MONA AND LISA.

Two school girls discover their true feelings.

Mona sits dressing in the gym changing room after PE. Lisa watches, her eyes on the white foot before the sock covers. Fine fingers, thin and delicate; how they pull over the white ankle sock.  A glimpse of thigh, brief in passing.

Mona stands; pulls at the hem of her dress; goes towards the door. Lisa touches her arm, turns her round, and after a moment's hesitation, kisses her on the lips.

Mona pushes her away instinctively.

- What're you doing?

Lisa doesn't reply. She blushes, then rushes out the door into the corridor of the school and disappears.

Mona stares at the door; then around the changing room with its white tiles, smell of damp flesh and socks. She frowns. Why did she do that? Out of the blue at that. A smacker on the lips. She sighs; goes out the door; follows along the corridor.

Lisa goes out the door at the end of the corridor; out on to the playing fields. Mist has covered it like a dull blanket. She closes the door behind her; walks slowly onto the mist-covered field. Just a kiss; nothing more or less; wanted to do that for months now; just couldn't help myself. She walks on; looks down at her dew dampened black shoes. Pauses. Sighs. If you do what you feel like doing it can't be bad always, surely, not always. She stares at the misty horizon, at the dark shadowy trees and bushes in the distance.

Mona looks out on the misty playing field where she's certain Lisa went. Can't see a damned thing; could be anywhere; could be inside in the warm. She can still feel the damp kiss on her lips; can sense the passion behind it. Why did she do that? Without warning; without as much as a bye or leave; or just going to kiss you. She walks onto the grass, damp and squelchy. Looks ahead into the dull greyness; sees nothing; imagines getting lost; imagines the far off trees are giants on the loose. Being childish, foolish. Where the hell is she? Sure she came out here. She stops and stares. Listens.

Lisa pats her jacket pocket. Takes out a handkerchief. Wipes her nose. Didn't mean anything, nothing perverse. Just a kiss for Christ's sake. She listens. Thought I heard something; thought I heard breathing. Dull dishwater grey sky. Like granddad in his coffin. Grey and dull. Mouth shut.

Mona's sure she sees a dark shape a few feet in front; she hesitates; stands and gawks.

- Is that you? Lisa?

The dark shape moves forward.

- What you doing here?

Mona stands; stares at Lisa as she emerges out of the greyness.

- Wanted to find you.

- Why bother?

- Didn't mean to push you away.

- You did though.

The girls stand and face each other. Silence.

- Just the shock of it.

Mona moves forward, fiddles with her fingers.

- A kiss that's all. Wasn't as though I meant anything dirty.

- Didn't say you did.

Lisa puts away her handkerchief. Stares away into the dull horizon. Mona puts out a hand and touches Lisa sleeve. Lisa moves back; stares at her shoes damp and sodden.

-  This is silly.

- Silly am I now? Just because of a dammed kiss.

- Not because of anything. Didn't say you were silly.

- You just said it.

Sighs. Lisa coughs. Feels the dampness touch her chest. Can only just see her in this dullness. Why push me away? Damp gets into you.

- Said it was silly. Not you.

- It? What it?

- The situation of us like this.

Mona stands uneasy. Cold. Feel it now. Could be inside in the warm. Feel it now. Around the legs. Ankles.

Lisa feels in her inside pocket, removes a packet of ten, and removes one cigarette.

-Don't suppose you've a match?

Mona searches her pocket; finds a flip-box and holds it out. Lisa takes it and strikes a match to the cigarette.

-Want one?

Mona takes a cigarette from the packet; lights it from the same match. Matches and cigarettes are put away and both girls stare at the horizon.

Can still feel the damp kiss. Didn't expect it. Out of the blue. Sudden. Mona muses; takes a quick glance at Lisa. Last thing I expected. Strange, but oddly nice. After the shock that is. Warming. Oddly warming.