Broken Lands (Benny Imura 6)

Well, with a notable exception. She could still feel that kiss. Quick as it was, Gutsy knew that it had made a permanent mark on her. She wanted another one. A longer one. And about a million hours of conversation, preferably under a tree or somewhere quiet.

“You’re smiling again,” said Alethea in a definitely accusatory way. “How can you smile with everything that’s going on?”

“Um . . . ,” began Gutsy.

Alethea straightened, seeming to come to point like a bird dog. “Alice Chung!”

Gutsy blinked in surprise. “What? How? I mean . . . how did you know?” She looked sharply at Spider. “You told her, didn’t you?”

“He didn’t need to tell me anything, girl,” said Alethea, puffing out her chest and raising her eyebrows. “You talked to Alice, didn’t you? Come on, don’t lie. It’s written all over your face. I have only ever seen you blush three times in your whole life, Gabriella Gomez. Once when Corey Hale told you how pretty you looked at the Christmas party in school. And twice when you saw Alice Chung on the street. You were redder than a fresh-picked tomato then and you are twice as red now, which means it was more than seeing her on the street. You talked to her, didn’t you? No . . . you told her how you feel. Come on, out with it. Don’t make me beat it out of you. I can go fetch Rainbow Smite and we can do this the old-school way. . . .”

Gutsy had to laugh.

“Wait,” said Spider quickly, “you mean you did tell her?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well, what exactly happened?” demanded Alethea.

Gutsy told them. When she got to the part about the accidental collision and Alice falling into a pile of steaming manure, Spider laughed so hard he choked. Alethea gave him a hearty thump on the back that knocked him out of the chair so that he nearly crushed Sombra, but the coydog scampered away and stood wagging, tongue lolling, excited by the laughter though confused by it as well.

By the time Gutsy finished her story Alethea was nodding as if it was all something she’d foreseen.

“Well, it’s about time. You only had like months to say something to her.”

“I . . . almost did,” said Gutsy weakly. “A few times. I mean I thought about it . . . but I didn’t know how she’d react. Her mom’s so proper and—”

Alethea held up a hand to stop her right there. “Proper? Proper? What’s that supposed to mean. Are you saying that you talking to Alice isn’t proper? Who says? What’s improper about it?”

“No, I mean . . . I didn’t want to offend her.”

“Offend? God, I am so going to smack the stupid off you.”

“You know what I mean,” said Gutsy. “How could I know Alice was bi?”

“Actually,” said Alethea, “Alice Chung is not bi.”

Gutsy stared at her. “What . . . ?”

“You’re bi, sweetie,” said Alethea. “Alice is a lesbian. She only likes girls.”

“Wait, what? Since when?”

“Since always, I expect. It’s not like something you catch. Pretty sure you’re born that way, unless everything I ever read is wrong, and it isn’t.”

Gutsy gaped at her. “But . . . but . . . how do you even know?”

“How do you not know?” Alethea said with a laugh. “Have you ever seen Alice talk to a boy about anything except the time of day? Have you ever seen her kiss a boy? No, you have not, and you’re not likely to. She likes girls, Guts, and for some reason she likes a particular girl who I find occasionally annoying.”

“She was just being nice.”

“No, seriously, I really am going to have to smack you.” Alethea rolled her eyes. “You knocked her into a pile of crap and she was still nice to you? She kissed you. Her. No one’s that nice. Not unless they like you enough to make something like that not matter.” She shook her head. “I’m straight as an arrow and I can see that. How can you be bi and not see it?” She sighed, then adjusted her glittery tiara. “Gutsy, you may be able to fix anything and find anything, but when it comes to figuring out how your own heart and mind work, you are dumber than a box of rocks.”

That stopped Gutsy in her tracks. She looked at Spider, who was rocking back and forth, laughing so hard he couldn’t make any noise. His brown skin was now a violent brick red. Sombra looked at Gutsy and gave a single, happy bark.

“See,” said Alethea, “even your weirdo dog knows.”

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