When Flying Feels Like Falling

It was a Friday afternoon and the sun was hidden behind the fluffy white clouds. The warm breeze blew gently through my hair, which I had left down in its natural wavy form.

Manda and I had decided to go out and get some ice cream, sort of making this just a girl's day out for us. No Tom, no Lee, and no others.

I was wearing the bracelet Tom had given me, sneaking peeks at it every once in a while. I loved it too much. As Manda and I walked alongside each other with our ice cream in our hands, she began telling me about her relationship with Lee and how serious it was getting.

"He's just amazing," Manda gushed, licking her vanilla ice cream cone.

I smiled. "You two are adorable together."

"Aw, thanks. So are yeh and Tom," She said, bumping her shoulder with mine.

I smiled wider, staring straight forward at the endless path in front of us.

"'Ey, I don't mean to be nosy or anything but....have yeh and Tom....yeh know, done it yet?" She questioned.

"Wow, that is so not a total invasion of privacy," I joked, which made her laugh out loud.

"Have yeh?" She asked again, tilting her head.

I laughed quietly. "No, we haven't."

"Realleh?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "But do yeh want to?"

I bit the corner of my lip. "I don't know. I mean, I haven't really thought about it."

"Seriousleh? What do yeh guys do when yo' togetha?"

I shrugged. "Talk. Go on dates."

Her jaw dropped. "He hasn't even tried to make a move?"

"Manda!" I blushed at least ten shades of red, hiding my face behind my ice cream cone. I was never good with the sex talks.

"Sorreh!" She giggled. "But seriousleh, Lor. Why aren't yeh? I mean, yeh can talk to me about this stuff. I alreadeh considah yeh my best mate." She grinned, bumping into me again.

I smiled crookedly, licking the chocolate a few times. "Thanks, Manda."

"Yo' vereh welcome. Now, why haven't yeh and Tom done it yet?"

I made a funny face, too embarrassed to answer.

"Wait...." Manda paused, staring at me. "Are yeh....?"

I looked away shyly, now avoiding eye contact with her altogether.

"A virgin?" She finished, incredulously.

Oh boy.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Yes."

"Oh my God!" She shook her head. "No wondah yeh two haven't done it. Does Tom know?"

"No." I looked down.

"Are yeh planning on telling him?"

"No."

She frowned. "How come?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I just don't want him to think I'm some stupid little girl who doesn't have a clue of what sex is like."

Manda chuckled, placing a comforting arm around my shoulders. "Sweets, he's not gonna think that."

"But what if he does?" I whined.

"He won't! He cares too much about yeh to think something like that. Besides, the fact that yo' a virgin will just make him like yeh even mo'," She explained calmly.

"Huh?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

"Virgins are a rarity these days," She stated simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I looked down at my shoes, knitting my eyebrows into a V shape. "I guess that kinda makes me feel better?"

"It should," She said firmly.

A small smile played on my lips as I looked up at her again. "You're awesome, Manda. I tell you, if you don't come visit me in America, I will personally drag your ass there myself."

"Dragging my arse overseas won't be necessareh, love. Of course I'll come visit yeh!" She grinned widely. I gave her a side hug.

"So, changing the subject. Yeh still have that pinecone Oleh gave yeh?" She snickered.

I laughed. "Yeah, I do."

"He's got a few loose screws in his head, that one." She shook her head.

"Can't argue with that."

"What about all that snogging yeh and him did, eh? The look on Tom's face was priceless."

"Dude, that was possibly the most awkward situation I'd ever been in." I shook my head, reliving the memory.

She burst out in laughter. "I bet Oleh enjoyed himself quite a bit."

I looked down, as my smile suddenly disappeared. "It was just a game."

"So? It was obvious he liked it."

I scrunched my nose in disgust. "Ew, Manda."

"What? Oleh's hot!" She stated, waving her hand.

"I'm dating his brother, you sicko!"

She laughed. "That doesn't mean yo' not allowed to think Olivah's attractive."

"Whatever, it's still weird." I cringed.

"But yeh do think he's attractive, don't yeh?" She asked.

I merely shrugged in response.

"I will take that shrug as a yes." She grinned toothily.

I sighed. "Can we stop talking about Oliver?"

"Okay, okay." She held her hand up defensively, looking straight forward.

"Thank you," I said before attending back to my ice cream, which was melting onto the wafer cone.

Manda pressed her lips into a line, seemingly in thought. "Is he a good kissah?"

"Ugh, Manda!"

