Chapter 3
It was the first time in a long time I was able to finish more than one beer off. It was the first time ever I managed to do it with someone besides my druggie 'friends'. But rather with people that were strangely okay with me; Natalie stuck to my side to make sure that was the case the whole time and finished off a beer of her own.
I don't need to tell you guys that I had no childhood. That was the reason this past summer was spent doing fun things with Luke. We went swimming, golfing, camping... we had fun. But I was a teenager. I knew I missed out on more than just having 'fun'. I missed out on being a kid. And I would never be able to get that back. But tonight, I was given an opportunity to try or create the illusion of teenage freedom.
I don't like kids my own age; I can honestly say I am ashamed of this generation, no offense to anyone apart of this generation. But - and only in general - I saw them as selfish, stupid, and not open to seeing past the key pad of their phones. It disgusted me, seeing the future leaders of the world not care for anything but their own thoughts and agenda, about anything besides dragging gossip about shit that was eye roll-able. They bitch about nothing, complain as if they are the only ones that matter.... I couldn't stand it. It kind of made me okay with how they treated me because I wouldn't want to be apart of them.
However, this was the conclusion after observation. I never actually had the chance to go out, have fun, laugh and hang out with friends like they did. It made me mad. Because by the time you are an adult, that chance or time is gone. You need to grow up. And in a few years, I'd be at that age. I didn't have much time to catch up on everything that I missed.
Tonight though, I had that chance. Natalie surprised me by swinging by my house before either Clare or Luke was home and picked me up to go to her cousin's party she was throwing. I was hesitant at first, really nervous. We spent an hour debating over it, sitting on my couch and talking. I knew it wasn't smart. Not because I'm oh so innocent and I didn't want to get in trouble. But because people were coming to hunt down my ass and it's not safe to go out to a party where I didn't know anybody; one of my old friends could be there for all I knew. Not to mention, all the other kids probably would not appreciate Natalie hauling along the crazy girl to the party. And to be honest, it wasn't something I was dying to do. I thought parties wouldn't be something I would enjoy anyway. It would just involve the kids I was ashamed of.
But that wasn't the point, I realized. I was getting a chance to go out and have fun, behind both Clare and Luke's back (and after last night's little chat in the truck, I was more than okay with that). I didn't want to do it just to piss them off though; I wanted to do it because I would be going against them in some fashion. I'd be doing something reckless, if you think about it. And honestly, that was something I needed at a time like this.
Lately, I would wake up in the morning and feel the weight press on my shoulders instantly. Now, I knew that that was fine to come to expect. Especially with the tension with Luke, the fact that people will be coming after me soon, and that we were trying to bust Clare. It was a lot and though I dealt with a lot, I never felt so much pressure as I have now. I went through a lot but I was never pressured over anything because there was nothing I could do about it before. Now though, a lot was up to me to deal with in a proper way. It was becoming a lot and though I knew I could handle it, at the same time, I didn't want to. I was pissed off and have been for so long that I was given this life and that others could be carefree with theirs.
I wanted risk. I wanted something that would pick my spirits up. And though a party was something I was unsure of, I knew it would be interesting and that was enough for me.
With the loud music blaring to the point where I could barely hear Natalie at times speaking to me, I found it to be strangely fun. With alcohol and people that were actually okay to talk with... what could go wrong?
I meet a few people, among what seemed to be at least a hundred there in the big house, including her cousin. I figured her cousin would strangle Natalie for ruining everything by bringing the psychotic killer to her party. When I met her though, I was surprised. She was tall, had straight blonde hair, and was very nice. She didn't even seem to notice that I was 'crazy'. She treated me like a normal person. I did know though that everyone wasn't kept in the dark; they understood who I was. But not one person - not one - tried to start anything with me. Some gave me weird looks but that was expected.
I talked about random stuff with them - more like yelled with how loud the music was. Natalie even tried to get me to dance - which I did for only a minute because I never danced before but it was an interesting experience nonetheless.
The thing I loved most though was that I didn't feel the stress, I didn't feel sad, and I wasn't thinking about all of my problems. It was so... peaceful you could say. I use to have that same peace sometimes when I was with Luke. Where every issue in my life would fade and their would only be that moment and him. It was the same now. Only I actually was able to feel alive. I could feel it in my veins, doing what normal teenagers do. I wasn't home cooking for Clare, thinking about my old friends plotting to kill me, or my future after we busted Clare. I was thinking about what Natalie's conversation at the moment, that I'd have to get another beer soon, and that the country music that sometimes played wasn't half bad.
However, I had sympathy for the neighbors. Especially when we found out just how irritating the loud music was to them.
They called the cops to shut it all down. My night of freedom. I can't be too disappointed though. I did get a few hours of fun, a few drinks, and an experience of being reckless. All that was left was the punishment from Luke and Clare and as bad as this sounds, I was looking forward to that too.
The cops entered the house, the music was shut off.... And before we could find out what was happening to the others, Natalie and I snunk out of sight as quickly as we could, through the back door. We heard angry voices, saw a couple cops move into the house, and before we saw them discover the alcohol, we were sneaking around the back of the house and out towards where she parked her car on the curb. Lucky for us, there were tons of cars lined up along the curbs of the street so we would be fine, blending in. Or so I though.
"The trick is to look like we aren't guilty now. Just walk out to the car, get in casually and we drive," I heard Natalie tell me.
