The Umbrella

Visiting

'Finally the weekend!' Alex grinned. He poked Sara's arm, a goofy smile spreading across his face. 'Any plans?'

The two were walking out of the school gates together. Soon Alex would cross the street to wait at the bus stop - partly to catch the bus and partly to watch the students from the private boy's school a few blocks down bike past.

Sara smiled to herself. She did have plans, actually. She opened her mouth to tell Alex all about them, but stopped as soon as she started. She had a feeling that told her not to tell Alex yet. She didn't understand why, but found herself lying to him instead. Was it really lying though? 'Maybe they're just fabricated truths . . .' Sara thought. The pair stopped by a set of street lights. A group of students had gathered there, waiting for the little light to change green so they could cross the road.

'Not much,' she finally said. 'Some people are coming over.' It was technically the truth. Kelly was coming over to study the next day.

'Yeah, okay. I'm sure that's all. Not much, sure,' Alex smirked. Sara hit him lightly on the arm, so he rubbed it dramatically. He emphasised the action with a loud, 'ow!' After a short pause, Alex said, 'Well, I'm going on a date, thanks for asking.'

'With?' Sara questioned. Alex certainly had her attention now. 

Alex laughed. 'It's a secret, considering you're hiding one from me! Sara tried to protest, but Alex silenced her with a quick, 'bye.' He waved flamboyantly, practically skipping across the road as the lights changed, allowing the students to cross.

'What a stereotypical gay,' Sara silently giggled to herself, shaking her head.

She began to set off again but stopped short a few short steps later. She had felt a hand fall on her shoulder.

'Hey,' she heard from behind her.

'Hey, Kelly,' Sara smiled, turning slightly to look at the other girl. Kelly offered a grin back and began to walk around the corner, Sara following closely.

The two girls went around the corner making small talk. They got to their usual place and stand in silence for a moment.

Next to Sara, Kelly was deep in thought. She looked at Sara before turning her head again. She decided to speak of what was on her mind, by asking Sara, 'So, that boy you were talking to . . .' she began, but was cut off by Sara.

'Alex? What about him?' Sara raised an eyebrow.

'Is he . . . um, are you . . . do you guys, uh, date?'

'No,' Sara laughed. 'We don't. In fact, believe it or not, we're both completely and utterly gay.'

Kelly offered a small smile, looked down and said in an even smaller voice, 'So am I.' She looked up again, barely meeting Sara's eyes. 'Well, actually no. I'm not.' Sara gave her a confused look, prompting Kelly to explain further. 'I'm, uh, I'm bi. No one knows though. Except you, I guess?'

Sara looked at the other girl with an almost unnoticeable twinkle in her green eyes. 'Cool. Another cute girl for the community.'

Kelly blushed. Sara's eyes went wide and she awkwardly shifted her gaze the other way. A million thoughts ran through her head instantly. Had she just called Kelly cute? Why did she have to go and say that? What if Kelly thought she was flirting? What is she was flirting? Sara sighed and mentally cursed herself.

_____

'Girls!' Sara's mother called from the kitchen. Sara and Kelly wandered in a few moments later, wondering what they were needed for. It was Saturday and Kelly was at Sara's house.

Kelly looked at Sara's mother. She was tall, skinny and very pretty. Sara's seemed to get most of her features from her mother. Kelly glanced at Sara, then back at Mrs Moore. Sara's hair was as wavy as ever, resembling a sea of red flames. Sara's mother's hair, however, was straight. Well, mostly. It looked a bit haphazard at the moment, due to the steam in the kitchen.

'What's up, Mum?' Sara asked.

Sara's mum didn't reply for a moment, instead turning to stir a pot on the oven. When she turned back to the girls, she said to Sara, 'Didn't I tell you your cousins are coming for tea tonight?' Sara shook her head. 'Sorry, dear. Well, anyway, Donna and Len's lot are coming around and I'm trying to cook that, while also prepping lunch for you two.' She stopped, pouncing on the oven to turn some dials.

'Do you need help?' offered Sara, observing the chaos around her.

'Oh, no, that's all right - your father's coming to help once he's finished cleaning up that lounge.' She paused once again, this time pouring some sort of sauce into a pot that sat on the bench. 'What I do need is for you two to go for a quick walk around the corner. I need you to go to the store and pick up some cream. If you're not busy studying, that is.'

'No, it'll be fine, mum. What size do you need?'

'The bigger bottle, please. There's some money on the hall table. You can keep the change.' Mrs Moore gives the girls a warm smile before turning back to the oven.

'Okay, thanks, mum! We'll be back soon,' Sara calls, walking out to the hall, although her mother was barely listening.

As Kelly and Sara step outside they hear a call telling them to wait. 'Take an umbrella, girls. It may just rain,' Sara's father calls, poking his head past the door of the lounge.

'Yes, Mr Moore,' Kelly called, as he went back to finish cleaning. Sara went quickly to her room and grabbed her umbrella. She hurried back to Kelly. Sara followed her friend out the door before closing it and walking down the path, out her gate.

The walk to the store passed fairly quickly, dotted with scattered pieces of conversations. Soon, they were on their way home. Sara swung her umbrella, with Kelly making the same motions with a plastic bag - the content consisted of a bottle of cream, as requested, and some packets of lollies, purchased with some of the change.

As the girls started trekking down a small hill, just a few houses down from the small corner store, they felt spots of rain begin to fall. They walked further still along the road. The closer they got to Sara's house, the heavier the rain got, forcing Sara to stop swinging her umbrella and to hold it open over the two girls.

The two girls bustled back to Sara's house quickly. They were huddled closely under the umbrella, joking and laughing. Not far from her house, Sara went quiet for a moment, noting that this umbrella is the reason the two girls were brought together in the first place. Sara looked at the girl next to her and was suddenly hit with the realisation of what she really meant to her.

_____

Finally an update! Hope you guys liked this, and if you did feel free to favourite/comment. It means heaps to me that people even read my lame books. So, thanks :) !

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Thanks for reading, and today's alternative cover is... (Hufflepuff colours yay!)