The Trainer Pt. 02

"Oh erm, Charlie, I've been meaning to tell you...," Amy started casually, as they'd sat down on the terrace with their beers. "I'll probably need to miss a lesson in August. I've got two friends visiting..."

"Sure, no problem. You could join another class in another week if you want. Or your friends are more than welcome to come along and watch."

In Amy's head this conversation had seamlessly led to the million dollar question but now she couldn't for the life of her figure out how she'd anticipated that happening.

"They're a couple, my friends. Two girls...," she continued awkwardly.

"Okay..." There was a hint of a smile on Charlie's lips and she was clearly trying to keep a straight face. It looked like she had no clue where Amy was going with this, and neither did Amy. She was messing this up badly. Now she made it sound as if two girls who were a couple couldn't possibly be interested in dog training. Great.

"They want to go to Gay Pride. Apparently that's happening while they're here." Amy tried to sound casual. Was the strain in her voice as audible to Charlie as it was to her?

Charlie didn't respond. She just looked at Amy. The only saving grace was that she still seemed amused. At least she wasn't mortally offended by the mention of gays. That was a start. But it was clear she wasn't going to make this easy by bursting out that yes of course it was Gay Pride and she couldn't wait to cover herself in glitter and go, because she was a big old lesbian herself.

Amy cleared her throat and decided to bite the bullet. "Have you ever been? Any idea what it's like?"

Charlie waited another moment before answering and Amy half expected her to pull a Lucas: "Do you think I'm gay?" She was actually surprised when Charlie answered casually: "Yeah, I've been. It's probably very different from what you're used to, but we do what we can over here."

Apart from the effortless answer to the question Amy had made such a meal out of asking, the first thing that jumped out at Amy was how easily Charlie had made it known that she had no doubt that Amy was gay and had probably frequented Pride events elsewhere. No point denying that or beating around the bush then. Second, she said 'we do what we can'. Did she mean 'we, the gays' or a more general 'we, the people living here'? Amy struggled to pick a topic she wanted clarification about first.

"How so?" She decided to focus on the most straightforward one; the one that was the least personal and least likely to get awkward.

"In many places Pride is a celebration nowadays, right? Where gay people come out and celebrate their freedom and how far they've come on the road to equal rights? And straight people are right there with them to show support. Not here. You know how Pride started off as more of a political thing, a protest? That's very much where it's at here. Of course there's a party too, but there's a strong political undertone. Gays here don't have the same level of freedom yet, and there's still a long way to go to equal rights. And there's definitely a lot less support from straight people."

Amy had thought that might be the case, and Lucas had already confirmed this to her. Already knowing the answer, she had time to focus on the details of what Charlie was saying, such as the fact that she didn't use 'we' anymore and gave no indication she counted herself as part of 'gays'. However, Amy saw a chance.

"But you went." She left her statement hanging in the air meaningfully. Surely Charlie would bite now?

"Yes, I did," Charlie replied frustratingly, with a definite amused smile now. Before Amy could figure out how she could still get her answer, Charlie decided to throw her a bone. "And you want to know if I went as one of the gays or as a straight ally, don't you?"

Amy shrugged and gave a quick nod, embarrassed that this had turned into such a big thing. She didn't look at Charlie while she waited for the verdict.

"I am gay, Amy."

Amy's heart skipped a beat. It seemed disproportionately excited about this news and Amy's brain urged it to calm down. So Charlie was gay? Big deal. Right?

"You could have just asked me that, you know," Charlie chuckled.

Amy huffed. Clearly she couldn't have. Every time she'd tried to get personal, Charlie had avoided answering. And now she pretended she was such an open book.

"You could have told me," she countered weakly.

"I don't make a habit of randomly coming out to people."

"Okay, you could have hinted or something; since you've clearly known I was gay all along."

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, you're pretty obvious."

"What? How am I obvious?" Amy burst out. She didn't think she was at all. She wasn't butch and didn't dress like a tomboy. She wasn't even the type of lesbian who always wore her outdoor sports gear because it was practical and comfortable. Within her group of friends she was the one who was mistaken for straight the most, and even Lucas had said he wouldn't have guessed she was gay.

