College Kids And Champagne

Tequila And Reunions

Jacen's POV

Looking at her hurt, like looking at the sun. Much like the sun, she was very far away - just a silhouette at the end of the block. But her presence was blinding. Though I could barely make out her features, I knew it was her. Who else could wake up my entire being by simply turning a corner?

There was no question, this was my girl.

She had asked me to pick her up outside a random deli, two blocks away from her school, to insure that nobody saw me. She had even insisted I drive Odette's Mercedes, as it was less conspicuous than any of my cars.

All this sneaking around irritated me. I'd thought we were past all this nonsense, but Nikki was determined to keep her identity a secret from her friends as long as possible. I didn't really see the point, with the trial being tomorrow and all.

So while I was endlessly anxious to see her, I'd also been rather annoyed, admittedly. The way boyfriends sometimes are with girlfriends. Not only had she made me go through all this unnecessary trouble, but she had been fifteen minutes late, leaving me to wait in the hot sun, leaning against a car that wasn't even mine.

So yeah, I'd been kind of pissed, but all that had changed when I saw her turn that corner. Any petty irritation I may have felt evaporated in that moment. Because I knew I would go anywhere, wait anywhere - to see her turn that corner. I would wait a hundred years to see her walking towards me like that.

She was a Pennsylvania angel - genuine perfection in those little denim cutoffs and worn Chuck Taylors. She had stepped out of the shadows and into the buttery glow of the setting sun - casting her beauty into plain view.

Looking at her hurt, and fuck, if it wasn't the best pain imaginable.

Her face broke out into a smile when she saw me, from halfway down the block. She didn't say anything. That wild fire entered her eyes and she was running, bag smacking against her thigh as she ran straight at me.

There was joy in the way she ran, but also a certain urgency. I could almost hear the ominous ticking of the countdown she was trying to outrun. It was like, if she didn't get to me in time something terrible would happen.

She dropped her bag on the pavement and threw her arms around me - and it was like the countdown had stopped. The whole world had stopped. We didn't even kiss. We just stood there, her arms wrapped desperately around my neck, mine around her waist, holding her as close as possible.

We stood there, frozen in time, clinging to each other in the middle of the sidewalk. She had her face buried in my neck, I had my fingers knotted in the fabric of her t-shirt. Both of us too scared to let go.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Until the fear was gone. These feelings surfaced every time we were apart for an extended period of time. Fear that the last time we had seen each other would be the last time.

It wasn't normal, and it certainly wasn't healthy, but it was to be expected. After what we'd gone through last December, we were bound to be a little fucked up. At least we could be fucked up together.