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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 4:28 pm 
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13. Big Knowledge Woman

Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:08 pm
Posts: 1827
Location: Space, the final frontier
DOH!! :thud Holy jumpin' baldheaded jesus....I swear I am SO going to get you back for torturing me to death! :happy I want to be at the top of the list for when you get this published.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:01 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:26 am
Posts: 7
:geek Heya. Once again. just a small note saying how much I l-o-v-e love this story.

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Adios!
Jessica


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:27 pm 
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9. Gay Now
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Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 11:22 pm
Posts: 973
Location: Australia
Hey!

*waits for the finale*

I loved the update! The suspense was perfect and my gf and I waited nervously to read the poem and see just how gay revealing it was. And it was. *sighs happily*

Looking forward to the last part.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:32 am 
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23. Volumey Text
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Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:18 pm
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Location: Chesterfield
ooh la la, c'est magnifuque!

See how good the last update was? It had me speaking in French.

I like the way you shift emotions in this update. Going from the easy camaraderie of their lunchtime meeting to the drama at the end. I can understand Krista freaking out, having her heart displayed to the school in such a blatant fashion. Though she's probably more worried about one person in particular.

Hopefully she will go to the concert and she and Taryn will be able to resolve things. Then maybe we'll have some :wtkiss (um, you'll have to pretend that that's Krista and Taryn)

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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:44 am 
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15. Apple Sauce & Tuna
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Location: Nottingham, England
Wow..wow...That was great!!!! I really can't wait for the finale :-D . Wonderful :x . Love sam xx

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"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong and those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler. [Evan Rachel Wood]

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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 7:49 am 
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6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2005 5:45 am
Posts: 351
Location: Atlanta, GA
Title: Play It From the Heart
Author: Nixel, formerly Big Dummy
Stuff: original work of fiction, do not repost anywhere without permission, all characters are my own, I love them, they love me, we're a fictitious family, and.....we're off! For the last time...I think.

***************************************************************************
She made her way backstage, her steps slow and careful. To the casual observer she seemed merely to be taking care not to trip over any of the cables and rope strung along the floor. In reality, although her head was bent, she was carefully watching the people around her. She was hot and uncomfortable in the band tuxedo, and she wanted nothing more than to slip in and be unnoticed. She hoped to find the jazz band and become embroiled in the flutter of preparation, which she intended to aid her in avoiding confrontation. She was actually counting on Taryn not being there at all yet, since she was only performing the one number with them, which wouldn’t happen until midway through the evening.

She spotted the other band members gathered in a corner. Mr. Brannigan was speaking to them, presumably giving a pre-show pep talk. She walked to the edge of the gathering, her steps light and soft, hoping to evade notice. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as that hope was shattered, Mr. Brannigan’s eyes seeming to find her immediately.

“Krista! Good! I was worried you wouldn’t be able to make it,” he said, moving closer to make himself heard over the sound of the orchestra that was currently on stage. “Mrs. Colby told me that you’d gone home sick. Are you feeling better?”

She nodded. If by better you mean I feel like throwing up on your shoes, sure, I feel better.

“Good. I went ahead and tuned your bass up for you and placed it on stage.” He turned back to the group at large and continued speaking. She ventured a glance up from the floor, expecting to see disapproving looks from the other students. To her surprise, few paid any attention to her at all, and the ones that did look her way only smiled in greeting. She frowned, momentarily confused, until it dawned on her. Of course. She probably hasn’t told anyone. She doesn’t want people to know about it any more than I do. They might think she was a lesbian too. She took some comfort in that. At least if she was cast out of the Q social circle she wouldn’t be completely damned at Alexander.

“Hey, glad you could make it.” She jumped, surprised to find Jay standing next to her.

“Yeah. Thanks.” It came out sounding more like a question as she searched his face for any sign of duplicity. She found none there. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her. Could it be that Taryn hadn’t even told him about it?

“Hey, nice poems in the mag by the way. Especially the second one.”

“Thanks.” He’s serious! There didn’t seem to be anything insincere about his comment, and she felt even more confused than before. Maybe Taryn hadn’t read it after all. Maybe she would be able to get through this night without incident. Maybe---

“Hey.”

Maybe not. The sudden lump that had formed in her throat threatened to choke her as she turned to face the person standing behind her. Her fear was so strong at that moment that she almost didn’t notice that Taryn was actually wearing a black cocktail dress, and that she looked amazing in it. Almost.

“I think we need to talk.”

Krista forced herself to meet the other girl’s eyes. Her expression was hard to read in the dim backstage lighting. “Um…,” she started, but lost her voice. She had no idea what to say to that- although the idea of pleading for mercy was a strong one.

She was saved from having to continue by the sound of Mr. Brannigan clapping his hands together and announcing that it was time to take the stage. Relief washed over her in a cool wave, and she gestured helplessly towards the stage. “Gotta go,” she said. stepping aside to allow the incoming orchestra members to get by, while making her way towards the cluster forming at the stage’s entrance.

