Sophie and Maria were laying around in Maria’s room, flipping through magazines and pointing out nice dresses. They had just come back from the mall, and Maria was sipping on a coffee while Sophie had a milkshake.

“But look at this one!” exclaimed Maria, holding up an image of a woman wearing a pencil skirt. “It would look so cute on you!”

“That is a bit 50’s,” she giggled. “How about this?” Sophie showed Maria a woman wearing a floor-length shiny red dress.

“Oooo,” admired Maria, taking the magazine. “This one’s-”

“Maria!” shouted Lucille from the front door, having just got home. “Maria, are you here?!”

Maria made a shush gesture to Sophie, who mistakenly took a sip of milkshake at the wrong time. A giant straw slurp echoed throughout the house, and Maria gave Sophie a cold side-eye. Sophie put on a carefree smile and shrugged.

“Maria, honey,” called out Lucille. “How was your time with Sophie?”

“It was fun, mama!”

“Did you get to tell her how much you love her?” Maria turned red.

“Y-yeah, mama!”

“Did you get that special lunch with her?” She turned redder.

“I-I did, mama.”

“Did you get to touch her-”

“MAMA WE’RE NOT THERE YET!” Maria screamed, turning the brightest red yet.

“You don’t have to shout, hun,” Lucille said, getting closer to her room. “Are you finally on your period yet-”

“MAMA NOT NOW!” Maria shouted again, burying her red face into a pillow. Lucille popped her face in and saw them both.

“Oh, hi Sophie,” she waved with a blank stare.

“Hi, Mrs. Hawthorne.”

“Tell Diane I said hi.”

“I will.”

“I’ll leave you two be then, honey.”

Lucille closed the door behind her as she left, and Maria lifted her face out of the pillow. It was still red as a tomato.

“So,” Sophie said with a sly smile. “Are you on it?”

Maria turned even deeper red and buried her face back in the pillow in embarrassment.