altered title from - “betty” by Taylor Swift

“Hey!” a voice from beyond shouted. I know that voice! I turned to the direction of the voice, and my heart skipped a beat. 

In a black off-the-shoulder top with slightly puffy sleeves that went to her elbow and a short, light pink skirt with a bow wrapped around your waist the same color as your skirt, she looked absolutely stunning, ethereal, even. A bracelet with many charms and a gold, layered necklace with stars went with her outfit perfectly as did her black converse and black chain purse. Cheeks colored red and hotter than the summer heat, I watched as she walked over with that lovely-as-ever smile of hers, waving enthusiastically at me. As flustered as I am, I managed to wave back with a feeble smile. Fuck, I’m so gay.

“Sorry,” she apologized, rubbing the back of her neck, “were you waiting long?” 

“N-no, not at all!” I waved it off, my cheeks still warm. 

“Your face is really red,” she commented, putting her hand on my forehead to check my temperature. “Are you feeling alright?” 

Backing away immediately, I felt my cheeks get even hotter. “Y-yeah, I’m fine, it’s just…”

“Hm?”

Staring at the ground, I rubbed my arm, peeking over at her and looking away almost immediately. “You...look...really...pretty…”

“O-oh…” Fuck, that’s not a good reaction, now is it? I took my eyes off the ground and onto her, afraid to see how she reacted. 

Flustered and probably as red as me, she clutched the chain of her purse, staring at the ground. Huh, seems like it was a good reaction.

“Thanks,” she whispered out, meeting my gaze, causing her to look away and blush even more. “You look really pretty, too.”

“Thanks,” I replied, feeling less nervous than before. 

“You’re welcome.”

Silence took over, and seeing as neither of us knew what to say next, I decided to change the topic, pointing to the entrance of the amusement park. “Why don’t we head on in? Summer isn’t very long, ya know.”

She nodded, her cheeks a light pink tint. “Ok!” 

With a peppy smile as well as a pep in her step, she went ahead of me, practically oozing excitement. Calling her pretty was a huge understatement, she’s the personification of perfection. 

“Two wristbands, please!” she chirped, holding up a ‘two’ with her fingers. The employee handed us our wristbands after she handed our money to them. 

“Enjoy the park,” he said with a lifeless tone after putting on our bands for us. Jeez, he must be fun at parties. Then again, he’s working in this summer heat and getting paid minimum wage, so I guess I can’t blame him for being so...dead, for lack of a better word. 

“Alright, let’s get going!” she cheered, grabbing my hand and dragging me around the fair. Cheeks painted crimson, I tried to ignore the fact that her hand was in mine, but it was practically impossible. It wasn’t the first time this has happened before, but that didn’t stop me from internally panicking every time. Her touch will always be my favorite, and call me selfish, but I want to be the only one who will ever feel it. 

“Oh, let’s ride that!” she pointed at a roller coaster that ran through the park. Seeing all those loops already made me nauseous. 

“Um…” I wanna say no since I know that I’m most definitely gonna puke if I go on it, but…

Beaming like a little kid seeing an ice cream truck, sparkles adorned those beautifully breathtaking eyes of hers as her dumb, little smile- that I really shouldn’t be finding this cute -gave me butterflies. God, why are you so damn adorable?!

“Fine,” I sighed out, feeling defeated. I can’t ever say no to her, now can I?

“Yay!” she shouted with joy, grabbing hold of my wrist and dragging me towards the line. 

I’m probably gonna hate myself after this, but if that meant getting to see her smile for a while longer, then I’d happily pay the price every time. 

.

.

.

God damnit, I feel like death. The second I stepped out of the ride, my legs turned into jelly as I felt my lunch coming back up. I rushed to a trash can as best as my wobbly legs could take me and vomited my PB & J sandwich up. Fuck, I really do hate myself for this. 

“Oh my god, are you ok?!” she frantically asked, her hand rubbing my back in an attempt to soothe me. It didn’t really help since I still felt like shit, but I appreciate the sentiment.

“Y-yeah, I’m f-fine, t-thanks for asking,” I somehow managed to get out, still recovering from the post-throw up. 

“Maybe we should do something else,” she suggested, handing me a napkin to wipe off the bits of vomit on my face, “ya know, until you’ve recovered from this ride.”

“I have to ride more?!” I exclaimed, feeling nauseous once more.

“Oh, do you not want to?” Her mood dropped, her lips curving into a frown. Fuck.

“Uh, n-no, t-that’s not what I meant, we can totally go on more later!” 

“Are you sure?”

“Of course!” I’m lying through my fucking teeth right now because I’m an idiot in love. 

“Ok!” Her mood was instantly lifted, her frown turning upside down. I blushed at her smile once more. Yeah, I’m an idiot in love; but if being in love with her meant being an idiot, then call me the stupidest person in the world, she’s worth it. 

“Wanna play some games?” she asked, pointing at some stands, crowds covering what the games were even about.

“Sure,” I replied, feeling a lot better. “Ready to get your ass kicked?”

“As if I would ever lose to you,” she scoffed, crossing her arms with a cocky grin. “If anybody’s getting their ass kicked here, it’s you.”

“Oh, you’re on! Whoever gets ten wins wins?”

She nodded, still smirking as cocky as ever. “Loser buys lunch.”

“Deal!” 

We ran at full speed to the stands, stopping at a balloon-popping game. Giving the employee 6 bucks for 5 darts each, she went first.

“Don’t mess up! Not only will your money be on the line, your pride will be as well!” I taunted with a cheeky grin.

“Oh, shut up!” she yelled back before throwing her first dart, missing the balloon she was aiming for.

“Yes!” I shouted with triumph after seeing my taunting had worked. 

“I still have four more darts, I can still beat you!” She pouted, stomping her foot like a little kid throwing a tantrum.

“Yeah, yeah, put your money where your mouth is.” 

Her score was 3 out of 5, earning a small plush bear as a prize. 

“Aw, this is so cute!” she gushed, giving it a light squeeze. 

“We should probably get a locker for the things we might win,” I suggested, pointing in the direction of where the lockers were. 

“Sure, we can get one after this.”

“Alright.” I picked up my darts and began to aim. “My turn now!”

Hitting all the balloons perfectly, I got a perfect score, 5 out of 5!

“Hah, in your face!” I stuck my tongue out immaturely, earning a huff from her and a large stuffed bunny as a prize. 

“Whatever,” she grumbled. “Come on, let’s get a locker.” 

“Alright.” I chuckled at how she changed the topic almost instantly to avoid embarrassment. It was kind of cute...Oh, who am I kidding, everything she does is cute.

Once we got our locker set up, we went back to our little competition. 

“Ok, what’s next?” I asked, scanning the area for the next game.

“How about that one?” She proposed, pointing at one of those water gun games where you aim the little target to get your duck or boat or whatever to the top. I wonder what those are actually called…

“Sure.” I shrugged, not really caring what we were going to play next. I was gonna enjoy it anyway, especially since I’m with her. 

We made our way to the stand and stood by for a couple minutes, patiently waiting for our turn. When it was finally our turn, we paid the amount needed and immediately got down to business.

“You’re going down this time,” she declared, determination coursing through her veins. 

“Yeah, sure I will.” I snickered, waiting for the ‘GO’ signal.

The light flashed green, and the game was on. Shooting directly at the target, I switched between looking at my duck and the center, making sure that I was in the lead. But before I knew it, I heard a ding-ding-ding sound, insinuating that there was a winner; and that winner wasn’t me. 

