The sky was filled with joyful blues and purples as clouds drifted by lazily. I can feel the soft cotton candy sky beneath my fingers and taste the citrus in the small ripples beneath the docks. The autumn air is fresh and crisp, as leaves fall down in a variety of flush oranges and reds. The dock was warm from the fading afternoon sun but the wind had already begun to pick up, signaling night's reign. Everything was so perfect, it almost felt like the universe was in spite if me. Didn't the weather know what just happened back there? Surely, the sky should have been pouring down in buckets of water and beads of lightning, if it knew. Instead, a symphony of croaks and chirps filled in the uncomfortable silence.
We sit, nothing but our thoughts to keep us company. Where do we go from here? "Hey." I find myself break, trying desperately to reach out. "I don't care, okay? Squeezing her hand, I watch her face contort into one of relief. "I know that this isn't normal. This isn't what either of us were thinking. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Nothing needs to be this complicated. But I don't. Care. As long as you are here. As long as you're above the ground, you are making an effort. You are stronger than you know. We shouldn't be like this. But we are. And I. Will never. Ever leave you over something as stupid- over what may or may not happen in your life. This is probably dumb. And naive. But I can't bring myself to stop being around you." Cam turns to face me and I brush the tears from her eyes. "If shit goes down, it is you that I love. Not your parents. Not where we live. Not the high school we attend. We have the rest of our lives to grow and dream." "That makes everything feel so insignificant. Everything would be so much easier of we could just resign from reality." "I know. But it is worth it. Life? You have the chance. You have the potential. To live, love, get a job, do whatever the fuck you want to. I know that everything that could ever go wrong has. But I do love you." My throat is raw and my eyes are swelling up with tears. "I love you too." An alarm rings from inside her denim book-bag and I felt my head hang. "My parents need me home before dinner." I expected her body to move, but something strange happened instead. "They can wait."
Something changed between us that day. Sitting with our feet in the water, exchanging reassurances and speaking of everything going on in our lives. "What would you say?" "Say to what?" "Everything." I cleared my throat, rearranging the words in my head. "Lets say. One day we get famous." I turn my body to face hers, bringing my feet out of the cold water to sit criss-cross. "The social media world wants to know exactly who you are and where your life began." I pointed off into the distant sun to emphasize my point. "What is your take- your point of view. Tell me the true opinion of Cam Timbers." "Well, Cam Timbers doesn't really know what to say." "Say anything. Anything that comes to mind." "I guess school is hard. Home is harder. Nothing will matter in the long run and I don't exactly know where this path will lead." A breathy puff came from her chest as she leaned down, palms resting on her knees. "All I want is to run as fast as I can, as far as my feet can carry me. And when there is no more road to run," She through out her arms in eager determination. "I'd swim. Swim all the way to some exotic beautiful place. Maybe I'd swim to Paris France and send you all a post card of me next to the great tower." Her eyes lit up with wonder describing every imaginative detail of the journey to come. "I might never come back. And no one in this shitty little town could stop me." Realization dawned on her, as Cam looked over at me with diminishing hope. "It probably sounds crazy, huh?" Grabbing her hand, I held it to my lips. "Not at all." Making eye contact, I felt myself sink into her emerald jewels. "One day. One day, I'll take you to Paris. And we will take a picture next to the tower and you will swim all the way across the ocean blue and nothing will stop us."
As the sky faded to a peaceful dark blue, Aquila shined through the darkness, challenged only by Ursa Major. The smell of rain had come, and a light drizzle sprayed softly across the sunken lake. "I should probably head home soon." The thought hit me like a truck speeding 98 in a school zone. "Shit! It totally slipped my mind." Contemplating the thought, I shook off the previous fear. "I'll walk you home." "You really don't have to do that-" "I want to." She sat up, looking reluctant but grateful none the less. "I know your Aunt doesn't like you coming home after dark. You should probably head home too. I'm a big girl." "Promise? You'll be fine? Swear on it." This time, I got a small shake of her head and a half smile. "You know that I can't promise anything. The world is unpredictable. You should know that much by now." Shaky legs made their way to her bike and bag, but I wasn't giving in. "And THAT is EXACTLY why I should walk with you!" Popping up with a small hop, I grinned, putting both my hands on my hips. "You're such a child sometimes." This comment was said halfheartedly as she smirked wide. Leaning close to my frame, the brunette pushed her lips to mine. Gladly accepting her invitation, I felt myself melting away at her touch. Pulling away, I watched her eyes fade into a calmer bliss. "Guess it's time to head home, yeah?" "Better late than never."
