Work Text:
“What are we doing here, Alex?” Kara stuffed her hands in her coat pockets to ward off the chill of the morning air. Red and orange leaves, swept from the trees, swirled in the wind. It was the beginning of a brisk, but beautiful fall day.
“This is my old elementary school.”
“I know that, but – ” Kara looked around at the dozens of cars – mostly minivans and SUVs – parked in every available parking spot. At least another two dozen cars, including theirs, were parked on what she suspected was the baseball field’s third baseline. “Why are we here?”
“Because it’s the annual Brook Elm Elementary Fall Festival,” she said as if that meant anything to her. “And, I haven’t been to one since the 5th grade when Jack Wells tried to kiss me behind the dunk tank.” Alex weaved her arm through Kara’s and dragged her in the direction of music and children’s laughter. “Which I did not appreciate. Luckily for Jack, he was saved from having my fist smash his face by my old third grade teacher. Man, I had such a crush on her.”
As they turned the corner of the school’s west portion, where, according to Alex, the first and second grade classrooms were located, a young girl darted out in front of them. Kara yanked her sister to the side to avoid trampling the child who giggled an apology and skipped away, excitement pouring out of every step.
“You brought me to an elementary school fair?”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t come to live with us until you were fourteen so you didn’t get to experience any of this.” Alex shrugged as she pulled them both to a stop and waved her hand. “I had the day off, and figured ‘why not?’ This will be enlightening for you, nostalgic for me, and fun for both of us.”
‘This’, Kara saw, referred to dozens of booths decked out with pumpkins and fall foliage – orange, yellow, and red leaves – made of construction paper, and hand-cut by students. Children, with their faces painted and tickets clutched in their hands, ran from booth to booth, screeching and laughing as they played every game. Parents huddled in groups, sipping hot drinks and watching their children play, while teachers sat in the booths and handed out small prizes to all the lucky winners.
“Oh, wow.” Kara gasped. Autumn had always been her favorite season. The vibrant change in the leaves before they fell from the trees and the crunch of them underneath her boots, the crisp air that whipped across her face on a windy day and left her cheeks rosy, the spicy taste of hot apple cider – Kara loved it all, and this school festival embodied all the best parts of the season. She bumped her shoulder against Alex’s and smiled. “Thank you. So what should we do first?”
“First, we buy tickets.”
Kara counted the number of tickets she had left. She’d wasted ten tickets on five attempts at the ring toss, coming away with only the conviction that it was rigged, and if the fourth grader’s smirk as she collected Kara’s wayward rings were any indication, she was right. After coming away empty handed, she invested six tickets on a rubber duck that she hoped would float to victory later that day. The race was at three, so she still had several hours to kill.
Alex had abandoned her ten minutes before when she spotted an old classmate playing kickball on the playground just beyond the booths and tents. They both watched the classmate in question, Maggie, circle the makeshift bases and pump her fists in the air as she celebrated her home run. After shoving her half-eaten corn dog into Kara’s hands, Alex scurried off towards the field with two hot apple ciders, a wink, and a promise to “be right back.”
If she knew anything about her sister, she would not “be right back” so Kara counted her tickets while she finished both her own corn dog and Alex’s leftovers, and contemplated which booths were worthy of her remaining tickets.
Squeals drew her attention to the dunk tank. Children clamored around a blonde woman dressed in slim, black jeans, boots, and a pea coat buttoned all the way to her neck. Kara watched the woman kneel and talk to each child that shouted for her attention, neglecting no one. She didn’t smile, but warmth shone from her eyes and through her interactions with the children, from a pat on the back to a tussle of the hair, or to a high five, it was clear that whoever this woman was – a teacher, an active parent, a faculty member – she adored the children. When she said something and all the children nodded their heads, the woman stood and climbed into the tank, boots and all, to the cheers of her adoring crowd.
Wanting to get a closer look, Kara left the concession tent and walked towards the tank. Lured by the magnetism of the woman who risked an imminent dunking, she could no more stop herself from marching forward for a better view than she could change the weather.
“Excuse me. Oops! Sorry.” She weaved her way through the crowd. In her haste, she bumped into several people, and even a few children who were just as eager to get somewhere. Kara remembered the young girl from earlier that she and Alex nearly bulldozed, and chuckled. She was now acting much like the girl had, bounding towards the dunk tank with reckless excitement.
