Free Release the Stars by Harper Bliss Page B

at what lay beneath Charlie’s clothes. Ava’s bikini was bright red and Charlie had a lot of trouble keeping herself from staring.
    “Please, don’t set me up with anyone.” Charlie closed her eyes.
    “Then tell me about the girl you talked about last night. The one on your softball team.”
    “Really?” Charlie blinked her eyes open against the strong sun and regarded Ava.
    “Of course. If we’re going to be friends, it’s only natural to talk about things like that.”
    The more Ava mentioned the two of them becoming friends, the less Charlie wanted to be a part of that friendship. Ava was lying half-naked beside her on a dreamy beach, and she’d told her in no uncertain terms nothing could happen in order to protect her fragile little heart. Anyone in their right mind would have a good laugh at that. But Charlie hadn’t been in her right mind for a while now. Although, she had to admit, having just swum in the Pacific Ocean with Ava made the thought of Jo arriving in LA next week a little bit more bearable.
    “Her name is Josie. She’s a writer for a lesbian website and a comic in her spare time. I don’t really know much else about her yet.”
    “Which website?” Ava asked, as if she would know.
    “Indigo.”
    “I read that sometimes.”
    “You do?”
    “Yes, Charlie.” Ava suddenly sounded like a kindergarten teacher. “Is it really so hard to get it in your head that not everything is black and white? You read ‘straight’ media, don’t you? Why wouldn’t I check that website if I feel like it?”
    Charlie couldn’t contain herself any longer. She had to ask. “On a scale of zero to one hundred, where zero is completely straight and one hundred completely lesbian, where would you put yourself?”
    “You’ve been dying to ask me that ever since last night, haven’t you?”
    Charlie shrugged. “Maybe.”
    Ava smiled. She was such a good sport, really. “You first.”
    “Oh, that’s easy. At one hundred and fifty, for sure.”
    Ava shook her head. “No need to overcompensate like that.”
    Charlie ignored her comment. “Your turn.”
    “So you’re what they call a gold star, I take it?” Ava asked, ignoring Charlie in return.
    “Yep. I pretty much knew by the time I was twelve that girls had a much bigger effect on me than boys ever could. I skipped the whole experimenting phase and had my first girlfriend when I was sixteen.”
    “So why the need to tack fifty extra percentage points onto your ‘score’?”
    “Are you mocking me?”
    “Only a little.” Ava’s abs rippled as she laughed easily.
    “I’m still waiting for your answer.” Charlie was getting impatient.
    “I know, but it’s an impossible question to answer in a satisfactory manner. I can hardly sit here and claim to be a hundred percent, I wouldn’t even consider myself to be around the fifty mark. More in the thirties, I guess. But I don’t want you to freak out about that.”
    “Why would I freak out?”
    “Because, perhaps, if I were in the upper fifties you’d consider giving me a chance… because you like me.” Ava looked straight ahead, her eyes aimed at the sky, then turned on her side to lock her gaze on Charlie. “For you, I think I could be seventy-five percent though, Charlie.”
    “Oh for Christ’s sake. Mock me all you want… This is serious for me.” Then it dawned on her. The inkling she’d had the night before returned in full force. “Has Nick told you about my percentage obsession?”
    Ava chuckled. “He only mentioned it briefly. He told me to ignore it if you—and these are his words, not mine—started making a fool of yourself like that.”
    “I can’t believe this.” Charlie averted her gaze. “If I’m such a joke to him, then why is he even my friend. Because he pities me, perhaps?”
    “He’s your friend because he adores you, Charlie. Quirks and all. And rightly so.”
    Although Charlie couldn’t see Ava’s face, she could hear a smile coming through in her