“I told you I was gonna win this time!” She stuck her tongue out at me this time, pulling her eyelid down for more of a teasing effect. If I wasn’t so hopelessly in love with her, I might’ve actually gotten upset. 

Continuing our little game, we went from stand to stand to stand until one of us reigned victorious. We were at the last game, tied, neck to neck. Whoever won this one would be declared the victor, the winner, the person who doesn’t have to buy lunch. And seeing as my paycheck wasn’t coming anytime soon, I really didn’t want to pay.

The last game was basketball, and truth be told, I’m a little nervous. She’s a basketball prodigy, so she had a very high chance of winning. And seeing as she wasn’t even the slightest bit worried, it seemed like she knew that too. 

As soon as we were given the ‘GO’ signal, we began shooting basketballs; or at least she was, I was just chucking them up in hopes that at least a few of them would make it in. After a minute had passed, I compared my score to hers, and holy shit, I was losing miserably. There was only 30 seconds left on the clock, I’m never gonna be able to catch up to her! 

The timer went off, and just like I had predicted, she won, and I had lost.

“Woohoo!” she cheered, jumping up in the air. “I won! In your face!”

I sighed. “Congrats, I guess…” My wallet is gonna fucking kill me. 

“How’s it feel to be a loser?” she taunted and teased from all angles. “Guess I was right, your ass is the only one being kicked today! And who was it kicked by?”

With both hands on her hip, she gave me a cocky stare, expecting me to answer her question that had only one obvious answer. 

“You…” I grumbled, crossing my arms with a frown. 

“That’s right! I won, and you lost!” she gloated with a fist pump and toothy grin. 

Despite losing, I didn’t feel upset, not in the slightest. In fact, I felt like I was the one who won. Seeing her so happy brought a slight tingle to my chest as well as a cotton-candy-pink hue to my cheeks. Looking away from her little celebration, I covered the red of my cheeks with my hand, my heart racing and cheeks warming. I glanced back at her, her smile rivaling the sun and laugh sounding like music to my ears- call me cliche, but it was the truth. I want nothing more in life than to be able to hold her in my arms and call her mine. The idea of waking up next to her each and every morning and watching the slight rise and fall of her chest brings a smile to my face, and I pray every night that it comes true. Running my hands through that silky, smooth bronze hair of hers, feeling her lips slot into mine perfectly like a missing piece of a puzzle and having every corner of my house littered with the scent of her replays in my mind every night before I go to bed, hoping that when I wake up, it becomes my reality. 

“Hello? You there?” Snapping back into reality, I found her standing right in front of me, waving her hand in my face. 

“O-oh, sorry,” I apologized, taken aback by how close she was. 

“It’s fine, you were kinda just spacing out with a lovesick look.”

“O-oh, really?” I’m not actually that obvious, right?

“Whoever you’re thinking about must be pretty darn amazing for you to not hear me shouting your name multiple times.” For a split second, I could’ve sworn I saw her lips curl into a slight frown…

“Yeah...they are.” I smiled softly to myself as an image of her popped up in my mind.

“They must be a real lucky guy to have someone like you falling head over heels in love with him,” she joked with a cheeky grin. I can’t place my finger on it, but something about her smile seemed...sad. 

“Uh, it’s not a guy,” I corrected, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s...actually a girl.”

“O-oh, is that so?” 

“Yeah…” Maybe I’m just imagining it, but she seemed happy when she heard me say that it wasn’t a boy…

“Anyway, let’s go get lunch!” 

“Alright. Any specific kind of food you want?” I asked, holding my wallet up. “It’s my treat after all.” 

She giggled at the little reminder, then hummed, followed by a shrug. “Not really, I’m kinda just in the mood for any food. Besides, it’s amusement park food, I doubt there’s going to be anything besides hot dogs and hamburgers.”

“Eh, true. Then let’s get going,” I said, heading towards where the food stands were bunched together with her trailing behind me.

“So…” She looked at me with a pleading glint in her eyes.

I arched my brow. “So?”

“Who’s the lucky gal?” she asked, anticipation lacing her words. “Do I know them? Does she know me?”

“Not saying,” I mumbled, my cheeks turning scarlet. There’s no fucking way I’m telling her. Sorry, but if she ever found out I had a crush on her...God, I’d fucking die. 

“Can you at least tell me what she’s like?” she pleaded with adorable puppy-dog eyes and a pout. “Pwease?”

As much as I hate that baby-like voice, she looked too cute for me to say no. 

“Fine,” I sighed out, rolling my eyes. “She’s...she’s really pretty, smart too. She’s got these beautiful ocean-blue eyes that I could just drown in. Her laugh is pretty amazing too. She’s got this adorable snort that I could honestly could listen to all day long.” I paused, wondering what else I could say. “I love everything about her. I love how she can’t seem to spell ‘restaurant’ for the life of her and only eats the cream in Oreos, I love the way she dances and sings poorly to her favorite songs and always writes the letter ‘i’ with a smiley face for a dot, I love when she involuntarily scrunches her nose when she sees a spider and sends me random texts with pictures of how she’s feeling and what she’s doing at the time...just, everything.” 

She probably knew I was talking about her, but I didn’t really care that much. I don’t want to hide these feelings forever, and I was gonna tell her eventually anyway. 

“Well,” she began, rubbing the side of her arm, “she sounds amazing.”

“She is.” How did she not realize that it’s her? 

“I hope you two end up together!” she rooted, wishing the best of luck to me. 

“Yeah, me too…” There it was again, that feeling that her words and smile weren’t what she was actually thinking. Maybe it’s not all in my head…?

“Anyway, uh, since we’re here, why don’t we look around and see what we should get?” she proposed with a feeble smile. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I answered. Is she alright? I can’t help but feel like there’s something off with her…

“Oh my god, look at those bears!” She pointed, twinkling at the large stuffed bears. Maybe I’m just overthinking it…

.

.

.

Once lunch was over, we went on with our day, playing more games and going on some rides- I didn’t puke this time, thank fucking god -and before we knew it, the day was over. It was around 6 pm, and nightfall was coming. 

“That was fun!” she exclaimed with delight, a yawn following her words. 

“Yeah, it was,” I agreed, yawning after her. “We’re still leaving behind those prizes we won though, right?”

“Yeah, we are,” she confirmed as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Since neither of us drove here, it’d be kinda awkward to have to carry them.”

“That’s true. It was fun getting all those prizes though.”

“Yeah, it was. We should do it again sometime!” she propounded, already pumped for the next time we’d go out even though I hadn’t agreed to it yet; well, lucky for her, I was already going to.

“Sure,” I said with a giggle, the corners of my lips forming a small smile. 

“Oh, there’s this ice cream place nearby, you wanna get some?” she asked, cocking her head to the direction of the ice cream parlor. 

I really don’t understand how she still has this much energy left. But even though I was completely fucking drained, I nodded, not wanting to end this little ‘date’. Heh, I wish it were one. 

“Yay!” She beamed with her hands in the air. “Ah, we can go right after I go to the bathroom, alright?”

I nodded, and we walked back in. The line to the bathroom seemed pretty long, so it seems like I’ll be waiting here for a while…Hm?

On my right was another game stand, but it wasn’t the game that caught my eye, it was one of the prizes. One of them was a little light-pink bunny with red eyes and wings, a magenta nose in the shape of a circle, fangs, and a black bow tied around its neck. A vampire-bunny...wow, that’s...kind of a weird stuffed animal to have as a prize...She might like it though...

