HAND-HOLDING
”HAND-HOLDING”
Anne couldn’t sleep, this was the worst insomnia she’d had, ever. Ok maybe she was exaggerating, it had been worse before. There was this one time where she couldn’t sleep for almost the entirety of a school week. That Friday her parents couldn’t wake her up for school, so they called the office and just let her sleep. When she woke up it was 3 pm and she felt terrible. But this was almost as bad.
Grumbling she gave up, sitting up and tapping her mushroom lamp to light it up. She was on the tip of a headache. She had prescribed Melatonin back home, but that barely made her drowsy, now in another de mention where they had nothing even close to her meds, it was even harder to fall asleep. Especially that she didn’t have some sort of wacky adventure that prior day to tire her.
It was why too humid in the basement, even with her short sleeved t-shirt and pj shorts. Anne didn’t suspect it was any cooler outside, but she needed something to do instead of trying to unsuccessfully fall asleep in the stuffy room.
Pushing the door open she breathed in surprisingly refreshing air. It smelled of rain, but not in a hot and sticky way. Over the distant mountains she saw hints of lazy clouds slowly starting to drift over the valley. They’d be at Wartwood by tomorrow, she was sure.
Anne decided to go for a walk, not too far, just the grassy-swamp outside of their property.
She walked slow, careful not to kick any boxes outside the Fwagon. She turned her attention for a moment to the stars, admiring different constatations than in her world. All of a sudden there was a pound bang out and she stumbled over something. An old bucket, of course she’d have to hit something. Praying that Marcy didn’t wake from the noise she sped-walked to her destination.
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From inside the Fwagon, Marcy’s head shot up from the curled up ball position she was in. A loud bag sounded from not to far away from the Fwagon, and it was silent for a few moments before she could hear a familiar voice curse something in Thai, before her quick footsteps left the vicinity.
Marcy stood, wiping the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes and put on her cloak.
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Anne sighed tiredly, sitting on a patch on dry grass. It was long enough that if she were to lay down, you couldn’t see her. Little fireflys danced around her, illuminating the earth with a soft glow. And of course there was the moon, a Carnelian red at seemed to bath the grass-lands in a hard, yet soothing glow.
Looking to the constellations she tried to see if any were her own solar system’s, but alas there was no Northern Star, nor Big Dipper. She was 90% sure even Marcy didn’t know the names of any, or maybe she did. Marcy was always full of surprises. And these were one of these instances because before Anne could open her eyes, her heard a weight plop beside her.
It was Marcy. Of course it was. Like Anne said, Marcy was always full of surprises.
She turned to see her best friendGirlfriend? Marcy beside her.
“Marcy?” Anne questioned, a confused look on her face.
“‘Sup Anne, stargazing?” Marcy said nonchalantly.
“Yeah, I guess you could call it that”
They stayed like that for a minute or two, not sure how to engage in conversation, but they also didn’t mind just sitting there enjoying each other’s company.
“Why are you awake Anne?” Marcy finally asked.
“Oh, I can’t sleep. It still have insomnia you know” Anne replied looking to Marcy, “The nature environment isn’t helping sadly. I though maybe because they have more trees & the air is cleaner that would help but no, the humidity has different plans.” Anne finished ranting, then asked.
“Why are you awake Marcy?”
The question lingered in the air for a moment while Marcy thought of an answer. No way was she going to tell..
“Couldn’t sleep either, it also doesn’t help that a certain Thai girl is kicking over buckets in the middle of the night” Marcy teased, causing Anne’s face to pinken slightly from embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean to! And who just leaves a metal bucket put in the open where people can easily kick it by accident!” Anne shot back, but a smile on her face.
“Ok ok, I forgive you Annie” Marcy said, a joking solemn expression on her face. It was so hard not to crack and start bursting into laughter.
“Hey oh you-“ Anne sighed “apology accepted, your highness”
There was silence for a moment before they both erupted into laughter.
While Anne was laughing she made this kind of hiccup-snort, making her stop laughing and put her hands to her mouth. This was so embarrassing. Damn, I hate it when I do that! It’s so dumb! Anne thought to herself, cringing.
Marcy had stopped laughing, seeing that Anne had stoped.
“I’m sorry, I hate when I do that it just sounds weird and I’m sorry-“ Anne began apologizing, but then Marcy cut her off.
“That,” she took Anne’s hands, “was the most adorable thingy you’ve ever done I think”
Anne felt her face flush at Marcy’s words. Butterflys danced in her stomach, threatening to burst out of her.
Marcy giggled, she giggled. Anne felt like she was going to explode, Anne didn’t know her face could feel so hot.
She swallowed. “Really?”
“Of course you big dummy! Why would I lie to you?”
“I-I wasn’t saying you were lying!” Anne stammered, thinking Marcy interpreted her sentence different than she wanted.
“I just messing with you, ya goof” Marcy pressed her forehead to Anne’s, her eyes closed. They were so close now, their lips only an inch or two apart. Marcy’s lips were slightly parted.
“M-mars?”
“Mm?”
“Can I….”
No response, but Marcy didn’t pull away either. It was too unbearable to be so close. Anne pushed her lips against Marcy’s, her hands cupping Marcy’s cheeks. Only a moment later the pressure was reciprocated, one of Marcy’s hands grabbed her own, while the other grabbed the back of her head in the tangles of her hair. Pushing her closer into herself, if that was even possible.
This moment went too fast before the two girls pulled away, gasping for air. Their hands never moved.
“Huh…” Anne said breathlessly. This was technically not her first kiss, if you included the one in the cave two nights ago, but she counted this as her first kiss.
“I.. don’t even know… wh-“ Marcy suddenly grabbed the collar of Anne shirt and crushed her lips against Anne’s. She gasped at the sudden shock but quickly continued it. This was bliss, and she wanted it to stay like this forever. Does this make them Girlfriends? She wasn’t sure. But whatever the hell they had she adored.
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“Do you think they’re kissing?” A certain young pink frog asked his little sister. They had watched the two leave almost an hour ago, and he was wondering when they’d return.
“Oh most definitely” the tadpole replied with certainty.