A Storm Is Brewing

Liv's Play

"We're going to have to map it soon; I have no fucking idea where we are right now, Soph." Leah laughed.
"No maps; that's the point of the game."
"The families of Leah and Sophie are becoming increasingly worried after they failed to return home from a relaxing drive." Leah giggled as she put on a television presenter's voice.
"You are so dramatic, Le."
"Sensible. I am sensible."
"You're the one driving without a map."
"I seem to lose all sense around you."
"I like it." I smiled, gripping her hand tightly.

Leah and I were currently in the middle of somewhere, but also in the middle of nowhere. A news article about a full moon led us to jump into the car and attempt to find the perfect view to witness it. We, well, I, had decided it would be more like an adventure if we skipped the satnav and instead opted to take it in turns to say left or right when we got to the end of the road. Moments like this, laughing with Leah, even if we were lost, made my heart feel more full of love for her than ever.

"Soph, look." Leah pulled into a small car park.
"Oh my god." I gasped.

The view from the front windscreen of the car showed that we had stumbled upon a tiny car park at the side of the road, one that sat beside a lake and was positioned perfectly between the trees to witness the moon that provided any light we needed. We didn't hesitate to exit the car, with Leah making her way to my side to pull me into her as we admired the night sky as we walked to the edge of the water. Leah's arm wrapped protectively around my shoulder as we sat on the grass bank.

"Soph, can I tell you something?"
"Anything." I rested my head on her shoulder.
"When we broke up, before you moved here, I used to take so much comfort from the moon, you know."
"How come?"
"I'd look out at it before I went to sleep at night. I used to feel so comforted by the fact that we were both sleeping under the same sky."
"I'm glad we're together under the same sky now, Le." I smiled at her.

I felt Leah's hand rise to my face, gently cupping my cheek as she slowly leaned towards me. With my eyes closed and the only noise coming from the trees rustling in the wind, my heart began to beat faster. Her cold nose brushed against mine softly as her lips connected to mine, her mouth struggling to fight the smile that was desperate to appear on her face.

"I love you, Soph." Leah whispered.
"I love you too, Le. To the moon and back." I smiled.

Ever since Leah had submitted her application for university, she had completely changed. Despite her injury keeping her out for longer than she had anticipated, she remained positive. We openly discussed anything that was on her mind, no matter how big or small it may have seemed. It was almost as if someone had changed something inside of her. I suppose that someone was me. As we drove back that night, finally agreeing to use the wonders of technology to guide us home, those harsh words that we had exchanged during that time were so far removed from both of our memories. Well, so I thought.

We collapsed into bed, neither of us being used to the late nights. As always, our bodies found one another and entangled themselves together as we drifted off to the sound of our heartbeats.

— — — —

Two days later.

Fuck. What is that beeping?

"We've slept in." I jumped.
"Fuck. What time is it?"
"10 a.m." I said as I scrambled to the shower.

After much panicking, and several swear words, Leah and I were finally on the plane. We were making the journey to Ireland to watch Olivia perform at a local theatre show. The flight was just 45 minutes; it always seemed like there was no time at all between the initial takeoff and the landing. I laughed as Leah tried to adjust to the cold temperatures that Ireland had to offer. As we exited the automatic doors towards the entrance of the airport, a familiar voice bellowed out in our direction.