.

.

.

“Sorry for the wait!” she apologized as she ran towards me. “The line was really long, like really– huh?”

Something distracted her from finishing her sentence, and I’m guessing that ‘something’ is this hideous doll in my arms. 

“What...is that?” she asked while pointing at this monstrosity. 

I took a deep breath. I can do this. I handed the vampire-bunny to her, rubbing my nape as my cheeks turned warm with a crimson hue. 

“It’s...it’s for you,” I mumbled, glancing at her for only a second before looking away, my face turning three shades redder. 

“F-for me?” she echoed with disbelief, a finger pointing at herself to make sure she heard me right. 

“Y-yeah,” I confirmed, sneaking another peek. “I thought you might like it since you really like collecting weird and ugly things that most people wouldn’t like. Like those sunglasses you got a few weeks ago, they looked awful, and that was the reason you got them. So I thought that you might like this because of that…”

She didn’t reply. I finally mustered up the courage to look at her, only to find her too stunned to speak. Fuck, does she not like it?

“It’s fine if you don’t like it, I can just give it back or something,” I rambled, probably sounding like a complete idiot. “I can probably just give it away or something, it’s totally fine–”

“I love it!” She was bubbling joy as she gave the vampire-bunny a tight squeeze, holding it close to her chest. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

My heart began to race once more, and I couldn’t help but feel all giddy inside. I made her this happy, I was the one who got her to smile so widely, it was me. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it so, so, so much!” She gave it another squeeze and lifted it up in the air like a dad with his kid, admiring the stuffed bunny.

I softly giggled at how much she resembled a little kid on Christmas Day getting exactly what they wished for from Santa. She’s happy, and it’s because of me. 

“I’m glad you love it,” I corrected myself from before with a chuckle.

“I do, I love it a lot, especially since you were the one who gave me it!” 

Huh? She...she likes– no, loves it that much because I was the one who gave it to her? I watched as she realized what she had just said, heat rising to her cheeks, a deep red painting her face. 

“U-uh, that’s, that’s not what I meant– I mean, it is, but, uh..” She was a fumbling mess, and just like everything she does, I found it adorable.

“Oh, uh, why don’t we go and get some ice cream now?” She added an awkward chuckle and grabbed my hand, dragging me to where the ice cream parlor was. I giggled at how flustered she was but decided to leave it at that. I watched as she clutched onto the vampire-bunny tightly to her chest. Was she only doing that because she loved it that much or because I was the one who gave it to her? Maybe it’s both; she loves it that much because I gave it to her. 

.

.

.

After a short walk, we arrived at the ice cream shop, a few people in line. While we stood in line, we checked out the menu. 

“I think I’m just gonna get a chocolate,” I decided. “What about you?”

“I’m gonna get the cotton-candy, it looks really good.”

“Alright.” 

Once we ordered and paid, we decided to head to a nearby park to enjoy our delicious delights. We talked and we laughed, our laughs filling the empty park air. 

“That’s what I’m saying!” She broke out in a fit of laughter before taking a lick of her pink and blue ice cream. “I mean, how stupid do you– oh, you’ve got some ice cream on your face.”

I wiped the left side of my mouth, assuming that was where it was. “Did I get it?”

“Uh, well, some of it.”

I wiped the other side of my mouth. “How about now?”

“No, there’s still some left,” she replied, shaking her head and grabbing a napkin. “Here, let me do it.” 

She leaned in close to me, our faces inches apart as she wiped away the ice cream on my face. I watched as she inched closer to me, ridding my face of the sticky, sweet dessert. God, she’s...really close...Lips slightly parted, her oh-so-kissable lips were tinted light red and smelled like strawberries. I wonder if they taste like them too…

“There, done!” she declared, throwing the napkin away at the trash can beside her. “I don’t know how you managed to eat so messily– Mmp!”

I placed my lips onto hers, my ice cream forgotten after finding myself a new, sweet treat to indulge myself in. A thin layer of cotton-candy with a hint of strawberry coated her lips, but that wasn’t what made her so delicious-tasting. I liked it because it was her, I liked it...because I love her. 

I broke away from the kiss, panting heavily with lust-laced eyes and slight swollen lips. She was just the same, out of breath and staring up at me with a lustful look, almost begging me for more– Ah. I just realized...I kissed her.

“I’m sorry!” I blurted out, backing away immediately. “I didn’t mean to– I mean, I did, sort of, but I didn’t ask you for permission, which was wrong of me, I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry– Mmp!”

Feeling her lips on mine once more, her tongue gently nudged my lips, and I knew what she was asking for, so I complied. God, it was even better than the last kiss. 

Tongues tangoing and hands wandering, my hands snaked around her waist as I hoisted her up onto my lap while her arms wrapped around my neck without the kiss being interrupted. Eager and enthusiastic, her hands ran through my hair as her tongue explored my mouth, sending a jolt of pleasure down my spine. 

Out of breath once more, the kiss ended, my forehead pressed against hers as I gazed into her hungry eyes, desire glazed over her eyes. 

“I like you,” I breathed out, still staring into her eyes. “Actually, scratch that, I love you.”

She chuckled softly and pressed a quick peck on my forehead. “I love you too.”

Moving my head away, I couldn’t believe that she felt the same. “Wait, really?”

“Yes?” she answered, confused by my reaction. “I just made out with you, what makes you think I don’t?”

“I don’t know, why didn’t you realize I was talking about you when you asked me to describe my crush?”

“Because I didn’t think that someone like you could ever like someone like me!” she explained, still situated on my lap.

“Exactly– Wait, what?” I was confused again. “What do you mean ‘someone like you’?”

“Well, I don’t know, you’re just really cute and amazing, and I didn’t think that someone as perfect as you could fall for someone like me!”

“But you’re the really cute and amazing and perfect one, not me!”

“Are you kidding me, you’re literally a fucking angel!” she rebutted, crossing her arms.

“Says you, have you seen yourself?! Not only do you have the looks of a fucking goddess, you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met!” I crossed my arms as well, offended that she could ever think that she was anything less than perfect. 

“Wait, really?” Instead of sending another rebuttal my way, she was taken aback, her cheeks outlined red. “Do you really mean all that?”

“Yeah…” I blushed along with her, embarrassed by my sudden confession. “I meant every word I said.” 

“O-oh…” Cheeks turning even redder than before, her eyes averted my gaze, gnawing at her lower lip. “I’m glad...”

I giggled softly at how flustered she was. Tucking her hair behind her ear, I pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

“I love you,” I repeated, planting another quick kiss on her lips. 

“I love you too,” she whispered, still a bit flustered from before. 

“Um, will you,” I began, rubbing my nape, “will you be my girlfriend?”

With a warm smile, her lips found their place on mine once more. “I’d love to.”

“Good,” I said with a chuckle. 

“Good.”

A blanket of silence covered us, but neither of us minded. It was comfortable. It was kind of like we were silently telling each other how much we loved each other. Maybe I’m reading into it too much and she might actually just don’t know what to say, but one thing I’m sure of is that when I go to bed tonight, I no longer have to wish for those scenes that replay in my mind to become my reality; it’ll already be my reality. 

This story is based on the Reedsy.com prompt "An apparent coincidence occurs. Write a story about a character who suspects paranormal, spiritual, or criminal causes."