Taryn watched her walk away with frustration. Krista had looked so miserable, and the way she could hardly bring herself to look Taryn in the eyes…there left no doubt in her mind that her feelings were indeed reciprocated, and it made her heart hurt to think how easily this could all be resolved. Several scenarios came to mind and were quickly dismissed. Sure, she could simply grab Krista and declare her feelings for her right then and there, but would that really go over well? She doubted it. Krista was obviously not ‘out’ and would probably not appreciate her personal business being dragged into the open like that, no matter the circumstances. She even considered dedicating the song she would sing to her, but there were Krista’s parents to deal with. She would bet that they didn’t know about their daughter’s interest in girls, and with Krista already n the dog house, she didn’t want to risk making things worse for her. She blew out a puff of air in frustration. She would just have to wait till after the show to get her alone.

Out on stage, Krista made her way to her bass, set up in the back near the drum set. She was grateful for the relative cover of her position, and tried to ignore the fact that Taryn was still able to fully see her from her spot backstage. She’s probably staring holes into me right now and wishing me dead or something. She turned her body slightly so that her back was to the wing where Taryn waited. She looked up and out into the audience. Save for a few faces in the front row, the audience was mostly vague shadows that hinted at forms. The stage lights were hot and bright, and she felt herself starting to sweat in the hot suit. She gave her instrument a soft pluck and moved her hands over the strings in readiness while she waited for the other members to get situated. She wanted this evening to be over, preferably soon. Come on folks, let’s get started.

As if hearing her thoughts, Mr. Brannigan turned his back to the audience and stood at attention, his eyes moving over the band members one by one to gauge their state of readiness. He raised his hands in the air, waiting. The onstage shuffling ceased, and the idle chattering from the audience came to a stop. He counted off quietly. “One…and a two…and a…” He lowered his hands on three, and the band started into their first song.

Krista struggled to concentrate on the music, but knowing the songs as she did, found herself playing on autopilot a good deal of the time. Each song they completed brought them closer to the end number, to the quintet performance. Closer to Taryn again. And then she would somehow have to make her escape, avoid a confrontation, if just for tonight. She couldn’t avoid it forever; she knew that. But one more day couldn’t hurt, could it? A night to sleep on it and try to devise some sort of plan. Or maybe, if she avoided it long enough, Taryn would just give up and go back to ignoring her, and they wouldn’t have to discuss anything. Deep inside she knew that to be a false hope. The determined tone of Taryn’s voice when she had tried to talk to her earlier left no room for misguidance. They would talk about this, and soon if Taryn had her way.

The band was tight, and save for a few numbers that were sped up by adrenaline, as is wont to happen in live shows, the performance went off without a hitch. Even the song that they performed as an encore, a newer piece that they had not dedicated as much practice time to, came out well, the few glitches being things that only a practiced ear would catch. Like my dad. Had this been months ago, she would have been looking forward to dissecting it with him on the ride home. Now all she wanted to do was sit silently in the car, and sequester herself in her room for the rest of the night.

The audience stood and clapped at the end of their last number, and the seated band members stood so that they could take a bow in unison. As the applause died down, all non-quintet members started to file off the stage, each one taking their chair with them to clear the stage. Another microphone stand was produced mysteriously from somewhere just offstage, and Marcus stepped to it and adjusted it to the right height for his horn. A few boys aided Jay in wheeling the riser upon which the drum kit was set up closer to the front of the stage. Krista followed suit, unraveling her cord as she stayed near the drum kit.

“And now,” Mr. Brannigan said, addressing the audience, “we have a special treat for you. Please welcome Taryn Hoffa to the stage.” Taryn stepped out from the wing and made her way to the microphone amid applause from the audience (with scattered ‘whoops’ from some of the more vocal students in attendance). Krista could not help but admire the elegant way in which Taryn carried herself, every bit the jazz chanteuse for the evening.

“Thank you, Mr. Brannigan,” she said into the microphone, eliciting more hoots and shouts from the students.

The jazz teacher smiled and situated himself behind the old upright, which had been wheeled closer to the front of the stage as well. He turned and raised an eyebrow at his musicians, who nodded in readiness. He tapped his foot in a count off, and they swayed into the song.

Don’t look, don’t look, Krista chanted to herself, her eyes fixed firmly on her hands. She may as well have been telling the sun not to set. Try as she might, she could not stop her gaze from traveling away from her hands, across the floor, straight to her heart’s desire. All she could see was Taryn’s back, but it was enough. Her trademark sway was accentuated by the cut of the black dress, which clung to her slim body like a second skin. Krista swallowed in a futile effort to bring moisture to her suddenly dry throat. She’s so beautiful, she thought, and was seized with a deep feeling of regret that this was conceivably the last time that she would have the privilege of looking at her this way, sharing a stage with her. After tonight, she would just be another in the throng of admirers in the audience, watching her from afar. It didn’t seem fair. Either way you cut it- being near her or being far- Krista would be miserable for some time to come. She refocused her gaze on her hands, and concentrated on playing her last song with Taryn.

