Candles and Girls

A Story by Mel Jayne

A power cut at a University is the start of something soft and beautiful.

“It was as though they had been waiting for me to arrive.”

“That’s freaky, man.” Bill nodded in agreement to Freya’s exclamation. The three of them had been sitting on their dorm room’s floor for a solid hour with popcorn and candles spread around them. The power had been out for a while before they had gotten their stuff together to be able to talk about anything other than why it might have gone out. They had been going to watch a movie but Bill and Freya had decided to pester Lia into telling them about what had happened when she had visited a psychic with her girlfriend.

“But the thing is, Rose doesn’t even believe in that stuff and she was all like ‘We knew that you would turn up’ but she could have been trying to freak me out because she’s sort of a sadist when it comes to relationships.” Lia had reached a part of the story that resolved around a return visit and a whole bunch of herbal tea.

“If that lady drugged you do you think you would be able to sue her.”

“Dude, I’m a student, I don’t have that kind of time or money. Plus, I researched it and it turns out that it was probably just her words that made everything seem like what she said. The power of persuasion and all that.” Lia made a rather dramatic gesture with her hand.

“Are you sure that Rose didn’t dump you to prove a point?” Bill had always been rather suspicious of Rose, she made a point of not trusting pretty girls. She would also enjoy changing the subject from freaky ladies when she couldn't see anything around her.

“If she did that she wouldn’t be able to gloat.”

“Fair enough.”

Freya yawned into her hand and checked the time on her phone. It was later than she had thought and she had early morning classes, she took a candle and said goodnight to her friends so that she could head to bed.

Lia knew that Bill didn’t like it when she wasn’t in control so she gently suggested that the other girl could stay the night in her room.

“You really mean that?”

“Of course I do.”

It took them longer than it probably should have to get into the double bed that was shoved into a room that was way too small. It reminded Bill of going to camp when she was younger, being made to get ready for bed when your eyes feel sore and the only source of light would be a wind-up torch. They slipped into the covers once the candle had been put out very carefully.

The anxiety that Bill felt was probably evident from the sound of her breath. Lia reached out and wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders. She would wake up sleepy and wrapped up in warm sheets and an even warmer body. There would be a moment before she realised that it was Bill. There would be blushing and stumbling over words. Skin to skin. Careful and conscious. It would be the start of something deep and long lasting. They wouldn’t need a power cut to sleep in the same bed.