Kirk sat on his beach towel, a pen and journal in hand. The sky was crystal clear, the ocean waters were a beautiful blue, and other beachgoers in their swimsuits complimented the natural scenery. A pleasant breeze and the warm sun felt good on the skin not covered by his swimming trunks, and the smells of saltwater, sand and freshly grilled barbecue were all pleasant to experience. Despite all of the fine sensory he was getting from his time at the beach, the 26 year old still suffered from writer's block. He wanted to commemorate his trip to the beach with a written piece, but he didn't know what to write on this day. A poem? A religious journal? A adventurous short story? He was about to put his writing tools down and settle for a dip in the water, when he looked behind him and saw a sight that the other beach goers were oblivious to.

A beautiful girl that looked to be about his age was dancing around her beach towel. He couldn't tell what kind of dance she was doing, but it appeared to have elements of ballet, modern, and jazz incorporated into the technique. She wore a one piece swimsuit that perfectly complimented her figure. Her eyes were closed, and her bright smile filled his spirit with joy. Kirk quickly opened his journal and words quickly flowed from his mind to the paper. Once finished, he set his journal and pen down, and his world felt right once again. He then looked up, and noticed the muse for his latest work standing before him.

"Hello sir." The girl said in a voice that was as sweet and pure as the smile on her face while she was dancing. "I noticed a infectious smile on your face while you were writing, and it touched my soul. Would it be ok if I read your work?"

"Sure!" Kirk said with a smile, making room on his beach towel for the girl to sit by him. "I'm Kirk, by the way."

"I'm Serenity." She smiled as she accepted the journal from Kirk.

"A beautiful place, made even better.

All because of her.

Her dance flows effortlessly, her skills are evident.

The best part of it all?

Her smile as she moves.

Her eyes are closed, but I hope she can see

how inspiring she is.

How the art she creates brightens my world. Her dancing and her smile....

Warms my heart."

Happy tears filled Serenity's eyes as she handed the journal back to Kirk.

"You wrote that... about me?"

"Yes, I sure did." Kirk said with a smile. "Your dancing back there was truly magnificent. You probably didn't know if anyone would even be watching, but you went all out with your technique, not worrying about the audience, or what anyone would think of a impromptu performance on the beach. My favorite part of all of it was your smile. You looked so joyful, so happy to just be dancing. You embraced your art, and appreciated what you created. That's what art is all about, what you just did with your dance."

"That's how I felt about seeing you write!" Serenity gushed. "I had no idea what you were writing about, or what kind of audience you were writing for, if any. But you had a wonderful smile on your face, one of not just pride, but pleasure from being able to write. So you may not have realized it, but you showed me what true art is all about as well."

Kirk and Serenity looked into each other's eyes, becoming lost in a different kind of art. The passion each held for their craft, and how it connected them in this very moment made their respective hearts flutter. Not daring to close their eyes and miss a thing, Kirk and Serenity began leaning closer to each other.

Screams and scattering of their fellow beachgoers broke them from the moment they were sharing. In the distance ominous figures were approaching.

"Serenity, there's something dangerous coming! Please stay back, I am going to protect everyone, especially you. I'll be back soon, I promise!"

"That's fine Kirk, but I'm coming too!" Serenity insisted. "I also want to protect everyone, especially you. Let's defend the beach together!"

Kirk felt uneasy about Serenity putting herself in danger, but he reluctantly agreed. He hoped that she wouldn't be afraid of him once she learned about his power. He grabbed his journal and pen, and ran towards the figures, Serenity following close behind. Once he had a better view of the figures, he recognized them right away. The figures were long haired zombies that wore long sleeved shirts and jeans with wallet chains coming out of their pockets. If their bodies weren't decaying, they could have potentially been handsome.

"This is going to sound crazy, but these things have attacked me before." Kirk told Serenity. "Usually they show up when I'm alone, like when I'm walking home late at night from a cafe. This is the first time I have ever seen them in a populated place. Please go hide somewhere Serenity, I have powers that can stop them."

"No need to hide, these things have gone after me when I'm alone too." Serenity said with a smile. "And I've got powers too."

Serenity began dancing again, keeping her eyes open this time. Kirk wasn't sure why she was dancing when dangerous forces were approaching, but he decided to put his trust in her. Before the zombies could get too close, Serenity stopped dancing and struck a pose, pointing in the direction of the zombies. The zombies fell into the sand as if knocked down by a strong rush of wind, disappearing shortly afterwards.

"Your dancing is a weapon?" Kirk asked in amazement.

"Yes, the first time those zombies attacked me, a voice in my head told me that as long as I kept dancing, the monsters wouldn't be able to touch me. And if I end the dance with a pose that points at them, I can strike them down with a invisible force."

"Wait, were you dancing earlier because you sensed those monsters coming?"

"No, I genuinely love to dance. I had no idea they would show up here."

More of the zombies began approaching, now coming in from all angles. Serenity started dancing again.

"I can still dance and avoid attacks, but I won't be able to strike more finishing poses at the speed they are coming in." Serenity said anxiously. "You said you have a power Kirk?"

"I sure do, and it should help!" Kirk said enthusiastically. He opened his journal to a blank page, and wrote the words "protect" and "Serenity." Two sets of metal letters that respectively combined into the words "protect" and "Serenity" appeared in each hand. Kirk raced towards two of the zombies approaching Serenity, and slashed them with his melee words. Both zombies fell into the sand, disappearing shortly afterwards. Serenity smiled as she continued dancing.

"So you have a power based on your passion for writing, and I have one based on my passion for dancing. So we not only have the ability to create art, but we can protect each other and others with art too!"

"That sums it up well." Kirk smiled. "I had a similar experience with my first encounter with these guys, with a voice telling me writing words would form melee weapons I could fight with. So it would seem your power is best suited for defense and long distance attacks, and my power is optimal for close range encounters. Protecting this beach would be tough alone, but together we can do this!"

"I agree Kirk, let's work together and share this dance floor!"

Serenity danced with her beautiful smile on her face, which gave Kirk all the motivation he needed to fight alongside her. Any zombies that got too close to her were struck down with his melee words. Serenity stopped to strike a pose whenever she had an opening, taking down the zombies in the distance. The zombies kept coming for ten minutes, but Kirk and Serenity's teamwork ultimately cleared the beach of the threat.

Once the coast was clear (no pun intended), Kirk and Serenity high fived, shared a quick kiss, then held each other in a embrace.

"That was amazing Serenity, we made such a great team!" Kirk said excitedly. "You are the best dance partner ever!"

"Thank you Kirk, right back at you!" Serenity said joyfully. Her expression then darkened.

"As great as it was to meet you, share our art, and defeat monsters using our skills, something isn't right about all of this Kirk. We both previously encountered the same zombies. We both were given superpowers based on our artistic passions. We both were guided by a unknown entity on how to use these powers. Then we met here today, made a connection, and fought the monsters together. This can't be a coincidence."

"Now that you mention it, I think you're right Serenity. Someone set up this opportunity to bring us here. And their intentions likely aren't good."

"Nonsense, my intentions are perfect!" A friendly voice nearby stated. Still holding each other, Kirk and Serenity turned towards the voice, and saw a familiar looking figure approach. The figure had the same look and clothes as the monsters, except he was not a zombie, but very much alive. He actually did look quite handsome due to not being a decaying member of the undead, but despite his good looks and pleasant voice, an evil aura emanated from his presence.

"Hello Kirk and Serenity, it is nice to finally meet you in person. My name is Lone, and I am a warlock. Until now those zombies were the only companions I had. And as you witnessed, they don't have much staying power."

