The Umbrella

Explaining

It'd been two days since Kelly had told her friends about her feelings for Sara. Well, she called them friends, but in reality, she hadn't exactly spoken to Dana. Dana apparently felt like she'd done nothing wrong - so Kelly refused to say more than a few words to her at a time. At least until she apologised. Matt tried hard to keep the peace, but neither girl responded well.

Sara had begun to notices some changes in Kelly. It was like she had to sides. At one stage she's be distant and less willing to talk. And, in contrast, other times she'd be more open and close to Sara than she was when they first met.

That day, Kelly and Dana had English before lunch. Matt was in another class and had been to math instead. The lunch bell had rung and Kelly needed to go to her locker. Instead of just walking to their normal spot like Dana had the day before, she had decided to follow Kelly to her locker.

'Look,  just think you're overreacting,' Dada said, leaning casually against a locker near Kelly's. 'I mean, what did I really say? What about that sentence could've hurt you that much?'

The comments fell on deaf ears. Kelly didn't want to hear it. She continued to exchange books between her locker and her bag, fiddling with things in hopes it would take so long that Dana would leave.

'Kells, you have to talk to me at some point!' Dana groaned, upon realising she wasn't getting a reply. Kelly had heard this about five times since yesterday morning. Every time it was said, it annoyed Kelly just a little bit more.

'Excuse me', came a voice from behind Dana.

Dana barely threw a glance behind her, before she lazily said, 'Oh, it's you. Sara, isn't it?'

Sara mentioned for the other girl to move aside, nodding at her previous question. Dana complies and moves to the side. She informed Kelly that she'd meet her at their usual spot. She turned swiftly and marched out the door.

Sara took her locker key out and opened her lock. She looked over to Kelly. She was visibly upset and Sara hated it.

'Hey,' Sara says softly. In a failed attempt to make Kelly smile, she jokes, 'quite a show, aye?'

Kelly looks over with a small, forced smile hovering on her face. 'I guess you could call it that,' she murmurs back.

Kelly finally shut her locker. For some reason, she felt compelled to wait for Sara. She stood up and lent against the wall opposite. Sara closed her locker a few seconds later and got up from the ground. She looked curiously to Kelly.

'What's her deal?' she tried to joke again.

Kelly looked to the floor, answering quietly, 'my sexuality, apparently.'

Sara's eyes lit up with a fire fuelled with fury. 'What?' she asked through gritted teeth.

Kelly shook her head, 'it's nothing. Really.' She looked into Sara's eyes. 'Please just drop it.'

The look on Kelly's face, and the sadness in her eyes, told Sara that now wasn't the time to get mad at someone for hurting her friend. No, she had to be there for Kelly. Her fire was forced quickly simmered down - at least for a small while.

'Do you want to sit with me?' Sara offered, opening the door so the two girls can walk out onto the concrete courtyard together.

As they sat down in Sara's group's spot, Alex came walking over. He looked at Sara, then to Kelly, and then at Sara again, an amused smile painted on his face. He let them know that he'd be the only one joining them for lunch. When he's asked why, he explained that Lacey was at "some dance thing" and Calvin went home sick after interval.