In July, my life began. The humid, summer air that stuck to the bottom of your feet when you walked on cool tile, the seemingly endless afternoons that melted into the perfect nights.
It didn't matter that the weeknights blurred with the weekend nights, the common thread tying them together being booze. It didn't matter that I was hiding something under my tongue every time I spoke.
"Teach me how to do your eyebrows like that," I said through a laugh one night when Ashley and I were getting ready to go to a party.
"Want me to just do them for you?" She said, spraying an extra coat of hairspray on her blue mountain of hair, that happened to be all piled up on her head tonight.
"Sure," she said, setting the can down and kneeling down to eye level, where I was sitting on her bed.
Her hand was so soft on my face, she held me to steady herself as she went ahead and did all of my eye makeup. I was grateful, having known nothing about cosmetics. As she was brushing assorted products onto my face, she began singing along to the music that played softly in her room. Something soft by The 1975 - I couldn't tell what.
Her face got so close to mine when she was helping me with her eyeliner, that I could smell the last cigarette she smoked. I touched her face gently and advanced to kiss her, I just couldn't help it.
She seemed really into it, grabbing my waist and everything. The air hung heavy around us, an almost tired sensation.
There was a knock on the door.
Ashley pulled and looked me in the eye with such an intensive motive that I couldn't move, and the music only enhanced it. "Friends in the daylight." Was all she uttered as she spun around and opened the door.
It was Luke, peering around the corner at me. "You look beautiful, Mick."
"Thank you," I said, pushing myself off the bed and walking up to him, my arms draped around his shoulders. "But I thought we agreed that this was girls night."
"It is," he defended. "I just, wanted to give you this." He pulled a small blue box out from behind him and dropped it into my hands gently.
Tiffany & Co.
"You shouldn't have," I smiled, though he really shouldn't have.
"Go on," he looked at me eagerly. "Open it up."
I did as he pleaded, and carefully unwrapped the package. Inside I found a small, golden ring. Upon further examination, the engraved initials "MF + LH."
Mickey Fosters + Luke Hemmings
Most boys would carve that on a tree.
Here is my boy, with a Tiffany's box.
"Thank you so much," I slipped it onto my finger and kissed him softly and quickly. "I'm speechless." A warm smile spread across my face.
"I'm so glad you like it." Luke replied.
All I could do was keep that same look on my face. I ran out of things to say.
"We better get going, Mickey." Ash interrupted, like she sensed I had no more words. "It's seven."
The sun was still out, and would be for another two hours. We had time to drive safely, although I'm sure Ashley was not concerned with that part.
"Bye Luke," I said, kissing him on the cheek and slipping right past him and out Ashley's bedroom door. I waited for her, and then we were down the stairs and out of the house.
* * *
I didn't know anyone at this party except Ashley, and there were at least 200 people there. It was gigantic. The whole thing took place in a mansion, I swear to God it was the biggest house I'd ever seen in my life.
"Are we sure that this is the place?" I asked her, stepping in.
"Yeah, it's a 'bring your friends and have them bring theirs,' kind of party."
The lights were dim on the first floor, and everyone was dancing. Ashley took my hand and decided that we were going to dance as well.
She was twirling around and with her hair flying around everywhere, she looked like a real life fairy. I stood there watching her, absolutely mesmerized. I wasn't standing still very long, because she took my hand and spun me around. I would never dance in public, especially when I didn't know anyone, but she had a way of getting inside my head and making forget all of my fears and previous doubts.
She took my hand and pushed through the crowd until we found the back door. We were headed outside.
"Ashley!" some boy said as soon as we got out there. He had an accent I had only heard it movies. It made 'Ashley!' sound like 'Ash-a-layyyyy!'
"Hey, Duke." She dismissed the obviously intoxicated boy with a wave and kept leading me past a bonfire, people playing volleyball, even a pool. There were a few cars next, and then there was nothing.
We were staring at trees.
"We're not going to...?
"Yes we are." She stopped me.
She pulled through the bushes an the leaves, making room for me to follow her into the forest. We walked for awhile, the only light source being the night sky through the cracks of the trees. My feet felt like they were bleeding, and then we reached a clearing. It looked magical - tall, knee length patches grass, a pond, giant rocks.
"Sit," she motioned to one of the rocks.
I did as she suggested.
She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, lighting one for herself and then one for me. She handed it over and I pressed it to my lips, cherry red smeared on it.
"I wish we didn't have to go to places like this to be together," I said, a sighing undertone in my words.
"What are you talking about? We're together all the time." Ashley questioned.
"No," I began. "I mean really together. I just want to be able t-" I stopped. "Someone's coming," I could hear grass and branches crunching in the distance.
"Hide then," she said, frantically.
I was looking for a place to hide like a mad woman. The grass patches didn't hide all of me, behind a tree was too obvious, the rocks weren't large enough -the pond.
Without thinking, I plunged in as silently as I could, and Ashley followed. It was murky and rough at first, but once we had both settled, I found it to be absolutely crystal clear. We made eye contact, her hair was fanned out around her, framing her face beautifully. We smiled and clasped hands, there was something romantic about hiding when trespassing.
We stayed under water as long as we could, but I naturally had to come up for air first. When my vision cleared, I started to laugh. "Ashley," I said, still gasping and laughing. I saw her hair hit the surface first, and then she came up. "What?" She whispered. I pointed ahead.
Two deer stood, staring at us.
"It was just deer," She howled. "Just deer."
"You look like a fairy," I smiled at her. She had moss and branches tangled in her aqua locks.
"And you look like a wet dog," she laughed. Her laugh was as gorgeous as her.
"Fuck you," I said as I swam over to her, wrapping my arms around her narrow shoulders.
She tore off her shirt and her shorts and threw them aside before she pressed her lips against mine. It didn't take long for her bra to make it's way off, and even her underwear hit the rocks.
"Skinny dipping," she smiled, pulling away from me and descending back down into the water. When she came up she asked, "haven't you ever done it before?"
I took her hint, and off went my sandals, shirt, and skirt. I kept my underwear on, which she gave me shit for, but accepted it all the same.
When we were finally ready to get out, she stepped onto the rocks, wearing nothing but her sopping wet Converse shoes.