Kara chose a spot less than twenty feet away from the tank, and nestled herself beneath a tree riddled by the change in the seasons. The air still had a frigid bite to it, but the tree’s barren branches allowed the sun to pour through and warm her which was more than she could say for the woman currently suspended above water.
The children scrambled to form a line and shoved their tickets into the hands of the ticket taker when it was their turn. They gripped the balls with glee, faces scrunched in determination before they gave mighty tosses accompanied by equally mighty squeals. She smiled as the mysterious woman encouraged each child that stepped up to line, and laughed when she exaggerated her relief by wiping her forehead and shouting “whew!” when the kids’ shots sailed wide. And they all sailed wide.
The line dwindled until only a young girl with a backwards baseball cap and a raglan shirt was left. She paid her ticket and grabbed a ball. She hunched forward with narrowed eyes like she was waiting on a signal from an invisible catcher. The girl nodded. Swinging her arm backwards, then forward, she threw the ball with all her might. A fast ball right down the center. Kara gasped, sure that the ball would strike the target, but it missed by centimeters.
“Don’t scare me like that, Lana!” The woman clutched her chest, eyes wide, but still safely above water.
The little girl, Lana, grinned. “I almost had you, Principal Grant!”
So that’s who she was. Principal Grant.
“Yes, you did. You’ll get me next time, I’m sure of it!” Principal Grant’s gaze traveled from Lana, who skipped off to high five her parents, to Kara. A flash of awareness zipped through her. “How about you, stretch? Care to take a shot?”
Kara straightened away from the tree and looked behind her. People scurried between booths, but no one stood within ten feet of her. Turning back, she pointed to herself. “Me?”
“Yes, you!” Principal Grant called out. “You’ve been standing there watching since I got up here.”
Kara hesitated. “Perhaps, that’s not a good idea. I –”
“Don’t think you can do better than my kids? Too scared?”
“No, that’s not it. I don’t want to make you wet.” Kara cringed. “I mean –”
The woman’s lips twitched. “That’s very considerate of you, but if you don’t think you can do it…”
“Oh, I can do it. I just – I don’t understand. You survived the onslaught by the skin of your teeth. Why invite trouble?”
Principal Grant arched a brow. “Sometimes a little trouble is a good thing.”
“Okay, here’s the deal.” Kara licked her lips and sauntered closer to the tank. Looking at her through the Plexiglas that separated them, she said, “You take off your coat and your boots, and I’ll take a shot.”
“What–?”
“You’re going to need something to keep you warm after I dunk you.”
Principal Grant scanned Kara’s body, burning a path wherever her gaze landed. “Confidence. I like that. Fair enough.” The woman locked eyes with Kara and flicked her coat’s top two buttons free. Kara tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. She watched pale, nimble fingers trail down the coat, releasing each button they crossed. Shrugging the garment off her shoulders, Principal Grant revealed a thin, white blouse.
Kara gasped. “Actually, Principal Grant, maybe you should leave your coat on.”
“My name’s Cat.” Cat shook her head. “And a deal’s a deal. Here, catch!” She tossed her coat over the Plexiglas into Kara’s arms. Breaking eye contact, she unlaced her boots and placed them behind her. Cat stripped her socks off as well and tucked them into her shoes. Wiggling her toes, she said, “Ready.”
Kara fumbled around in her pocket for three tickets. Handing them and the coat to the attendant, whose gaze bounced between her and Cat, Kara grabbed a ball and toed the line. She drew her arm back.
“Wait! You can’t throw from there. That’s the kids’ line. Back up!” Cat shouted. She waved her hands in a shooing motion until Kara backed up ten feet. “Good. Throw from there.”
Kara rolled her eyes and grinned. “It won’t make a difference,” she said. She steadied herself, slowed her breathing, and eyed the red target taunting her from twenty feet away. Drawing her arm back again, Kara flung her arm forward. When she hit her release point, she let go of the ball and watched it sail towards the target.
The ball clanged against the target, wrenching a yelp from Cat before she splashed into the water. Kids gathered around Kara. Some cheered and clapped, but others stood with their mouths agape. Some eyed the tank warily and stepped away from Kara as if to distance themselves from the atrocity she just committed.
