The walls of her room are pink, with a floral pattern on them that's just beginning to fade. She hates it, she says. It's so childish, and just not cool, so she's pinned up pictures of boys to cover some of the flowers, and her parents don't mind like Aunt Lavinia would.
She's never kissed a boy, but Sarah is the only one at school who knows. Sarah hasn't either, but everyone knows that. Sarah's too good and when they're in public, sometimes Andrea laughs at her for it.
"We should practice," Andrea says one day as they sit cross-legged on her bed, facing each other.
"How?"
"With each other, silly. So we know what to do."
"I'm not doing that!" With anyone else, Sarah would have stuck to her guns. She's stubborn, her teachers say, or headstrong, when they're feeling kinder. But this is Andrea, and Sarah can't say no to her for long.
She takes Sarah's hand and pulls her closer, and Sarah's heart is suddenly thumping out a tattoo in her chest, a thousand beats a minute. Don't be daft, she tells herself, willing her body not to tremble.
Andrea's mouth is cool and soft and damp, the kiss tentative. Their noses bump and they both grin, so their teeth knock together. Left hands still clasped, their fingers twine and curl.
Sarah feels a bit like she's flying, or falling. She can't quite tell which.
Later Andrea will fall and Sarah won't know how to save her. Later still, Sarah will learn what it's like to fall herself, even though it never happened. Then she knows. It was like flying, that kiss, not like falling at all.
Sarah Jane/Andrea
She's never kissed a boy, but Sarah is the only one at school who knows. Sarah hasn't either, but everyone knows that. Sarah's too good and when they're in public, sometimes Andrea laughs at her for it.
"We should practice," Andrea says one day as they sit cross-legged on her bed, facing each other.
"How?"
"With each other, silly. So we know what to do."
"I'm not doing that!" With anyone else, Sarah would have stuck to her guns. She's stubborn, her teachers say, or headstrong, when they're feeling kinder. But this is Andrea, and Sarah can't say no to her for long.
She takes Sarah's hand and pulls her closer, and Sarah's heart is suddenly thumping out a tattoo in her chest, a thousand beats a minute. Don't be daft, she tells herself, willing her body not to tremble.
Andrea's mouth is cool and soft and damp, the kiss tentative. Their noses bump and they both grin, so their teeth knock together. Left hands still clasped, their fingers twine and curl.
Sarah feels a bit like she's flying, or falling. She can't quite tell which.
Later Andrea will fall and Sarah won't know how to save her. Later still, Sarah will learn what it's like to fall herself, even though it never happened. Then she knows. It was like flying, that kiss, not like falling at all.
Requests: Maria/Luke/Clyde, Martha/Nyssa, Ten/Leela