primadonna girl || wilbur soot

Chapter Fifty-Five

[REAL LIFE]

Out in Hampstead Heath, there's this giant hill. A giant hill, in a giant park, with giant trees. And there's this big open area, and during the day it's full of laughing children and women day-drinking. But at night, it gets a whole lot more peaceful. It gets quiet. Everyone is in their own little world, sitting or laying or standing and looking up at the great big sky and all its possibilities. Today, the sky is empty of clouds and later it will be filled to the brim with stars. And that's partly why Wilbur has chosen this date.

Clara laughs as he leads her up the hill, holding onto his hand tightly. In Wilbur's other hand is a takeout bag of Chinese food. He's got a big blanket draped over his arm.

The trees around them are buzzing with life, crickets chirping. There are a few other couples strewn out on the grass, baking in the setting sun. It's a gorgeous June evening, and everyone is out here enjoying it. Since it's summer, the sun still hasn't set though it's nearing to be past nine pm.

They find a spot right at the peak, and the bright green of the grass sits out against the blurring pinks and oranges of the sky above them, stretching endlessly.

The wind carries the blanket as Wilbur releases his hold on it, the fabric draping softly over the soft earth beneath them.

"M'lady," Wilbur says, jokingly gesturing for Clara to take a seat.

"Good sir," she replies, following his instruction.

He sits down next to her, letting their thighs touch.

"Are you ready to consume our exceedingly fancy supper?" He asks her, pulling out the containers of lo mein from the bag.

"Oh, I couldn't have asked for anything better." With Wilbur, she'll take anything he offers, honored to be in his presence at all.

Clara pops open her container, and digs in with chopsticks, pulling out the noodles. Wilbur follows her example.

"Cheers!" She states, bringing her container close to Wilbur's so that they can clink their chopsticks together. Clara giggles as she brings the food closer to her mouth, slurping unattractively. "Noodles are the least enticing food to eat ever."

"We've been over this. You always are enticing." He wiggles his eyebrows at her and she smirks.

"You're biased."

"Even if I were unbiased, I'd still have eyes. I'd be saying the same thing."

Her cheeks heat up at the compliment. "I think we're a very attractive couple. I mean, we're both hot, we're both funny, we both have great style. I think we're a combination that overpowers all others."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking! Us coming together is like... cosmic-shifting. We're just too amazing."

Clara nods, snorting. "Exactly!"

"Imagine you hadn't walked into George's stream that day. What then? I may never have met you."

Clara pauses to think about that horrible reality. "Huh. Well... I'd probably come out to the world at some point. Maybe we'd just meet... a little later. Plus, fate always comes through."

"That's true. Boy, if I could time travel I would go back to Wilbur in February. Tell him he doesn't know what's coming to him."

"I don't think I would time travel if I had the chance."

"Really? You don't want to go back to the past?"

"Well I'm a queer woman... so if I went back in time I would just live without any rights."