French is just a boring, pointless subject. When will I ever need to ask someone what colour their skirt is in French? Never! I only take it because it gives me a better chance at getting a job as a teacher when I finish school. I just don’t understand any of it!
As Miss Harris stood at the front of the classroom desperately attempting to catch the attention of the class of 15 year olds by enthusiastically speaking utter gibberish, my eyes wandered across the room. My two best mates Chesney and Katy were sat at the desk to the right of mine. They were such a cute couple; Katy was busy scribbling down everything Miss Harris had written on the whiteboard into her exercise book as Chesney lovingly stared at her. I smiled to myself, happy for them, although I’d never really had any luck with boys I was happy that I was single, I wanted to wait for “the one” to come along; I had no idea who, but I knew they were out there somewhere.
I began mindlessly doodling in my book, the clock slowly ticking forward towards break at 11am. I looked up to see that the door had opened and a blonde girl had walked in, her cheeks were flamed and she was staring at the floor. Miss Harris smiled at her and then pointed over to the empty seat next to me. The girl clutched the handle of her back and walked towards me at the back and sat down, picking at her pink nail polish. I decided to break the awkward silence between us.
“Hiya, I’m Sophie,” I smiled looking at her. She turned her head to face me, but her eyes fixed on her fingernails,
“I’m Sian,” she half smiled. Her eyes slowly drew up to look at my face until they reached my eyes. My breathing stopped as I found myself lost inside them. I hadn’t noticed how blue they were, or how beautiful she was, or how soft and glossy her blonde hair looked, which was draped over her small shoulders, or how perfect and pink her lips were.
It was as if something had clicked between us and we started chatting as if we’d known each other for years; she told me that her mum cheated on her dad with a 22 year old man called Yusuf, her dad dragged her away from Southport to live in Weatherfield.
The remainder of the lesson quickly passed and I introduced Sian to Chesney and Katy. Sian fit right in with us, although she didn’t seem as comfortable with Chesney and Katy there instead of just me. We were pleased to see that she had most of her lessons with each other; she was in a different science class than me. I couldn’t believe how quickly and easily we had become friends, it was as if it was meant to be... meant to be as in best friends not like... in a relationship... quick mental correction there...
I invited her over to mine for dinner, an offer she quickly accepted; she’d do anything to get away from her drunken and depressed mess of a father, most likely sitting drinking away watching the football in a dark room she said.
My mum was surprised to see that I had brought home someone other than Chesney and Katy, I wasn’t the best at making friends; I preferred to stick to the people I knew, rather than going up to randomers in nursery, demanding they be friends with me or else I’ll steal their teddy bear... or whatever else the terrified 3 year old was clutching at the time, but it felt right that I should be friends with Sian, it was as if it was written in the stars or whatever they say happened with Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet? I’m not in love with Sian! Why do I keep thinking these things? I’m not even gay!
“Hi Mrs Webster, I’m Sian,” she beamed, her teeth perfectly straight and pearly white. Mum smiled back, pleased that I’d made a polite friend,
“Please, call me Sally! Are you staying for dinner Sian?” Mum asked pleadingly. She wasn’t Mrs Webster anymore, not since her and dad got divorced 10 years ago. Dad married my step mum; Molly 5 years ago and they had a son, Jack 2 years ago. I liked Molly, I could always talk to her about anything and she wouldn’t get worked up about it like mum would.
“Urm... yes please if that’s not too much trouble?” Sian politely smiled, flashing her amazing pearly white teeth in an astonishingly beautiful smile,
“No, no that’s fine! Do you like steak and kidney pie?” my mum smiled pleadingly, I noticed her apron was covered in flour and the ingredients for steak and kidney pie were laid across the kitchen counter.
“Yeah I do,” Sian replied, still smiling,
“Well that’s good! Why don’t you two go upstairs whilst I get dinner ready ay?” mum smiled, obviously fond of Sian. I nodded and took Sian upstairs to my bedroom.
“Your room is so nice!” Sian smiled and flopped herself on my bed looking around “Better than my crummy room anyway,” I laughed and sat down next to her,
“So, what do you wanna do?” I asked smiling. I didn’t know what it was, but I couldn’t help myself smiling whenever I was around her, she was infectious and I had no idea why.
“Umm...I don’t know?!” she giggled, moving herself so that she was sat cross legged at the top of my bed facing me, I went over to my iPod and put it on shuffle. ‘Hummingbird Heartbeat’ by Katy Perry was the first song to come on and I saw Sian’s eyes light up.
“Do you like Katy Perry?” I asked giggling,
“She’s only the most amazing singer ever, Soph!” Sian beamed her perfect smile then stood up and started singing along and dancing, “You give me that hummingbird heartbeat!”