Kara snatched Cat’s coat from the attendant, and ran to the tank. The principal surfaced from beneath the water and glared, but the effect was ruined by chattering teeth and running mascara.
Cat shivered. “I d-didn’t th-think you could d-do it.”
“I’m sorry, but I think the kids enjoyed it,” she said, pointing over her shoulder. She could still hear the squeals and whispers of amazement from the children. “Did you bring extra clothing?”
Cat shook her head.
Kara eyed the trembling woman. “My sister has some in the trunk of her car. You’re about her size. But, first, let’s get you out of there.” Kara walked around to the back of the dunk tank, and helped Cat out of the water. She whistled, transfixed on the sight of the bedraggled woman. Her shirt was plastered to her skin, revealing a flat stomach and a cream-colored bra. Holding out the coat, Kara stepped behind Cat and wrapped it around her shoulders. She leaned forward and whispered in Cat’s ear. “I was right. You should’ve kept your coat on.”
“So what possessed you to volunteer for a dunk tank? It’s too chilly to willingly subject yourself to that.” Kara sat in a chair right outside the principal’s office where Cat was changing out of her soaked clothes. It wasn’t the first time she’d waited outside the principal’s office, either, and she was just as nervous now as she had been when she was a student. It was a different kind of nervous now, though – an awareness that hummed just below the surface.
“A challenge. I’ve been the principal for five years, and at the beginning of each year I challenge the students to read. If enough students read enough books, then I rent a dunk tank for the Fall Festival and let any student try to dunk me.”
Kara heard a grunt and a muffled thump. “Everything okay in there, Cat?”
“Ugh, yes. Wet jeans are hard to get off. Anyway, not one single student has hit the target since I started. They still haven’t. I guess I was arrogant.”
More thumping and muttered curses came from behind the closed door. She imagined Cat rolling on the floor in an effort to wiggle out of her pants. Kara shifted in her seat as arousal warmed her body. Now wasn’t the time. She hook her head and cleared the images. “Uh, so what made you tempt fate today?”
The thumping stopped. “You,” Cat called. “I saw you watching from beneath the tree. You seemed interested in something – me, the game, what have you – and I was hoping it was me.”
The door creaked open, and Kara’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Cat emerged in Alex’s ratty t-shirt full of holes and frayed seams, dark heather sweatpants tucked into Cat’s own leather boots, and her coat tucked underneath her arm. Her hair was still wet and hung in clumpy strands against her face. She was a mess, but she stole Kara’s breath.
Cat poked her finger through a hole in the shirt. “Is this what passes as acceptable for your sister? This shirt makes me look like I was mauled by a bear,” she sighed. “But, thank you. And your sister.”
“Yeah, hey. No problem.” Kara stood and walked closer. She swallowed nervously and wiped her palms on her thighs. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a string of crumpled tickets out of her pocket and dangled them in front of Cat. “I know this great place. It has fun games and good food. My treat? To say I’m sorry for dunking you.”
Cat reached out and traced her finger along the tickets. “A date at my own school’s festival? How could I refuse?”
“I’m hoping you won’t,” Kara whispered.
Kara’s heart raced at the gleam in Cat’s eyes as she studied the tickets then Kara. Biting her lip, Cat said, “Yes.”
When they walked back outside, Kara breathed in, luxuriating in the chilly weather. The air invigorated her, but she wasn’t the one that had just been submerged in water. She turned to Cat, who had stopped several feet behind her and still hovered by the door. “Are you cold? Or are you hiding?”
“Oh, please. Hiding would imply a fear of some sort. I am merely hesitating,” Cat said, slinking further into the shadows. “I look unkempt, and as a prominent figure at this school, I think it unwise for parents and children to see me this way. It would undermine my authority.”
Kara walked back and took Cat’s hands in her own. A jolt of awareness zipped through her fingertips and spread throughout her body. Her heart raced at the contact. Kara was sure that Cat could hear its staccato beat, but if the flush staining her cheeks was any indication, Cat was experiencing the same effects.
