Chapter 6
It was still a lovely warm day and the sun was still high and burning.
Jen pulled into the car park and Tilly suddenly twigged where they were. This was perfect. She had not expected to be here. A wave of excitement flowed within her as the car stopped. Jen turned the engine off, after putting up the windows and clipping the targa roof section back into place above their heads, she undid her safety belt. She moved in her seat to face Tilly with her back leant against the window "I hope you don't mind" she said to the teen. "Mind? No, it's perfect" replied Tilly. She couldn't help but stare at Jen. She was smiling back. Tilly took a deep breath "No place I would rather be" she breathlessly said.
"Right then. Let's go shall we?" said Jen as she turned to open the door and to exit the car. "You gonna help me with this lot Tilly?" as she moved the driver's seat forward to gain access to the concealed items which lay on the back seat. "Yep" replied Tilly almost skipping out of the passenger side of the car and walking around to help Jen while pushing her sunglasses from over her eyes to place them on top of her head. "I promised you we would come back when they were all submerged" grinned Jen as she passed blankets and a cooler box to Tilly and she reached in for a bag, her coat and the camera.
They had arrived at Crosby Beach to re-visit the Antony Gormley statues. This was the place which brought back so many memories for the pair. This was the beach in which they had gotten to know each other, spent the day together and most importantly, where they had had their first kiss. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but they both secretly relived that moment in their private thoughts every single day. This was the day the connection between to two females became apparent and Jen thought that the revisit would be a great opportunity to spend more time alone with Tilly in order to rekindle those magical moments. It meant so much to them. It was a sacred place and one that would be treasured forever by both of them, regardless of what the future held for the pair.
They emptied the car and headed to the edge of the grassy banks of the beach. The tide was quite far in leaving only a couple of meters of dry sand from the banks leading to the wet sand and the waters white foamy rippling edge while taking out the stranded loads of seaweed.
Tilly and Jen stood for a couple of minutes breathing in the sea air while stood looking out over the water and seeing the Gormley statues submerged in various depths across the shallow, outgoing tide. The sun was still shimmering on the waters surface and they watched as small waves crashed into the nearest human like statues in the water sending the oceans spray a few feet above the water and crashing back down, followed by another wave and more spray. The sound of the waves and the ocean bringing a sense of exhilaration over the couple. The smells, the sounds and the views were so intoxicating and both allowed themselves to be completely taking in by the powerful moment. Both Jen and Tilly felt content with the moment and were happy to be sharing it with one another.
Jen looked out across the water, breathing in a deep breath of sea air and turning to Tilly with her ponytail blowing in the wind "its beautiful isn't it". Tilly, not removing her stare from Jen simply replied with a whisper "yes you are". Jen did not hear as she took her first steps, almost running down the grass bank and tripping slightly, causing her dark square sunglasses to ride down her nose. She managed to regain her balance and when reaching the bottom of the bank she turned to Tilly and gestured for her to follow. Tilly, still letting out a giggle from the image of Jen stumbling, carefully made her way down the bank, taking her time, step by step, while Jen waited patiently for her at the bottom on the dry sand.
They walked a few meters along the edge of the bank looking for a spot to lay the blanket down.
Jen, finally finding a patch of sand that was relatively flat, placed her belongings on the ground and opened her bag. She pulled out a green chequered blanket and shook it out. It was the same blanket they had used to sit on during their last visit to the beach and it still had some sand wrapped up with it. Jen gave it a shake into the light wind, her bangles chinking together and she had accidently blown sand in Tilly's direction. "Ugh, pwat, pwat" spluttered Tilly as she spat sand particles from her mouth. She looked at Jen, Jen looking back puzzled at the girls facial expression. Tilly dropped the items she was holding "your so gonna pay for that" she laughed while running toward the brunette.
"No, no, argh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" Jen giggled as the teen tried to chase her in a circular motion. Tilly finally caught up to Jen and she could do nothing but hold out the blanket she still held. She held it open as wide as her arms could stretch and grabbed Tilly, wrapping her up like a cocoon. She wrapped her arms, with the blanket, around Tilly and she tightened the grip around the girls back bringing Tilly closer to her. They gazed at each other for a moment, Tilly being able to see Jens eyes through the light reflecting from her sunglasses as Jen pulled her closely toward her. Their lips touched. Hearts pounding.