“Spread my wings and make me fly!” I sang then stood up and we circled my bedroom pretending to fly as if we were a pair of 5 year olds, before falling back onto my bed in a fit of laughter. I wrapped her into a hug, still giggling. Something about that hug gave me goosebumps and the butterflies in my stomach I had from being around her multiplied. We both stopped laughing and relaxed into the hug; it lasted a lot longer than friendly hugs should last, but I didn’t care, I felt comfortable with her in my arms.
“Sophie! Sian! Dinner!” my mum shouted up the stairs. Loosening my grip, she pulled away, our eyes locked together. I smiled and broke the eye contact to get up from my bed. She mirrored my actions and our eyes met again then she laughed,
“Come on, your mum’s waiting,” she whispered, I nodded and turned around to walk out of the room.
We’d only been eating for 5 minutes when the front door burst open and my older sister Rosie, dressed in a short, tight red dress, black cardigan, black heels and bright red lipstick, walked into the kitchen,
“Oh em gee, what an actual awful day!” she cried dramatically,
“Why? What’s wrong Rosie love?” mum asked, used to her over the top behaviour.
“I have a really important modelling job tomorrow night, which pays LOADS, and I’m supposed to be going to see Katy Perry! What am I going to do?” she cried, an idea popping into my head as Sian turned wide-eyed to look at me.
“Why don’t you give them to me?” I asked, praying she’d say yes.
“You know what Soph, that’s a really good idea! They’re yours!” she squealed and put the two tickets in front of me as Sian’s smile grew across her face.
“Now I have a dilemma on my hands...” I said thoughtfully winking at Sian, “Which one of my three best friends shall I take to the amazing Katy Perry concert tomorrow ?” Sian grinned in my direction and a giggle escaped my lips, “Well Chesney would get bored, Katy will only go if Ches is going... so I suppose I’ll have to take you” I falsely sighed before Sian screamed excitedly and threw her arms around me. Again, the same goosebumps and the same butterflies returned with her touch, it was strange but it felt right, as if they were supposed to be there.
After dinner, Sian and I returned to my bedroom and sat next to each other on my bed watching ‘P.S I Love You’.
“Soph?” Sian asked, turning her head to face me, “Did you mean it before? When you said I was one of your best friends?” I turned to face her, smiling,
“I know we haven’t even known each other for 24 hours, but I really feel that I’ve known you all my life!” I grinned, “Right now I feel closer to you than I am with Ches and Katy, it’s weird,” Sian smiled, then rested her head on my shoulder and I rested my head on her head and entwined her fingers together.
“That’s because I’m right next to you and they’re over the road, dosey!” Sian said, then burst out laughing,
“Laughing at your own joke... very unprofessional Powers!” I laughed.
“Last names now ay Webster?” we spent the rest of the evening mocking each other and breaking into fits of laugher ever 2 minutes.
The end credits finished and the screen turned black, plunging my bedroom into total darkness. I turned my head to look at Sian, who was snoring lightly with her head resting on my left shoulder. I suddenly had the urge to kiss her, to feel her soft pink lips against mine, it was totally out of nowhere but I felt at that moment it would have been perfect. She lifted up her head and although groggy with sleep and in the dark, her bright blue eyes twinkled as they locked together with mine. I felt as if I was drowning in the liquidy blue and my lips curled into a smile. Sian licked her lips and it was then when I realised that our faces were only inches away. My smile disappeared and I licked my lips, her eyes drawing down to them then quickly darted back to my eyes, which slowly closed, as our faces became centimetres away and I could feel her warm, sweet breath against my lips and my heart was beating at least 3 times faster than usual.
We were interrupted by my mum knocking on the door and we quickly moved away from each other, both smiling.
“Sophie? Sian’s dad is here to pick her up!” Mum said from outside the door,
“Okay, we’ll be down in a minute!” I shouted, giggling as I heard her going down the stairs. “What was that all about?” I laughed, Sian laughed too - a little more warily than I did. I stood up and turned on the light.
“Thank you for having me over!” Sian smiled and wrapped me in a hug, “and for asking me to come to Katy Perry!”
“That’s okay!” I smiled and pulled out of the hug, We both walked downstairs where Mr Powers was standing talking to my mum.
“Sian I’ve asked your dad about Katy Perry tomorrow night and he says its fine! Do you want to sleep over tomorrow?” Mum smiled. Sian nodded and smiled before turning to hug me again.
“Bye Soph! Bye Sally! Thank you for dinner!” she grinned, then turned and left with her dad.
“She’s a lovely girl Sophie,” mum said, then went into the kitchen to clean up. I turned and walked up the stairs and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and sinking to the floor and breathed out.
What is going on?
