Are You-? (Story)[medium]

“You know something weird that happen today?” Xin Ling asked her best friend, Danielle as they were walking home from school. They lived very near each other and never a school day went by without them walking together.
“What?” Danielle asked, swiping the back of her hand across her forehead. It was a hot afternoon and the sun was shining mercilessly. Mother Nature seemed to have not a single ounce of pity for them for there was not even a small breeze every now and then to make walking in the heat a little less torturous.
“Earlier when I was packing my bag, Jael was hanging around. Then all of a sudden just said, ‘ngo cung yee chor ley’ and then just left.”
Danielle turned Xin Ling’s cap backwards and looked at her with a funny grin. “And that is Hokkien for-? Verbatim please.”
With a huff, Xin Ling pulled the cap off her head and restored it to its rightful position. “I don’t care about looking cool. The cap is to protect me from the sun. What the shit is verbatim?”
Danielle laughed at Xin Ling’s choice of words. Danielle and Xin Ling were as different as they came. While one was studious and responsible, Danielle was outgoing and carefree. Where Xin Ling was tensioned and never had enough hours in her day, Danielle was relaxed and had plenty of time for her various hobbies. In a way, it was a good thing that they were so different; they rubbed off on each other and fixed each other’s flaws without realizing it and opened up new worlds for each other for example, Xin Ling now played sports and Danielle studied more.
“Verbatim is originally Latin meaning ‘word for word’ or ‘in exactly the same words’. In basic English, I want a word for word translation,” Danielle explained as she tugged on her sling bag strap, which was digging into the skin of her neck, rubbing it raw. “This bag is so killing me!”
“So stop switching bags,” Xin Ling scolded lightly, transferring the books in her right hand to her left. Pulling Danielle to a stop, she tucked the bag strap under Danielle’s collar and then continued walking.
“Wow. Thanks. Much better. I still don’t get why you never leave any books in your desk yet your bag is so small and light while my bag probably weighs as much as my sister.”
“Notice the books in my hand. Not to mention your bag is filled with your many notebooks filled with God-knows-what nonsense,” Xin Ling teased and poked Danielle in the side.
“Ow! Haha. Very funny,” Danielle stuck out her tongue and pulled a cheeky face at her friend. “But as you were saying earlier about Jael?”
“Ah. Well, in English, she said, ‘I like you already’.”
Danielle laughed. “Are you serious? Oh my gosh! Xin Ling, Xin Ling.” She made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound and shook a finger at Xin Ling. “You are too pretty for your own good.”
“But it’s nothing. I mean, it is normal but just a bit weird. Girls- Girls always show these small affections.” Seeing the skeptical, laughing look on Danielle’s face she added, “Right?”
“Girls generally don’t tell each other, ‘I like you’ unless of course the girl in question is- you know,” Danielle shrugged. “unless the girl likes the other girl in ‘that’ way. There are a few exceptions of course.”
Xin Ling rolled her eyes. Just because Jael told me she likes me doesn’t mean she- likes me in the other way! It could be just as friends! And if girls don’t say I like you then what do they say?”
Danielle gave her a lopsided grin. “I love you.”
“Eww!”
“Hey, it doesn’t have to mean the romantic kind of love! It’s just the ‘I care about you and I love you’ kind. Kind of the love you have for your family; just the simple, innocent ‘I care’ love,” Danielle explained
Xin Ling shook her head. “This is just too weird for me to handle. So what you’re saying is that Jael could be a lesbian and that she has a crush on me?”
“Lesbian or bisexual; there’s a difference. She might or might not be,” Danielle laughed. “I’m just saying. It could be crap after all you know I’m the so-called, self-proclaimed expert.”
Xin Ling gave a sigh. “This is just- weird. I’m new to this. I don’t know anyone who is a lesbian!” She threw her hands up in the air and pulled her cap off to fan her flushed face.
“Yes, you do.”
Xin Ling stared at Danielle with an incredulous expression. Did Danielle know someone who was?
“You probably just don’t realize it,” Danielle continued without missing a beat. “After all, its not really noticeable especially if the person is bisexual.”
“Ok, what is a bisexual in the first place? What’s the difference from a gay or a lesbian?” Xin Ling asked. For some reason, Danielle had an opinion on just about everything. She knew all kinds of facts and information, whether she was right and sane at the moment was another issue.
It was one of the things that intrigued Xin Ling about Danielle. She often got the feeling that there was a reason Danielle knew all this and there was always more than would meet the eye. All of the questions, however random they may seem ranging from topics about the superhuman ability to regenerate body cells to whether they believed in miracles or her views on various topics, gave the feeling that it was some how connected to Danielle. Of course, mentioning such a theory would gain a skeptical look and a twinkle of laughter as her best friend scurried in her mind to lock herself away; or so Xin Ling felt. “A bisexual person or ambisexual is someone who likes both males and females. It also means a person who is a hermaphroditic meaning the combination of both male and female organs in a person. However, usually when we say someone is bi, we mean that person likes both guys and girls. A gay or lesbian is just a homosexual, someone who is attracted to persons or the same sex,” Danielle explained intently as if she was just explaining the uses of group 17 elements in everyday life.
“Ah. So who do you know who’s a homosexual or bisexual? You seem particularly knowledgeable in this particular topic,” Xin Ling teased, taking a shot at unlocking the closet of skeletons.
“Hey, its general knowledge and I’m always knowledgeable about topics I’m knowledgeable about.”