The last note faded into the dark auditorium, and there was a moment of silence before the audience exploded into exuberant applause, taking to their feet in their enthusiasm. Krista bowed with the rest of the quintet, shifting anxiously as she awaited the cue to exit the stage. As soon as Mr. Brannigan turned to walk away from the piano, she unplugged the cord from her bass and made a hasty retreat to the wing, instrument in hand. Get to the band room, throw this in your case, get out. Easy. Just gotta be quick about it. She tried to maneuver gracefully through the well-wishers from the full jazz band, who were waiting backstage to congratulate them. Her bass made it difficult to do so, and she wished she had just left it onstage and trusted that someone would return it for her. “Thanks, thanks a lot,” she said, trying not to stop and chat with anyone. She just needed to get---

“Krista! Kris!”

She pretended not to hear and quickened her pace. She escaped the auditorium and dipped into the crowd that of concert goers that was flooding into the hallway.

Seeing the other girl speed up, Taryn frowned in dismay. She’s running away from me, she thought, and was surprised at how that thought caused her to ache. She considered letting it go, but pressed her lips together in determination and increased her own steps. She dodged through the crowd, ignoring their congratulations and praise, until she was finally close enough to reach out an arm and grab Krista’s shoulder.

“Wait,” she said forcefully, pulling her to a stop and twisting her around.

“Please, let’s not do this now.” Krista looked around, her features tight with worry and…was that fear? God, was she afraid of her?

“Then when?” Taryn asked, paying no heed to the increasingly curious looks they were receiving.

Krista shrugged helplessly. Alright, that’s it. Taryn opened her mouth, not sure of what she was about to say. Her only certainty was that she was not about to let Krista go without getting everything out in the open.

“Sweetheart!”

“Oh come on,” Taryn groaned, her frustration at the bad timing of Krista’s parents disabling her ability to censor herself. She dropped her hand from Krista’s shoulder and plastered a smile on her face. No matter how much she needed to discuss things with Krista, she wouldn’t make matters worse for her with her parents.

“You were fantastic,” Mrs. Evans said, engulfing her daughter in a hug. Mr. Evans stood close behind her, beaming his pride.

“You were wonderful as well, Taryn. What a voice!” Mrs. Evans continued, looking up to address her.

“Absolutely radiant!” Mr. Evans supplied.

“Thank you.” Thanks a lot for your fantastic timing.

“And you. You never fail to astound me,” he continued, and handed Krista a bouquet of flowers.

“Thanks. Um…where’d you get that?” Taryn looked to where Krista was pointing, and saw that Mr. Evans was clutching the school paper in his hand. Krista’s tone confirmed her earlier suspicions, and her heart clenched in sympathy for her.

“Oh, they were handing these out with the program. It’s not The Times, but it should be fun to read.”

“How about we go out and celebrate? Ice cream sound good?” Mrs. Evans asked.

“Sounds great. You want to walk with me to the band room so I can pack up my bass?” Krista asked.

“Of course.” Mr. and Mrs. Evans turned and bade farewell to Taryn. Krista only gave her a weak smile, not even fully looking at her, before turning and leading her parents away. Standing in the hallway, surrounded as she was by so many people, Taryn still felt quite alone at that moment, and a little…confused. She was having so many new experiences in such a short amount of time. She was chasing after someone for the first time since she had started dating…and it was a girl at that. She shook her head in wonder. How had her life gotten so weird so suddenly?

She turned to walk back to the auditorium to find her own family, and almost ran right into her mother, who regarded her with a curious look.

“Is everything alright?”

She sighed. “Besides the fact that a week ago I was boy crazy, and tonight I find myself practically chasing the girl I like just trying to get her to talk to me? Everything’s peachy.”

“What? What happened?”

Taryn gestured at the paper in her mother’s hand. “Read the magazine insert in there. I think you’ll get it.”

“Okay,” she said uncertainly, looking at the paper as if it were a snake waiting to bite her.

She spotted Jay approaching over her mother’s shoulder, and made a quick decision. Something was going to get resolved tonight.

“Hey, a few of us are gonna go out and--- what’s the matter with you?” Jay asked as he drew within earshot.

“Actually, do you mind joining up with them later? I’ve got some stuff I kinda wanna talk to you about.” The bravado in her voice belied the nervousness Taryn felt. She had no idea how he was going to take the information she planned to share with him. She feared for the worse. She felt rather than saw her mother’s surprise, and refused to meet her gaze, in case she lost her nerve.

“Uh, okay,” he replied, his eyebrows lowered in suspicion. “I’ll tell the others.”