Kirk and Serenity now recognized the voice. It was the same voice that had guided them on how to use their powers back when they had fought zombies alone.

"I plan to rule this world, and I could easily do it alone. But that would be rather lonely. That is why I gave you two powers based on your artistic talents, and trained you on how to use them. I brought you together, and made you powerful as well. Join me, and you can not only continue to develop your relationship and enjoy your art, but we can do whatever we want with this planet. What do you say?"

Kirk and Serenity looked deep into each other's eyes, then shared a passionate kiss. They then let go of each other and faced Lone, standing side by side.

"Lone, even though you gave me powers and introduced me to the most amazing girl I have ever met, I would never join you for nefarious purposes. I refuse your offer."

"I stand with Kirk." Serenity added. "This is a beautiful world that is meant to be enjoyed, and our responsibility is to make it a better place, not conquer it. I will also never work with you unless you change your ways."

"Well that's unfortunate." Lone said with a hint of sadness. "The good news is, you aren't the only two I gave powers to. The bad news is, I have to get rid of you both. At least you can die together!"

A sharp pain surged through Kirk and Serenity's bodies, causing them to slump down into the sand. As their vision went black and the pain grew unbearable, they joined hands in an effort to comfort each other during their last moments together. Suddenly, the pain abruptly stopped, and they could see once again.

Kirk and Serenity looked up and saw Lone's face covered up by a long T-Shirt that was coming out of the sand. Other T-Shirts generating from the sand bound Lone's arms and legs. Before he could break free, a laser blast shot into his side. Lone fell into the sand and disintegrated away.

A muscular man in a sleeveless shirt and jeans approached Kirk and Serenity. Still weak from Lone's attack, they looked at the man with some apprehension.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend." The man reassured the pair. "My name is Nostrel, and I am from Hugh's hero network. My friend Jirk just blasted that warlock into the Reflection Dimension, a place Hugh created to hold dangerous people and beings. He could return if he vowed to change his ways, but it doesn't appear that he is coming back. I know all of this because I once needed to reform through a personal trip there myself."

A figure wearing a dark helmet and full body armor approached the group. He shook Nostrel's hand upon arrival.

"It wasn't Glicko, was it?" The figure asked.

"Afraid not." Nostrel replied. "Apparently his name was Lone. However, these lovebirds did a great job stopping his minions, and giving me the opening I needed to bind him. Can you use one of your blue grenades and heal them Jirk?"

Jirk summoned a blue grenade into his hand, and tossed it in front of Kirk and Serenity. Blue smoke enveloped the pair, and once it cleared, Kirk and Serenity rose to their feet, completely restored.

"I'm sorry that you two were put through this." Jirk said sympathetically. "For what it's worth, you were both very brave, and you stood by your convictions without wavering. The powers that Lone gave you were for dark intentions, but you used them for the good of this world. We could use heroes like both of you in Hugh's network, and you are needed more than ever."

"We would love to have you both, but you should get fair warning about the road ahead." Nostrel began to explain. "The king of the country of Prosperity, a literal shadow of his former self, has declared war on us. He now goes by the name Leftover, and he murdered one of our own, a fine hero whose name was Mirk. His brother Tam, who was one of our best technological resources, angrily quit our network in his grief. We've been looking for him, but we don't know where he is."

"Dark days are ahead, and the danger would be far greater than what you faced today." Jirk continued. "But you two have a lot of heart, especially when you fight together. We understand if you want to stay out of harm's way, but at the same time, we truly think your love and passion for each other, art, and the good of this planet would be invaluable resources towards Hugh's vision of a peaceful planet."

Kirk and Serenity looked at each other and smiled.

"I know this was probably not a ideal date, but I think we would do great together." Serenity said sweetly to Kirk. "Will you follow me into danger, and work with me to help make the world a more beautiful place?"

Kirk embraced Serenity and shared one more kiss before giving his answer.

"My dear, my life is now intertwined with yours. Let's bring more art, justice, and peace into the world, together!"

*****

Tam stood in the wilderness of Prosperity, observing the castle in the far distance. He wore a bright gold helmet that gave him emerald green body armor. He summoned a urn into his hand that matched the gold of his helmet.

"We're here my brother. I am going to make Leftover and his followers pay for your death by killing them all. And when I'm done with them, Hugh and his network will be next to go."

I decided these next few months are mine

and it's okay if you tag along

You're happy to be by my side

After all it's just like the song

Summer heat, boy and girl meet

And sure enough, ah, those summer nights

If only life were Grease

I could tell you how this would end, right?

But as it is, I read something you wrote

and it made me sad because you are in love

and because I can't say that I'm not

and because I like love, and the lack thereof

But I'm halfway inbetween

not caring and marrying

Knowing you will never leave

is a little scary to me

For once in my life I can't tell what's ahead

dread? friends? you in my bed?

Alas, I can't shake you from my head

But both of our hearts bleed red

My footsteps echo from the gravel path as I look around to trees everywhere, and the grass of Mount Binevenagh is still ever so fresh, just the same as I had last seen it a summer ago. The yearly trek up the mountain is a tiresome one, but the lake above is divine and well worth it, I thought as I looked forward to setting camp here for the night. To dipping my hands in the cool crystal lake, watching the birds up high, admiring the stars at night and sitting by a toasty fire. I took a deep breath, crisp, clear, a perfectly quiet day, until someone tapped my shoulder halfway up the path.

“Hey, would you like some help with your bag? It looks heavy” said a stranger with eyes as grey as clouds of rain.

“No, I’ve got it, I come here every year with this bag” I said, noticing that he also had a bag as large as mine.

“Ah, I’m Ken by the way” he said while flashing me a smile.

Returning his smile, I said “Lilly… were your parents a fan of barbie?” His laugh was the most joyful thing and made me smile to know that he had a sense of humour.

“Not that I’m aware of, but I’m pretty sure there’s a character in the barbie films called Lilly as well”

I raised an eyebrow at that “Oh, so you are the barbie fan and not your parents”

He blushed a light hint at that “…I have a little sister who nags me to watch them with her”

“That’s what they all say”

Ken had turned out to be really easy to talk to, chatting all the way up the hill about how his quest for some peace led him here and how he couldn’t wait to see the lake, which he had called the lake of wonders upon seeing it. I watched him run to it, bag still on and couldn’t help but admire how he still had energy after two hours of uphill hiking, I was certainly tired and walked instead.

“Oh, it’s glorious” he said having taken his shoes off and dipped a foot in.

“Yeah, the water certainly is clear today” I said, breathing in the serene calm of mountain air. I come here every year precisely for this calm that I’ve never experienced anywhere but here; mountains are naturally calming but find a mountain with a lake of slowly moving water and it’s a surreal experience.

“Can I offer you cake for half a sandwich?” Ken said as we were sat down eating lunch

“You brought cake for lunch?”

“Yeah, I like cake” he shrugged

“What flavour?”

“Chocolate”

And I handed him a sandwich without another thought, chocolate has always been the one thing I couldn’t refuse, not even his smug grin could make me say no. Eating for me requires absolute quiet, to divide even a quarter of attention away from your food is a crime in my mind, and so we didn’t speak again until after lunch when we were setting up our tents a little ways from the lake, well I was setting up my tent, Ken it turns out had only brought a sleeping bag, a waterproof sleeping bag was what the clerk at the shop had told him.

