Tug of War 63

"Look, Tiff, I love that cafe over there! What you say about a cappuccino? Maybe some tea?" Kate asked, as they crossed a beautiful tree-lined street.

"Sounds fab!" Timothy exclaimed, excited. "Umm... I thought you were in a hurry to get home, though? Didn't you have, like, a lot of homework to do?"

"Umm... Did I? I... Yeah, sure, of course I have, b-but the thing is..."

"Gosh, Kate, you're such a bad liar! You know that, right?" the feminized guy said, and the two of them laughed. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on?"

"Fine!" Kate sighed, resigned. "I made up this homework excuse because I wanted to spend time alone with you. Don't get me wrong. Lyss has been amazing these days... in her peculiar way, of course! But she's definitely maturing. The way she defended at Matt's house... that was incredible! Defying her mother about not taking part in the Miss Charming contest this year was important to her. Trust me, Mrs. Taylor is a very difficult woman. There was a reason for Lyss to be like she used to be. Still, I wanted to talk to you in private, so when you said you were leaving, I offered to take you home. It's not like I have anything that important to say, though... I... umm... I just miss spending time with you. So, if you're tired or have something important to do, I’d fully understand, and..." 

"No, absolutely not! I... umm... I miss hanging out with you, as well. I totally do!" 

"Great!" Kate smiled brightly. "Let's go to the cafe, then. My treat!"

Kate and Timothy sat at a table on the sidewalk, from where they could appreciate the beautiful sunset. Kate ordered a cup of peach tea, while Timothy chose a lemonade. They then made small talk for a while, enjoying their drinks... 

"So, how are you truly feeling, Tiff?" Kate finally asked at some point, insecure. "You don't have to tell me that everything is okay just so I don't get worried, okay? What happened that night at Matthew's house must surely have been a very traumatic experience for you, and I want you to know that I am here to support you. Nobody deserves to be treated so cruelly, especially a girl as sweet and kind as you."

"Thank you, Kate. As you said, yeah, that was a totally horrible experience. The things Matt told me... The disgust with which he looked at my body..." Timothy said, sipping his lemonade to fight back the tears. "But I'm, like, just trying not to think about it, you know? I don't know if this is the right thing to do... maybe I'm being a coward... but that's the only way I can cope with what happened right now."

"You're not being a coward, honey" Kate stated, holding Timothy’s hands over the table. "Listen to me, don't you ever dare to think of yourself as a coward! You're one of the bravest people I've ever met! If you don't want to think about what happened now, this is completely understandable. Just remember that when you want to talk about it, if that ever happens, I'll always be here for you. And if you still have feelings for him..."

"What?! No, of course not! Actually, I think I've never had feelings for Matt. I mean, everything happened so fast, and he was so pushy the whole freaking time... The truth is that I didn't have much experience with relationships before. He was the first person I ever dated, and when I realized it, he had already given me a fancy ring and I was his girlfriend."

Timothy didn't know where it all had came from, but he definitely felt better after opening up to Kate. 

"But what has been bothering me these days is how Mrs. Bennett, my neighbor, has been reacting to what Matt did" Timothy continued. "She's Matt's grandma, you know, and I met him at her house. She's been feeling guilty for the way he behaved, despite the fact I keep assuring her she has, like, no guilt at all... She even said she will disinherit Matt from her will..."

"See? You're such a cutie pie, aren't you? Even after what that happened to you, you're still concerned about someone else's feelings. That's why it's so easy to like you..."

About forty minutes later, when they left the cafe, Timothy was in a very good mood. He had really enjoyed that time that he had spent with Kate, he thought, as he watched the sun disappear behind a distant hill. However, he noticed that the girl had a strange expression on her face. 

"Is everything okay, Kate?" he asked. "You seem worried about something." 

"Listen, Tiff, I'd like to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" Timothy asked, confused. "For what?" 

"When I heard you talking about Matthew, and how you guys started dating, I realized that I acted exactly like him that day in the chemistry lab. I shouldn't have kissed you the way I did, without your consent."

"Don't say that, Kate! There is no reason to apologize! I... umm... totally enjoyed being kissed by you" Timothy said, blushing one more time. "That day, when you said you were into girls and liked me, I got so surprised that I couldn't, like, say anything in response. But the truth is... gosh, I like you, too! I totally wanted to ask you out for a long time... long before I start... umm... transitioning. But I never had the guts to do so. That's why I was so happy when you took the lead and invited me to go to the movies. But then a lot of things happened that week and we couldn't go out, and after that... well, things got totally out of control."

"I'm so happy to hear that, Tiff" Kate said, smiling with tears in her eyes. "You have no idea... However, I don't think this is a good time for us to think about start dating."

"Why not?" 

"You just got out of an abusive relationship, and you are in the middle of your transition... as hard as it is for me to say so, I think you need to focus on yourself right now, and find out what you really want, honey. I mean, you can't deny that you're attracted to guys, can you? Don't lie to me."

"It's... c-complicated" Timothy admitted, biting his lower lip. "I'm not completely sure about that yet... But even if this is the case, I'm attracted to girls, too. I truly am!" 

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You're still discovering yourself. The last thing I want is to get in your way while you are doing so. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not the right person for you. It hurts to say so, but I just want to see you happy. That's why I think you need some time away from relationships. I'm not saying that I'll get out of your life. You'll never get rid of me, honey! But you need some time for yourself before you start dating again, while you figure out what you really want to do... I assure you I'll be here for you the whole time..."