“Okay, do that and meet us at the car,” Cheryl said. Jay nodded and disappeared back into the crowd. Taryn walked ahead of her mother, eyes to the floor as she prepared herself for the evening ahead.
************************************************************
Krista lay restlessly in her bed. Her bedside clock blinked 11:39. Sleep had eluded her for the last hour. She would have been online relating the evening’s events to her friends- if she’d had access to the internet any more. Instead, she was forced to lay there, with nothing to do than ponder things on her own. Her thoughts were loud and unyielding, refusing to allow her any rest. Her parents had retired hours ago, and had thankfully been too tired upon returning home to give the school paper any further thought. Whereas they were sleeping blissfully, that paper, laying on the hall table where her father had deposited it, was one of many things occupying her thoughts that night. She didn’t think that her parents would have any inkling for whom the poem was written, but it would lead to questions regardless. Questions that she did not feel like fielding. ‘Is this about a real person? Are you thinking about someone? Are you hormonal?’ She was not looking forward to that.

And of course, there was the main concern. She was seriously considering faking sick again tomorrow. Since she was grounded anyway, she didn’t have to worry about Taryn seeking her out for a conversation outside of school. But during…she could certainly avoid her in between classes, but lunch period was open season. There was nowhere she could hide for those 20 minutes. Maybe the librarian needs some help during that period. Or, maybe I could help out in the main office. She ran the possibilities through her mind, attempting to formulate a plan to at least get her through the week. And after a week…

She was jarred from her contemplation by a small sound breaking the silence of her room. She stilled and listened carefully to see if it happened again. She had just about attributed it to her imagination when it came again, and she sat up. It seemed to be coming from her window. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she moved to her window, opened it, and peered out. Her heart sank at the sight below her. Taryn was standing in her backyard, looking up at her. She is really aching to let me have it.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Taryn finally placed her hands on her hips and said, “Are you gonna just stand there, or are you coming down?”

“Shhh,” Krista whispered frantically. “Why are you here?”

“I told you we needed to talk,” Taryn insisted, lowering her voice. “If you won’t come to me…I guess I have to come to you.”

Krista shook her head in disbelief. She had no idea that Taryn could be so vindictive. Fine. If she needed to tell her off so badly…I guess I might as well get it over with. At least this way, she reasoned, it’ll be done, and I won’t have to spend the week hiding. Much. “I’m coming down. Give me a second.”

Taryn clenched and unclenched her hands as she watched Krista disappear from the window. This was it. This was the final hurdle of the evening. She breathed deeply, a sudden surge in her pulse threatening to make her faint. She had never been so scared in her life. She had never put so much on the line all at once before either. But she had gotten through one major conversation already: telling Jay about her feelings for Krista.

He had surprised her by not flying off the handle, but instead asking careful questions, attempting to understand.

“So…you like like Krista?” he had asked, frowning.

“Yeah.”

“And you’ve like liked her from the beginning?”

“No. I mean…I think I did. But I didn’t know I did. You know?”

“Even when I liked her?”

“I think so,” she’d answered, her voice meek.

“And that’s why you didn’t want me to date her.” The hurt in his voice had made her cringe as he plainly stated the ugly truth.

“I guess so. But I didn’t know that then, Jay. Honestly.”

“And this…is about you?” he’d asked, holding the magazine up.

“I believe so.”

“So…you kissed her? When?”

“The night of the party. Right before you and Sergio showed up. After that guy…”

“I thought there was something weird going on,” he’d muttered to himself. “It all makes sense now. Yeah.” He’d nodded his head for a solid minute before finally looking at her and saying, “I need to…do something. Think.” And with that he had left the room.

Taryn had waited in her bedroom for what seemed like forever, knowing that she could do nothing else. When he had finally returned and stood in her doorway, she held her breath. His expression had been inscrutable, and he’d said only one thing.

“If you were my brother, I’d totally kick your ass, cause this whole thing sucks. Not that you like her, because whatever, I’m over that. But cause you totally cock-blocked me the whole time with ulterior motives. But, it’s a little different because you’re my sister for one, so I can’t hit you, and…I get that it probably wasn’t easy for you to deal with it anyway. Being gay and all. Or whatever. I mean, there’s just no blueprint for this. It’s weird. But you do owe me. You owe me big. I’m talking, personal-slave-for-a-month owe me. So just be prepared.”

She had only been able to nod her head in agreement, so strong was her shock. Not that being a personal slave was any easy task, especially given how sadistic her brother could be (some of the pranks he had pulled on her in the past popped to mind), but all things considered, she knew that she had gotten off easy.

The outcome of that conversation had bolstered her nerves, and she had decided that come hell or high water, she would have this conversation with Krista. Thus, she found herself in Krista’s backyard, throwing rocks at her window like some lovesick kid, and hoping that she was still awake at that late hour.

