Is it a Midsummer Dream?

  When I came to, with a start the next morning, Lu was trying to clean the blood off me with a damp cloth. I was very surprised that I was still alive.

  Lu said, "Easy now, just take it easy, you’ll be stiff from the cold ground. What were you doing out here?"

  "I, I, I was worried about you, Lu, when you hugged me goodbye last night, you were so hot, I was afraid you might collapse, so I followed you."

  "I didn’t realize that you had tracking skills."

  "I don’t, that’s why I wound up in a clearing surrounded by wolves. But what happened to the wolf that was chained to the tree? She saved my life."

  "There was no sign of a wolf when I found you, drenched in blood. I thought you were dead, don’t ever do something like this again, alright?"

  "How did you know to look for me?"

  "I found your empty basket on the trail, then I noticed that someone had come this way and just lucked upon you. Let’s get you down to your grandmother's cottage, where you can clean up a little better. Shall I go to your house and tell your mother you’re OK? You are OK, aren’t you?"

  "Yes, I’m fine. Would you ask my mother for a set of clothes? I can’t walk into the town in these. Today’s Midsummer festival, isn't it?"

  "Yes, you’re right, I’ve forgotten. While you get washed, I’ll get your clothes, and pick up some food for your grandmother so later if you feel like it we can walk around the festival together. Would you like that or would you rather go home and rest?"

  "Now that I know I’m alive, I think I’d like to go to the festival."

  "Great, sounds like a plan."

  By the time I got to grannies, I was feeling more like myself. I went in, quickly assured her I was fine, stripped down to my panties and asked grannie to hand my bloody clothes to Lu, who was waiting for them.

  "Hello, Lu, I’m grannie, why don’t you come in?"

  "Thank you, grannie, but I’m allergic to wolfsbane, which makes me break out in hives."

  "Well, I never heard of that before in all my years, I thought the only thing affected by wolfsbane was wolves and the odd dog who had a bit of wolf in his blood. No matter, here’s Rosie's clothes. She seems like a nice sort, Rosie. But it’s very odd that in all my years I’ve never heard of a human allergic to wolfsbane."

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  Lu was back surprisingly quickly with clothes, Ma’s baked goods for granny and a nice basket of apples. Which worked out perfectly because I found a bunch of spoiled apples in the trash. We were soon back in town. I stopped in to see my mother, just so she could see I was still alive. I was going to put my clothes to soak, but Ma already did that for me. Then we went to the midsummer festival. We got our flower crowns and ate and danced together then ate some more. Then the band forced Lu to come up and play a few songs from the histories, then she played the song, I’d helped her with the lyrics. Then it was time for the bonfire, which was very nice, but I started yawning.

  Lu said how she enjoyed the day, but I must be exhausted and she walked me home and hugged me tight and close and whispered, "Please don’t ever go out in those woods at night again. I couldn’t stand it if I lost you."

  I thought for a second she was going to kiss me as she stared long at my lips but she just hugged me so tight, it was hard to breath, but too soon it was over and I was going into the house.

  "Well, well, well, look who almost got ravished on the door step."

  "What are you talking about, Juliet?"

  "That Lu, looked like she wanted to eat you for dessert out there on the steps and a few other times like when you were dancing. She likes you, Rose, she likes you a lot."

  "We’re just friends, Juliet."

  "Yeah just friends, I watched you watch her stare at those plump lips of yours, and she’s got self control but those eyes wanted those lips."

  "Do you really think that or are you teasing me, Juliet?"

  "Of course I believe it, and I’d never tease you after the night you had.”

  “I thought she was going to kiss me."

  "So did I, but I think you may have to let her know you’d be ok with it, if you are ok with it. Are you ok with it, do you want her to?"

  "I, I, I’m not really sure, I think I did when we were saying goodnight, but now I'm confused and so tired and I’d hate to lose her as a friend."

  "I don’t think there is any chance that that’ll happen, besides if you take a chance it might be even much, much, much better than you imagined."

  "Is that the way it is for you and Ivy?"

  "Oh yes, it’s much better then when we were friends because now we're friends who want to ravish each other."

  "Good, I’m happy for you, Juliet."

  Then I fell asleep.

  [Delay, Expectations]

  Should I have kissed her?

  Oh God, I wanted to kiss her so much, but I also don’t want to lose her. I don’t know if she expected me to kiss her there on the door step, it almost seemed that she wanted to but I was afraid that I was just seeing something I desperately wanted to see. Well we’ll be going on a trip together soon and I’ll know her better by then. I don’t even know if she likes girls and is it even fair to think about that when I haven’t told her my secret. I’m so tired, I didn’t get any sleep last night and today was such a busy day, it’s time to hit the hay.