Charlie shrugged and grinned. "I don't know. You just are. To me, anyways..."

Clearly that was all Amy was going to get. Charlie could be so infuriating.

"Are you going this year then? To Pride, I mean?" Amy changed tack, realising she still had no answer to that question.

"Yep, I'll be there. I go every year. It's important that as many local people as possible attend. You may have noticed there isn't much of a community here, in terms of numbers or public visibility at least."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, I tried to find 'the scene' but I only found the Rainbow night at The Royal Inn, where I met you. Of course you don't remember that..."

Charlie laughed. "You just won't let that go, hah? There's a bit more happening than that, every now and then, but you need to know the right people..."

"I have a gay colleague. He told me about The Royal Inn."

"Ah yeah, but it's different for the guys. I'm sure you haven't found a single other lesbian in his regulars, have you?"

"I haven't been to any other gay things with him," Amy admitted. That hadn't been a conscious choice but she'd been swept up in the expat life of beach bars and overpriced restaurants. And of course with a nervous dog with abandonment issues, recently she'd opted to stay home regularly too.

"The guys like to party, whereas we don't really have lesbian bars or events or anything. There aren't many of us around so we basically just hang out. You kind of just need to know one of us and then you'll get to know all of us. It just happens."

"I know you," Amy said, not sure if this was what Charlie was getting at.

Charlie seemed surprised, so probably it wasn't. She seemed to be thinking for a moment before she replied: "Yeah, you do."

August

"You made it! Come here, girl, give me a kiss. But don't ruin my make-up!" The tall drag queen towered over Amy and looked at her expectantly. It took a moment for the realisation to set in.

"Oh my god, Lucas!" She squealed, "Look at you!"

Her colleague had elevated his already tall body another few inches with an impressive set of heels he seemed completely comfortable in, and he was dressed in a forest green sequin dress with an impressive set of realistic looking breasts. His wig and make-up, complete with fake eyelashes, made him barely recognisable.

"That's Destiny Starstruck today, babe. Meet my alter ego."

"Starstruck is apt," Amy laughed. She turned to introduce Megan and Jordan. "Guys, meet Lu... I mean Destiny, my work colleague."

"Fabulous hair," Megan said, as they shook hands. It was bright pink like the highlights in her own hair.

"And you're all looking fabulous too, ladies!"

Jordan and Megan had brought an array of rainbow gear after Amy had told them she didn't have any with her and it unsurprisingly wasn't for sale. She had wondered if they would stand out a bit too much but it seemed others had also managed to scrape together anything with a rainbow that could be found on the island. There were even some flags for sale. Amy herself was wearing her Stonewall shirt with the text 'Some girls kiss girls. Get over it.'

Destiny explained the order of events to them. First there would be a parade through the centre of town. This parade turned out to consist of the gay people and most passionate supporters marching, while some others watched from the side-lines and cheered them on. No big floats and massive parties on the side-lines. It indeed seemed more of a protest march. They'd be carrying a gigantic rainbow flag between them, which they needed people to hold. They could probably get in on that if they wanted. The parade would end in the town square where there would be speeches and a party to follow.

"So, relax, have fun! Hold that flag. Represent. Be proud. I have to run, they want me at the front of the parade, but I'll catch you in the square, okay?" At that, Destiny tottered off and joined two other drag queens, who were already getting ready to march.

"This is so amazing!" Jordan exclaimed. "Look at all these people. I didn't expect it to be this big."

Amy had to agree. From what people had told her, she had expected a handful of people but there seemed to be at least 150 to 200 people gathered, ready to march. Were they all gay? Where had they been hiding? Furthermore, despite it evidently not being a party, the mood was high and people seemed generally happy and carefree.

"I scored us some beers," Megan said, gesturing with a bottle towards a teenager with a cooler box who had picked the prime location to unleash his entrepreneurial spirit. He had even painted a little rainbow on his cheek to bond with his clientele.

"Cheers, to an amazing holiday so far!" She said, raising her bottle to Jordan's and Amy's. They had been on the island for a week already and had thoroughly enjoyed the beaches, the sunshine, snorkelling in the clear blue water, barbecues, exploring the local history, and even a hike up one of the island's mountains. They had both admitted to have underestimated that. They were very fit with their running and their kickboxing but the heat, even in the morning, made the hike considerably harder.

