Authors note:
This is a story based on Community. It takes place just after Episode 15 of Series 2 and contains spoilers. Both the actresses and the characters in the story are over 18.
*
Britta Perry was the worst. She was the absolute worst.
She had heard that before from people who didn't know what they were talking about, people who would not be named like Jeff Winger, but rarely had she thought it herself. This though, this was one of those times.
The thing with Paige was bad enough. It would have been one thing if everyone in Greendale had seen her kissing a lesbian. That would have been mortifying. Not for the act itself but because it would have gone in the spank bank of half a dozen perverted guys, and maybe some open-minded girls or even some lesbians, the latter of which would have been slightly ok. But at least that would have been liberating, Britta rebelling against the system and making a statement that her sexuality wasn't something that had to be dictated to her, but something she could make her own decisions on. Even if it didn't go any further than a kiss it would be something Britta could scratch off her bucket list, forever giving her a memory she could be proud of.
Of course, that's not how it happened. Paige was straight, and just using Britta to seem open-minded and cool, and then had the nerve to claim Britta was doing the same thing. Homophobe. That's what Paige was. And she was just trying to hide it by hanging out with Britta.
That revelation and her first lesbian kiss being an awkward mess in front of dozens of perverted strangers would have made this the worst Valentine's Day ever and would have sent Britta down a shame spiral, but that was nothing on what happened next.
Just then Britta heard a knock at her door, "Britta... open up... please... I, I need to talk to you."
Britta froze as her good friend Annie Edison, who she had no attraction whatsoever too, ok, kept continuously pleading with her through the door, pausing only to knock repeatedly on the hard wood. She was the last person Britta wanted to speak to right now, and would maybe prefer to never speak to her again, but if there was one thing Britta knew about Annie was that the brunette didn't give up without a long, drawn-out fight. Actually she literally knew that. And while it made her even more horrible, Britta didn't want Annie to say anything about what happened tonight, not where other people could hear. Not that Annie would do it to be mean or vindictive, but sometimes she said things without meaning too. It was a trade they unfortunately shared.
So after a few minutes standing frozen and praying to a God she didn't believe in to grant her a miracle Britta unlocked her door and opened it, immediately coming face-to-face with a pair of big Bambi eyes. Those eyes caused her to lose her train of thought, Annie quickly capitalising by asking, "Can, can I come in? Please? I really, really need to talk to you."
Britta opened her mouth to firmly say no.
To tell Annie she needed some space.
Some time to think.
"I... erm, sure."
Damn those Bambi eyes!
Not giving Britta a chance to change her mind Annie gently but firmly pushed her way past the blonde and took a look around. It wasn't exactly a welcoming environment, but it had it's charm. Sort of. Which actually made it very... Britta.
Speaking, or thinking, of her friend Annie turned around and locked eyes with Britta, the two of them staring at each other for a long moment. Then Britta slowly opened her mouth, obviously still unsure what to say.
Feeling very strongly that she should go first Annie blurted out, "Shirley was in the bathroom!"
There was a pause, then Britta blinked, "What?"
"Shirley was in the bathroom, when we, you know." Annie quickly clarified, before continuing for a while without taking a breath, "Troy and Abed had left the room to deal with a 'personal issue' and Jeff wasn't there because he needed some space or whatever after he insulted the Bare Naked Ladies in front of us and I'm still not sure where Pierce is and I'm kind of worried but I'm almost 100% positive that he left before we kissed so no one in the Study Group saw and the people I was asking about Pierce didn't seem to care so I don't think anyone will find out and if they do, we can deny it because it's not like there's any proof or anything."
For a few seconds all that could be heard was Annie's slightly deeper breathing than usual, then Britta simply mumbled, "Oh... ok."
There was more silence then Annie said, "I, I thought you'd like to know that no one saw us kiss."
Britta snorted, "Like I care."
"Then why did you run away?" Annie asked, sounding and looking confused.
It was impossible to resist, all Britta could do was desperately try to deflect, "I, I was running. I just remembered I, I left the stove on?"
Britta didn't sound at all convincing but even if she had Annie wouldn't have believed her, "No you didn't."
"No, I didn't." Britta sighed, once again desperately trying to think of something to say before finally blurting out, "Look Annie, I'm not gay."
Annie frowned, "Then why did you kiss Paige?"
"I, I didn't. She kissed me." Britta stammered unconvincingly, not that pausing for a couple of seconds before hand helped, so inevitably she sighed and said, "Fine, I did it for the experience, ok?"
"Oh... ok..." Annie frowned again, "But... I thought you said you'd had a lesbian experience before?"
"I have. Lots of times." Britta said indignantly, hoping that if she got defensive it would cover the fact that she was lying. It seemed to work, however it had an unfortunate side effect.
"Sooooo, you're bi?" Annie asked.
"No." Britta said.
"Oh." Annie frowned, genuinely sounding confused, "So you're not bi, you just... like having sex with women. And men."
There was a long pause as those big Bambi eyes stared deep into Britta's soul, demanding the truth from her, demanding her to give up her street cred and admit when it came to lesbianism she was completely clueless. Well nice try evil Bambi eyes, Britta wasn't going to fall for it.
"Fine, yes, yeah, whatever, I'm bi." Britta lied without thinking it through then quickly added, "Please don't tell Jeff. Or Pierce, or Shirley, or Troy, or Abed, in fact don't tell anyone but especially not Jeff freaking Winger."
Annie's eyes lit up at Britta's confession and continued to get brighter until the end of the blonde's little speech. Then Annie moved forward and beamed, "Of course Britta, your secret is safe with me. I promise I won't say a word."
For a few seconds Annie stood there right in front of Britta with a huge smile on her face, then she let out a big, "Awwww."
The next thing Britta knew she was being tightly squeezed, Annie wrapping her arms around her so fast she barely saw it. Immediately she tensed up but after a few seconds went limp in Annie's soft embrace. Annie gave great hugs, she'd always thought that.
"Thank you Britta." Annie beamed, "Thank you for trusting me with your secret."
"Don't mention it." Britta said, before adding jokingly, "Seriously, like never ever."
A few seconds passed by as the two women just enjoyed the hug, then Annie pulled back to look Britta in the eye and frowned, "Sooooo, you ran away when I kissed you because you were afraid everyone would see, even though no one was watching... but you kissed Paige when you thought everyone was watching? Including Pierce?"
Britta's brain struggled for a answer to that contradiction and ultimately came up with, "Yes... well... with Paige I, I got caught up in the moment, and then it turned out she wasn't gay or even bi, and Pierce was out of his mind so it really didn't seem to matter. But you, you're the baby of our group. What would people think?"