(no subject)
For safe keeping and reference.
We reached the end of the neighborhood. As we slowly passed the last house on our left, the park came into a clearer view. We quietly walked, in what seemed like a never-ending waltz to the field that we used as almost a sort of home. Side by side, night after night we’d approach it in the dim moonlight. Her eyes would light up with the same twinkle she’d had as a kid. Every night, we’d reach the end of the sidewalk and turn ourselves down the path to the calm and secluded park. From the very first time we’d taken the walk here, she’d made a bee-line for the swings. I wasn’t sure what allure they had at first, but it struck quickly when I finally realized.
The swings brought a childish glee. Every time up and down she'd playfully try to outdo me, then I her. I almost didn't want to leave, hoping, wishing, willing to give anything to just prolong this moment, just be able to have it last even a second longer. All of life's problems normally screaming inside my head were curiously silent as I could only hear the rush of the wind in my ears and her voice in my head. In this fleeting moment, I knew that nothing could be wrong. Without a care in the world, we swung and swung. After what seemed like days we left the playground.
As we strolled I stared shyly at the ground, almost afraid of exchanging glances. When I finally caved and looked up, my eyes were met with hers. The fear melted away, and all I could concentrate on was her beaming smile, as I bashfully looked away and grinned wildly to myself, then returning my almost pleading stare back to her. We made idle chat, knowing exactly what was on the other's mind, but not daring to speak a word of it. Nervously glancing at my cell phone, it occurred to me that we had already spent several hours together. Side by side, we paced back into the neighborhood.
She gazed at me in an almost admiring way, happier than I'd ever seen her before. The minutes went by in what seemed like hours, and somehow that was okay. The clock was already striking the midnight hour, but I had no intentions of going home yet, completely accepting of the fact that I was going to sleep very little before school the next morning.
As the time came when we reached the crossroads where I’d make my exit and turn off toward my house, I was struck with impulse. “Would you mind some company for the rest of the way home?” Her head shot up, face alive with a glow rivaling that of the stars. Her ear to ear grin told me all that I needed to know. Rather than turn toward my house, I continued on with her. Lazily we strode, winding our way in and out of streets until we finally reached her house.
She spoke with almost a sort of sadness as she made her way to the back of her car, leaning up against it. Longing to stay there, the decision to walk home was put off for now, as I eased my way into a place right next to hers against the tail of the car. Every word spoken seemed to come naturally, as if my lips had taken a life of their own, independent from my nervous mind. Dreams of staying the entire night in that same place seized control over my mind. I snapped back into reality as she shifted off of the car, taking a few steps away from me, and then glancing back across her shoulder. Seemingly restless, she stood there for a minute or so, almost in a state of contemplation. She moved again, her mind made up, and took a position much closer than her previous one.
I shifted my arm slightly, as she’d made a point to place herself almost directly on top of it. She began to speak again, and we went on for what seemed like another hour. Only now did I realize that she’d moved herself into a spot nearly on top of the one I occupied. I felt something brush against my hand and then take hold of it. Without realizing it, I had put my arm around her, wrapped around her back and then towards the front of her body. Looking down towards my hand, I realized that she’d slipped hers inside of it, as a complete feeling of satisfaction consumed me.
A click came from behind us, but neither was paying enough attention to hear or turn to look. “It’s getting late and you’ve got school in the morning. You should probably come inside.”
She replied, “I’ll be right in”, and her mother disappeared back into the house. She rose from the car and stood directly in front of me, hand in hand, as happy as I’d ever seen.
After exchanging our goodbyes, it occurred to me that I wasn’t yet ready to leave. As I turned to pull away and make the walk back home, something held me there. Looking back, she was gripping my hand like it would save her life. I smiled as she released my hand, and then threw both of her arms around me and we clenched in a tight embrace. For a moment all my tension and anxiety melted away. This was what I wanted. Nothing further need be said, and the moment was there to be enjoyed.
We all lay on her roof, not exactly doing anything, but for some reason that was okay. Absent were the calls for something 'more exciting', or going somewhere else. Morgan, Tom, and Pete sat around next to each other, planning some new type of insanity that would leave the rest of us in hysterics. She and I lay silent next to each other, hand in hand, unsure if anyone else knew. Bridget lay somewhere in between, as did Steve, watching the night sky. As we lay there, almost in a detached state from the rest of the group, time slowed to a crawl. Every moment dripped with the feeling of now. The beauty of the night sky was overwhelming. Somehow all I could concentrate on was the feeling of her hand in mine, as pleasant thoughts raced through my head. Though it was a very chilly winter night, it was forgotten amongst the warmth of the moment.
I'd hardly noticed that it was getting late, but sat there unbothered by the fact that soon it would be time to go. The size of our group slowly dwindled, as Pete left, followed by Morgan, Tom, and Steve. Bridget too climbed down and walked home. As they each made their exits, it was almost as if I was awoken from a daydream, realizing that events were going on outside of my little world. As they each bid their farewells, she and I hardly moved. We laid there, hand in hand for more than an hour next to each other. The tranquil night providing the only background noise, she and I talked into the early hours of the morning, pausing every few minutes to just soak up the experience. Though it seemed like forever, when it was finally time to go home, it felt too soon. Dreading leaving her there, I helped her to her feet, and we parted ways.