She saw the back door swing quietly inward, and her breath quickened to the point of hyperventilating as Krista emerged. This is it, Taryn. Don’t blow it. She waited for Krista to walk over to her, but the other girl stood on the stairs of her porch, looking at the ground. Okay. Taryn made her feet move until she stood at the bottom of the stairs. She gestured for Krista to sit, and waited for her to settle on the top stair before taking a seat herself. They sat for a moment, staring out into the yard, surrounded by the sounds of the suburban night.

Realizing that if they were going to talk, she needed to start, Taryn decided to jump into the fray. “I liked your poem.”

Silence. She didn’t know what reaction she’d expected, but silence wasn’t it. She turned her head to look up at Krista, and found her staring at her with an incredulous expression.

“What?” Krista choked out.

Emboldened, Taryn turned fully on the stair and placed her hand on Krista’s knee. She noted how Krista’s eyes widened as she followed the movement. “I said, I liked your poem. ‘If You Only Knew’. I liked it a lot.” She paused, uncertain of how to continue. “I like that I know now.”

Krista shook her head wordlessly. She was having difficulty processing the conversation. Did Taryn just say what she thought she said? Her skin was prickling, she felt cold and hot at the same time. She licked her dry lips.

Taryn observed the movement and felt something clench deep within her belly. She was heady with the sensations of the moment. “I…I like you a lot,” she stated softly. God, that was eloquent. I like you a lot. She berated herself and what she felt was a clumsy approach at expressing something so important.

“What? How? I mean, you’re not…” Krista questioned, her brow furrowed.

Okay, time to back up. She took a deep breath. “I didn’t know that…I’ve been feeling these things, and I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what it was about. I’ve never been this…into anyone. And I didn’t get it until the night of the party. Then it all kinda…fell into place. I’ve never had a kiss…affect me like that.”

Krista wasn’t sure that she was hearing things correctly. Did Taryn just say that she had kissed her? Was she really telling her that she liked her? Liked liked her? A bubble of happiness was building, threatening to burst out through her mouth in the form of laughter, but she fought it down, waiting. It couldn’t be this easy. But it hasn’t been easy at all, she remembered. And she hoped.

“And I was scared,” Taryn continued, choosing her words carefully. “I was scared cause it was new, and I thought that I had lost your friendship and freaked you out. And then I read the poem…” Krista didn’t say a word. She just sat there gaping at her, and Taryn started to feel insecure. A thought occurred to her, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Unless…I’m wrong. And that wasn’t about me…”

“No, it was,” Krista hastened to assure her, and paused as the words left her. She had just admitted it, for the first time, put it out in the open. And instead of revulsion or disgust or anger, what she saw in Taryn’s eyes was relief. Unable to contain herself any longer, she permitted the smallest of smiles to grace her lips. “So…you like me?”

“Yes,” Taryn answered, nodding slowly. One little word summed up everything she had been struggling to articulate. One easy little word. “And you still…?”

“Very much so,” Krista said, and blushed at her directness. But Taryn was smiling now, and the hand that had been resting on her knee was now squeezing.

They sat staring at each other, wearing identical wide, goofy smiles, until Krista glanced at the ground and crinkled her nose. “What?” Taryn asked anxiously.

“I kinda…” Krista groaned. Don’t push it. Let it stay at this for now. But she couldn’t deny the insistent longing, one that had been forced down for so long and now, recognizing a changed situation, refused to be denied any longer. “I kinda want…”

Taryn’s heart started to beat faster. She had a good idea of what Krista was trying to suggest, and she was thankful and gratified for the girl’s bravery, because it was what she wanted to. She lifted herself up from her stair, her hand not leaving its moor on that knee, and moved to sit next to Krista, who lifted her head and watched her. They were finally face to face, on the same level, and Taryn’s other hand came up to pull one of Krista’s out of their locked position in her lap. Her thumb lightly caressed the back of Krista’s hand, and she shuddered slightly at the wave of sensation that that small contact elicited. I had no idea…

The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation and nervousness. It was as if she were doing this for the first time, and she attempted to dispel some of her nervousness with a joke. “Only if you promise that we’ll still be talking to each other afterwards,” she teased, her eyes flickering to Krista’s lips as she moved her face closer.

“I promise,” Krista whispered, and then further speech was impossible. Taryn was moving towards her, her face swimming out of focus as the gap between them disappeared. She closed her eyes, and although she was depriving one of her senses of the experience, the remaining ones were in full force. She could feel Taryn’s breath washing across her face as she neared; she could smell her shampoo, and something she couldn’t place but suspected was uniquely Taryn; she could hear her heart beating erratically; she could feel Taryn’s hands, one on her knee, gripping her tightly, the other holding her hand and continuing that maddening massaging motion; and finally, blessedly, she could taste.

Taryn nearly stopped breathing when her lips touched Krista’s, tentative and unsure at first. She wanted to record every moment of this, but her mind refused to produce any rational thought other than the word ‘Finally’. After that all was blank and she was nothing more than sensation. The softness of Krista’s lips as they pressed against her own rocked her to the core. She felt as if she would tip over at any moment, and she gripped her knee harder to make sure she kept her balance.