"What! I'm just saying, if yeh had to rate his kissing ability from a scale of one to ten, what would it be?" She inquired in curiosity.

I blew some air from my mouth. "Manda, c'mon."

"C'mon yo'self, Loreh. What would it be?" She urged.

I pursed my lips, seeing there was no way escaping her question. "I-I don't know. Seven?"

"Realleh? Seven?" She furrowed her brows, as if in doubt.

"Alright, fine. TEN!" I spat unintentionally.

Her mouth opened wide before she burst into fits of laughter. "Blimey!"

I sighed sadly. "Manda, if I tell you something, will you promise to keep it a secret?"

She stopped laughing at once as her face became serious. "Of course."

"Sure?" I pressed.

She held up her hand, crossing her index and middle finger. "Scout's honor, mate."

I licked my bottom lip before biting it in hesitation. "I don't know why, but...when Oliver and I kissed at that stupid game, I felt something."

She quirked a brow. "What kind of something?"

"Something weird. Like electricity." I swallowed hard. "Something I don't ever feel with Tom."

She gasped. "Do yeh like Olivah?!"

"No, of course not!" I exclaimed.

"But then how would yeh explain feeling something with Oleh and not with yo' own boyfriend?"

I frowned. "I don't know. But I definitely don't like him like that, Manda."

She gave me a strange look as if doubting my words.

"I really don't," I stated sternly.

"Whatevah yeh say, Lor."

My face fell. I don't like Oliver! That's it. Just keep repeating that to yourself and everything will be fine!

Will it? Will it be fine?! I argued with myself.

"I had a dream!" I blurted abruptly, immediately placing a hand over my mouth; painfully regretting my words.

"What kind of dream?" Manda asked curiously, widening her eyes. "Was it with Olivah?"

I closed my eyes for a brief second. "Yes."

"Oh my God, Loreh! What was it about?" She grabbed my forearm.

"It was...strange. I was alone in this creepy ass clearing and then Oliver appeared out of nowhere and..." I took in a deep breath.

Manda furrowed her brows. "And?"

I exhaled. "And we kissed."

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Yeh kissed?!"

I nodded, looking down at my shoes.

"Wow. Is that all?"

"Well," I swallowed the huge ball of saliva lodged in my throat. "We did other stuff, too."

She paused in her tracks. "Other stuff? As in.....?"

I flinched, knowing she'd catch on quick.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "HOLY HELL! Yeh had a sex dream with Olivah Sykes?!"

"Say it louder, I don't think the guy feeding the pigeons heard you!" I snapped, stomping my foot, referring to the old man sitting on a bench just a few feet away from us.

She bit back a laugh. "I'm sorreh! But hun, this is huge! Do yeh know what this means?!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"Yeh lust fo' Olivah!" She concluded with a laugh.

"What! No, I don't!" I shrieked in denial.

"Yes yeh do!" She squealed. "Oh my God, this is turning into one of those love triangles!"

"Manda, stop! I'm not lusting after Oliver! I mean, I hated this guy!" I shook my head.

"But yeh don't anymo'," She pointed, licking her ice cream.

"Because we made peace."

"Yo' lusting aftah Olivah Sykes!" She repeated.

"SHH! Stop that! I am not!" I stomped my feet, like a little kid who's been rejected a toy from the toy store.

"But yeh had a bloodeh sex dream with him! What else could that possibly mean?!"

Just then, a woman passed by us, pushing a stroller with an infant inside. She stared at us with a look of disgust, before quickening her pace.

I glared at Manda. "Alert the media, why don't you?!"

"Sorreh, sorreh." She slapped her forehead. "Loreh, I'm just trying to undahstand yo' situation."

"Let's just forget about this whole thing, okay?" I snapped, beginning to walk again.

"But yeh brought it up!" She kept up with my pace.

"Yeah well, now I'm bringing it down!" I quipped.

"Loreh, please. Let's talk about it."

"Manda, drop it."

"But--"

"No buts! This conversation ends now."

Manda sighed defeatedly. "Fine."

"Thank you!"

"But trust me," She began saying, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Yeh'll need someone to talk to lateh on. I just want yeh to know that I am that someone, alright?"

I looked at her shyly, before giving her a small smile. "Okay."

"Good." She returned the smile. "Now let's go find somewhere to wash yeh hand. It's all covered in chocolate."

I looked down to see that my chocolate ice cream had melted all over my hand, leaving it all sticky and I hadn't even noticed.