Letting You Go.

'Ying and Yang'

"You know, when you said 'lets go shopping' I thought you meant handbags, shoes. Not toothpaste, I'm kind of disappointed."
Yelena walks about the market sarcastically lifting up items and reading the ingredients on the back, shaking her head and muttering in Russian.
Her tousled hair thrown back into a high pony, her white racer tank top has some sort of breakfast stain on it, and she has dirt on her face, which is the tell tale sign that she has been planting flowers at her big sisters graveside. Elle couldn't have taken her into a clothes store looking the way she does right now. She looks like a hobo. The most beautiful hobo in the world, but hobo-esque nonetheless.
Yelena is a slob, and Elle adores her for it. They are the perfect combination, ying and yang.
Elle giggles at her, "I'm sorry." Listening to Yelena sighing and moaning as she opens a packet of jerky and starts eating it around the store.
"I'll buy you a beer if you quit your bitching. You know I don't understand you when you whine in Russian." Elle bargains with Yelena, knowing the two loves of her life are alcohol and her dog, Fanny.
"Sold!" She agrees pluckily, her mouth full of dried cured meat.
Elle can't help but smile when Yelena's around, they have the type of friendship where there is no judgement, and no pressure to be something they are not. Yelena doesn't expect Elle to be there at her every whim, and visa versa. They both understand that life can sometimes get in the way, and thats okay.
Yelena stands staring at the packaging of a packet of Magnum condoms,
"Blue raspberry flavoured?" She mumbles her thick Russian accent tripping over the R sounds.
Elle mortified, grabs them out of her hand and puts them back on the shelf, eyes wide trying not to laugh through the embarrassment.
She stands in front of Yelena, shuffling her feet, mentally preparing herself "I have something to tell you." Sheepishly looking down at her hands.
"Oh? Chocolate flavoured. Sounds ominous Elle." Yelena's intrigued expression masked ever so slightly by her nonchalant tone. She tosses a packet of XL pineapple flavoured condoms into the basket, throwing her arms up comically "you never know when you are going to need them." She informs, a little too loudly.
"Does this 'something' have anything to do with this mysterious ex beau?" Teasing Elle, she doesn't even look at Elle, just continues wandering round the store picking up inappropriate things off the shelves.
Irritate with her accurate intuition Elle follows "Sometimes I think you can read my mine Yelena, its weird." Trying to keep her voice hushed.

She lets out a sigh of relief, "I knew you would open up about it eventually." She has never pushed Elle to talk about it, aware of how deeply she was cut.
Elle snaps playfully "you think you are so smart! Just remember that you were as depressed as me when we met!" She nudges her giggling, recalling the dark and deep chats they had when they carried each other along the damp path of grief.
"And here we are trapped in our own little valley of self loathing, shopping for fucking toothpaste." She snaps back sarcastically, shaking her head at the pitiful shopping basket. Elle senses a little judgement in her voice.
"Yelena, do you ever just..." Elle stops, realising that it probably wasn't judgement, glancing down at the dirt under her fingernails, Yelena is dealing with her own little demon, and she is just trying to cope.
"Shut up?" He eyes sadden as she finishes Elles sentence, Elle can see the tremble on Yelenas bottom lip, aware that her feelings have been hurt.
"I'm sorry babe, I woke up on the bitchy side of the bed this morning, lets go get a beer." Smiling apologetically at her.
She slaps Elle on the back as she makes her way to the counter to pay, taking out the condoms and tossing them on a shelf before she gets there.
"Its okay Elle, we are two tortured souls. You don't have to apologise to me." She walks away heading towards the door while Elle pays for her toothpaste.

Yelena looks across at her friend, she can see from the bags under her eyes that the ex has done a real number on her, which explains her snappy remarks. She doesn't judge Elle, not one bit. Because a true friendship is one where you can be yourself one hundred precent of the time, good and bad.

Elle strolls over to Yelena who is holding the door open, and tosses her a lollipop, "still...I don't mean to snap at you, its B...he...fuck. Never mind." The words struggle to come out.
Yelena takes Elles hand gently in hers giving it a firm squeeze, "stop bottling everything up! I'm here, use me." She pleads with Elle, a little tear forming in the corner of her jade green eyes.
Elle gives her hand a squeeze back "thats what she said." She guffaws running to the car.
"Oh sure, make fun of the Russian. I'm trying to be helpful you know!" Yelena chortles after her.