Brighter
"I'd still wave goodbye..."
So this is how it goes?
Well I, I would have never known
And if it ends today
I'll still say that you shine brighter
Than anyone
Kate smiled at her reflection in the mirror: a girl with small facial features and big green eyes smiled back, her reddish hair curling round her face.
"You look pretty...like always," Steven said from behind her, lying back on the bed. "No need to smile to reassure yourself Katkin."
"Who said I'm trying to reassure myself?" she told him, looking over her shoulder. Steven. Her oldest friend: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, gangly in a way you know he'd grow into his height. They'd known each other for so long.
"Because you clearly are Kate."
"I'm just nervous, okay?"
"What of?" he prompted. "C'mon, you don't need to be nervous about today...You're not the one moving across the country, Katkin."
"I know I'm not," she said softly, looking back at the mirror.
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard
Well it's not this hard
But you take what's yours and I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
He climbed off her bed and crossed the room, kneeling down next to her and resting his arms on her dressing table.
"Cheer up," he said softly. "I'm still alive, right?"
Kate looked down at him and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I know, Steven."
"If it matters, I'll miss you," Steven whispered.
"Hey, we're not meant to go into all the mushy stuff yet," Kate laughed, trying to brush his words off.
"Yeah, but we won't be alone any other time."
"Why do we need to be alone?"
Well, this is not your fault
But if I'm without you then I will feel so small
And if you have to go
Always know that you shine brighter
Than anyone does
"Just to say goodbye; we've been friends for so long that I might want to say goodbye to you without all of my family and our other friends being there."
Kate smiled and pushed the stool that she was sat on backwards.
"Which jacket should I wear?"
"Since when do you ask me?"
"Since...now?"
Steven shrugged and rocked back onto his heels, turning to face her. "The old black Misfits one..." Kate smiled to herself as she reached into her wardrobe for the jacket. She'd guessed he was going to say that – it was his jacket after all...
"I'm so cold!" Kate mumbled, rubbing her arms. They were walking through the park; it was a spring evening and the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was beginning to lower. They were both wearing shorts and Kate was wearing a strappy vest top. Both carried skateboards.
"You shoulda brought a jacket," Steven teased her.
"Steven," she whined. "I'm cold."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Can we stop and get a coffee?" she asked as they passed the town's coffeeshop.
"No," he said shortly. "I have no money. Neither do you – we spent it on ice cream, remember?"
She pouted. "I wanna coffee."
He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and tossed it to her. It fell over her head and he laughed as she pulled it off herself, her hair sticking up messily. She handed him her skateboard and shrugged it on – it was far to big for her, going down to her knees and hanging over her hands. Kate was small for her age and Steven was tall for his age.
"You're never getting this back," she promised him.
"I know. You can keep it anyway."
She smiled at him.
She pulled the jacket on and zipped it up. "C'mon Steven," Kate yawned. She'd only been awake for half an hour...when Steven had jumped on top of her.
"Where are we going?"
"For a walk."
"Why?"
"To say goodbye?" Kate pointed out in her 'duhhh' voice.
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard?
Well it's not this hard
If you take what's yours and I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
Their walk consisted of a wander up to their local park, linking arms, occasionally skipping past old ladies or singing snippets from their favourite songs. They didn't talk to each other until they actually reached the park however.
"I can't believe you're actually going," Kate whispered as they sat next to the duck pond.
"Neither can I. I mean my dad had been talking about it for years but I never thought we'd actually be moving..."
Kate looked at him sadly. "And we thought we were going to go to college together."
"And we were going to be godparents for each other's kids."
"And we were going to open a pet shop together..."
"You still remember that one Katkin?" Steven chuckled.
"Yeah...I also remember..." She stopped short.
He looked at her, lying down and rolling onto his stomach. "Remember what?" he asked.
"Our pact..."
Realisation dawned on his face. "Our marriage pact?"
Kate nodded. She remembered the time at thirteen when neither of them was getting any attention from anyone other than their friends and family. Both wanted a girlfriend or a boyfriend but no one would look at them like that...And one night they were both joking – half joking, that is – that they'd never find a partner, and if they weren't married by the time they were thirty then they had to marry each other. It was just a jokey pact but it was one that Kate held in her heart.