Tilly's lips felt like silk against Jen's. She could smell and taste the lip gloss from the girl and she moved her hands up the girls back along with the sandy blanket. Tilly could not move, physically as she was trapped by Jen, but mentally, she was frozen in time with the kiss.
The soft kiss intensified and Jen used her tongue to part Tilly's lips as the kiss became more passionate. Their tongues danced together in each others mouths for several minutes.
Jen eventually slowed the kiss by kissing Tilly's bottom lip and pulled back, loosening her grip on the beautiful young woman before. Tilly's knees felt like they were going to give way, but she somehow managed to hold herself steady while smiling back at Jen. Neither of them speaking a word as Jen twirled Tilly around to unwrap her from the blanket. Both girls grinning but giggling at the embarrassment of the moment but both equally were enjoying it.
It was only their second kiss and it was clear that both were still shy and almost awkward with each other knowing that it felt so right and perfect, like it was meant to be.
Tilly held the ends of the blanket helping Jen to lay it on the sand between them. They gathered the other items and placed them on the edges to secure the blanket from blowing away.
They both dropped onto the centre of the blanket and Tilly got out her mobile phone. She wasn't looking to text anyone or to make a call. She simply wanted to use her phone to take a picture of her and Jen as they lay side by side on the blanket looking up to the sky. Jen moved closer and their heads touched. Tilly pulled her sunglasses down from her hair and covered her eyes and raised her hand with her phone in it and took some pictures of them smiling at the camera. The sun was reflecting off of their foreheads and sunglasses. Tilly brought the phone down to eye level to scroll through the images she had taken. There was one, which in Tilly's opinion was the best. It showed the two girls smiling at the camera, Tilly's arm resting over Jens as they lay on the blanket. Jen's smile showed her beautiful white teeth with them resting on her bottom lip, an expression that Tilly adored. They scrolled through some more images and Jen's favourite was one of the pair pulling faces: Tilly had stuck her tongue out while Jen's gaze, through the sunglasses, was looking at the girl next to her. She thought this was a lovely image of the pair and captured her love for the red head while Tilly expressed her current playful mood.
Tilly lay on the right hand side facing the water and Jen sat next to her, shifting her body weight a little in order to sit even closer to the girl. They both sat up and faced the water and looked ahead of them. "I've brought my camera. I thought we could take some more images of them submerged to go with your art coursework" Jen said looking to the teen. Coursework? You brought me here for an Art lesson? Thought Tilly but she actually spoke "yeah, that's a great idea. Thanks". "I just thought that it would be a great addition to your project on 'Nature' while we are here" replied Jen noticing the tone of Tilly's reply.
Tilly gave Jen a feeble smile while taking her stare to the water in front of them. "Well, I brought along some snacks if you're hungry Tilly?" said Jen trying to gain the teens attention again. "Sure, I didn't eat at home. What have you got?" said Tilly leaning back to get the blue and white cooler from behind her. She had under estimated how heavy the box would be from this angle with one hand and she fell awkwardly onto her back banging her right elbow against the cooler which she had just dropped by her right side. "Are you ok?" enquired Jen. "Yeah, fine" replied Tilly letting out a half hearted laugh. "Liar" said Jen helping her to sit up and she leaned across Tilly for the box. As the brunette's hair grazed Tilly's face, she could not help but smell the sweet scent of the teachers hair. Tilly inhaled deeply as to breathe in the scent of Jen.
Jen had placed her right hand on the blanket by Tilly's side in order to hold herself as she leaned across the teen while using her left hand to grab for the box. Tilly repositioned herself so that her arms were behind her back on the blanket supporting herself as she protruded her chest toward Jen, which did not go unnoticed by the teacher as a grin appeared across her face. Tilly's left hand lightly holding Jen's right hand.
