We were huddled under a tree to hide from the rain. It was half twelve, which we decided was late enough for our picnic. The sandwiches were a little soggy, the crisps crushed into dust; the fairy cakes were squished by the bananas and the bananas were squished by the multipack of beer. But still, it was the best picnic I’d had in years. Sipping beer under the tree, we huddled close, talking about anything that wasn’t to do with Jamie or Cara.

 “I bet you’ve never read Ray Summers fanfiction,” Ray said suddenly, a sly grin.

 “I can’t say I have. Nor do I feel the sudden urge to,” I replied.

 “Ah, come on! Everyone loves a good bit of fanfiction!” Ray said, taking her phone from her pocket and scrolling through an internet page “My favourites…here we are. “Ray Summers Kissed Me In the Rain…” that’s a good one. Oh and “Bad Girls (RayxBillie)” is funny…”

 “Who is Billie?”

 “Billie Sanchez? From the band, Pulse? She sings the song Bad Girls…apparently me and her are meant to be.”

 “Right…”

 “Ooh, my personal favourite. “Stolen Kisses.” It’s borderline erotica.”

 “And you actually read this?”

 “Well duh!”

 “No, OK, I find it weird when people read and write that sort of stuff…about real people? The person who wrote this-”

 “RayofSunshine327,” Ray cut in.

 “RayofSunshine237…is having fantasies about being with you!”

 “Funny, isn’t it?”

 “No!”

 “So you don’t want to hear it, right?”

 “Uh, wrong! Read me some of this twisted story. It had better be extra raunchy.”

 Ray grinned and cleared her throat “OK, let me read you the blurb…Tessa-Evangeline hates Prophecy. Their music is too loud, and let’s face it, Ray Summers isn’t anything special…right? Or so Tessa leads everyone to believe. Under the radar, Ray and Tessa-Evangeline are having a passionate affair, right under the nose of Tessa’s possessive boyfriend and the media’s prying eyes. But how long can they keep it up? How long can they survive on stolen kisses, when all they want is one another?”

 “Phwoar…heavy stuff.”

 “I know, right? OK, let me find you something raunchy…hem hem…this is the night when Ray… me and Tessa meet for the first time. The hotel room was warm, though outside the snow was falling thick and hard. I’d knocked on the door to the room, but no one replied, and a sign on the handle indicated that room service was wanted. I pulled my trolley into the room, stacked high with towels and mini shampoo bottles, ready for stocking up the bathroom. It was evening, but outside was still flooded with light from the flashing cameras below, hoping to snap a picture of Ray Summers. They won’t get what they want I thought she’s not even here.”

 “I took some fresh white towels and headed for the bathroom. The door was ajar, and the light had been left on. I walked into the room, and gasped in surprise. There, in the bath amidst a lot of bubble bath was Ray Summers.”

 “Oooh, plot twist,” I said.

 “I know, right?”

 “Sarcasm…”

 “I know, Frey, I know. You’re not easily impressed, are you?”

 “Just keep reading…”

 “…there, in the bath amidst a lot of bubble bath was Ray Summers. I jumped back in surprise, dropping the towels.

 “I’m so sorry,” I stuttered “I didn’t mean to-”

 “Relax,” Ray said, raising her eyebrows “It’s not even like you can see anything.”

 She was right. Her whole body was concealed by the bubbles. I could just about see the tattoo on her arm peeping out of the water, and I tried not to stare at it.

 “I was just getting out anyway,” Ray said, standing up, shamelessly not even covering herself. I didn’t look away, taking in the smooth curves of her hips. She coughed to bring me back to my senses and I looked away.

 “While you’re here, would you get me a towel? You seem to have plenty,” Ray asked, seemingly amused. I hastily picked a towel off the pile I dropped and held it out for her. She stepped out the bath and turned her back on me. I silently helped her wrap the towel around herself, as though I was helping her into a coat. I felt a sudden urge to move closer, but I resisted, taking a step back. Ray left the room to go to her bedroom and I hastily pulled my trolley into the bathroom to stock it up.”

 “Some time later, I finished stocking the bathroom, and headed through to the bedroom again. Ray was stood by the window, still wrapped in her towel. I could see the cameras gobbling her up, flashing endlessly as her. I couldn’t help noticing her curvaceous body, and her hand running through her hair. Stop it I thought what would Jem think…he’d be so jealous. He wouldn’t like you looking at her.”