"Oh man. I remember that!" He smiled and rolled onto his back. "I never did find a girlfriend you know."
"I know."
"You had Derek though..."
"Some relationship that turned out to be," Kate pointed out. "That messed up. Big time."
"Oh yeah, I know that. I was so jealous though!"
Kate frowned at him. "What d'you mean?" He propped himself up on his elbows and blushed, looking out over the duck pond.
"Nothing..."
"Yeah, and I'm not a girl," Kate teased, pushing him with her hand. "C'mon, tell me Stevie...You're leaving in three hours!"
"Ilikedyou."
"Sorry?"
"I – liked – you."
"Liked?"
Steven looked at her. "Like actually..."
Kate felt herself blushing. "Ummm...OK."
If you run away now
Will you come back around?
And if you ran away
I'd still wave goodbye
Watching you shine bright
"D'you wanna feed the ducks?" Steven asked randomly after a few moments.
Kate shook her head. "No not today."
Steven pouted. "Aww...why?"
"Because I'm not in the mood."
He frowned at her. "What's up Katkin?"
"You just told me you like me but now you're going to move and the truth is I really like you too and I'm sad that you're going to be leaving before we get to do anything together, I mean, its just so..."
"You look like you're gonna cry, Katkin."
Suddenly, she was hugging him tightly, pressing her face into his chest. "Don't go?" she asked.
"I have to, Katkin."
"But...you'll forget me," she mumbled.
"Forget you? How can I forget you?"
"I don’t know, but you will."
"I promise you I won't – we still have our pact, remember?" He realised she was actually crying and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not gonna forget you, Kate. I've known you for fifteen years; I'm hardly going to forget that in a hurry."
She looked up at him. "Really?"
"Yes."
Kate smiled at him weakly. "I hope so, Steven."
She sighed and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes furiously. "I really, really hope so..."
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard?
It's not this hard
But if you take what's yours
And I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
I'll wave goodbye watching you shine bright
I'll wave goodbye
Tonight
Well I, I would have never known
And if it ends today
I'll still say that you shine brighter
Than anyone
Kate smiled at her reflection in the mirror: a girl with small facial features and big green eyes smiled back, her reddish hair curling round her face.
"You look pretty...like always," Steven said from behind her, lying back on the bed. "No need to smile to reassure yourself Katkin."
"Who said I'm trying to reassure myself?" she told him, looking over her shoulder. Steven. Her oldest friend: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, gangly in a way you know he'd grow into his height. They'd known each other for so long.
"Because you clearly are Kate."
"I'm just nervous, okay?"
"What of?" he prompted. "C'mon, you don't need to be nervous about today...You're not the one moving across the country, Katkin."
"I know I'm not," she said softly, looking back at the mirror.
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard
Well it's not this hard
But you take what's yours and I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
He climbed off her bed and crossed the room, kneeling down next to her and resting his arms on her dressing table.
"Cheer up," he said softly. "I'm still alive, right?"
Kate looked down at him and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I know, Steven."
"If it matters, I'll miss you," Steven whispered.
"Hey, we're not meant to go into all the mushy stuff yet," Kate laughed, trying to brush his words off.
"Yeah, but we won't be alone any other time."
"Why do we need to be alone?"
Well, this is not your fault
But if I'm without you then I will feel so small
And if you have to go
Always know that you shine brighter
Than anyone does
"Just to say goodbye; we've been friends for so long that I might want to say goodbye to you without all of my family and our other friends being there."
Kate smiled and pushed the stool that she was sat on backwards.
"Which jacket should I wear?"
"Since when do you ask me?"
"Since...now?"
Steven shrugged and rocked back onto his heels, turning to face her. "The old black Misfits one..." Kate smiled to herself as she reached into her wardrobe for the jacket. She'd guessed he was going to say that – it was his jacket after all...
"I'm so cold!" Kate mumbled, rubbing her arms. They were walking through the park; it was a spring evening and the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was beginning to lower. They were both wearing shorts and Kate was wearing a strappy vest top. Both carried skateboards.
