The water lapped calmly upon the lagoon's rocky platforms while Peter and I sat along side by side. Our fingers were barely intertwined, yet, the sparks between us were charged and running in every which way. If attraction was a form of magic, Peter would be an aced magician.
Every once in a while, he would toss up a rock that landed squarely in his palm. He would flip it over and over, examining it before skipping it across the shimmering pool of water.
"Six skips," I grinned after I watched him repeat it with a different rock, "that's your best so far."
Peter delivered a genuine smile back before turning around the palm of his hand, revealing another smooth stone. "Would you like to try?"
I immediately hesitated, shaking my head no while retreating. In the past, I was known for having the worst luck with skipping stones. And now, I wasn't too sure of reliving embarassing childhood memories. "Haha no, no thank you, no I'm good I'm-"
"Oh come on! Try it!" He grinned, lacing his arms around my waist to reach for my hands. his chest was so close to my body, I could hear his heart beat rapidly along with my racing thoughts. I couldn't help but steal a glance up, meeting his forest-green gaze in unison as he stared back down at me.
It was like as if he had an effect, he was the sun, gravitating me towards him like a powerless meteorite. His warm gaze leaked into my body as he held his hands gently around my elbow. Without another distraction, he angled my arm and drew it outwards slowly, exemplifying how to skip a stone. "Just like that, and you'll have it skip miles," Peter grinned, taking a step back and releasing my arm. "Go on, try it."
The entire lagoon silenced and halted to a stilling pause, like as if it was eagerly waiting for me to mess something up. I shifted uncomfortably with my arms stretched out before me, angling it to its correct position.
"Any day now, Amber," Peter smirked, knowing that he was applying more pressure onto me than a sinking brick. I shot a scowl at him, recieving an exaggerated laugh back. For minutes, he wouldn't stop his sarcastic comments. I just assumed that this was his way of trying to make me lose my focus, but trust me, it was ineffective. His taunts and dares just kept coming until I came to my breaking point.
"Okay! Okay! Fine, I'll skip this foolish stone!"
Peter sat back with a humorous chuckle on his lips, watching me as I literally chucked the rock at the water in frustration. Except... it didn't exactly hit the water due to my terrible aiming.
Sure, I could shoot a dart, a gun, crossbow, and even an arrow, but a rock? Absolutely not. The stone that I had hurled before turned out to ricochet off of a rocky side of the lagoon, skip on and off the water only once, and come flinging itself back towards us like a boomerang.
"Watch out!" I shouted, rapidly dropping down to my knees to dodge the incoming rock as it sped at high speeds in our direction. Peter did the same, throwing himself to the ground while the stone whizzed past us... or so I thought.
I glanced over at Peter, only to find him groaning in pain as he rolled onto his back, clutching his crotch like as if his life depended on it. His face was extorted into an agonizing expression as I clambered my way over to him, my eyes wide in shock. "I am so so so terribly sorry! Are you alright?"
He forced a plastered fake smile onto his face but the hurt in his eyes were still there. "Other than having my manhood at nature's cruel mercy? I'm perfectly wonderful! Rainbows and sunshine, I tell you!" His condition from before returned as he gasped in exruciating pain.
"I-Is there anything I can do?" I asked concerned, observing his actions in full guilt. Peter pursed his lips together as he rocked back and forth in his position. He still looked afflicted, but his ears perked up in attentiveness. His eyes landed on me. "Well, I'm not asking for much but," he cringed and sucked in his breath. When he seemed to have recovered slightly from it, I urged him to finish his sentence.
"Another kiss... on the lips would help immensely," Peter murmured, a little too over-dramtatically. It was either the hidden humor in his voice, or the look in his eyes that hid a smirk that I overlooked before. At once, I knew this was all a joke.
"You aren't really hurt, are you?" I stared him down with a keen interest and watched as a grin was threatening to make an appearance on his lips. Peter shrugged and broke character.
"Oh, you... bastard!" I shouted with a dumb-founded grin. His mischievous smirk had said it all. "Y-You had me worried sick about your... lower region."
"It was worth a shot," Peter responded, a defeated grin was labeled onto his smug face. "But you have to admit, I was pretty close."
