If Looks Could Kill

Chapter 8: The Hair

I haven't seen Beth wearing her headbands in a while.

She seems to be freer now, letting go and enjoying herself. It's nice.

We walk through the streets looking for more trouble to get into. With Blake hooked to my arm, I try to think about the last time I've smiled this much. I try to think about the last time I've been this happy. I think that there's a difference with being happy and being not sad. I haven't been sad, but I also haven't been happy. I've just been... well-being. Now, I feel like I'm living.

"What's that?" Blake asks as we walk down the street. Looking down the street a bit, I see a man playing trumpet on the streets. It's beautiful really, the sound is so melodic. He plays with such passion that can be heard through the music.

We walk down the street and stand with the small crowd that surrounds him. He seems to be doing renditions of popular songs. I pull out a dollar to place in his open case which already has some money put in it.

Blake starts to sway to the music. Sometimes, I think about Blake's inability to see what's around him. It makes me feel like he's missing out on the trip. It brings a smile on my face knowing that he doesn't need to see what's going on here. All he needs is to hear the music, to feel the music. He gets to enjoy what's going on just as much as any of the people watching it.

"Is that what you sound like?" Blake asks with a smile.

"Not even close," I tell him.

Blake unhooks his arm from mine and moves his hand into mine. He starts to sway to the music, forcing me to move along with him. He pulls me towards him, putting his free hand into mine. He seems to have set down his cane somewhere or given in to either Reggie or Beth. We continue to sway to the music. We disregard that there are people around us, watching us.

It's just the two of us.

We move to the beautiful sounds coming from the trumpet. Some people around us move out the way to give Blake and I space. When he starts to really get into it, he moves his left hand into my waist, and I move mine to his shoulder. We dance to the music, me spinning him, him spinning me, whatever move we can think of. Looking over, I see that Reggie and Beth have joined along. Not long after, a couple others pair off and dance with each other. I laugh at the absurdity of it all. All of these people dancing in the street with a single trumpet playing must be a sight.

But who cares?

We're happy, we're having fun, we're living.

"What's it like?" Blake asks as we move to the music.

"Everyone's dancing...it's amazing," I tell him. I hope he can feel the energy moving through this group of people. It's one thing to see what's happening, but it feels way more amazing.

I close my eyes as we continue to dance. I feel what Blake is feeling. I feel his hand on my waist, I feel his body heat, I feel the fabric of his clothes, I feel his breath, I feel his contentment.

As everyone continues to move to this lively music, Blake moves his other hand to join his first one on my waist. This forces me to put my other hand on his shoulder. He pulls me close.

I feel his lips and breath in the crook of my neck as we sway to the music. No one slows down like we do; why would they when it's not that type of music? But he doesn't care. I don't care.

I keep my eyes shut as we slowly move. I don't need much more. Him being this close to me is enough.

He leaves a kiss on my neck as one song flows into the next.