Juliette watched from amongst the gathering crowd, and waved excitedly to James as she caught his eye whilst he scrambled to hold his place on the front of the race line. Juliette and James had only met two weeks ago at College, when she and her family had first moved into the village. In September, she would be leaving for University, but was relieved to strike up an immediate friendship with James, a friendly face at last, and someone who relieved the tedious prospect of a long, lonely summer, stuck at home with her warring family in a strange village.
As the air-horn announced the start of the race, the runners sped forward to cheers from the crowd. The 5-mile, cross country fun run, would take the runners up Wood Lane, past Cowpers Memorial and on through Dickens Spinney, along the disused railway line before turning back into the village, ending up at The Cowpers Arms Pub, which was where the crowd started to make their way, as this was the focal point for the annual summer village festival that traditionally began with the renowned fun-run.
Stephen, although the younger brother, was the more talented runner, but James was a natural sportsman who would push his brother hard all the way. They were also the youngest of the participants, which is why many saw them as strong favourites, but their competitive spirit was renowned, a fierce sibling rivalry, they didn’t like losing at anything, and the smart money was spread evenly between the two brothers to win this year’s event.
Juliette wandered homewards after the race started. She had some unfinished family business to resolve, and she wanted to clear the air now, so she could enjoy the festival later.
The runners faded into the distance and soon became strung out along the hilltops. With a mile to go, Jack Keeley was ahead, but he was fading fast as he hit the final, but longest of a series of punishing hills, and as they climbed the brow, James and Stephen made their move, easing past Jack who knew he was finally beaten.
Juliette was still at home as the race reached its climax. She was fighting and arguing once again, the all too familiar, tired arguments resurrected once more, squabbling over the same old minutiae that had polluted the family for as long as they could all remember. She had hoped the move to a new village would mean a fresh start, but nothing had changed, except she felt even more lonely than ever before.
It was James who made the break for the line, intuitively sensing his younger sibling was lacking the stamina required, and he found the strength to take first position to the cheers of the gathering crowd.
As was tradition, everyone repaired to the Cowpers Arms where the summer festivities began, and the race winner drank the first pint to open the event, which would continue late into the evening.
James was the toast of the village, but it was dusk before he finally spotted Juliette at the far end of the pub. Rather the worse for wear on free beer, he made his way through the crowded bar and gave Juliette a hug, surprising even himself with his unexpected confidence, no doubt fuelled by drink.
”I missed you today. I feel like I hardly know you yet I missed you terribly!” he exclaimed, slurring his words slightly and talking rather more openly than he should, as the alcohol started to take effect.
“I know, I missed you too” came the reply, and with that she took his hand and led him out of the pub into the still, quiet, summer evening.
“It’s the longest day of the year today” she said, looking into James’s eyes.
“I think my aching body would agree with that” he said in reply, and they both laughed.
”Come on, let’s go for a walk,” and with this she took his hand and walked him away from the crowds and along the country lane past Cook's Farm.
And under a perfect, cloudless, moonlit sky on the summer solstice, they made love for the first time.
They walked hand in hand, in silence, back to the Cowpers Arms, but they parted as they approached, and they both faded into the crowd, to regain their place in their local community before anyone suspected anything, or anyone, was amiss.
As James walked home that evening he smiled to himself and felt contented. Today had been a good day in so many ways.
However, the following morning, James rose and breakfasted hurriedly, before leaving the house. He felt unsettled and he had to find Juliette.
He was rather nervous as he approached their cottage, the butterflies in his stomach making him feel weak as he walked along the path. He shamefully couldn't remember everything about last night, but he remembered what had happened, and he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't wanted it to be quite like that, quite so hurried. It had only been two weeks, he hardly knew Juliette at all. They had struck up an immediate friendship the moment they met, an obvious physical attraction that had been cemented by a few lunchtime conversations and several text messages. And whilst those two weeks had been intense, their relationship had always been platonic, but last night that had all changed.
He knew so very little about her, about her family, about her background. He wanted to make sure she was OK, and he wanted to make sure she felt the same way as he did.
He knocked anxiously on their door, and he was relieved when it was Juliette who greeted him.
“Hiya!”
“Hi James”
“Listen … about last night” He began to stammer awkwardly …
“No”, she interrupted, glancing nervously back into the house. “I need to apologise. I meant to come to the festival yesterday, but I had this horrible fight with my sister and I just wasn’t in the mood to …”
“Wait … what do you mean?" It was his turn to interrupt.
"Listen, James, I really had intended coming to the pub, especially after I heard you had won, I felt so proud but ..."
"I don't get it, what do you mean?" He began to question his own mind, none of this made any sense.
"I wouldn't have been very good company, I'm sorry, it's complicated"
There was a silence, James was thoroughly confused, but then he saw someone else approaching from behind Juliette, and the colour drained from his face as he saw this girl approaching, a girl who was the spitting image of Juliette.
“Hi, I’m Charlotte, Juliette’s twin sister. We haven’t met. Well, we hadn’t, not until last night” and she smiled the smile of an angel, a fallen angel, before turning back into the hallway, leaving James and Juliette on the doorstep, looking crestfallen.
=== The End ===
No comments:
Post a Comment