Coming From the Shadows Series
A Hidden Spark
The United Kingdom
Blackpool
July 13th, 2014 A.D.
The summer had unfolded, mild weather had given way to the warmer weather; Blackpool, being a seaside resort town had seen a massive increase in tourism; the town centre was packed with a seas of people; the scent of the seawater was strong, and the heat of the sun bore down; people, especially Britons, walked around in varying styles of dress, mostly men walked topless with shorts and sunglasses present on their faces; while women wore varying different summer attire from sun dresses, to short skirts and vests or shorts with t-shirts; the crowds moved mostly to and from the promenade; enjoying the sun.
Further in, within the large local park Raven and Yasmin, best friends since their first encounter as children, found themselves roaming their familiar haunts around the park, going from the large swan pond at the centre of the park; or wandering near the mini-golf course; sometimes they would stop by the swings a little distance from the café; or they would wander around the parks small woodlands, weaving around the tree’s as the shared an ice-cream they’d gotten from the café.
Raven, her long dark hair tied back in its usual fashion, pulled to the side to dangle limply over her shoulder; the sun warmed her olive and rather tanned complexion, beads of sweat were present due to the heat; she had a rather soft expression, and warm smile; her silvery-grey eyes had an innocent look about them, but still, something did lay beneath them that Yasmin had always seemed to notice.
Yasmin was much more mischievous than Raven and was usually the one to get into trouble; her sleek dark hair pulled back and tied in place; Yasmin despite her mischievous nature also provided some balance between the two, something Raven had noticed more and more over the years; when together they matched, everything they did seemed to work in their favour, from school to home activities.
As they walked sharing their ice-cream, they talked about their plans for the summer holidays that they wanted to do, or gossiped about some of their classmates, commenting on who they could go meet up with; there was an unspoken tension developing between them in their playful exchanges.
It was subtle at first; the way Yasmin’s gaze lingered on Raven’s face when she laughed, the way Raven noticed the softness of Yasmin’s hand brushing against hers when they walked side-by-side; these two had shared every secret, every heartbreak; but these new emotions beginning, they felt different to Raven; delicate and fragile, like first blooms of spring.
Into the evening as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Raven and Yasmin had found their way from the Park all the way to Raven’s home; they where sprawled out on a towel in her back garden, surrounded by the lush greenery and dancing of the flowers from a gentle breeze.
There was a subtle sound of bee’s nearby; still talking, they moved the conversation on things regarding the future; noticing something in their conversation, Yasmin moved a moment, she had noticed the difference in Raven’s tone, like something had started to distract her “You okay?” she queried
“Yeah” Raven said softly; she felt a weight present in her chest, so many thoughts came rushing through her head that she just couldn’t ignore it, prompting her to finally say something “Yasmin…” she started, pushing herself up, crossing her legs as she sat for a moment looking forwards, then looked towards Yasmin who had a curious expression present, Raven found herself nervously twisting strands of her hair around her finger “Have you ever thought about…, I don’t know…, us?” she said “I mean…, like how things are between us?”
There was some surprise present in Yasmin’s expression, she could feel her heart racing, she had been wrestling with similar thoughts that Raven seemed to be having, there was a slight fear present “You mean…, like…” she thought a moment, glancing around then back to Raven “As more than friends?” she asked; her voice barely above a whisper, it surprised Raven a little
Nodding her head slowly, Raven could feel her heart beat thudding in her chest “I just feel like there is something more, something we haven’t explored” she tells her “But I don’t want to ruin what we have”
There was a slight smile trying to curve Yasmin’s lips, but her breath was caught in her throat, she was lost on what to say for a brief moment “I feel that too” she finally said “I’ve just been scared to say anything, I don’t want to lose you”
They gazed at each other; looking into the eyes of the other, unsaid words weaving a fragile connection between them, their fears slowly starting to dissolve into a warmth that curled around them, lit by the soft glow of twilight.
“Maybe…” Raven started “Maybe we could try” she suggested, a hopeful smile “To see where it leads us”
Yasmin’s face broke into a grin, suddenly the world around them felt much brighter “Yes, I’d like that; I really would”
The next few weeks were filled with exploration of this new territory; the stolen glances and laughter felt richer than before.
They felt joy in the simplest of things, a shared look when beneath the starts at night as they spoke about everything and nothing; the thrill of holding hands when out, the shy smiles they exchanged tinged with excitement.
But every budding romance faces its challenges; as they attended final weeks of school before the summer holidays, rumours had begun to weave there way through the students, the whispers that brought the unpleasantness from many of their so called friends; one in particular, someone that Raven and Yasmin had met in only a few years after they had met one another; a lad by the name of Daniel, normally this trio had been pretty tight, but these rumours he had heard stirred a jealousy within him and he made a comment to Raven on one of their interactions upsetting her, there had even been fights in the halls involving Yasmin, often ending by a teachers intervention.
With these rumours and comments made by Daniel, Raven had retreated into her shell; there had been jeers and laughter from classmates, it made them both uneasy.
One day in the dining hall, Yasmin noticed Raven staring at her plate, clearly lost in thought, that spark she usually had seemed to be fading “Raven, what’s wrong?” she asked with concern etching her brow
“I’m getting you hurt” Raven choaked “I don’t want that; I..” she stuttered “I don’t know if I can keep doing this” she admitted, her voice was trembling
Yasmin reached across her fingers brushing against Raven’s “Raven; they don’t understand, and besides their judgement is of no importance; it doesn’t change how I feel about you”
Raising her head, she looked at Yasmin, exchanging uncertain looks, caught in a moment heavy with possibility; the chemistry between them was undeniable, yet the fears loomed large; Raven felt the responsibility for Yasmin getting into so many fights.
When the holidays finally began, they escaped from the judgement of their classmates for a long time, it felt freeing to finally be away from the judgement, however interactions with Daniel could often cause conflict between him and Yasmin; and in moments of desperation, she would often turn to her sister Eliza for help on what to do; Eliza often encouraging her sister.
And as summer began to give way to autumn; the air started to turn crisp, the leaves began to change; one rainy afternoon; the girls were sat in Raven’s living room, the sound of rain clattering against the window acting a soothing backdrop; Yasmin has been deep in thought as they sat together watching the television, finally finding the courage to speak from the heart “Raven, I want you to know that no matter what others do or say, you are the most important person to me; if we’re going to get through this, we need to stay true to ourselves”
Her heart swelling, Raven leaned closer, their foreheads touching as she looked into Yasmin’s eyes “Okay” she said softly “No matter what happens then” she smiled “I want to be with you; friends, partners; whatever label you want to put on it, I just want you”
Observing from the doorway; Eliza smiled at the tender moment, she had managed to remain so silent, she was like a shadow, a shadow that had gone unnoticed; watching over her sister, as she had her tender moment with Yasmin, just as quietly as she had arrived to keep an eye on them, Eliza just as quietly moved out from the room, not wanting to disturb them.
Having sealed their promise with a tender kiss; it was a moment of sweetness, the fears that had been felt transformed into courage, the weight of societal judgement slipping away.
While they didn’t know what the future held for them, they had each other; and believed themselves prepared for the future, whatever it may hold for them.
Written By: Westley H.
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