Still leaning into Tilly, Jen pulled the box over the girl's body and placed it in between her own legs. She turned to face Tilly who was still leaning back slightly. "looks like I got a little bit of sand on you Tilly" grinned Jen as her left hand began to lightly brush the sand away from the girls green skirt. Jen used her right hand, which Tilly was still cupping, to support her as she leant into Tilly more and began to dust the tiny sandy grains from her chest with her free hand using a little more force than actually required to ensure the teen could feel her touch through the blue cardigan Tilly wore. "I think you got it all off Miss" teased Tilly as Jen caught her gaze. Jen smiled at the grinning teen and her teeth rested gently on her bottom lip. Tilly melted. She adored this look from Jen. It was the same smile she had just captured on her phone. It was enough to send shivers down her spine and make her heart skip. She lightly stroked the teachers hand with her thumb which she was still holding onto by their side. This was to let her know that she was teasing. Jen loved how Tilly could tease her and she was surprised when Tilly leant in for a kiss. It was only a small, sweet innocent kiss on the lips but it was enough to send sparks of electricity through Jen's body. Jen had not planned to bring the girl here in order to seduce her but to spend time with her. She was a little taken aback with the fact that they had kissed twice since being here. What else would the evening have in stall for us? She wondered.
Returning her focus to the items of food, Jen opened the cooler. She had stopped off on her way home from Bart's house in order to pick up some barbeque items. She had purchased various snacks not knowing what the teen would prefer nor not knowing if the teen had eaten. The contents mainly consisted of a bag of Jelly-Babies (unbeknown to Jen, these were Tilly's favourites), some mini cakes, some biscuits, some crisps, a pack of sausages and burgers and some rolls with a mini bottle of ketchup as well as some drinks. "So anything take your fancy" said Jen to Tilly having emptied the contents in front of her. "Yeah, one thing in particular" replied Tilly not taking her eyes from Jen who smiled back with her eyes having just removed her sunglasses. "But you will have to fight me for these" said Tilly as she reached for the bag of Jelly-Babies.
Laughing to each other, Jen reached for the disposable BBQ set from the cooler and began preparing the food for cooking.
After a couple of hours of chatting and more flirting the BBQ was nothing more than a smoking heap of rubbish and charcoaled lumps. The sun had begun to lower and the sky was still bright but had a deeper orange tint to it. Their sunglasses were off as well as their shoes. Tilly was not wearing any socks but Jen still had her tights on which were already quite sandy on the legs and feet. Tilly stood up and stretched out. As she raised her arms outstretched in the air above her head, Jen could not help but notice the back of Tilly's green skirt riding up. She felt embarrassed for eyeing up the girls bottom. Tilly turned to Jen and offered her a hand to pull her up. "The tides gone out quite a bit now, we should take a closer look". Jen reached for her camera from her bag and took Tilly's hand. Tilly pulled Jen up with force but did not step backwards as the teacher rose to her feet and bumped into the red head. This provoked a giggle from Jen, she knew this had been Tilly's intention but she secretly loved the opportunity to be close to the teen. They stood facing each other with their faces millimetres apart. They gazed at each other and their noses almost touching and moving toward each other. A barking dog came rushing past them breaking the couples moment. They laughed at the awkwardness of the moment and headed down the now rippled beach. Jen, being a little annoyed at how wet her feet were through her tights but Tilly loved the feel of the sand running through her toes and the coldness of the sand on the soles of her bare feet as she walked.
The beach was quite deserted now with only a few people walking their dogs and the odd couple together walking in the rippled wet sand and along the waters edge.
They headed to a statue which stood in a shallow pool. Its feet and ankles submerged in the water. The sun from behind them reflected the orange tint from the bronze figure and the shadow casting a reflection of the figure in the still pool of water. Jen took some pictures of the figure and the reflection and Tilly looked around for a figure which was not submerged. She was feeling quite playful and thought of something which she thought Jen would laugh at.
She spotted a dry statue a few meters back up the beach. She turned to Jen and gestured for her to follow her. Jen, looking puzzled, knew the girl was up to something and was intrigued. She followed behind her and they made awkward runs through the rippled sand leaving huge footprints around the mini pools across the sand while avoiding more debris seaweed.
Tilly reached the figure and removed her blue cardigan placing it around the shoulders of the Gormley figure. "I thought he looked cold" "Ha, very good" replied Jen who took a couple of shots of Tilly with her arm around the figure now wearing her blue top. "I think red will suit his colour more" Said Jen taking off her long red cardigan and placing it over Tilly's onto the figure. The pair laughed and joked and posed for pictures together with the stature between them.