The crowd started moving into position around them and they were guided towards the flag and asked to hold it. Apparently this was quite a good place to be but Amy had hoped for a bit more flexibility to be able to move around.

"Are you looking for your girl?" Megan asked, seeing her look around furtively. Amy had foolishly told her friends Charlie would be here.

"She's not my girl. And no, I'm not looking for her..." That was a bit of a white lie. She had been looking around for that familiar face, but just to say hi, nothing else.

Megan laughed. "If you tell us what she looks like, we can help. Oh wait, we already know; she's the most beautiful girl on the island and she—"

"I never said that!" Amy pushed her away playfully, which almost caused a domino of people along the edge of the rainbow flag.

"Oi, don't you be pushing my girlfriend. There's other ways to deal with your sexual frustration," Jordan chipped in.

"Yeah, finding Charlie," Megan laughed.

"Shhhhh!" Amy urged. With the size of the gay community here, there was bound to be someone around who knew Charlie. Or worse, Charlie herself. She looked around quickly but thankfully for once didn't see the girl turn up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The parade started and crept through the town centre. Amy was pleased to see that there were indeed supporters standing on the side-lines to cheer and applaud the parade; local people, expats and tourists alike, by the looks of it. There were even families with young children. Of course it was a small crowd compared to the island's population but it seemed that the people who didn't support the cause had opted to stay away rather than start a counter-movement.

Seeing the generally relaxed and still festive atmosphere, Amy started to relax. They scored another beer from another entrepreneurial teenager, which also raised her mood. At least if she did happen to see Charlie now, she'd be relaxed enough to not be awkward and make a fool of herself. But of course, she wasn't looking for the trainer. I'm not... right? She asked herself.

When the parade started to trickle into the town square, the girls handed back the flag and found a spot where they could see the stage. There was music playing and they were soon happily swinging away to it with the rest of the crowd. Amy almost forgot that Charlie must be around somewhere in this square too; somewhere amongst this throng of rainbow-clad people.

"Hello ladies! How did you enjoy the parade?" Destiny came over to join them, just as the speeches kicked off.

The first speech was by the organisers of the event who spoke in English and thanked everybody for coming, gave a bit of history on the island's Pride events and outlined the rest of the program. Next, a representative of the tourist board spoke, also in English about the importance of inclusive tourism and promoting their island as an LGBT-friendly travel destination. The following three speeches were in the local language and Amy wasn't sure who the speakers were. The final speaker was met by a huge applause so he must be someone well-known and important. When he started speaking, the crowd quieted down immediately.

"Are you getting all of it?" A voice said in Amy's ear, making her jump.

She turned round to see Charlie, dressed quite similar to the first time they met, in her Converse sneakers and black trilby. She was wearing rust-coloured chino shorts and a black V-neck t-shirt, paired with rainbow suspenders and a rainbow tie. Now she looked like a gay jazz musician. It was a good look, Amy had to admit.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled amusedly when she read the text on Amy's shirt. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it.

"Charlie, hey," Amy said quietly so as not to alert her friends to the presence of the newcomer. However, there was a lull in the speech and Jordan and Megan both looked back simultaneously, clearly having heard her loud and clear. They glanced at Charlie curiously before Jordan gave Amy a meaningful smile and Megan made a point out of turning herself and Jordan away as if to give them some privacy. Very subtle, Amy thought with an inward eye-roll.

"The speech," Charlie repeated, "did you get what he was saying?"

Amy admitted that she didn't, that she hadn't gotten very far with learning the language.

"It's really amazing that he's here. It's the first time ever the prime minister has spoken at Pride." Charlie seemed genuinely moved.

That man in the nice suit was the prime minister? Amy was glad she hadn't mentioned that she didn't know who he was. Even as a temporary visitor, she should know that.