We reached the end of the neighborhood. As we slowly passed the last house on our left, the park came into a clearer view. We quietly walked, in what seemed like a never-ending waltz to the field that we used as almost a sort of home. Side by side, night after night we’d approach it in the dim moonlight. Her eyes would light up with the same twinkle she’d had as a kid. Every night, we’d reach the end of the sidewalk and turn ourselves down the path to the calm and secluded park. From the very first time we’d taken the walk here, she’d made a bee-line for the swings. I wasn’t sure what allure they had at first, but it struck quickly when I finally realized.
The swings brought a childish glee. Every time up and down she'd playfully try to outdo me, then I her. I almost didn't want to leave, hoping, wishing, willing to give anything to just prolong this moment, just be able to have it last even a second longer. All of life's problems normally screaming inside my head were curiously silent as I could only hear the rush of the wind in my ears and her voice in my head. In this fleeting moment, I knew that nothing could be wrong. Without a care in the world, we swung and swung. After what seemed like days we left the playground.
As we strolled I stared shyly at the ground, almost afraid of exchanging glances. When I finally caved and looked up, my eyes were met with hers. The fear melted away, and all I could concentrate on was her beaming smile, as I bashfully looked away and grinned wildly to myself, then returning my almost pleading stare back to her. We made idle chat, knowing exactly what was on the other's mind, but not daring to speak a word of it. Nervously glancing at my cell phone, it occurred to me that we had already spent several hours together. Side by side, we paced back into the neighborhood.
She gazed at me in an almost admiring way, happier than I'd ever seen her before. The minutes went by in what seemed like hours, and somehow that was okay. The clock was already striking the midnight hour, but I had no intentions of going home yet, completely accepting of the fact that I was going to sleep very little before school the next morning.
As the time came when we reached the crossroads where I’d make my exit and turn off toward my house, I was struck with impulse. “Would you mind some company for the rest of the way home?” Her head shot up, face alive with a glow rivaling that of the stars. Her ear to ear grin told me all that I needed to know. Rather than turn toward my house, I continued on with her. Lazily we strode, winding our way in and out of streets until we finally reached her house.
She spoke with almost a sort of sadness as she made her way to the back of her car, leaning up against it. Longing to stay there, the decision to walk home was put off for now, as I eased my way into a place right next to hers against the tail of the car. Every word spoken seemed to come naturally, as if my lips had taken a life of their own, independent from my nervous mind. Dreams of staying the entire night in that same place seized control over my mind. I snapped back into reality as she shifted off of the car, taking a few steps away from me, and then glancing back across her shoulder. Seemingly restless, she stood there for a minute or so, almost in a state of contemplation. She moved again, her mind made up, and took a position much closer than her previous one.
I shifted my arm slightly, as she’d made a point to place herself almost directly on top of it. She began to speak again, and we went on for what seemed like another hour. Only now did I realize that she’d moved herself into a spot nearly on top of the one I occupied. I felt something brush against my hand and then take hold of it. Without realizing it, I had put my arm around her, wrapped around her back and then towards the front of her body. Looking down towards my hand, I realized that she’d slipped hers inside of it, as a complete feeling of satisfaction consumed me.
A click came from behind us, but neither was paying enough attention to hear or turn to look. “It’s getting late and you’ve got school in the morning. You should probably come inside.”
She replied, “I’ll be right in”, and her mother disappeared back into the house. She rose from the car and stood directly in front of me, hand in hand, as happy as I’d ever seen.
After exchanging our goodbyes, it occurred to me that I wasn’t yet ready to leave. As I turned to pull away and make the walk back home, something held me there. Looking back, she was gripping my hand like it would save her life. I smiled as she released my hand, and then threw both of her arms around me and we clenched in a tight embrace. For a moment all my tension and anxiety melted away. This was what I wanted. Nothing further need be said, and the moment was there to be enjoyed.
We all lay on her roof, not exactly doing anything, but for some reason that was okay. Absent were the calls for something 'more exciting', or going somewhere else. Morgan, Tom, and Pete sat around next to each other, planning some new type of insanity that would leave the rest of us in hysterics. She and I lay silent next to each other, hand in hand, unsure if anyone else knew. Bridget lay somewhere in between, as did Steve, watching the night sky. As we lay there, almost in a detached state from the rest of the group, time slowed to a crawl. Every moment dripped with the feeling of now. The beauty of the night sky was overwhelming. Somehow all I could concentrate on was the feeling of her hand in mine, as pleasant thoughts raced through my head. Though it was a very chilly winter night, it was forgotten amongst the warmth of the moment.
I'd hardly noticed that it was getting late, but sat there unbothered by the fact that soon it would be time to go. The size of our group slowly dwindled, as Pete left, followed by Morgan, Tom, and Steve. Bridget too climbed down and walked home. As they each made their exits, it was almost as if I was awoken from a daydream, realizing that events were going on outside of my little world. As they each bid their farewells, she and I hardly moved. We laid there, hand in hand for more than an hour next to each other. The tranquil night providing the only background noise, she and I talked into the early hours of the morning, pausing every few minutes to just soak up the experience. Though it seemed like forever, when it was finally time to go home, it felt too soon. Dreading leaving her there, I helped her to her feet, and we parted ways.