“You know that makes no sense, right?” Shaking her head, Xin Ling laughed. “C’mon, spill! Who’s gay?”
“Probably not you. Who said anyone was gay?” Danielle said with a laughing expression, making wild hand gestures to illustrate her words.
“Didn’t you? From the way you talk, it sure sounds like it. So is Jael a lesbian or not? You’re killing me with suspense. I could drop dead any moment now,” Xin Ling said, linking her arm with Danielle’s.
“It’s possible. Maybe or maybe not. Any thing is possible but its best not to be judgmental or to jump to conclusions without and substantial proof.” Although Danielle said this with a cheerful face, Xin Ling knew she really meant what she said.
It was something she loved about Danielle; she always knew when to be serious and always stopped to think of the other side of things like all the ‘maybes’ and ‘what-if?’ She was open to new things and all the possibilities. This taught Xin Ling to do the same.
They walked on in silence. Xin Ling glanced at Danielle and smiled. It was nice to see Danielle looking so cheerful and relaxed. The last few weeks, there seemed to be something on her mind but she would never talk about it or even admit there was something wrong.
‘How do you fix what you don’t know is broken? How do you talk when you don’t know what to say? How do you help when you don’t know what needs to be done?’ Xin Ling thought and snuck another peek at Danielle. She was slightly taken aback to see that a small frown had settled over Danielle’s face.
“But imagine if Jael was really a lesbian or maybe a bisexual. What would you think? What’s your opinion on it?” Danielle asked suddenly. She had this look on her face, it was the need to know, the thirst for truth; that look was, in a way, indescribable.
“Well,” Xin Ling began slowly, carefully thinking over her answer lest it were to contradict herself or condemn her. “Like I said, I’m pretty new to this kind of thing. I don’t understand why those people feel or think the way they do. But it’d be ok. I mean, Jael would still be my friend and all. So she likes people from the same gender. It doesn’t mean her personality has changed just because I know she prefers girls and it’s still her, its still Jael. She hasn’t changed. The world is still revolving and the only thing different is that I know something new about her.”
Danielle nodded her head, digesting her words. “That makes sense. But you know a lot of people think it’s not right.”
“I know that. I’m not saying its right but at the same time, I’m just not saying its wrong.” Xin Ling spoke with a firm tone, set in her decision. “What’s up, Danny? What’s bothering you?”
Danielle was startled by her question. She opened her mouth to speak but Xin Ling cut her off.
“You should know that I’m asking because I care and I want to know. You’re my best friend and I want to be there for you no matter what. I love you as my friend. Unconditional love, remember?”
“The question here is not ‘what’s wrong?’” Danielle seemed to hesitate and looked as if she wished she could pull back her words. “The question is ‘what’s right?’. And that’s all I want to say about it right now.”
Xin Ling sighed but nodded her head all the same. At least it was a start. “But you know this topic’s not closed yet, don’t you? You’re going to have to tell me sooner or later.”
Danielle smiled and gave Xin Ling’s hand a gentle squeeze. It was touching to see Xin Ling to concern over her. “I know and I will. Just not now.”
Xin Ling heaved a defeated sigh. Then a thought hit her. “Danny, are you-“
Danielle raised her eyebrows, “am I what?”
“Are you a lesbian? You can tell me, you know.”
“I assure you,” Danielle told her with a wide grin as if the very thought was a very humorous thing. “I’m not a les and even if I were to be one, I’d tell you, rest assured.”
Xin Ling shrugged thoughtfully. That works for me. So,” she glanced down the street they had just stopped at. “I guess I’ll be going now. Walk safe!”
“Au revoir. Till we meet again,” Danielle said with a dramatic flair, pretending to wipe away a tear from under her eye.
“Yeah. At tuition in two hours.”
True. True. So see ya!” Danielle winked and started walking again.
She had only taken a few steps when Xin Ling called out, “Danielle!” She turned and gave Xin Ling a questioning look.
“So are you-“ Xin Ling looked hesitant to finish her sentence and this time, Danielle did not help her out. “Are you a bisexual?” the word rolled off her tongue, sounding and tasting like some foreign food with a flavor she was not used to or comfortable with.
Danielle blinked a few times and just looked at her. “No, I’m not. Are you?” She asked with this- challenging tone as if she was trying to do and achieve something.
Xin Ling raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Danielle’s face cracked with a smile. “Do you want to know something? I knew that already.”
“Then why did you ask me? How did you know?” Xin Ling asked nervously wondering what were the things that were running through Danielle’s mind and then deciding that she didn’t really want to know.
“Because I wanted you to be the one to tell me and I just knew.” Danielle laughed. “And why do you look as if you just might just faint at any moment?”
“And you’re ok with it?” She ignored Danielle’s last question. “You don’t care?”
“Like you said, Xin Ling. You’re still the same. Your personality is still of the person I love, my best friend. I don’t care.”
“Thanks.” Xin Ling cleared her throat. “I mean it. Thank you.”
Danielle closed the distance between them and gave Xin Ling a hug. “Seriously, it’s cool with me.”
“Oh.” Xin Ling gave her a lopsided grin. “Then I should have told you sooner, shouldn’t I?”
“Maybe,” Danielle laughed. “See you later, alligator.”
“That is so lame!” Xin Ling cried out.
“Go home. And I’ll see you later,” Danielle said as she walked off with a casual wave thrown over her shoulder.
Xin Ling stood, watching. There were and probably would never be the words to describe Danielle and how incredible she was but for now, she was content with just thanking God for the amazing friend she had.