“Yeah, you’re a bit of a mess, but you’re cute,” Kara said. She jerked her head towards the bustling crowd behind her. “Don’t worry about what they think. Besides, I think word has spread about what happened.” Kara glanced down at Cat and smiled. “But, it might be best if you put on your coat. There are some unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on who you ask – placed holes in that shirt.”
Cat withdrew her hands and folded her arms over her chest. “That’s not very reassuring.”
“Here, let me,” she said, taking the coat from Cat’s arms. She held it out and Cat slipped her arms into the sleeves. “There. No more hesitating. There’s fun waiting for us.”
“Alright,” Cat said as she finished buttoning her coat. “Lead the way.”
Kara skipped toward the row of booths, glancing back from time to time to see if Cat still followed her. She half expected to look back and find that she’d been abandoned – again. She didn’t mind Alex doing that, but Cat? She wasn’t ready for their time together to end. Each time she peeked over her shoulder, though, Cat was there with the barest hint of a smile.
They visited each of the booths in turn. First up was bowling. The game was harder than it looked as the lane was just a long piece of felt laid across the grass. It was lumpy and not very accurate, but Kara managed a strike with the plastic ball and pins, and won Cat a bouncy ball.
At the next booth, they played bottle toss. Ten old-fashioned milk bottles were stacked in a pyramid, and the prize was a yo-yo. While Kara toppled the bottles with a straightforward throw, much like the one she had used at the dunk tank, Cat’s throw was a wicked curve ball that curved so strongly, the booth attendant ducked as it zipped right towards him before it arced back at the bottles. Kara stared open-mouthed as all the bottles tumbled down. The attendant dusted himself off and handed Cat a yo-yo.
Cat eyes narrowed when she noticed Kara staring. “What…?”
Kara shook her head. “That was…” She wanted to say hot. Instead, she said, “Amazing! You should be throwing balls at the dunk tank, not sitting in it.”
Cat just shrugged as if an elementary school principal slinging a nasty curve ball was an everyday occurrence. She reached down and linked their fingers. It was the first contact that Cat had initiated. The softness of Cat’s palm brushed hers, and sent her heart racing for the hundredth time that day. She looked into hazel eyes and smiled. With a wink, Cat towed her to the next game and, like a puppy, Kara happily followed.
They went from booth to booth winning small prizes like finger traps, kazoos, and snap bracelets, a gift card to a donut shop down the road, and even a goldfish named Benny. Cat only let go of her hand when it was one of their turns to toss a ball, throw a dart, or whatever action the game required.
“What about that one?” Cat pointed towards the ring toss.
Kara shook her head. “No way. It’s rigged.” Cat gave her a dubious look. “I’m serious. I spent ten tickets on it.”
“That’s Ms. Vasquez’s class booth. Her fourth graders worked hard to decorate it.” Cat dragged her back to the ring toss booth where the smirking girl from earlier stood with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face. Cat paid the girl, Jenny, two tickets. “And,” she said as handed Kara three rings, “you can’t rig ring toss.”
Kara sighed as she took the rings. She gripped the lightweight rings, and sent up a prayer. The prayer was useless. All three rings fell helplessly to the grass. She turned and gave Cat a mock glare. “Told you so.”
Cat stepped up and rubbed Kara’s back. “Poor baby. Let me show you the proper technique.”
She gave Jenny two more tickets. Cat tested the rings’ weight, adjusted her stance – right foot slightly in front of her left – and eyed the wooden dowels that served as the target. Much to Kara’s chagrin, and a hint of pride, Cat threw three perfect tosses. Instead of clanging against the posts and bouncing out of bounds, each of Cat’s rings circled the dowels perfectly.
“See? Not rigged,” Cat said, handing her the prize.
Kara took the small bag of candy. “Show off.” Picking a tootsie roll out of the bag, Kara unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. “Let’s go get our faces painted,” she mumbled around the candy.
“What are you drawing?” Kara asked Cat. Their faces were inches apart, and Kara could feel Cat’s breath as she swirled a stick of yellow paint around her cheek. The air was even cooler under the shade of the tent, but Cat’s breath was a warm caress. What had seemed like a good idea when they entered the tent, now had Kara second guessing herself.
“Stop talking. You’re ruining my work,” Cat whispered.
It wasn’t Cat was painting her face – a good indication of trust, in her opinion – that had Kara squirming in her seat, but the fact that Cat’s lips were so close. All she had to do was turn her head an inch and their lips would meet.
