July 4, 2002
The lot was already starting to pack up as he drives into the drive-in to drop off a few people to who he offered a ride. It was graduation day and the passing class decided to throw a party here. He figured he would stay since there was no sign of getting out anytime soon. The movie that was showing tonight was The Others, he'd already seen this thriller-horror which he thought had an interesting storyline with funny lines. He turns off his car and goes to sit on the hood, glancing at all the people around him. He wasn't used to such a crowd but he figured why not go for the hell of it. After all, it was the last time he would see these people he never spoke to. He suddenly felt cold too even with the heat in the air. It wasn't long into the movie before he caught someone striding his way; the girl who he would have loved to get to know better. It was Dakota Breit coming his way, they never formed a solid friendship but rather in between the line of friendship and acquaintances. He wasn't one to set his attention on girls like her. Kai was too intent on gazing up at the night sky to even notice she stopped beside his car, looking at him with her honey-colored eyes.
"I don't socialize," He draws in a long breath as she stands beside his car.
"I don't care," She remarks and gets on the hood to sit beside him.
He didn't realize they were close enough acquaintances to be sitting like this together. Then again, maybe he was never paying much attention to their years through high school together.
"It must be really peaceful up there," He sighs looking at her, "Actual silence unlike down here."
"Was I disrupting your silence?" She arches a brow dismissing his subtle cold tone.
"Why are you sitting on my car?" He asks in a sharp tone and ignores her question.
"It eventually brought us into more of a conversation," She ignores his tone, "And no one should be alone at a party."
Kai thinks momentarily before responding, "Ah, so you felt bad for the outsider."
She seems to glare at him as he says this but then softens her expression, "No, Kai."
"I mean this is the most we've talked and honestly, I'm surprised you remember my name."
There's a hint of a smile on her face and she shakes her head, "I mean I did think we got past being acquaintances."
For a moment, he felt confused.
At his silence, Dakota adds, "Plus, I've always wanted to admire your car up close."
He lets out a short breath and bites his lower lip, nodding his head. He gets off the hood and walks to the driver's side before asking her, "So my car intrigues you too?"
"No, it's a gorgeous car but it wouldn't talk back to me," She gets off as well.
"I don't like to talk."
"Then we can text."
"I don't like to text."
"Then we can write," She moves forward against the car and rests her head on the top of it.
"I don't want to do any kind of communication," He states his final thought and opens the door.
"Why are you still talking to me if you don't like to do any kind of communication?" She smirks.
"You won't give up," He sighs and can't help but give her a little smile, "I have a feeling you're going to force a friendship to happen. I'm not one to usually do this, but let's get out of here and hang elsewhere?"
"We're already friends and I could go for a slushie," She states as she steps away to open the door and get in, as does he.
"I didn't ask if you wanted to grab a slushie," He chuckles and backs out of the crowded lot.
"You did want to get out of here and hang somewhere else."
As they were driving to the fast food place, Kai's thoughts came flooding into his mind. He knew this was the start of letting someone in, so for the first time ever he would allow it. Dakota had enough nerve to press through his boundaries so she should be given some sort of credit. Driving through the night with windows down, the ocean breeze filling the car; it couldn't have been any less perfect for the both of them.
She turns sideways bringing her legs up to her chest and rests her head on her knees. She took in all his features; the tiny scar on the side of his jawline, the way both of his eyes had their own mixture of color, and it seemed that some parts of his eyelashes and eyebrow hair on the right were white. She wasn't sure if she'd let him through her barriers, but she had a feeling they'd go down without her even knowing.
"I thought you'd prove me wrong," She says as he pulls into the fast-food drive-in.
"I just thought why not, you're the first person to actually strike up a conversation with me," He eyes all the cars and people.
"Why is that?" She asks. Her curiosity got the better of her.
He looks over at her once the car is parked, "Wouldn't the boy who thinks he's dead, scare you off?"
