baum could undress, shower, and change into a fresh pair of clothes. They discussed the date in the meantime, and how well Mira and Usha could "congratulate" each other once one of them won the election. ......... Jocelyn made her way through the bleachers, sidling past legs and bodies, as she and Erica looked for a seat. The auditorium was already crowded, but they had asked for it after stopping several times for personal conversation. Eventually they sat, Jocelyn feeling what she believed to be very early signs of her pregnancy, though it was really just the ice cream settling. Erica wedged herself in a little more, gave a meek smile, and pulled her friend in and combed her dark brown hair, playing with the curls at the end. First-year, sophomore, junior, and senior class presidents would be announced soon, and the wait and anticipation (or lack thereof with the indifferent students) would finally be over. Some people there actually cared who was going to run their class, but even those who did not were interested to see where the Mira v. Usha campaign would go. Headmistress Marbel came into sight a few minutes later, not settling very many people with her presence. She held a hand up and got the silence she wanted, though still not from everyone. "Good afternoon," she began, "and thank you all for coming. I will keep this short, since no doubt you look forward to returning to class." Naturally, people both laughed and groaned at this. She grinned, fully self-aware, and called out, "So without further ado, let me first call out the candidates from each of the classes." Eight girls came out, most of whom were familiar with the audience before them, though some were strangers who had came from nowhere and were now making a good impression. "First, the fresher class: in a slightly skewed vote, we have... Sheila Creed winning over Kera Knight!" The audience applauded, some more polite than enthusiastic. Kera congratulated Sheila, and sat down, very dignified. "For the sophomores, a rather one-sided victory: Rita Holloway wins decisively over Mina Sharve!" Again, applause. Some people obviously liked Holloway; poor Sharve had barely gotten 15 of the vote. The Headmistress gave an anxious smile as she flipped the pages around, getting to the "main event"; that is, who would take the junior class crown. "And now the junior class," she said with obvious flair. "In what has been the closest election race in Stanton's history, and perhaps the most unlikely, I am pleased to announce that in the race between Usha Krishnan and Mira van Dijk, the winner... achieving presidency by only one percent of the vote..." "Get to it already!" shouted someone. Marbel gave the girl a catty smirk. "All right, all right. The winner, by a fraction... Usha Krishnan!" The crowd either cheered or jeered, depending on who they liked, and there was hardly a stunned face in the crowd. Some people swore that the underdog Mira would upset Usha and gain the title, while others were stunned that Krishnan kept her streak. Either way, the reaction was something to remember. Both Mira and Usha looked surprised, and while Mira did seem upset for a little while, she got over her pride, clapped, and walked over to shake Usha's hand. Usha would give her speech later. "Well," said Marbel once things settled, "that's a tough act to follow, but since brevity is the soul of wit, I'll be brief and say for the senior class, Tabitha Jamison has narrowly won against Janice Isner." The crowd applauded weakly, and calmed for the speeches of their new presidents. Sheila, Rita, and Tabitha delivered forgettable Thank-You and I'll-Do-My-Best monologues, but it was Usha's that stood out. She came to the podium, cleared her throat, and chuckled. "Wow. I honestly thought Mira would win. Lord knows she deserves it." "Abdicate!" screamed a girl. Usha laughed merrily. "Oh, I would, but I was chosen to this task, though I must profess, I think it's because I have a record for reliable service. If I had came into this fresh as my friend and rival Mira had, there is no doubt in my mind that she would have beaten me soundly. Headmistress Marbel, might I ask an unusual and unprecedented favor of you?" "What is it?" "May I please, if it's possible at all, allow Mira to be my vice-president? She is very capable," she continued through murmurs of disbelief, "and I must say that since the race was so close, having someone like her working alongside me would improve the school and the junior class. She is a very dear friend of mine, and with one other exception, I would have nobody else beside me. The honor is hers anyway, but since I was chosen, I would like her to have this rank." Mira was aghast and stunned, and couldn't speak even to mutter in her own language. Headmistress Marbel was touched and surprised as well, and after considering it (weathering chants of "Do it!", "Let her!", and "We want Mira!"), she nodded her head. "Since you didn't nominate a vice-president in the first place—perhaps the two of you conspired to fill in the gap should either of you win?—I really don't see the harm in it. It is unprecedented," she continued through the cheers and applause, "but some precedents were made to be broken. As Headmistress of Elizabeth Cady Stanton Public High School for Girls, it is my honor to dub you President, Usha Krishnan, and upon your request, Mira van Dijk as Vice-President." Mira squealed and bounced as she was called over, and could barely restrain herself as Marbel gave her the titles, responsibilities, and powers of her position. Once they were both official, she gave Usha a tight bear hug and twirled her around in the air, and in front of the entire assembly of students, teachers, and friends, Mira kissed Usha right on the mouth. Jocelyn Elizabeth McKeough said, "Oh my." Blake Freda Baum blushed as Gabrielle jabbed her in the ribs. Ana Lu sneezed. "Take care," said Rai.
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