The Pride Parade
Original Works
Written by Serpentella
Edited by ShaneChi
I tapped my wand on the desk, sighing. Transfiguration was so boring. I zoned out, gazing into the distance. However, the professor soon snapped me out of my trance.
“Sophie!” the professor said, casting a glance in my direction. “Please pay attention. Ten points from Serpents! I expected better from you.”
I set my wand down on the desk and leaned back in my chair. Ever since I began taking this class, I could never focus. I turned behind me to see Alec, my boyfriend, sitting at the back of the class. He smiled at me and waved before leaning forwards onto the desk. He pointed at the clock on the wall and held up ten fingers, rolling his eyes. I silently laughed, turning back around.
“Jasmine?” the professor asked, pointing at a girl in the front row who had her hand raised.
I sighed and rested my head in my palm. Jasmine answered the question and smiled to herself. She was incredibly beautiful; her long, dark hair framed her face and highlighted her gorgeous blue eyes. She was everything I’ve ever wanted to look like. On top of that, she was insanely intelligent; she knew every answer and earned house points on the daily. There was just something about her that made me want to be her friend.
“Sophie, can you answer the question, please?” the professor asked, staring at me.
I blinked, tilting my head slightly to the side. What had she asked? My head was spinning with things I could possibly say, but instead I mumbled a response. The professor sighed and crossed her arms across her body.
“Another five points from Serpents. When I say to pay attention, I mean it, Sophie!”
I shook my head sadly and looked in Jasmine’s direction. She was watching me, intrigued.
“Alright class, that will conclude our lesson today. You may leave.”
As the class scrambled to collect their things, a quiet chatter began in the classroom.
“Wait, before you go, everyone, remember to stop by Hogsworth’s pride parade tonight! Bring picnic blankets and some snacks!” the professor said, raising her voice to overpower the noise in the class.
I picked up my books and made a beeline towards the door, though Alec stopped me.
“Hey, Sophie! Class was so boring today, right?” he asked, grabbing my arm.
I turned to see Jasmine leaving the classroom, talking with some other students. As she left, she threw her head back, laughing and hugging her books to her chest.
“Are you okay? You seemed out of it today in class.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked, watching Jasmine disappear around the corner.
“You just seem so… distracted,” Alec said, concerned. He bent down to look me in the eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay, Soph?”
Was I ok? I couldn’t stop thinking about Jasmine. She was living in my head rent-free, and for what? She was so magnetic.
“I- yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile.
“Cool. Well, I’m going to go to class. I’ll see you later, Sophie,” Alec said. He let go of my arms and walked away. I stood in the now-empty hallway for a minute in silence, thoughts racing through my brain.
“
I should go see Luca,” I thought. “
They’ll know what to do.”
“Alright,” Luca said, crossing their legs on the bed and watching me intently. “What’s going on, Soph?”
I sat under the dim lights of Luca’s dorm, slumped on the bed while they simply watched me.
“Well, there’s this girl, her name is Jasmine. She’s in my Transfiguration class.”
“Mmhm…” Luca said, crossing their arms.
“I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s like I’m obsessed with her or something, Luca.”
Luca studied my face for a moment before speaking again.
“What about Alec? You two are dating, right? Tell me about that, first,” they said.
“Huh?” I asked.
“What did Alec have to do with this?” I questioned in my head, but ultimately resigned myself to sighing and complying with his question. After all, Luca knew best.
“Well, we’re fine, I guess. We’re happy, but I’m not really, well, in love, you know?” I admitted, sitting up.
Luca simply nodded, listening intently. After a moment of silence, they stood up.
“What do you like about Jasmine?”
I thought about the question. She was beautiful, smart, and an amazing person. How could I possibly begin to describe her?
“She’s… she’s perfect.”
“My friend had this exact situation happen to her, Sophie,” Luca said immediately.
I jumped to my feet, eyes wide.
“Really? What did she do?” I asked. I was shocked that this happened to someone else.
“She figured out that she was bisexual. She likes both women and men. Is it possible that you like Jasmine, Sophie?”
I took a step back, looking back at my experiences with Jasmine. It’s true, I had never felt that way about Alec. I never thought it would’ve been me liking her, though. I had never considered that I may actually like Jasmine.
“You should talk to her.”
I nodded in agreement.
“I should.”
I walked through the halls, my books under my arm. After scanning the busy area, I spotted Jasmine, standing alone. I hurried over to her and cleared my throat. She turned to me and smiled.
“Sophie!” Jasmine exclaimed, grinning.
“I- I- ah, I-” I stammered, palms sweaty. I coughed nervously, causing Jasmine to raise an eyebrow. I could barely make a full sentence. “I- sorry, I- aha, I-”
I blushed and looked down at my feet. Jasmine simply laughed softly.
“Sorry, I’m sorry,” I said, slowly regaining my confidence. “You probably think I’m insane for staring at you during Transfiguration.”
Jasmine laughed again.
“It’s fine.” She paused for a moment. “It’s kinda cute, y’know.”
She took one last glance at me before turning and walking away. I stood in shock and watched her turn the corner, my heart beating a million times a minute.
“Guess who?” a voice from behind me said, hands covering my eyes. I sighed and pushed through, turning to see Alec standing in the hallway.
“Hey, Alec,” I said quietly, rocking on my heels.
“Sophie, what’s wrong?” he asked.
I looked up to meet his gaze. Looking at him didn’t give me the butterflies in my stomach Jasmine did. It just wasn’t the same.
“I think we should take a break,” I blurted out.
“What?” Alec said softly, surprised but seemingly calm.
“I- I just don’t think that I feel the same way about you that you do about me, Alec.”
“Oh,” he breathed, nodding. “I understand.”
“You do?” I gasped.
“Yes, of course. I want you to be happy.”
I nodded and hugged him. We pulled apart after a moment and I looked at the ground.
“Is it Jasmine?” he asked.
I looked back up at him, shocked.
“How- how did you know?” I stammered.
He laughed to himself, resting his hand on my shoulder.
“I see the way you look at her, Soph. Please, go tell her. Go be happy.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I pulled Alec into another tight hug.
“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear before turning and running away. I turned to look behind me before turning the corner and saw him smiling and waving.
The hallways were empty by the time I reached the Great Hall. Students were gathered in the courtyard, chattering and laughing. The sun was just beginning to set and cast a soft, orange glow over the stone structures outside. I noticed a single figure in the Great Hall. The long, dark hair and book on the table let me know right away that it was Jasmine. I walked up to her and tapped her shoulder, my heart pounding in my chest.
She turned around in her seat and I couldn’t help but blush.
“Jasmine,” I said, my voice shaking, “I have feelings for you. I- will you go to the pride parade with me?”
Jasmine was still for a moment as a smile grew on her face.
“Yes. Oh my gosh, yes!” she squealed, standing up.
Jasmine gazed at me before pulling me into a kiss. It seemed as if my stomach was full of butterflies, and even when she stepped back, my heart was still fluttering. She held out her hand and I grabbed it, and together, we walked out of the Great Hall.
“Are you ready for the parade?” she asked, smiling and turning towards me.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I responded, putting my arm around her.
) which I believe will become quite handy when the update is being released. I am also trying to save up my gold a bit, which is going quite well, even if I am spending a lot of it on event items. However, the last days that are left, I will spend my time a bit on getting gold from my chest runs mostly!