Tragic

"C'mon, it'll take your mind off of things." Sabrina nudged Jacky's shoulder, a smile spreading painfully across her face. They had been walking around town all day, talking about all the ways Jacky might have a chance at getting another boyfriend. Scoping out boys on the side of the road while eating melting chocolate isn't exactly Sabrina's idea of a "perfect day," though.

"I'm just not that interested in that kind of stuff. I told you I've tried it before, haven't I?" Jacky shook her head and smiled, lacing her fingers together with Sabrina's as they walked down the road. Sabrina tried to ignore the sudden movement, though her heart fluttered with hope. They weren't together, obviously. Jacky was straight. It didn't hurt to fantasize a bit, though.

"Maybe you just didn't have the right teacher." Jacky leaned into Sabrina more, already ready to protest the idea. Sabrina beat her to it. "Look, I know you don't think piano is the greatest thing you've ever heard of, but it can be fun! Y'know, hanging out and trying to learn new songs while we laugh at how stupid our melodies sound." Her stomach flips just imagining teaching her best friend how to play the piano, their hands intertwined and Sabrina leaning over Jacky, her chest pressed to her best friend's back as they joke around about how terrible Jacky is at playing the rough keys.

It's silent for a moment as they walk past stores filled with beach towels and cheesy T-shirts that say stuff like "I went to Florida and survived the alligators!" A couple cars drive past them and the smell of saltwater starts to draw closer. Waves crash against the sand and recede back into the ocean, leaving the sand damp and drying. Sabrina's heart starts to ache as the silence drags on. Did she do something wrong? She opens her mouth to ask a question when Jacky decides to break the silence first.

"The sunset is beautiful." She mutters.

Red and orange hues mixed together to make a mesmerizing scene of gold glory. Sabrina closed her mouth, admiring the amazing view before turning her head ever so slightly to look at Jacky. Her breath threatens to stop when her eyes land on her best friend.

Her eyes glisten with an adorable shine and her pupils are blown wide, threatening to swallow the sweet brown of her eyes. Gold rays wash over her features, complimenting her fair skin and making her glow with a beauty Sabrina had never seen before. Jacky turns her head to look at Sabrina, catching her stare, but Sabrina doesn't care. All she can think about is how lucky she is to have met this wonderful girl.

"Ok," Jacky starts slowly, a smile spreading across her golden features as she turns to look back at the sunset again, "maybe I do want to start up piano again. Think you could teach me?" Sabrina hums with confidence, bumping her shoulder against Jacky's as she comes out of her trance.

"Definitely. It'll be easy, I promise. After all, you do have the best teacher out there." Sabrina lets go of Jacky's hand, even though it hurts to have it empty again, and throws her hands into the air before falling into the soft sand behind them. With a confused giggle, Jacky sits beside Sabrina and lays her head on her shoulder.

They sit there for a while, watching as the sun slowly goes down and the air starts to turn cool, the smell of salt enveloping them both. When the sun has gone down and the stars have come out, they finally decide to leave.

It's 8:36 when they get into Jacky's car. Sabrina can't drive yet. Jacky hands the aux cord to Sabrina and turns the car on, taking a deep breath before pulling out of their parking spot. The tires are slow as Sabrina is setting up the music. Beach Bunny starts to play from the radio as they leave the parking lot.

Halfway home, Sabrina rests her arm on the center console, letting her hand hang over the edge. After a couple minutes, Sabrina feels her hands start to warm as another pair of fingers connect with her own. Jacky had taken Sabrina's hand in her own.

When Sabrina looked over, a sense of shock still hovering above her head, Jacky was staring intensely at the road, her eyebrows furrowed with what Sabrina can only assume is caution. Sabrina turns back to her phone and smiles, squeezing Jacky's hand in reassurance before changing the song.

-

When they finally arrive at Jacky's house, their hands are still locked together. The song currently playing starts to fade as they pull into the driveway. No other cars sit in the driveway. Sabrina breaths a sigh of relief.

When they park and Jacky turns the car off, neither of them move. Jacky's free hand is sitting in her lap, playing with the hem of her skirt, while her other hand is hanging desperately to Sabrina's. The car is silent for a while before Jacky decides to finally speak.

"Is this weird? For you, I mean. Is this odd, that we're holding hands? That we've been holding hands for so long?" Sabrina can tell Jacky is nervous, so she gives her best friend a soft smile and shakes her head slowly.

"I don't see why it would be weird. We hold hands all the time." Jacky seems to take that into consideration, the side of her mouth twitching with focus as her eyes wander down to their hands. Sabrina squeezes her hand once more, making Jacky look back up. She must've seen something in the way Sabrina was looking at her, because her face softened and she nodded slightly, letting go of Sabrina's hand to open the car door.

Without Jacky's hand, Sabrina's felt cold and empty, a feeling she never liked. A feeling she knew only Jacky could inflict upon her. She sighed and opened the passenger side door, climbing out of the car. Jacky was already standing beside the front door, a wide grin on her face.

"Ready to come teach me some songs, teach?" She nearly shouted the words. Sabrina smiled just as wide and started to jog over to the door.

"I am, I hope you are too."