The Umbrella

Befriending

Sara stood quietly by the fence. It was after school and she was waiting. Waiting to be picked up, but also waiting to see Kelly. Sara still couldn't explain why she felt so drawn to the girl, but she couldn't lie and say that the idea of seeing Kelly didn't make her feel happy. Or maybe excited was the better word. Sara held her umbrella absently over her head, twirling it in her hands. It was barely raining, but having it there felt significant.

Sara's head perked up when she noticed someone walking around the corner. But it wasn't Kelly. Instead, it was Lacey. Sara sighed. Kelly hadn't waited in her usual spot after school for the last few days. Sara had seen her around school, at their lockers and in English, but they hadn't exchanged more than a few words over the past week.

"Well, it's nice to see you, too," Lacey raised an eyebrow, grabbing Sara's umbrella to stop it mid twirl.

Sara gave a weak smile. "Sorry. I'm just waiting for..." she trailed off, not really sure why she did so. 

Lacey waved her hand, as if using it as a prompt. "Waiting for?"

"Nothing, really," she shrugged, glancing over Lacey's shoulder. 

"Whatever," Lacey said, moving from under the umbrella. "I need to head off, I've got someone to meet." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Sara to giggle.

Sara pushed her friend lightly on the shoulder. "Go meet Damon then."

"Bye!" Lacey grins, already trotting off up the road.

"See you tomorrow," Sara called.

When Sara turned back, she came face to face with Kelly. The girls gave silent hellos and stood in silence for a few moments, Kelly not quite taking Lacey's place under Sara's umbrella. Half in, half out. It didn't matter, the rain had stopped entirely at this point.

"I've been driving," Kelly explained, scraping the toe of her shoe against the ground. "That's why I haven't been around after school so much. But Mum needs the car again, so..."

Sara nodded. So, that question was answered. Kelly could drive. Of course she could. Everyone in their year except Sara could, it seemed. 

"And I took so long to get here because one of my teachers needed a chat with me," Kelly says, air quotation marks and an eye roll to go with the word 'chat'.

Sara looks curiously at Kelly. She seems different today than the few other times they've interacted. They stood together after school everyday for a week after that first time and she didn't say nearly this many words over the entire time span. And she'd never spoken in this way before, she was always so quiet and timid. And yet here she was, rolling her eyes and all.

"Which teacher?"

"Ms Carter."

"Ah, our infamous english teacher," Sara said, screwing her face up at the name. She gave Kelly a knowing look. "I've never met a student who could say they actually liked being in her class."

Kelly laughs, and as she does so, the rain begins to fall, heavy and sudden. Sara grabs Kelly's arm and practically drags her under full cover of the umbrella. Kelly stumbled, laughing again as she steadied herself.

"I'm so sorry!" Sara apologised, removing her hand from Kelly's arm, trying her hardest to keep a straight face.

Kelly brushed the apology off. Sara smiled at the girl and a silence settled once again. It was comfortable though. Their silences were common, but never uncomfortable. 

Sara looked out at the road, "So, what did Ms Carter want, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, not much," Kelly said, but her face went red. "I just have to redo that assignment from the other week. I'm so stuck though. How much deeper meaning can you pull from a poem about plums?"