"You shoulda brought a jacket," Steven teased her.
"Steven," she whined. "I'm cold."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Can we stop and get a coffee?" she asked as they passed the town's coffeeshop.
"No," he said shortly. "I have no money. Neither do you – we spent it on ice cream, remember?"
She pouted. "I wanna coffee."
He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and tossed it to her. It fell over her head and he laughed as she pulled it off herself, her hair sticking up messily. She handed him her skateboard and shrugged it on – it was far to big for her, going down to her knees and hanging over her hands. Kate was small for her age and Steven was tall for his age.
"You're never getting this back," she promised him.
"I know. You can keep it anyway."
She smiled at him.
She pulled the jacket on and zipped it up. "C'mon Steven," Kate yawned. She'd only been awake for half an hour...when Steven had jumped on top of her.
"Where are we going?"
"For a walk."
"Why?"
"To say goodbye?" Kate pointed out in her 'duhhh' voice.
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard?
Well it's not this hard
If you take what's yours and I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
Their walk consisted of a wander up to their local park, linking arms, occasionally skipping past old ladies or singing snippets from their favourite songs. They didn't talk to each other until they actually reached the park however.
"I can't believe you're actually going," Kate whispered as they sat next to the duck pond.
"Neither can I. I mean my dad had been talking about it for years but I never thought we'd actually be moving..."
Kate looked at him sadly. "And we thought we were going to go to college together."
"And we were going to be godparents for each other's kids."
"And we were going to open a pet shop together..."
"You still remember that one Katkin?" Steven chuckled.
"Yeah...I also remember..." She stopped short.
He looked at her, lying down and rolling onto his stomach. "Remember what?" he asked.
"Our pact..."
Realisation dawned on his face. "Our marriage pact?"
Kate nodded. She remembered the time at thirteen when neither of them was getting any attention from anyone other than their friends and family. Both wanted a girlfriend or a boyfriend but no one would look at them like that...And one night they were both joking – half joking, that is – that they'd never find a partner, and if they weren't married by the time they were thirty then they had to marry each other. It was just a jokey pact but it was one that Kate held in her heart.
"Oh man. I remember that!" He smiled and rolled onto his back. "I never did find a girlfriend you know."
"I know."
"You had Derek though..."
"Some relationship that turned out to be," Kate pointed out. "That messed up. Big time."
"Oh yeah, I know that. I was so jealous though!"
Kate frowned at him. "What d'you mean?" He propped himself up on his elbows and blushed, looking out over the duck pond.
"Nothing..."
"Yeah, and I'm not a girl," Kate teased, pushing him with her hand. "C'mon, tell me Stevie...You're leaving in three hours!"
"Ilikedyou."
"Sorry?"
"I – liked – you."
"Liked?"
Steven looked at her. "Like actually..."
Kate felt herself blushing. "Ummm...OK."
If you run away now
Will you come back around?
And if you ran away
I'd still wave goodbye
Watching you shine bright
"D'you wanna feed the ducks?" Steven asked randomly after a few moments.
Kate shook her head. "No not today."
Steven pouted. "Aww...why?"
"Because I'm not in the mood."
He frowned at her. "What's up Katkin?"
"You just told me you like me but now you're going to move and the truth is I really like you too and I'm sad that you're going to be leaving before we get to do anything together, I mean, its just so..."
"You look like you're gonna cry, Katkin."
Suddenly, she was hugging him tightly, pressing her face into his chest. "Don't go?" she asked.
"I have to, Katkin."
"But...you'll forget me," she mumbled.
"Forget you? How can I forget you?"
"I don’t know, but you will."
"I promise you I won't – we still have our pact, remember?" He realised she was actually crying and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not gonna forget you, Kate. I've known you for fifteen years; I'm hardly going to forget that in a hurry."
She looked up at him. "Really?"
"Yes."
Kate smiled at him weakly. "I hope so, Steven."
She sighed and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes furiously. "I really, really hope so..."
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard?
It's not this hard
But if you take what's yours
And I take mine
Must we go there?
Please not this time, no not this time
I'll wave goodbye watching you shine bright
I'll wave goodbye
Tonight