 ““Take a picture, it lasts longer,” Ray said, not even turning to face me. I blushed.

 “I…I just…”

 “Go ahead,” she said, turning to face me “They’re all doing it. Why shouldn’t you?”

 “I…I don’t want to disturb-”

 “Shut your damn mouth,” Ray whispered. Not harshly, though. I think there was even a hint of a smile in her voice. She turned to the window again, and slowly shut the curtains. “They always want more,” Ray said “They just can’t get enough. I won’t give them more though.”

 “You…you shouldn’t. It’s your body, not there’s. Why should they be able to print your pictures in the papers?” I said. Ray cocked her head, smiling.

 “You’re right,” she said “What’s your name?”

 “Tessa. Tessa-Evangeline,” I stuttered. Ray took a step towards me, letting the towel drop to the floor.

 “Well, Tessa,” Ray said “I won’t show them. But I will show you.”

 “What?” I cried, snorting with laughter. Ray joined in, gasping for air “That escalated quickly! My God! I can’t believe I’m listening to this! Let me see…”

 I took the phone off her and flicked through the internet page. I laughed until my eyes blurred with tears “Wow. That’s inventive,” I said when I came across a sex position I didn’t even realise existed.

 “That’s the magic of fanfiction…”

 “You don’t say,” I said, wiping at my eyes “You’ve really opened my eyes.”

 “Impressed?”

 “Intrigued is probably a better word. Remind me why you read this?”

 “I like to know what people are thinking about me. It’s like someone inviting you to read their mind!” Ray said “Plus, it’s an ego boost like no other…hey, you’re a writer. Have you never tried your hand at fanfic?”

 “Well, I wrote stories about the Powerpuff Girls when I was little…but other than that, no. I only write articles.”

 “But you’re a writer, not just a journalist! You shouldn’t limit yourself to one genre! Have you never felt the urge to write a novel, or something?”

 “I’m happy as I am. I’m sure I could write fiction if I wanted, but I wouldn’t want the fame that comes with it. Assuming I’m just that damn good that I become the next Tolkein.”

 “Oh you’d be good. You will be good, when you come to your senses and write something. And you’ll dedicate it to me, right? For planting the idea in your head…”

 “Sure I will,” I said. Ray laughed girlishly, shaking her head. She held her hand out to feel for rain.

 “I think it’s stopped,” she said “Let’s back up and go elsewhere. The cinema?”

 “Sure.”

 We began walking back to the car, carrying a handle each of the picnic bag. It smelt of rain and grass. Ray’s boots were covered in mud, and it had splashed up her leg, but she didn’t seem to care much. Sometimes, she reminded me of a child. The sort of person who didn’t care if their hair got wet in the rain, or whether she had mud on her clothes. I liked it. It made me feel young, even if I was by no means old. Sometimes, living with Jamie, it was easy to forget I was in my twenties, not my forties.

  “Say, Freya…”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why don’t you want to be famous?”

 “I…I don’t really like all the attention…”

 “But don’t you want people to notice you? To know you?”

 “Do you? Really? Because you didn’t seem to like it when the paparazzi followed you…”

 Ray kicked a stone thoughtfully “I think…there’s certain attention that’s nice. It’s just nice to be loved, you know? To have people come up to you in the street and call you a hero. Or maybe they tell you you’re music got them through a hard time. And that’s magic, Freya.”

 “I guess,” I said “But I’m happy being small and insignificant.”

 “You’re not insignificant!” Ray exclaimed. Then she blushed. I’d never seen her blush before “I mean, well…you’re not. You’ll never be.”

 We lapsed into an awkward silence, and I wondered why the turn in conversation had left me feeling nervous. Ray drove us quietly to a small cinema nearby, and we bought popcorn and drinks. I can’t remember the film. I don’t even know what it was about. Because when I sat in that cinema, and the lights went out, all I knew was that Ray was sat beside me. And then, at some point, I felt Ray’s hand slip into mine. Her thumb brushed my hand softly and I couldn’t breathe, but in that moment, I felt sure that when I was with Ray, with her hand in mine, I’d never be insignificant.