They held that position for some time, simply reveling in the relief of finally being this far, before a desire for more contact arose. Taryn didn’t want to push her; she suspected that Krista was limited in her experience. She started carefully, flicking her tongue over Krista’s bottom lip, gauging her reaction. When Krista’s free hand came up to wind through her hair and pull her closer, her mouth opening to allow her entrance, Taryn pulled her closer and sank into her welcoming embrace.

The two girls sat on the stairs exploring each other, basking in their newfound intimacy, relishing the release of pent up emotions and wants, heedless of the passage of time. They broke apart from time to time for air, or simply to gaze into one another’s eyes and grin at each other, but they did not leave the porch or break physical contact. It was some time before Taryn could bring herself to look at her watch and face the reality of life outside of Krista’s arms.

“It’s 1:30,” she said, her voice heavy with regret. “We’d better get to bed.” Krista quirked an eyebrow at her, and she blushed. “You know what I mean.” Did I just blush at a sex joke? What has she done to me? The thoughts were not unkind. She was rather enjoying it.

They stood together, hands clasped, neither eager to leave. Krista shuffled, and asked, “What’re we going to tomorrow? Or today I mean?”

“What do you mean?”

Krista nodded her head towards their linked hands, giving them a slight swing. “I mean, I don’t think…I’m not saying we should go in and…y’know. But…are we dating?”

Taryn giggled, and promptly clamped her free hand over her mouth. “Did that just come out of me?”

“Yeah,” Krista said, her own attempts at hiding a laugh failing.

Taryn shook her head. “You’re making a mess off me. But,” she said, pulling Krista towards her and giving her a peck on the lips, “yes. We’re dating. If you want to be. And we can talk about the other stuff tomorrow- later today- after we get some sleep.” They did have a lot to talk about and figure out still.

“When? I’m still grounded, remember?”

“Right. Forgot. You know, we’re out here…”

“Yeah.” Krista beamed at her, and Taryn’s own smile grew larger. Her face was going to hurt later.

“Well, we can make some alone time during lunch. And we can meet out here again tomorrow night…” Taryn trailed off hopefully.

Krista nodded. “Yeah. We can work that out.”

Taryn gazed into her eyes and gave her hand a squeeze. “We definitely can. It took too much time for this for us not too.”

“Agreed,” Krista said, rolling her eyes.

They met again for the final kiss of the night, mindful of needing to part company and keeping it relatively chaste to better facilitate that.

“Goodnight,” Krista whispered.

‘G’night.”

Taryn stood in the backyard and waited for Krista to disappear inside her house before slowly walking towards the gate to go to her own. Her steps were light, and she had to check the ground to see if she were actually leaving footprints. So this is what I’ve been missing, she mused. She couldn’t wait for Krista to be off punishment. They had a lot of lost time to make up for.

Krista watched the receding figure from the shadow of her bedroom, idly wondering if the smile on her face would be a permanent fixture. It showed no sign of leaving, and she had no illusions that she would be falling asleep any time soon. She climbed into her bed and slid her notebook out from underneath her pillow. It was time for the first happy song she’d written in a long time.


The End
**********************************************************************

Taaa-freakin'-daaaa! That's it. Now I get it published, and then turn it into a movie (I'm thinking Lifetime or Oxygen). Do you think Evan Rachel Wood will be too old to play Krista by the time that happens? :hmm

Of course, nothing is every truly done, and I've already sent the "completed" story to loads of friends for editing and comments and suggestions, which means loads of rewrites and such. I welcome all feedback concerning any aspect of this story: "Hey, pick up a grammar book", "Learn to use spellcheck", and "Are you kidding? You can't end it like that!" are all acceptable forms of feedback.

So, yeah, for anyone who's like, "Wait. We don't get to see Krista come out to her parents?" let me give you my explanation, and you tell me if it flies. Tell me if you think it's lame and should be done anyway. Tell me if you think the story is lacking because of its omission.

At its heart, this is a romance. Because they're teenagers, and parents tend to play a big role in most teenager's lives, I didn't feel like I could leave them out and make them all Saved By the Bell-like with the non-existent parental units. So I put parents in, and tried to include them in the story to some extent, but this is definitely a story about Taryn and Krista. So, in my mind, resolution with Krista's parents was not important.

The other things is, I didn't want to turn this into an afterschool special. Coming out, esp. to ones parents, is a huge deal for some people, and I feel that the way I've portrayed Krista's parents thus far leaves no room for an easy resolution a la Cheryl Hoffa. Kris coming out to her folks means a lot more angst, more drama- essentially, almost another story all together. Whatever reaction the Evans have will affect Taryn and Kris's relationship, and her ability to be in the band again, etc. etc. I just didn't think I needed to get into all that, because we're talking another 100 pages at least to flesh that out properly, and I wanted to cover romance and not the trials of coming out necessarily.