"Did you bring any paper and pencils Jen" asked Tilly feeling rather inspired. With a raised eyebrow and a smirk Jen replied "of course I did, I'm an artist. Why, are you feeling in the mood?" Realising what she had just said that could have had a double meaning, she quickly spluttered "I mean, to draw and .. erm. What? I didn't mean it like that" looking to Tilly and seeing her smile and wink. "Jeez, one track mind or what" laughed Tilly. Jen let out a nervous laugh. She enjoyed the banter and the flirting and the need to touch the teen was creeping its way through Jen's thoughts. The tension between them rising once again.
Stepping over some smaller puddles of sea water, Jen headed back to the spot where they had been sitting. She turned and waited for Tilly to catch up with her and she held out her hand for Tilly for support as she dodged the water pools. There was really no need for them to hold hands for support but Jen wanted the touch and she felt it was a good enough excuse to do so, after all no one here knew they were student and teacher, to anyone they just seemed like close friends or even a young couple. Tilly tightly squeezed Jens interlocking fingers while holding onto their tops she had removed from the figure in the other hand.
They reached the blanket and Tilly knelt down while Jen sat and rummaged through her bag. She pulled out some pencils, charcoal sticks and her sketchbook. "Here, you can use this" said Jen handing Tilly her burnt orange sketch book. This was the very sketch book that Jen had shown Tilly outside the hospital after the fire at the college. Tilly instantly remembered flicking through the pages and seeing Jen's drawings of hands and her stomach lurched as she remembered that the teacher had then said they could not be together and that she had worked too hard to get her placement and that Tilly was asking her to give that all up.
As Tilly once again flicked through the pages of Jen's sketches she noticed a small crumpled edge sticking out from the back pages. She turned the pages and pulled out the torn page. Tilly looked at the drawing and then to the brunette. Jen saw she was straightening the drawing and smiled while looking down. She felt a flourish of embarrassment soar through her.
Tilly traced her fore finger over her lips, much like she had done the first time she saw the drawing which was outside of the hospital when Jen had drawn a picture of Tilly's lips but ripped it out of the book and threw it in the bin.
"I can't believe you have this Jen" said Tilly. "I went back for it after I sent you home in the taxi. I couldn't throw it away Tilly, it means too much to me. You mean too much to me". "Oh, Jen" replied Tilly as she dropped the sketch book and picture and flung her arms around Jen's neck. The hug lasted for several minutes, neither wanting to let go. Tilly squeezed Jen tightly and Jen replied by holding onto her waist harder too.
Tilly pulled away first from the embrace much to Jen's disappointment. She wanted to hold her forever. Smell her perfume, feel her against her body, feel her soft hair against her cheek and take in the essence of the girl before her. Tilly sat down and reached for the sketch book and the drawing of her lips and placed it on her lap. She noticed the un-opened pack of Jelly-Babies to the side of her and she opened them with a giggle. She had an idea.
Jen watching curiously as Tilly she pulled out several Jelly-Babies searching for all of the different colours and licked each one seductively at Jen so that the sweet white powder came off from them. Jen, still looking wondering what the teen was doing she asked "What are you up to?".
"I'm an artist. I'm making art" replied Tilly with a grin on her face while smoothing out a patch of sand next to her. Once the area was flat, Tilly began standing the multi coloured Jelly-Babies randomly upright into the sand. She pushed some of them down into the sand so they were deeper in and others were balanced on the top of the sand. Jen, laughed, finally realising what Tilly was trying to achieve. "I think this will be an excellent addition to my coursework Miss Gilmore. This is my interpretation of the Gormley's. I call it; Jelly"
She looked at the art teacher with the biggest smirk and Jen reached for her camera "Well Tilly, you truly are an artist. I think we should document it for your project and add it to your portfolio for submission. Which reminds me you are still to submit your folder? Sorry to talk shop but it's important." Tilly's smiled faded, Jen was back in teacher mode. She really didn't want to talk about college while with Jen. She knew it always made Jen have doubts about their time together.
Jen took some pictures of the mini statues in the sand laying down onto her stomach to get the right angle for the sweets. She managed to get a great shot of the mini Jelly figures in the sand with some of the actually Gormley figures in the background. It would be a very interesting piece of Tilly's portfolio and one that Jen and Tilly could share together. To anyone else it was just a funny joke but to them it would be a memory of this day.
Jen manoeuvred herself to a sitting position next to Tilly and handed the girl some pencils. They sat together drawing and sketching. In the distance they could still see some of the figures submerged and their attention drawn to the sea, while intermittently looking at each other with a shy smile.