He chuckled when he saw my angered expression, my glare did nothing to lower his towering ego. I paused for a brief second, deciding whether or not to kick him in the face, groin, or leg. But slowly, I realized that there was a more humane way to treat this situation.
I shoved him into the water.
My laughter echoed off into the chilled night as he came back up, sputtering curse words one after the other. When he saw me with a proud smile on my face, he grabbed my hand and grinned, "If I'm going down, you're coming down with me." And with that, he pulled me into the water after him.
The adrenaline rushed through my lungs as I opened my eyes underwater. The salt stung them just a little, but it wasn't enough to blind me completely. I saw Peter drift in front of me, his eyes gleamed with satisfaction as bubbles surrounded us in a cloud. As they floated delicately to the surface, the bubbles tickled my face like little fairy kisses, the kind that would make you laugh out loud for no apparent reason.
My need to breathe brought me up to the water's glistening surface. As I pushed back my locks over my shoulders, I felt tiny water droplets race down my hair and onto my back. Just then like as if on cue, Peter emerged from the water beside me. His body was drenched but his aura was still vivid and lively.
"Well someone was eager to get me wet," he grinned devilishly, and something told me at that moment that he very well knew his comment deserved another dunking. Peter saw it coming too and took a deep breath before I plunged his shoulders down back into the water.
"Well someone's ego was high today," I grinned and took a gulp of air before diving down after him. We came face to face underwater when he stuck out his tongue jokingly at me. And dare I say it, I did too.
It felt like that was the start of a special kind of relationship.
As the night carried on, our vivacious banter stayed young and never died. The affection between us seemed to deepen as his life became more and more interlaced with mine. For us and for the island that was breathing around us, midnight was just the beginning.
"Want to see something exhilarating?" Peter asked and offered an outstretched palm towards me. I could see the familiar gleam in his eyes, he knew I wouldn't possibly turn down such an offer. I took a step closer and curled my fingers deliberately around his. "Absolutely," I smiled.
We both climbed onto a rocky overhang on top of Mermaid Lagoon. If you looked below, you could see a mesmerizing glimpse of the moonlit waters; but, if you looked up, you would see the night sky stippled with starry constellations. The atmosphere was like a fairytale come true, and my knight in shining armor was this Lost Boy with an attitude.
"Amber," Peter murmured, causing me to turn my head towards him. The low tone in his voice drew me in and seemed to make me weak to my knees, but I made sure not to show it. "The kiss that we shared earlier...". His eyes seemed lost and dazed as I tilted my head to the side curiously. "Yes, what about it?"
He faltered, waiting for the precise moment. The moonlight created a broken barrier between us, making the mood seem more suspenseful than it already was. "Did," Peter paused, hesitating, "did you feel a special urge? A sense of lust, or I don't know, even a simple spark when we kissed?"
I looked at him. This time, I really did look at him. Past the challenging smirks and his daring persona, to the trickery that he called magic. This boy whom I lost my first kiss to was asking me if I felt anything between us. And truth to be told, I didn't just feel a spark, I felt like a collection of lightning bolts dashed through my heart all at once. It was unique, like how he described what love felt like.
But I can't admit it. My heart leads me in one direction while my mind drags me in another. I'm needed back at home, not this place, not here, but my actual home. I just need to hold back my feelings for him for just four more days. Four more measly days until this illusional game of ours ends. If I can do that, I can go home, but it's easier said than done.
"I can't answer... it's complicated." I took a glance up to find him staring back with an unrecognizable expression on his face. It was like a mix of yearning and anguish that I couldn't quite percieve myself.
"If you can't answer now, then you can surely answer another time," He responded softly. His warm hands wrapped around mine like a perfect fit. Peter closed his eyes as a luminous glow centered in and suddenly, I felt something appear in the palm of my hand.
Without dropping eyecontact, I opened up my palm and felt around the small object. It was a rough oyster shell, barely the size of my fist. My questionable gaze lingered onto Peter as he remained still, keeping his sincerity.
"Open it when you feel the same way," he whispered, before letting go.
And to be honest, I did feel the same way.
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I'm stuck at home with a strep throat and a fever. My resort of boredom has lead me to finish this chapter so ta-da! Here it is!
Thank you guys for your positivity, it means a lot!
Last but not least, thanks for reading. If it weren't for you guys, we wouldn't be at 14k.
~Katie P.N.