“How many nights are you staying?” He asked while I worked at nailing down my tent

“Just the one night”

“Ah, same here” He said “I’ll go look for firewood, the sun is beginning to set”

I hummed in response and heard him leave as I realized how different this year’s trip was going to be, how different it already was now that I had company, and strangely, I didn’t mind it, a handsome man for company on a summer trip. What a story this will be I thought as I nailed down the last flap of the tent at the same time Ken returned with a pile of twigs in his arms.

I watched him approach me with a dashing smile before getting to work on arranging the wood and lighting a fire. He had done it with such ease that I wondered if it was actually he who camped here every year and not myself.

“Do you go camping often?” I said warming my hands with the fire.

“Yeah, my family were big on ‘wilderness survival training’ when I was younger, in fact my dad used to harp on about how you weren’t really sleeping in nature if you brought a tent, that you couldn’t drift off to the sight of stars if you were in a tent” he said with a fondness shinning in his eyes.

My gaze drifted up on the mention of stars, “…I suppose he does have a point about the stars, they are beautiful”

A moment of silence went by as we admired the stars before Ken spoke again, his tone a playfully deep “How about you forget the tent and sleep next to me then?”

I blushed “tempting… but it had been a lot of work putting up that tent, and despite what your dad says, tents are very cosy”

“Fair point, tents are very cosy, tell me about your family, are you close with them?”

“Yeah, I am” I said, telling him about my adventures with my siblings, how we used to make our parents worry staying out late, having forgotten the time playing our imaginary games. My parents were true saints putting up with us troublesome kids.

The night passed quickly, with us talking until we couldn’t stay awake any longer and fell asleep upon the sandman’s request, him outside, while I was in the tent. That was how I met my fiancé three years ago, on an innocent summer trip that was just a little bit different than planned.

He was one of those life-changing decisions one deliberates forever about, even when one believes they have already made up their mind. When he asked for a date, I had initially refused as I saw no possibility of a serious relationship. We had nothing in common and I was certain my friends had set us up as he had not been personally invited to the event. If he had not dominated the conversation all night, I would have asked him how he came to know about it. The contrast between us in appearance alone was so stark that simply sitting side-by-side seemed to draw everyone’s attention. But from how they talked about him later, I would learn that it was his intriguing presence which had captivated the other guests upon his arrival instead. His passionate voice and his youthful pride were charming.

In the beginning, we would talk often, but never about ourselves. He would arrive early to the summer seminars, only to invite me to sit beside him and try to converse the entire time. His general candor galvanized his intriguing ideas. Still, I rejected his idea that we begin a relationship, to which he rebounded and suggested we get to know each other as friends. It wasn’t until he began answering questions I had about the material that I realized he wasn’t the type of person who I had originally thought. My friends joked about how it might be safe to return his phone calls after all: he had a receiver to go with his speaker! They convinced me to give him a chance.

We would tell the story of our first time spent together differently. Although he considered it our first date, I reassured everyone that there was no romance or passion, as I had to my parents when I returned home afterward. We had chose to visit the Natural Science Museum early so we could comfortably share headphones. Discovering that it had begun to rain as we left the museum, he offered me protection from the rain. As he gently laid his jacket upon my shoulders I knew it would be a summer I’d always remember. I’ll never forget the feeling of being warmly embraced as he gently flicked the hood over my head.

The summer shower that evening left him with a fever, but this wouldn’t bother us in the days to come. Although we would continue to spend time together outside of classes, he would still arrive early to the seminars, reserving me the empty seat by his side. He never asked about my friends but my friends never stopped asking about him. Though my friends were always interested to hear about what we did together, they became averse to us spending time together. In the beginning, they feigned concern over him taking me away from my studies, but they could no longer deny their feelings of envy when they began inviting him to events without me. The time came when I was finally forced to decide between them when I was the only one who maintained an outstanding GPA after midterms. For fear of having them realize this, I cancelled my plans and accepted his invitation to celebrate. He arrived with flowers and left with a kiss. It was our first date.

Taking my friends’ emotions into account, I kept our relationship a secret. This would prove to be more difficult than I had expected, as he loved introducing me to everyone he knew. Time flew by and we made plans to celebrate the Fourth of July with his family. Although he never talked much about his family, he reassured me not to worry as he talked fondly about me with them. I was surprised. He was so independent and proud that I hadn’t expected him to hold a strong relationship with his parents. Although he was happy to introduce us, his face became flushed when his father revealed he had told them we had been dating from the very beginning…and that I was his first girlfriend.

Whether it was how keenly he talked about me or whether it was something he fondly said, his mother insisted that we maintain correspondence. As he was not one to talk much about himself, his mother’s notes provided insight into what I had never realized.

An only child, he spent his time freely adventuring without fear under his parents’ watchful protection. This had given him the passion and pride everyone had noticed when we had first met, as the courage and optimism of his youth had carried on into his adulthood.

Being each other’s first relationship, our love remained innocent and young, even beyond that summer. While my friends and I bid each other farewell forever, we would always remain by each other's side as the future held much in store for us. He was one of those life-changing decisions one deliberates forever about, even when one believes they have already made up their mind. No one knew what to expect after the wedding. There was so much more to come, so many decisions to be made that were not as simple as the first “Yes.”

Yet... I knew I could trust him.

You rarely ever see the square so lit up with smiling faces and crowds of laughter. This festival only happaned once a year, once every summer. It was the only thing to do in such a small town. Nothing all summer but shitty part time jobs and talking. So much damn talking.

Watching the fun from a cramped and overrun lemonade booth stood Marnie. Stuck trying to make a little extra cash on her last summer before going off to college by serving roudy kids and snooty adaults. The smell of overly sweet lemonade will haunt her for the rest of her life.

She places her uniform on the counter of the lemon shaped establishment and headed off to the break room for a drink of litterally anything but lemonade. She stands outside of the ticket booth when a jacket catches her eye. A strawberry bomber with a pink collar. A stark contrast to the hand-me-down farmer asthestic of most people out here in the middle of nowhere. That includes her though. Marnie looks down at her red plaid button up and worn jeans she's had for a few years now.

Marnie tosses the stark white paper water cup into the garbage and follows the girl, now with a cup of that damned lemonade in had, almost out of intrigue and instict. Passing though crowds of old friends and familliar faces from a few counties over she tried to reconize the girl. Her hair was long and firey, her skirt was too short for anyone in this god-fearing town. A city girl. Marnie follows her passed the whirling rides and screaming kids to the forrest behind the clearing. Marnie squints to try to keep her eye's on the girl, picking up the pace.

They finally arive at the river, before Marnie could even see it, she could feel the cool summer evening become even colder. She finally realized what she was doing is kinda creepy. Marnie feels her face heat up and she turns to head back. Sudenly a hand grabs her arm form behind. Turning in a panick she see's the girl with her deep blue eyes, looking straight through her.

"I'm sorry!" Marnie panicks looking for a way to explain herself, as the girl laughs

"No, I should apoligize, I moved here a few days ago, and saw you working the lemonade stand. I was too nervous to say anything so I though it might be better if we were alone."

Marnie raises an eyebrow, looking back at the festival, "How'd you know I'd follow you?"

"You look so bored all the time, I thought you might want something or someone more exciting." The girl looks over to the river, "I grew up here, I'm surpised you haven't reconized me yet, Marnie." She smiles softly.

The other opens her mouth to answer, trying to figure out who this could be. With a blank mind she touches her face, confused and flusted. Until she notices the carmel routes, "Jess?" She anounces with hope and a little less confidence than shed like.

