floating

"We need to talk", says Sharon.

The bottle of wine is empty and now only the pressure of need holds her upright by the table. She takes all the courage she can get, though she's not sure what makes her tremble more. Impossible things come together; when you fall in love with another girl, when you float up like a balloon over London.

She looks over to her friend, lover, by the window, her back turned.

"About what?"

"I think I'll do it with him."

Amy swivels about on the kitchen stool, letting the chair chase her smile around. The evening sun filters through the chantry blind, setting a golden cage about her; tigerstripes across a black blouse and charcoal skirt. This is the dangerous time and she twtiches; all energy and potential, about to burst into life.

Helia and I were invited to a costume party and Helia had plans for both our costumes. I was not going to argue with her but she was pretty good with stuff like that.

I walked to Helia's house and knocked on the door. "I'm in the backyard!" she yelled sweetly. I walked into her backyard. Helia stood there in her costume. She was dressed as Sailor Moon. She even had that cute Odango Attama hairdo Sailor Moon has.

"Helia, you know Lisa Harrison said she was going as Sailor Moon, didn't you?"

"Yes, love, but I'm going to be a bigger and better Sailor Moon than Lisa." Helia tells me.