“What do you think of Miss Porter?” I looked at her and shrugged my shoulders. Shane was very wise and insightful for her age. She had been moved from foster home to foster home. She had luckily found a really good one with a rich couple who couldn’t have children. She was very happy with them as far I remember

“She’s nice” Shane could read me like a book unfortunately for me. She whispered in my ear so Bette and the others didn’t hear

“Tina you’ve been staring at her ass for the past ten minutes as well as ogling her when she came into the lunch hall with Alice” I smiled shyly at Shane. I felt like a school girl with a crush on her teacher “You’re attracted to her aren’t you” My face went bright red with embarrassment. I couldn’t believe Shane had worked it out so soon. I whispered back to her

“I can’t help it; she’s so fucking gorgeous and sexy” Shane and I chuckled “Not to mention her ass looks fucking perfect in those levis” We turned a corner. The others remained ahead of us

“Has our baby girl got a crush?” I playfully slapped Shane in the arm. She chuckled at me act of violence

“Shane I’m in so much trouble aren’t I” Shane put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed me reassuringly

“Yes you are my friend, yes you are” We finally reached the art studio in which Bette did her work. She guided us to her painting. Alice was right Bette’s work was absolutely breathtaking. I looked at the painting is total awe

“Bette it’s absolutely spectacular” Bette smiled at Dana. The painting was of a woman staring into a cracked mirror. One side of the cracked mirror she was kissing a man with her proud parents either side of the couple and on the side of the mirror she was kissing a woman with her supportive friends around couple. It represented what I was going through at the time. A sexually confusion It was like Bette had foreseen my dilemma

“You’re extremely talented” Bette looked at me when I spoke. Her look was soft and gentle. I could tell she was proud of her painting. Little did she realise it was to become her signature piece “What do you call it?” Bette smiled gently again. My friends and I waited for her response. She looked at me as she replied

“Torn” We shared an intense look between each other. She knew I was facing the same dilemma. Torn between duty to my parents and who I really was; a lesbian. Our friends clearly noticed the intense look we were giving each other. They all quietly smiled to themselves. I smiled gently and she smiled back. I felt my knees go weak and I knew from that moment my heart would always belong to Bette Porter.

TBC…