She closed her eyes against the temptation and imagined how they would feel. Would they be as soft and pliant as they looked? Would they taste like the cherry gloss Cat had applied earlier? Or just the sweet, natural taste of bare lips? Would Cat even return the kiss, or would she deliver a stinging slap to Kara’s cheek? Kara curled her fists to keep from having her questions answered in front of dozens of children and their parents.
Cat cupped Kara’s face. “Here, tilt your head just a bit – there.” The heat from Cat’s hand singed her cheek and she moaned. “Hush. Stop complaining. It’s not that bad,” Cat told her.
Kara’s eyes sprang open and clashed with Cat’s. Passion glinted in her eyes. Kara licked her dry lips. “That wasn’t a complaint,” she murmured.
“I know.” Cat’s gaze dropped to Kara’s lips. Her hand slid from Kara’s cheek, along her jawline, to the nape of her neck. Goosebumps erupted all over her body. Kara moaned again. She leaned into the caress, but Cat snatched her hand away as if she’d been burned.
Cat turned on her heels and bulldozed her way through the crowd.
“What –” Kara sat there stunned. She wasn’t the only one, either. The people left in Cat’s wake stared open-mouthed between her and the retreating figure. She could only imagine what they thought – a school emergency, a tiff between two friends, a lover’s quarrel? Kara didn’t even know what she thought except that her skin felt cool from where Cat’s touch had been.
What she did know, however, was that an intriguing woman, the first to catch her interest in years, was walking away from her, and that left Kara with an ache in her chest.
A woman next to her cleared her throat. Kara looked over and the ticket taker from the dunk tank, who had keenly regarded her and Cat earlier, gave her a look that said ‘go get her, you moron!’
“Right!” Kara launched out of the chair and jogged after her. Kara didn’t know where Cat was going, but she’d follow her off a cliff at this point.
She found her near the dunk tank. Had it only been hours since they’d met? The connection they shared made it seem like she’d always known Cat. The crowd thinned and Cat slowed her pace allowing Kara to draw even with her.
“You okay?” Kara asked. “If it was something I did, or –”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I just…” Cat sighed. “I was about to do something inappropriate. Something that would cost me my job, like kissing you in front of half the student body. My student body and their parents.”
“I understand.”
Cat regarded her seriously. “Do you, though?”
Their hands brushed as they walked side by side and Kara linked their pinkies. Butterflies danced in Kara’s stomach. She felt like a teenager with on a first date with her crush. Smiling at Cat, she said, “Yes, I do. And, at least I know I’m not the only one feeling this way.”
Cat hummed in agreement. They walked the well-worn path of trodden leaves and grass, and left the booths and crowd behind. Neither of them spoke, but she was content to wander, pinkies linked, in silence with Cat by her side, and lost in her thoughts. She wanted to ask Cat on a date, a real date, not an afternoon at a school festival.
“Do you like seafood?” Kara blurted the question out of the blue as they turned the corner of the school and approached the main entrance.
“I only approved a budget of hamburgers and hot dogs for the festival. If you’ve seen anything with fins, I can assure you it was unauthorized.” Cat grimaced. “And, if you value your health, stay away from it.”
“No, I meant seafood at a restaurant. Or, if that’s not your cup of tea, there’s also Italian, Thai, Moroccan… Really, I’ll eat anything.”
“Is there a question in there?”
“Yes. Would you like to have dinner some time? With me,” Kara clarified.
She was pulled into a small alcove near the double doors of the school’s main entrance. Cat pressed her against the brick wall and leaned in. Smoothing her thumb over Kara’s bottom lip, Cat whispered, “Is this okay?”
Kara nodded. Her heart hammered as Cat skimmed her lips over Kara’s, lightly at first, but then with increased pressure, and Kara finally received answers to her earlier questions.
Cat’s lips were soft and yielding just like she imagined. A hint of cherry lingered on her lips. The taste threatened to send Kara’s heart racing out of her chest. She reached up and cradled Cat’s face. Her thumb traced Cat’s jaw. Her skin was smooth and silken, and Kara couldn’t get enough. Cat nipped her bottom lip with enough bite that it stung, then soothed it with her tongue. Kara moaned, spurring Cat to press her further into the wall and crush their bodies together.