Does that make sense? Let me know.

And finally, thanks for reading, thanks for hanging in there when the updates were few and far between, thanks for reviewing (and constructively at that), and just thanks. Kittens have proven to be an excellent testing-board for a new work, and I appreciate you all for that.
:bow


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:33 am 
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23. Volumey Text
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That was a great story.

I think it was absoutely the right place to leave off the story. to quote the ending of the film Millenium, "this isn't the end, this isn't the begginning of the end, this is the end of the begginning."

Including Krista coming out to her parents would have changed the focus of the story, in effect making it into a different story, so I think you're right not to include it.

Other than that I'm going to have to reread the story before I can give more detailed feedback.

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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:44 am 
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13. Big Knowledge Woman

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:thud Umm....just a TAD breathless here. I'm sure that there are few things I could come up with as far as feedback but as you already have several betas, anything that I could come up with would be too distracting. My advice? Settle on one beta, one person that you trust and go with that. Having more than one person have a hand in giving feedback is far too distracting and might very well detract from rather than enhance the story. It's that whole focus thing, which you don't seem to have a problem with.

Over time, the writing, the grammar and the other details worked themselves out to form a very cohesive, enjoyable story. The other things (spelling, etc) are now just icing on the cake, although they are still rather important. Thanks for the ride! I've enjoyed every nerve-wracking moment.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 1:59 pm 
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4. Extra Flamey

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Hi,

Well done, a great ending to a great story. I so agree that you leave it at this point and not the coming out to her parents.
Thank you for the read and for finishing. I didn't mind the sometime long intervals between the updates because every chapter became better, more intense and (like Kieli said) very nerve-wracking.

I hope you write more and will post it here because I for one will definitely read it.

Thanks again and take care, wilgen.


ps thanks for the extra long quickie :eyebrow


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:21 pm 
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9. Gay Now
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Well done, that was a great finale for a story I really enjoyed reading.

About the ending: towards the end, I started to think that you would end it with kisses and no resolution, and I hoped you wouldn't. Although it worked well here in the thread, with an explanation of why you stopped it there, I think it did take away from the story. I agree that a long, angsty parental situation wasn't necessary, but it seemed that the story, in a way, was taking off, and I would have been very interested to see how they coped with school friends and coming out. Maybe, though, that's part of the charm; we get to see them together and just have to wonder how they'll deal with everyone else. And maybe it's a good reason for you to write a sequel. Part two: the issues. :P

That aside, it was just perfect. The kisses, the fear, the cuteness... I loved it!


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:36 am 
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That was so awesome!! :x I love how you ended it, so beautiful and now they both realise how the other feels <3. Ooh and Evan Rachel Wood playing Krista..mmm :-D Love sam xx

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"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong and those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler. [Evan Rachel Wood]

Credit for icon: lj user crazedxinsanity


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:10 am 
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1. Blessed Wannabe

Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 12:25 pm
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Awesome ending, I've been following this story from the very beginning and I just wanted to let you know that I totally love it!!

You have a real talent for writing, I love the way you wrote the intereactions between the girls...very sweet and so cute!


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:34 am 
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6. Sassy Eggs

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justin: I'm glad you agree. I too think it would have shifted into a completely different story had I continued with the coming out process and such. Are you really going to re-read this? That's a daunting prospect for me, and I have to re-read it. :lol

kieli: Good point. I haven't received anything back from folks yet, but I hadn't thought about how overwhelming it could be to have everyone's different writing styles converging upon me all at once.

wilgen: My pleasure. And I am to begin working on another work of fiction once I've finished editing the hell out of this one, and I will most certainly bring it here should the idea take off and work out. I can think of no other community with whom I'd rather share my new ideas.

vix84: Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for representing the other side of the spectrum, for whom the ending may have been wanting continuation. I can dig that.

sam: I was worried about the final confrontation being hokey. I'm glad it came off as sweet as I envisioned it in my mind. And yeah, ERW...if only I had started this on the path to moviedom years ago.

tiger17: Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you liked the chemistry between the girls. I saw every scene ni my head before I wrote it, and it was challenging to try and capture, on paper, the kind of chemistry I envisioned. I'm glad it translated well for you.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:44 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe
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Oi! :bow Okay, so... I've been sitting here, fungus rock and picnic since somewhere in the middle of this posting bonanza. I've had my dancing banana ready for when the posts were banana dance worthy (nearly every time) and I'm very sorry to say that they don't make a good enough banana jig to place in this reply.

This story, so beyond what I expected, captured my interest and my emotions. I enjoyed it, and can promise you that once it is published, I will be there buying a copy.

And the occasional reminder on this web-site will be begging for an autograph!

Well done, I salute you.

