A Sapphic's Summer (REVISED 2024)

11 | lovers 'n lights

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you are my own little piece
of dark blue sky
- f.w.

✧

days later, and hours after noémie comes over for a party, her and goldie fall asleep on the couch, only for goldie to wake up later in night in time for the bonfire. the soft pitter-patter of rain dousing windows fills the room. the soft sound is derived from the organic form of pure tranquility, and it slows mea gula's (gold's) overly restless thoughts; well, to some degree. she can't help but sigh when she hears it after her eyes open and a yawn departs from her lips. like if the ticking of a clock stopped, there are some seconds where there's no liquid against the glass, and that's when her mind resumes. in that very first second she leans forward in the recliner, glances over her shoulder and onto the floor, her eyes landing on kau'i. his body is pretty languished as he is asleep, in his world of internal calmness. she looks to the right of her; resting on the couch, her body stretched out, is noémie.

she slowly, quietly, sits up fully and then pushes-gently, but enough for it to move easily-on the bottom of the seat that she sprawled her feet on. the quick moment of rainshower comes again and she walks over to the window that's already open. quietly observing the landscape in front of her, she notices a couple holding each other's hand as they walk along the shore.

she runs her fingers through her black wavy, puffed out hair as she turns her attention to the amass water on the soft whitey-beige sand, the sudden urge to grab the appropriate attire and splash them nudging at her mind; the smell of petrichor floating around her. she can vividly recall the smell as it permeates through the air thanks to the open window.

that's when she hears a loud, obnoxious yawn from behind her that makes her echo the action. it's kau'i waking up from his slumber. she turns to noémie; she's just woken up, too.

***

the sun illuminates on their skin, its bright, boldness sticking out like a immense star in the sky that twinkles like the twinkle in their eyes, and noémie and mea gula are having the time of their lives; string lights surround them, swallowing them in and keeping them to stay close to eachother. they cover themselves with quilts that are homemade with love and bottles of almost gone lotion from the amount of times they've been in the summer sun already. but now, their skin start to dry, so they lather it. but then it's almost six, and the sun is going down and the sky is turning a mix of colors (light purple, blue and pink with a tint of white). the lanterns sat toward the corners of the lights warmly illuminated the space around them, while the firewood in the bonfire is fiercely crackling in the background of their conversation like a tempered soul.

goldie takes a deep breath after she asks to play her guitar ("absolutely" "yes, yes"). first, she takes her hand to make a fist. she gently knocks on it with a knuckle. it's hard not to notice noémie. one one look at her, and she's goldie's a goner; she wears a sienna red maderia bikini and a layered choker made of string, the charm a moon. her nails are brown with a floral and abstract style to it, matching rings to go with it. still, one last breath in, and she's playing. she strums the strings of her guitar with nothing but love and care. she closes her eyes, purses her lips, and she's not able to see the looks they don. it's clear they're in awe; kau'i is clutching onto his blanket as it engulfs him like he's on the edge of his seat, or the pillow. imani smiles so big that she looks like a proud mother, and mateo wears a smile on his lips, too, but a small one that barely shows. his eyes are bright, nothing like usual.

then she opens them. and then looks at noémie. big, big mistake. she is beautiful. as goldie takes her eyes off of her, and focus on the music, she can feel a burn on the side of her neck, and she knows she's looking. she's boring her eyes into her skin (just one single example of the ways she's made permanent marks in goldie's life). she tries to bite her lip, or look at the stars, or do anything to try and ease her restless mind. but she won't ever allow her to. she can never seem to escape the never, ever ending thoughts that are about her and her again and again until her mind is full of: noémie, noémie, noémie. so beautiful you are. and i could've sworn that before i met you, i dreamt of one day doing so. but now that it's come true, i'm simply holding on. i'm trying to hold on. and the silence is killing me, but what do i say to a beautiful girl like you?