Jessica mimmics the sound of the carnival 'prize one' sound "Ding Ding Ding. You won." She laughs, "it's been awhile, Marnie."

Marnie still in a state of shock responds in the only way she could image, "What have I won?" She laughs semi-forced, "Like as a prize I mean?"

Jessica, walks slowly over to the small town girl, her hazel eyes, reflecting the moonlight on the water, and her dark amber hair, cut short and choppy. "A not so boring summer?"

Marnie ended up to be quite the fan of that overly sweet lemonade.

It was a warm, humid mid-August evening as Abigail made her way to the small Italian restaurant called La Pasta. The bright green leaves in the crepe myrtles whispered in the light breeze and their bountiful blooms loomed stark against the twilight hour as her black heels clicked methodically with each step she took on the narrow sidewalk. Reaching up, she attempted to push back the loose wisps of russet colored hair that flew about her face, but it was a futile endeavor. Her hair, thick and lustrous, had a mind all its own, and tonight, one thing was certain: there was no escaping the heat of the summer that lent it a new strength against any of her efforts to tame it. She mused to herself that she would likely look a mess once she arrived at her destination, but alas, it was what it was. She should have taken that taxi after she had agreed to come on the first date only if she was allowed to arrive and depart of her own accord.

Against her better judgment, Abigail had allowed her friends or co-workers to set her up on this first date with someone about whom she knew absolutely nothing. They had insisted, however, that it was a match meant to be, akin to the likes of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony or Romeo and Juliet. Walking the last few steps to the restaurant, Abigail rolled her eyes at the thought; after all, everyone knew exactly how those famous matches had ended: in tragedy.

She was very early, and she much preferred it that way. She could acclimate herself to the surroundings and be sure that she was comfortable before meeting her date. What was his name? Oh that’s right – it was Luca. Well, at least he had a decent name going for him. She wondered if Luca was short for Luciano as she opened the door of the small establishment and stepped inside out of the wind. It would be inherently pleasant to finally meet someone whom she found attractive or with whom she could carry on a decent conversation.

Abigail was immediately engulfed in a new world as she entered La Pasta. The warmth and ambience of the place was pure magic and transported her to Italy in the mere skip of a heartbeat. Small, intimate tables were scattered throughout, covered with crisp, white tablecloths upon which sat shimmering candles, small crystal vases filled with purple and yellow flowers, and gleaming silverware. The place was enchanting, she thought to herself. A small bar ran the length of one side of the room, so Abigail quickly headed to it and took a seat. Despite the charming, inviting atmosphere, the room was eerily quiet, with the exception of the soft strains of Italian music playing in the background. It appeared she was one of only a few patrons. Still, everything combined to lend her an ease and comfortableness as she took a seat and settled herself on the high stool at the end of the bar.

The bartender approached her. “Buona serata, signorina,” he said with a huge smile. “What would you like to drink this evening?”

Abigail returned his smile. “What do you recommend?” she asked.

“We have a new Merlot from Tuscany. It is the best,” the bartender replied.

“Excellent. I’ll try the Merlot please.”

He poured a small portion of the rich, burgundy Merlot into her glass and waited for her to taste it. Abigail slowly lifted the glass and inhaled of the sweet fragrance before softly swirling the wine in the glass and then sipping of its richness. The warmth of the Merlot was delicious, and she eagerly nodded for him to fill her glass. It was perfect. She had always found Merlot to be a soft, sensual wine that fully warmed her. It was one of her favorites and perfect to ease the slight tension or apprehension she felt this night as she waited for her first date with Luca.

She heard the light tinkle of the bell at the door but glancing at her watch, she realized it was still far too early for her mysterious date of the night to arrive. She had generously given herself a full hour prior to the scheduled time to give herself ample course to partake of a drink and familiarize herself with the surroundings. If she did this small thing, it would allow her a level of comfort with the evening that she was sure she otherwise would not achieve.

As she continued to sip the luscious glass of Merlot, a gentleman settled himself on the bar stool which was situated two seats away from where she sat. Lightly strumming the stem of her wine glass with her slim fingers, she eventually turned, and in pretense, glanced about the room as if searching for someone. As her glance came full circle to land on the newcomer, she nearly gasped aloud. His crystal blue eyes watched her intently, never wavering in their regard despite the fact that she’d caught him staring. In response, his brow cocked slightly above his left eye, and then ever so slightly, his lips rose into a semblance of a smile as he nodded his head in greeting, the barest hint of a dimple peeking from his left cheek as he did so. Nearly mesmerized by the intensity of his blue gaze, nonetheless, she managed to reply with a slight smile and nod of her own.

She listened as he ordered a glass of Merlot. Still feeling a bit unnerved by his direct, intense gaze, she continued to sip her drink, allowing the warmth embodied in the wine to relax her. She was musing that she’d never seen such icy blue eyes as his when he interrupted her thought process.

“May I join you?” His voice was deep, melodic - yet another mesmerizing quality.

She turned to watch as he stood. He was brutally handsome. She mused that it was quite possibly not the color of his vivid blue gaze that was so different, but the intensity therein instead. He was tall and lean with dark hair to contrast against the blue of his eyes and the lightness of his skin. He was dressed immaculately in a black cashmere sweater, a crisp white shirt beneath, tailored, charcoal grey slacks, and fine Italian leather shoes. She momentarily considered abandoning her blind date as she watched him, but she knew she could never do such a thing no matter how inclined to the stranger she seemed to be.

“I’m meeting someone in just a while,” she quietly replied.

“Ah, well, just for a bit then,” he responded with a bit more of a smile evident as he took the seat beside her.

She was surprised by his boldness despite her words. While admittedly curious as to what conversation he might strike up, she promised herself that she would leave and get a table prior to the arrival of her date.

As the stranger took the seat beside her, she was suddenly very self-conscious of the short black dress she’d chosen to wear this evening. She conspicuously pulled at the hem of it, ensuring it covered as much as possible of her long, slender legs. She suddenly felt flushed and wished that it was not summer so that she’d have the comfort of a shawl to securely wrap about herself. It was as if she felt the nearness of this man with her entire being. He continued to watch her, and she wondered, strangely enough, if he knew every move she would make before she made it. And those eyes! They were unbelievably beautifully blue and seemed to penetrate to the depths of her soul.

As he settled next to her, he took a sip of his wine before glancing up to lean toward her ever so slightly before speaking. The deep sound of his voice reverberated within her.

“Lavender,” he said, his tone just as penetrating as his vivid blue gaze.

Abigail was momentarily perplexed. “Excuse…me,” she stammered in response.

He watched her closely as he continued. “Your skin. It smells of lavender.”

Was that the trace of a smile she saw on his face? Confusion filled her mind with his words and a multitude of questions swept through it like particles of sand in a windstorm. Who was this man? Did he really just say that her skin smelled of lavender? Really? Lavender? How did he know? This night, she wore no lavender scented oil or perfume, but the previous evening she had bathed in lavender scented bathwater. Her mind raced, full of questions and then quickly drifted to the memory of the rosemary and mint shampoo she’d used. Curious, she could not help but wonder…….

However, before she could form another thought, and as if he’d read her mind, he reached out his hand to lightly touch a wisp of a russet curl that lay against her neck. “But here, right here, there is the faintest hint of rosemary and mint, is there not?” He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if knowing the effect his voice and its low timbre had on her. He was still lightly touching the wisp of hair while he watched a myriad of questions flood her face and green eyes.

