Bubbles

Chapter 11

Penny

We walk to Lucy's bike.
"I made a friend today."
She raises an eyebrow. "Did you? What're they like?"
"He's funny, and he has blonde hair, like me. He dropped me off home, and mum said she likes him. That's not something that usually happens - she hates everyone. Especially the Kardashians. My mum cannot stand the Kardashians."
"I don't think many people can. Let's get out of the city today, Penny. I know somewhere cool."

Her breathing, her warmth, the curves of her body.
The screaming of the wind and the endless film reel of countryside around us.
I like this. I like this a lot.

We're at a gate, which opens onto an unpromising-looking muddy track.
I just trust her.
After about ten minutes walk, under the shade of a couple of trees, the entrance to an overgrown field is revealed.
"Are you a tree-hugger yourself, Penny?" Lucy laughs, and turns her head to face me.
I make the mistake of glancing at her lips, and find myself being unable to look away.
"Penny?"
I don't answer.
She spins around again, smirking. "And you say you're not checking me out."

The grass underneath us is tickling my legs, but in a comfortable way. There's a butterfly twisting around in the air.
"Do you have any siblings, Lucy?"
"No. You?"
"One."
"Cool, brother or sister?"
"Brother. He's... that's Jonathon. Johnny."
She looks away. "I'm sorry."
"He was a drug addict. I think he dealt them, too. That's why the police got him. He was always shaking, Lucy. He never had a proper girlfriend and sometimes he just sat awake all night, staring at the wall. It was scary. If you ever touched him when he was high, he tried to beat you up. Always shaking." My voice is doing something weird.
"Honey... it's okay." She puts her arm around my shoulder.
I fit into her side. "If my mum was here, she'd say I should be Marmite."
Lucy smiles, and I catch myself staring. It makes her smile more.
I think stuff I'm not allowed to think.
'You're a parasite!'
I remember Ozzie.
'Fuck your mum. Not literally.'
My stomach flips.
"Penny? What are you thinking?"
The words leave my mouth before I know it. "Here, let me show you."
That's when I take her chin, and press my lips to hers.
I retract after about half a second and panic.
What am I doing?
"Hey, why did you stop? That was nice." Lucy licks her bottom lip in a thoughtful way.
"My mum!"
"Did you think that was nice?"
I lean away from her slightly, trying to escape the haze that is overtaking my brain.
Fire is spreading across my face.
"You did, didn't you? Listen, Penny, just do whatever you want. What you want is more important than what your mum wants. Especially for me, when you're this gorgeous!"
I blink at her.
She face-palms. "I didn't mean to say that."
I hesitate.
"For goodness' sake! Come here!" Lucy closes the gap between us, and I automatically lean into the soft heat of her kiss.
Her hand is in my hair, but she's gentle and I like it. Greg isn't gentle.
I like this. I like Lucy. I like her a lot.