"He's saying that we're all part of the community: gay, straight, bisexual, trans. That the island belongs to all of us, and we should share both the joys and responsibilities that come with our diverse and multi-cultural society. That we should be tolerant and accepting of those who are not like us and set aside our differences." She paused for a moment to listen to the next part and then translated: "Our faith and our church will always be the cornerstone of our society, but we must remember that the cornerstones of that faith are solidarity, understanding, and loving one another."

At that, the audience applauded and cheered loudly, and the prime minister seemed to be concluding his speech. Charlie stopped translating and seemed lost in thought. To Amy, the words seemed common sense but clearly the audience had loved them.

"That's great," she said to Charlie, trying to get the girl to open up about the thoughts that were running through her head. Charlie looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"Amy, it's more than great. It's huge!" Her eyes were glistening and she was clearly emotional. Amy had never seen her like this - apart from perhaps that time at the vet when she'd been talking about the fate of dogs on the island. Amy was really starting to feel like she was missing something, but she didn't want to seem stupid by asking.

"Don't you see?" Charlie continued. "It's our prime minister and he's telling people to accept us. He's telling everyone that despite their religious beliefs, they shouldn't shun us. And he's one of the people: a local, well-loved, well-respected, religious, family man. This will have an impact, Amy. He took such a risk being here and saying this. He will get a lot of backlash for this. But maybe, just maybe... people will take note."

"Oh...," Amy said stupidly. She realised she didn't know anything about what it was really like to be gay on the island. Gay bars suddenly seemed a very silly thing to be missing. She had been so naive. She made a mental note to try and find out more wherever she could.

The speeches seemed to have ended and the awkward moment was broken by her friends who clearly couldn't pretend to be paying attention to the stage anymore.

"Charlie, these are my friends, Jordan and Megan," Amy introduced them as they shook hands. "And this is Lucas, I mean Destiny Starstruck," she continued indicating the tall drag queen.

"Yeah, I know. Hey girl, what's up?" Charlie said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Destiny's cheek and give her a warm hug.

"Wait, you know each other?" Destiny exclaimed. "How?" She turned to Amy and said: "Why are you complaining about the lack of lesbians then? You can't get more lesbian than this."

"I wasn't complaining," Amy said, shooting an apologetic glance at Charlie who was chuckling. "But we haven't known each other that long. I mean, not really known each other."

"Oh, you mean 'known each other'," Destiny said, making suggestive air quotes. "Girl, you never told me anything!"

Jordan and Megan were laughing and Amy thought she heard them whisper "She wished..." to each other. The only thing she wished was that the world would just swallow her whole and relieve her from this embarrassment. Charlie wasn't helping either, not denying the outrageous assumption.

"No, it's not like that! She's training my dog. I met her through the dog," Amy explained, trying to keep the agitation from her voice.

"Actually, we met before that. We danced together at the Rainbow night at The Royal Inn," Charlie offered. Now was the moment she chose to pretend to remember that? Amy did not have much time to dread what happened next.

"You're Cinderella?!" Destiny burst out.

"Cinderella?" Charlie was rightfully confused.

Destiny ignored her and addressed Amy: "But she's nothing like the angelic thing you described! She's all rough and tumble, and usually covered in dog hair and slobber..."

Amy could not be more embarrassed and was trying to hush Destiny, but Charlie was clearly very amused. "Erm, someone cares to explain what's going on?" She asked, trying not to laugh.

"Charlene Samantha Mateo, you dog!" Destiny said with a broad grin, turning to Charlie again.

Charlie punched her in the arm. "Do not call me that!" She hissed.

"Ouch! See, she's not angelic at all." Destiny rubbed her arm. "And she's your mysterious Cinderella? I'll never understand lesbians." She raised her hands dramatically, rolled her eyes and walked off, no doubt to find someone she did understand.

"Cinderella?" Charlie asked Amy now, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She wasn't going to let this go.

Amy sighed. "It's nothing, really. It was just a reference to how you suddenly disappeared that night we met. I told Lucas about that and he said you were like Cinderella, rushing off before midnight."

Charlie laughed heartily. "You told Lucas about me? I see...," she said pensively, as if she'd read much more in that simple statement than Amy had wanted to reveal. Then she said, suddenly changing the topic: "Hey, do you still want to meet more lesbians? Come on over and meet my friends. Bring yours. We have beer."