“How….do you….?” She could barely speak, less alone form a coherent thought in response to his perceptive abilities and comments. And then, there was the matter of his touch. Though light, she felt it as intensely as she felt every other facet about the man.

The look in his blue eyes shifted to her neck and lingered there on the beating pulse for a brief moment before he reluctantly dropped his hand, pausing as he did so to look down at his glass of Merlot. With a stern smile, he said, “I have a keen sense of smell. A hidden talent of sorts, one might say.”

A keen sense of smell? A hidden talent? One might say? What the devil? Abigail didn’t want to admit that she was impressed, but she very much was. He had been completely right about every scent, and more to the point, every scent she had used the previous night.

Regaining her wits, she admitted to herself that this was certainly unlike any other pickup line she’d ever encountered. She attempted, likely in vain, to act nonchalant, as if this sort of thing happened every other day to her. But the truth was that she wanted to know more about this man. Where was he from? What was his name? And where the devil did one get such a super talent as a keen sense of smell? She was inexplicably drawn to him, feeling as though she already knew him in ways she didn’t understand. And why did she feel as if he had secrets she needed to uncover – that he yearned to divulge to her?

Abigail sighed to herself, resignation and a bit of disappointment filling her being as she reminded herself that she needed to be respectful of the impending arrival of her date. Luca would most likely be there at any moment, and it would not do for him to find her seated at the bar with this stranger, no matter what attraction the mysterious stranger held for her. She eyed the man beside her before she reluctantly stood.

“As intrigued as I am, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay. As I told you, I really am expecting someone,” she said. It took everything inside of her not to remain rooted to the seat and make this man the focus of her undivided attention. She yearned to know more about him.

He nodded. “Of course,” he said with a smile and watched as she walked across the room, where the waiter seated her at a cozy table near the back of the room.

Slowly, he resumed his seat, sipping the Merlot he’d ordered as he continued to watch her. She was much lovelier than he had imagined she would be. Indeed, she seemed to be nothing short of perfect. He was looking forward to knowing more about her. And, if he’d read her correctly, she also wanted to know more about him. It was strange, but he was wondering why it had taken so long for their worlds to suddenly collide. If he was sure of anything, he was sure that tonight was a fated meeting and was long overdue.

After a short while, he stood and ran a hand through the dark, thick waves of his hair. Picking up his glass, he finished the remainder of his wine and carefully sat the glass back on the bar. He then turned and slowly made his way to the table where she sat patiently waiting for her blind date. As he approached, she looked up, confusion and surprise clearly etched across her lovely face.

He extended his hand. “Hello, Abigail,” he murmured. “I’m Luca. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Spending the summer together,

I couldn’t imagine anything better.

Waking up everyday in your arms,

Gathering more lucky charms.

Falling asleep wrapped up with you,

I know this love we share is true.

Midnight dancing in the kitchen,

Snacks and cuddles are always a given.

I never thought summer love was true,

That is, until I met you.

at last.

finally.

school is over.

i can have relaxation again,

solitude again,

happinesses again,

my life again.

a week into this fucker

and i promise

i will not be able to list the alkali metals.

—

so two weeks in

and i don’t have a great update.

my heart might be beating

faster than usual.

and my palms might be getting

wetter around people.

and my mind might be a bit more

imaginative…

i don’t wanna say i’ve met someone.

i haven’t.

i saw them.

across the river.

i thought i was the only

one

that knew

about that place.

it’s my place.

and he was there.

across.

staring

then waving.

i think i waved back.

i don’t remember.

my senses were too

overwhelmed.

—

i can now say

that we’ve met.

we talked.

i’m excited.

not super excited or anything just you know

happy.

summer will be a bit less

lonely

now.

i’ve never minded

lonely summers.

i’d say i actually like them.

but this was something different

and i’m getting excited,

jumpy.

he has a nice voice.

i don’t wanna forget it

or let him forget mine.

his voice,

it reminds me of late nights

and staring at the ceiling

and waiting

for something

not sure what but something

good.

something you’ve wished for

and you just know it’s going to come soon.

is he what i’ve waited for?

—

he came over today.

i met him a few weeks ago,

feels like forever,

and he has been in my

bedroom.

he looked at my dresser,

did he imagine what my clothes

look like?

did he imagine what my

bras,

underwear

look like.

i would

at his place.

ugh that’s weird

i’m weird okay.

stop.

he sat on the floor

i offered the bed but

he looked away

said he was,

“okay”.

we sat on the floor

we traded music

my song

his song

my song

his song.

i liked all of his songs.

they were better than mine.

he left

after five hours of teenage music.

he wants to come over again

i want him to come over again.

i want to

kiss

his cheek

the next time he leaves

my doorstep.

—

we did 4th of July

together.

at night we met up,

he suggested we

sneak out,

and set off

fireworks

in the forest,

by our river.

i was scared but,

he said he’d protect me.

nothing happened.

i was fine but

my heart wasn’t.

his eyes.

i had never really

studied them like i had the

rest of him.

he looked into the sky after lighting

the firework

the reds, the blues, purples

all reflecting on the surface

of his soul.

he’s gorgeous

and i tell him that.

i say it out loud.

he looks at me for a second

and then that smile.

it spread across his face slowly,

like a realization,

a spark flickering behind his

magical

fantastical,

eyes.

he walked towards me

and asked me a very important question.

“can i kiss you?”

can he kiss me?

can i kiss him?

can we kiss each other.

i said yes

and he sighs into my mouth,

as if something in his life just got

a whole lot easier.

—

he calls me baby

everyday.

i call him darling when i want to

make

him

flustered.

i call him honey when he’s

heating food up.

i call him baby when he

rubs my thighs

or bites my neck

or licks my stomach.

i don’t want this to end.

i don’t want him to leave my porch

or my river

or my life.

he has no plans to

but life finds a way.

i keep thinking about it.

i told him yesterday,

told him about

the gnawing feeling that this

won’t last.

not because we don’t

need each other

or want each other

but because time,

life

gets in the way.

he said not to worry

he rubbed my face

with his cool hands

and

he put our noses together and said

“this won’t stop”

“i won’t let it”

“i love it too much”

he loves it

too much.

i think love it too much too.

(sorry i suck at poetry. also i thought lowercase fit the aesthetic i was going for with this poetry thing. sorry to anyone that was annoyed by this)!!

How could anyone face the silence alone?

The silence caressess my face

And in it’s native tongue it says “I’m here”

At times silence will become a poet

Never saying anything but leaves a suffocating feeling in it’s place

Crowding into my space

A small grin on It’s face,

wordlessly it tells me “It’s here to stay”

I’m scared to speak

As I write this story

Teardrops slip down my face

Before they can hit the page

The silence collects them in a jar, like rain

And then he would label them with the word “Pain”

Everyone thought that tongues were the sharpest of swords

But the Silence killed them without saying a word

The silence takes your fears and brings them here

We all have the same fear

Not of Death but of our names being plucked from the air

The fear of the Silence that surrounds things that are just no longer there

The silence knows we are afraid of him

But its only makes him smile a bloodthristy grin

This is why we write our names on everything we ever made

Because we are all prone to forget

And so we hope that someone will stumble upon our stories

The ones we have doctered and worn down with age

We hope that they’ll find what we have left

Our names upon the cover page

And just for that moment

It will be as though we’ve beaten silence and cheated death

That in the whisper of those words

We have taken one more breath.