"To me, you were always the boy who tried his best to be happy and strong through the waves of pain that crashed into you. I never paid attention to such things, they're rude topics," She answers and rolls her eyes.
"Have you ever met someone and it just instantly clicked?"
"I kind of wish it was that easy with everyone."
"I've seen you around a lot in the school sometimes, even had classes together, so why are you suddenly talking to me now?" He questions her intention.
"I don't know but I saw you alone, on the night of the fourth at a drive-in," She smiles and shrugs, "It's not that I felt bad for you. I felt more drawn to you than ever before."
"I'm not open to people," He looks away from her to hide away any looks of sadness, "It's better being reserved."
He breathes out slowly and looks outside to the crowd of high school graduates nearer to the building. There was a desire in him to be like them, somewhat normal.
"Kai," Dakota speaks in a soft voice and he looks over at her, "I understand where you're coming from. Everyone has problems to get through, insecurities to hide."
"And your insecurities?"
She locks eyes with him as she speaks quietly, "Pretending that everything in my life is okay and that I'm okay."
"It will be one day."
"I really hope so."
Kai starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot before speeding off onto the road again, "I want to show you a place."
"We didn't even order," She slightly yells out and gives him a blank look.
He shakes his head and replies, "This is going to be better than slushies. Trust me."
Kai takes Dakota up to a hilltop where the vast, colorful lit-up town could be seen. He had always admired the small town. It was a place of serenity for him and he was hoping it'd be like that for Dakota. When first meeting someone it should be taken slowly to let the bond between two people grow, but with Dakota, it wasn't like that for Kai. It wasn't like that for Dakota either. There was something in both of them that always wanted to know each other more. Even with their personalities, it was easy for both of them to be around each other. A high pitch streak that goes through the sky catches both their attention, interrupting their moment of looking at each other unsure of what to say. After a while of watching all the different firework shows throughout the town in silence, Kai offered Dakota a ride home which she took.
"Well, this is my stop," She looks out the window to the house before gazing down at her hands, "Thank you for taking me up there—it was really something else."
"Why do you pretend?"
"Is it that easy to tell?" Dakota scoffs.
Kai shifts in his seat feeling hesitant about how to phrase what he would say. After a few seconds of silence he explains, "I don't know about you but I'd like to think we're somewhat similar people. I used to fake being another me who wasn't really me. With time you just need to embrace it. I'm pretty sure neither of us expected how this night would end."
"It's like being around each other—I guess—it brings back the realization of who we really were. We aren't the reserved self we know around each other."
He shakes his head while both his hands go down the back of his head to the base of his neck. He speaks in a low voice, "I can't believe I'm saying this but, what's the possibility of seeing you again?"
Dakota considers his question for a moment before shrugging because she didn't know how to answer him. Instead of avoiding his question, she goes on to ask, "I'm going to do something, okay?"
"Okay."
She takes out a Polaroid camera from her bag and snaps a picture of them. She shakes it once it comes out. After the picture shows up, she writes her number on the back quickly, "Maybe likely. Now you'll have something to remember me by and you can contact me. I look forward to seeing how this friendship goes if you take the chance."
"You don't mind hanging out with the boy who thinks he's dead?"
"Didn't I already prove that to you?" Dakota responds with her own question.
"I guess you did," He answers while suppressing a grin. When was the last time he wanted to genuinely smile? It felt like years ago when he could put up a smile. It was a refreshing feeling.
"I'll see you around," She leans over to hug him.
The hug took him by surprise. It was a strange feeling for him, he couldn't remember the last time he was hugged by someone. When she moves away he could see tears streaking down her cheek, "Why are you crying?"
"I'll tell you someday," She laughs a bit.
"Goodbye, Dakota," He sighs with a content expression on him.
She gives him a quick smile then leaves the car and quickly walks to the door; he stays to see that she made it in before driving off. Dakota wasn't sure if these were tears of joy or tears of sadness. Kai didn't understand how he felt tonight, he'd forgotten the last time he felt so many emotions.