I was there today as a matter of fact. And... I've come back to this chapter to add this first paragraph because I feel I must be sure you know what I mean. If you have never been to Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, Fire Island, West Hollywood or Palm Beach, you might still have heard that they are where ya wanna be, if you're gay. Or... maybe you wouldn't have. So, to illustrate my point, the crosswalks in Long Beach are in RAINBOW COLORS! Yes... It's true! The stripes that are in the center of the parallel lines that guide where you walk - So, as I said, But I didn't know that then...

I met Lisa while working at Sport Chalet. We became friends immediately. She had a friend that she was very close to as well! You could say my curiosity was peaked. One day she invited me to go with them to a dance club in Long Beach called the Executive Suite and to bring my best friend too.

To get in we had to let Lisa go in first and then about two minutes later she came out and I had to use the same ID. I was 16, 5'5" and white. She was 5'1", 24 and Filipino. I got right in! What's more... Sarina got in with the same ID again about five minutes after that! Either they were retarded or they just didn't care! I'm pretty sure they weren't retarded! Lol! Ah... the '80's were so much fun!

We danced and played pool and drank a lot! Afterward we went to Lisa and her friend's apartment to spend the night. We were in no shape to drive all the way home!

Lisa's friends name was Michele and the two of them lived in a studio apartment with one twin bed. I thought by then, it was pretty clear that our new friends were lesbians but it hadn't been said. So, when it was time to sleep, Sarina and I took the floor. I cuddled up behind her, our backs to the bed. Sarina elbowed me to back off. ("Stop it!"- because no one could know what we did!)

As we lay there, I listened hard to the sounds of rustling sheets, soft whispers and moans coming from behind me and even though it was pitch dark, I so wished I'd chosen to lay facing the other direction that night! Sarina, as far as I knew, was asleep. When I woke up, I touched her on the shoulder. Without moving a muscle or opening her eyes, my homophobic girlfriend said in a low but firm voice, "We are never coming here again."