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Adios!
Jessica


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:14 pm 
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I've reread the story, I don't know why you implied it would be a chore, it was fun

The first thing I noticed whilst rereading was how bad I had been about leaving feedback :blush Sorry for that *hangs head in shame*

Now onto the good stuff. The pacing of this story is very good. The buld up of their relationship is very good. It doesn't seem rushed, but also doesn't seem too drawn out.

Your portrayal of the two protagonists emotions is very good. Both Krista trying to deal with her, apparently unrequited, feelings for Taryn and Taryn trying to come to terms with her growing feelings for Krista. I particularly like the scene where Krita and Taryn are singing together and Taryn is confused about why being so close to Krista makes her uncomfortable.

Also we can feel Taryn's frustration at the end as she's trying to resolve things but Krista keeps running away from her.

Your descriptions are very good. You're able to convey a lot with a few conscise phrases. Such as

Quote:
It made her self-conscious, and as she grasped the strap of her bag a little tighter she fought the self-awareness that came when you felt people were watching you, that made your step falter because you were suddenly consciously thinking about walking.


That conveys so well how when people are watching you become so conscious of yourself that simple things like walking become difficult.

Another one is

Quote:
(current New York Times bestseller she'd inform you, in case you thought such material was silly)


In one sentence you tell us so much about Cheryl Hoffa. About how she worries about what other people think about her, and that the things she's reading will reflect badly on her.

Speaking of Cheryl, can she be my mum? I mean I get on with my parents but she is seriously cool.

Quote:
transformed themselves into a powerful weapon when performing.


I liked this line about how Taryn uses her sexuality whilst performing, and how Krista responds to that.

I liked the description of Krista dancing round decorating her room, especially the line about it looking like a strange ritual, which in a way I guess it was. A ritual to help Krista settle into her new home.

Writing is a bit like spelling the word banana, in that in both cases you need to know when to stop. As I wrote above you chose the perfect spot to end the story.

I have a couple of nit picks.

One is that when Jay asks Taryn about the Jazz concert she refuses vehemently. Then in the third from last part when the group are discussing it everyone seems to be assuming she's going to do it. As far as I can see you don't see when Taryn changes her mind.

Also in that part they say it's Meg who accidentaly grassed up Krista about the party, when it was actually Shelley (that is if I'm reading that scene right)

Anyway it's a great story, thanks for sharing it with us.

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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:43 pm 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

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Posts: 596
Hi Nixel,

finally I made it too. :party

Oh yeah, I'm all finished. And I enjoyed every single word of the story!!! :applause

I know, my reply is a bit lame and short compared to other replies above me :blush But I still mean it.

You've written something beautiful here.

Wonderful. Enjoyable. Great. Sweet. Romantic. And I could go on with every other good word that I know ;)

And the kiss... the first real :glasses kiss... It was perfect. :x


Thanks for sharing that wonderful thing with us, Nixel.

-Viv-


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:19 pm 
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:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

that was really good.so...*Crosses fingers and :pray* is there gona be a Sequel?

Julia.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 12:55 pm 
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2. Floating Rose

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What a fantastic story. Your descriptions of playing music are quite good--not an easy task to accomplish. Your dialogue became progressively better. I am very impressed & hope to see another work from you soon.

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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:41 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe
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Wow. I can't believe i never replied to this. I feel like a shit-head now *smacks forehead*. I love this story so much. Krista is such a wonderful character. I felt everything she went through as if it was me, and i grew very attached to her. All the characters in this story/book are amazing, and really 3-dimensional. There was never a dull or useless scene, everything felt as if it progressed the story.

I really hope you'll do a sequel, and explore some of the other issues that Krista will go through as she starts to date Taryn. You've created such a wonderful world, and it's a shame to leave it behind just as it was getting to the good part. Regardless, if you ever get this published, i hope to get my copy autographed.

Cheers,
and keep up the good writing!

~Kathryn Clark.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:28 pm 
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13. Big Knowledge Woman

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HELLLOOO!! Is this published yet? I NEED a copy. Must have my Krista fix. :pride


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:40 pm 
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3. Flaming O
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Hey

I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed this story. It was very realistic in the feeling, very well written and an honest to god great story to read..i hope you keep writting. I would love to read more your orginal work.

It was wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us.

trish


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:22 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe

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LOVE this fic! Really needed to bump this one back up there so people can read and appreciate it. Happy reading.


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 Post subject: Re: Play It from the Heart- Original Fiction (completed)
PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:55 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe
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umm.......that's the best story i've ever read..........

and to be clear, i am inherently a hermit, and spend my life holed up in my room reading millions of books and fanfics and such.......

and that is THE best story i've ever read in my life.

you've got a couple name switches (the one i remember being you mixed up shelly and meg with who accidentally ratted out krista) and a couple little mistakes of the repeated word family but other than that.......

it's amazing. :luv

write another story? pretty please? doesn't have to be a sequel, i'll eat up anything you want to write!


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