Chapter 7-

AN- so its been like nearly a year since I updated this but im back!.. Wow. I am determined. I had repressed feelings. Also I think these girls might be a bit northern… if you cant understand just ask/google it.. x

As the months passed the pair spent more and more time together. To everyone else it must just have seemed normal, that's what best friends do right? Spend time together? Most of their time was spent at the old rec. It used to be a sports hall where young people went to kick a ball around, but no one went there any more since the brand new sports complex had been built a bit further downtown. It was perfect. Nikki and Jenny would spend hours just sitting there, against the cold brick wall in each others arms. Sometimes they didn't even talk but still felt like they had the best conversations. Then when the sun began to go down they would go their separate ways until school the next day.

One evening Nikki lifted her head from Jen's chest, whilst pondering her words.

'I think we should tell lori and Susie.' She said eventually.

Jenny moved like she'd been brought back from a trance. 'What?'

'C'mon Jen, its been months, don't you think they should know? I know you're scared, I am too but they're our best friends.

Jenny took a deep breath in, 'look Nik, I want to be open about myself so much, open about us I mean. Its exhausting keeping it a secret, I feel like you're the only person I can be myself around. But this is a small town Nik, news spreads fast. I just think it could all end in tears'.

'are you not happy?'

'Nik, of course I'm happy with you, that's the problem I'm too happy I don't want someone to spoil it for us.'

Nikki sat quietly for a minute, taking in Jenny's words before picking up her hand and kissing it. 'why don't we bring them here? We could tell them on our terms…'

Jenny stood up, brushed her clothes off, and stretched her arms out. She was clearly getting tired of the conversation, 'its getting late, we should go home. I'll see you tomorrow yeah?'

'Yeah'.

And without another word Jen left, leaving Nikki to walk home alone with her thoughts under the setting sun. In some ways she understood Jenny's point, it was a small town, if you tell one person your business, by the end of the week everyone would know it. It was that jenny was so scared of, everyone knowing their business, what would they think? What would they say? Would people still accept them? Nikki got into bed, her thoughts were still bustling. Was

jenny annoyed at her? She left pretty quickly…

The next morning Nikki wandered into her French lesson, in which she sat on a table of 4 with Lori, Susie and Jenny. She slung her bag down on the floor and started unpacking her books, jenny looked up from the homework she should have done at home rather than in the lesson, she acknowledged Nikki's presence but she didn't smile. Shit.

'morning!' chimed Susie who was sitting next to Loreena who also smiled as Nikki sat down.

'we were just talking to Jen about how close the hockey finals are, its come around so quick!' said Loreena, whose hair on that particular morning Nikki did not have vocabulary to describe but it had not seen a brush.

'oh shit yeah, its next week isn't it!'

'yeah!' answered Susie 'hey Jen has the team been picked yet?'

Jenny looked up from her daze, she had clearly been deep in thought, 'yeah, hey but don't say out because Fliss didn't make the team, coach decided to swap her with Elizabeth.'

'shit that's brutal', said Loreena.

Jen looked at Nikki who just happened to catch her gaze, and smiled.

'Do you guys fancy coming down to the old rec tonight?' piped up Jen suddenly.

Nikki's eyes widened what on earth was Jenny planning? Suddenly she felt nervous.

'Why would we want to go there, it's an actual shit hole.' Replied Lori

'I just thought it would be decent for a kick about that's all'

' but there's a perfectly good new football pitch down town'

'yeah but that's where all the knobheads hang out, if we went to the rec we could just have our own game'.

Nikki stayed quiet but Lori and Susie looked convinced. It was Susie who spoke 'sure is around 6ish ok, I'll bring the ball'.

'sure'.

It was at that point when Mrs Fowler entered the room and the girls knew to stop their chat and get on with some work.

When the lesson finished Jenny waited for Nikki to pack her things as everyone else left the classroom. 'So what do you think?' said Jen finally when everyone had gone.

Nikki pulled her backpack over her shoulder and sighed she looked at the floor 'Sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you last night. I.. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable'.

'im not, its like you said, we'll tell them on our terms.' She replied before cupping Nikki's face in the palm of her hand. Nikki took hold of it and kissed her knuckles whilst what seemed like a thousand butterflies danced in her stomach. Was she really ready to come clean?

The foursome met up at the rec at six like Susie had suggested. Nikki and Jenny had walked down together, and jen had mentioned that maybe they should play football first, Nikki was so nervous that she wondered if she possessed the capacity to kick a ball at all… when they arrived, Susie and Loreena were already there and looking extremely displeased at the tatty, old pitch.

'Jen, what is the point of playing here its shit!'

'no its great! Here, chuck it!' shouted jenny enthusiastically. Susie rolled the ball and Jen stopped it with her foot before kicking it to lori, 'C'mon! me and Nik against you and Susie?'

'Nah mate, we should head down to the sports complex'..

'wait!' Nikki interjected suddenly, 'we don't even want to play football!'

'what'

'what'

'what'

They all turned to look at Nikki who was looking at jenny. Nikki shrugged and walked forward to stand next to her girlfriend, she held Jenny's hand and looked her in the face. Jenny looked at Nikki and smiled 'Nikki and me, we're sort of… well we…we're…' it was at that moment Jen realised that she had no idea what she wanted to say. Luckily Nikki spoke, 'this is going to sound proper weird to you but we love each other' there was silence for what seemed like a life time,

'Please say something' said jenny eventually finding words..

Susie was the first to speak, 'ok… so how long has it.. Have you been umm, y'know'

'Umm I dunno like 5 months or something' replied jenny, looking to Nikki as if for verification.

Loreena nodded 'I guess it doesn't change anything, it's been 5 months its not like you're different people…its ok, as long as you don't break up! Im not taking sides!' The couple laughed, pleased with their friend's reaction. However Susie still looked unsure,

'Does anyone else know?'

'No, we wanted to tell you guys first, maybe don't tell anyone else, it could be difficult at school and stuff, we just wanted to tell you'.

'I guess it must be hard keeping that kind of thing bottled up'.

'yeah'.

'Right, if you want a game can we please go to the sports complex now I am actually freezing my fanny off!' said Susie in an attempt to break the tension.

The other three girls laughed,

'Suse, you're so eloquent, you always know exactly what to say' Laughed Jen.

And with that the Girls made their way downtown their friendship still intact.

AN- comments and constructive criticism if you please!