You Could Say Bless You

You Could Say Bless You
By Charlie Prescott

The rain pattered against the pavement. Ainsley wrapped her jacket tighter around herself. She shivered against Jo's arm, causing the taller girl to chuckle. Ainsley eyed her suspiciously, but Jo just shrugged her shoulders. The two watched the rain through the living room window of Jo's house. They'd planned to go running, or biking, or anything to get them out of the house, but that looked bleak under the circumstances. Being alone together indoors with no outlet was becoming precarious. Quiet moments led to talking and talking led to admitting, something neither wanted to do.
Jo took a glance down at the smaller redhead beside her. She couldn't help but smile. The smooth light skin of her cheeks was shaking as her teeth chattered dramatically. She wasn't really that cold, but she knew if she acted it she'd get a reaction out of Jo.
"Are you okay? Do you need a blanket?"
Ainsley smirked. "Atta girl," she thought to herself.
"No I'm fine. But I wish we had something to do," she decided. Maybe talking would lead to doing and not admitting. Jo knew exactly what she wanted to, but she knew the redhead wouldn't go for it. Jo loved the rain: immensely loved it. She loved how it felt on her skin and how the wind chilled her. She loved the sound of the drops against everything they could touch and the smell of petrichor in the air. She wanted to be out in it, walking the street and soaking it in. She didn't mind her basketball shorts or her baseball tee sticking to her skin. She wasn't particularly fond of the wave in her long dark hair after it got wet, but she could handle it.
Ainsley recognized that look in Jo's eyes.
"Is there something you want to do?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Not really."
"Oh come on. What is it?" Ainsley raised an eyebrow at Jo. She wouldn't let it go and she knew Jo would fold. She always did.
"I wanna play in the rain," Jo mumbled, realizing just how silly it sounded to say out loud.
"I'm sorry, what?" Ainsley giggled. Jo huffed.
"I wanna play in the rain! Is there something wrong with that?" Jo crossed her arms and shifted to be closer to the window.
"There's nothing wrong with that. It sounds fun actually, but my parents would kill me if I came home wet," Ainsley said sadly, running her hands up her arms in an attempt to warm herself. "Besides I've already got this cold."
"We wouldn't be out long enough that your clothes would get that wet. And anyway you're supposed to be here for another few hours so they'd have time to dry. And we have hot chocolate to soothe any sickness," Jo coaxed her friend, though she was doubtful. Ainsley was the voice of reason, usually. She did have her moments of ridiculousness.
Ainsley thought it over. She really didn't want to get fussed at by her parents, but Jo's offer was very appealing.
"Five minutes?"
"Five minutes," Jo agreed.

. . .

It was much longer than five minutes, almost half an hour at least. But they didn't notice. They took turns chasing each other around the yard, pretending to slip and accidentally sliding across the lawn until it became a game as to who could slide farther. Ainsley was proud to pronounce herself the winner of said contest, but Jo would tell you she let her win.
They were more than wet. They were soaked to the bone, bits of grass clinging to them, shivering violently. But they were smiling, smiling more broadly than either of them had in a while.
As Ainsley went for another, what she called, power slide, Jo slid in from the other side. The two collided and rolled together in the sopping grass, limbs tangled, and hair slick to faces. Jo was surprised that the weight of the water hadn't tried to pull her shorts down by that time, but the weight of another girl on top of her brought her out of those thoughts.
Ainsley slumped onto the ground next to her and let out a fit of laughter. Jo chuckled along, but near as whole-heartedly. She was too focused on how suddenly the redhead’s lips looked so pink and soft. Ainsley noticed her looking at her and her laughter died. They had just stared at each other before but it would quickly turn awkward and one would make a face to make the other laugh, but not this time. It was nice, almost comfortable. There was something there that hadn't been before.
Ainsley bit her lip and raised her brow. Jo's eyes widened. She thought she knew what that signal meant but she didn't want to be wrong.
"What if..."
She told herself conscious side to shut the hell up. Leaning forward closer to the redhead, she pressed her lips against the smaller girls. And suddenly there was electricity between them, a current flowing that neither wanted to break. But being the reason between the two, Ainsley did.
Her eyes still closed, and very close to breathless, she said, "You're going to get sick."
"Don't care." And Jo kissed her again, pulling up her hand to lie across Ainsley's jawline. It took her a minute, but Ainsley was able to pull back again.
"I'll get sicker."
Jo groaned, took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
"Something I do care about," she huffed. She picked herself quickly up off the ground and helped Ainsley. The two shuffled inside where the even the heater seemed cold to their wet skin.
"Goodness," Ainsley chirped as she wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn't noticed how cold she was.
"Do you wanna take a shower?" Jo asked suddenly, thinking it would be the fastest way to warm her up.
"Jolene Dolores Peters!" Ainsley was aghast. She couldn't believe Jo would ask such a thing so nonchalantly.
"Whoa there," Jo took a step back, cringing. "Why are you pulling out the full name?"
"You just asked me if I wanted to take a shower!"
"Yeah?"
And in that instant, Ainsley realized that Jo hadn't meant take a shower with her. Her face burned red with embarrassment.
"You thought I meant-!" Jo doubled over in laughter. Ainsley punched her in the side. Though she was in pain, Jo couldn't contain herself. "I'm sorry. Really I am- no wait!" Ainsley had stormed off towards the hallway, but Jo grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. Ainsley would never admit, but she liked how easily Jo had stopped her.
"I'm sorry. Honestly. But that was kind of funny," Jo giggled, grinning ear to ear. "You go get in the shower and leave your clothes on the floor. I'll put them in the dryer so your parents won't know, okay?"
Ainsley crossed her arms and turned back for the hallway. Jo let her go, trying not to laugh.

. . .

After Jo had taken hers and Ainsley's clothes to the dryer, she dug out a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from her room to give to the redhead to wear, along with some underwear and a sports bra. They weren't exactly the same size, but close enough. Before taking them to the bathroom though she spritzed them with her favorite cologne, to make sure they smelled like her. She herself had changed into sweat pants and a tank top.
She laid on her bed in her room, a movie she had seen a thousand times playing on the TV, when she heard the running water in the bathroom stop. A few minutes later Ainsley stepped into her bedroom, the too-big clothes hanging off of her in a way Jo found absolutely adorable.
Jo invited her up on the bed as she left to make hot chocolate. When she got back, they sipped them for a few minutes, but the mugs were soon left forgotten on Jo's bedside table.
Jo leaned up against her head board, Ainsley lying for the most part on top of her, another movie playing. It was serenely quiet, the patter of rain just outside Jo's bedroom window. As Ainsley watched the movie with half interest, Jo was too busy paying attention to Ainsley, playing with a stray curl in her hair, or rubbing her thumb up and down the girl's arm. All was quiet until-
Achoo.
"Damn it!"
"Ha!"