Kara forgot where they were. The school, the kids, the noise all faded away at the sensation of Cat’s teasing tongue, but a sharp bark of laughter brought them back to reality, and caused them to spring apart. Kara’s breath came in rapid bursts, but she couldn’t help but smile when a strand of hair fell into Cat’s eyes. “You’re a mess, but you’re cute,” Kara whispered as she tucked it back behind her ear.
“Yes.” Cat cleared her throat and shook her head. “‘Yes’ to the date, not your assessment of my appearance.” Cat fished her phone out of her coat pocket and handed it to Kara. “Put your number in.”
She took it from Cat, plugged in her number, then called herself. When Kara’s phone buzzed from her back pocket, she ended the call and handed the phone back to Cat. “Here. Now, I have your number, too.”
“There you are, Kara! I’ve been looking all over for you. The kickball game ran long and —” Alex skidded to a halt. “Ms. Grant? What…”
“Ah, Ms. Danvers. My, my, my. You haven’t changed much. I hope you’ve been keeping out of trouble.” Cat addressed Alex, her lips compressed in a thin line and looking every ounce of the principal she was.
“Well, yes. Mostly. But —” Alex started.
“Good. And what brings you back to our fall festival?”
Alex stared wide-eyed, and pointed to Kara. “I brought my sister.”
“Sisters,” Cat said, turning back towards Kara, brows raised. “Hmm, well, I will leave you two to the rest of your day.” Leaning in, she kissed Kara’s cheek. “Call me,” she said loud enough for Alex to hear, and winked as she walked away.
As soon as she was out of sight, Alex confronted Kara. “What the hell were you doing with my third grade teacher?”
Kara plucked her phone out of her pocket and waved it in front of Alex. “Getting her number. And a date.”
“And why was she wearing my pants?”
Kara shrugged and simply said, “Hers got wet.”
“Okay, okay. I don’t need, or want, to know any more. Come on, or you’ll miss the duck race, and you can tell me all about how you managed to seduce Ms. Grant into a date.” Alex pointed to Kara’s cheek. “Oh, and your sun is smudged.”
Alex linked her arm through Kara’s, and dragged her back towards the festival where a crowd gathered at the edge of a small retention pond, full with recent rain, and readied to release the plastic ducks. Alex pestered her with questions the entire way.
Kara looked for Cat in the crowd, but didn’t see her. That was okay, though. She’d see her again soon enough. After all, they had a date.
One Year Later
The Brook Elm Elementary Fall Festival was in full swing. Children’s giggles filled the air as they played a variation of the same games from last year. Their parents stood much like they had the year before, huddled in groups as they watched their kids run around.
It was another year, another autumn. So much remained the same, but there was so much that was different. So much that was amazing.
Kara looked at the woman that walked by her side, and happiness bloomed. She and Cat strolled hand in hand between booths decorated with paper leaves and pumpkins. The grass was littered with fallen leaves that crunched under their feet, and the air was crisp, but the chill went unnoticed with Cat cuddled into her side.
Kara pinpointed Ms. Vasquez’s class booth. Like the others, it was decorated with an abundance of fall paper foliage in reds, yellows, browns, and oranges. Unlike the others, however, there was a rather sinister looking paper jack-o-lantern from tacked to the upper right corner of the booth. It no doubt served as a warning. This year, her class was in charge of the bean bag toss game. Kara eyed the booth as they strolled past.
Cat tugged on her arm. “Stop glaring, Kara. It’s not rigged.”
“If you say so,” Kara mumbled under her breath, but did as she was told.
From time to time, a kid would run up to them, and Cat gave them her undivided attention and a kind word. That’s what she loved about her. Cat had a tough exterior, often described as cold, but she was anything but. She was passionate about her job and her kids. And Kara. She smiled as she recalled just how loving Cat could be.
“Why are you smiling? Just a minute ago, you were pouting about a game.”
Kara stared into the beautiful hazel eyes of her lover. “Just thinking about how much I love you.”
Cat brought their linked hands up to her mouth and kissed the back of Kara’s. “I love yout, too, but if you dunk me again this year, you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“Yes, ma’am.”