Length Of Journey
Part One -- Intro.
It's new years eve and Sam's noticed something different about Josh and Donna.
Title taken from the lyrics of the Beautiful South song, Get Here ...
Does the length of journey your heart makes
Really provide any proof?
All it proves is love never moves
When it's right there under your roof.
My heart is in the right place,
Then what's the point of making that trip?
Stay right here with your hand on your heart,
See how often you cause it to skip.
(Paul Heaton)
New Years Eve 2003/2004
"Happy new year," Josh whispered. He placed his arm around Donna's shoulders and pulled her close as the firework display began. They were on the roof of his building, surrounded by people and yet there could have been just the two of them.
Sam glanced away from the fireworks to look at his friends. He saw Josh pull Donna closer to him. Saw as she pointed at one of the displays, but Josh just watched her. Not that Sam hadn't seen them like that before, it was just that this time there was something more. Or maybe it was just that he didn't see them as much as he used to.
Once the fireworks were finished and they'd all returned to Josh's first floor apartment for alcohol and food, Sam cornered Josh in the kitchen.
"So, what's the deal with you and Donna?"
"I don't know, what's the deal?"
"You seem closer than before, if that's possible."
"Yeah," Josh agreed.
"Yeah?" Sam echoed. "Yeah as in... Really? You and Donna?" he asked excitedly, his voice rising with each word.
"You want to keep it down?" Josh instructed. "No one knows."
Sam looked back toward the living room, but no-one was paying them any attention. "How long?"
"A month, a bit longer maybe. It kind of started after the shutdown, at the shutdown party..."
"Kind of?"
"We kissed but then nothing happened," Josh confided.
"You kissed?" Sam asked.
"Yes, but then it was weird. Not the kiss, but after and before."
"Start at the beginning."
Josh glanced into the living room, but everyone was sitting around, talking and drinking and paying them no attention, so he began the story. "It'd been a very strange day. We'd gone from defeat to victory with a large helping of confusion and idiocy thrown in between."
"Idiocy?" Sam asked.
"Going to the Hill to see Haffley. Any other time I'd have agreed with the others that it was a really dumb idea that could so easily have backfired."
"But it didn't, and it was a brave decision."
"I only suggested it 'cos I had nothing left to loose. Leo had shut me out of everything, so why not take a chance. Luckily it paid off. Not that Leo was too impressed. Anyway, Donna dragged me to the shutdown party. We danced and played pool, we ended up kissing," Josh smiled. "But then it just got confusing."
Part Two, First Kiss -