Dummy me decided to go along with that. We walked side by side out from the side of the house in the shadow of trees to the street, where our faces were now visible. Where I not only spotted a cop a few yards away up the driveway of the house, but where that same cop spotted me, his eyes meeting me as I walked.
Once again guys, you know how lucky I am.
I froze in place, right next to her car when I opened the passenger door. I could see him well enough, from where he stood several yards away. He didn't look happy when he saw me; but more just confused and fascinated instead of angry. Standing there, just staring at my wide eyes in that small second, I felt a jump in my stomach. A spark of adrenaline, you could say.
I probably could have pulled off just getting in the car with her and driving away as he continued to stare at us leaving the party he was raiding. Nope. I had to open my mouth and let out a classic line, confirming to him this was me. What can I say, I kind of panicked in the heat of such excitement.
"Aw shit!"
Now, I wasn't sure if he would actually have the balls and that much a copper's spine to bust me and Natalie just over this. But of course, it was his job, what he agreed to do and I understood. I just didn't want to take any chances.
Natalie saw where I was looking and got in the car as fast as she could too, just after I jumped in the passenger seat. Getting in, I watched with strange excitement as Luke just stood there and watched as Natalie started the car and pulled out. The lock of eyes between mine and his broke as she drove, me turning back to watch ahead of us at the empty road. Now driving down the street, I felt a strange sensation in my stomach and I realized it was from laughing hard at what just happened.
"How ironic was that?" I said, laughing hard and looking to Natalie who was also laughing hard as she drove.
"Oh my god, his face was... priceless!"
"That was awesome."
"You and daddy are going to be having a little talk when he gets home later," she said, glancing to me as she grinned through her chuckle.
When she dropped me off at home, we were still laughing. I never felt anything like that. Like the thrill of just being a kid getting caught. And I didn't feel bad one bit. It was fun and I felt a hint of the freedom I always desired. Of course, getting home, I felt the pressure automatically fall back on my shoulders. I still was certain though: it would be interesting when Luke got home.
"Where were you?" Clare was on me in a minute when I walked through the door, smiling. She stood before me at the door, her arms crossed. I felt a small ping in my heart. I didn't like how she was speaking to me. I wanted to believe that she actually cared but I knew she didn't.
"Did you see the note I left?"
"Yeah I did. I don't think it takes three hours to go grocery shopping." Before I left the house at 6:00, I left a note saying I went grocery shopping. It was a clear bullshit story since it was now 9:30 and that particular store we go to is closed. But at least they would know I wasn't taken or anything. I only really left it for Luke when he got home because he'd be the only one to worry. However, I now knew Luke worked late, obviously from our brief run in.
"How would you know? It's not something you ever did, as far as I recall," I said, pushing past her and heading up stairs.
It wasn't only an hour later that I heard the front door open downstairs and I knew that Luke was home. I felt the anticipation fill me as I paused in what I was doing (drawing a picture). Waiting, I heard a few mumbled voices and knew they were talking. She was probably telling him how she was worried about where I was this whole time because I hadn't come home after three hours of grocery shopping. I smirked though, knowing Luke understood that all that was BS out of her mouth. Like she could ever be caring.
I finally heard my bedroom door open and shocker, daddy was home. I smiled up to him innocently and all he gave me was a blank stare, one I couldn't decipher anything from. I still hated that about him, how he could always seem to hide his feelings or expressions like that. I had no idea what he was feeling, thinking....
I put the pad of paper down with the pencil and sat back a bit. Resting my back against the headboard, I outstretched my legs and crossed my arms, waiting for him to yell at him. I was ready and excited already.
"How was your day today, Albany?" he asked nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow and I still couldn't get anything out of his expression.
I nodded and smiled. "Great. I went grocery shopping. You're welcome," I said.
"Yeah, I heard. Apparently, for three hours. And you must have ate all the evidence since you've been home because we're still out of everything."
I shrugged innocently, loving this little game. We both knew the truth here and that I was at that party. "The candy isle took up most of the time. Sue me. And you know how I eat...."
I saw him sigh, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Turning back around to face me, I could start to see an edge to his face. His swift eyes fell on mine again and they were telling enough to know what he was going to say by the time he sat on the edge of my bed. Here it comes....
"I could have busted your ass tonight but I didn't. You got lucky. And I wouldn't have been surprised if you had come home drunk if that party went on any longer." His voice was darker, eyes serious. I smiled and nodded.
"I know."
He paused for a moment, not saying anything for a moment. Watching him carefully, I saw him purse his lips before looking down at the bed. I could see him getting angry - or so I thought. It was all misleading up to what happened next.
"Well... did you have fun?"
I nodded, biting my bottom lip and not being able to hide my smile. "Yeah, I did."
His straight lips tilted up and the start of something crazy happened. He nodded, smiling. "Good. I'm glad you had fun tonight."
I stared at him, stunned. "Uh... what?"
He chuckled lightly under his breath, meeting my eyes with his and they were now completely open. "I'm proud of you. I don't care if it's wrong or not. You had fun, just being a kid. That's what kids your age do and you needed to experience something like that."
"So... you're not mad at me?"
He shook his head. "It was risky and could be considered stupid. But no. I'm not mad at you."
I stared at him. Was he serious? I groaned. "Come on man!" I whined. "Yell at me, tell me I was stupid, tell me how disappointed you are in me!"
He raised his eyebrows and his expression called me crazy. I could understand. Who wants to be yelled at like I was demanding to be? Confused, he just gave me a strange look for a good couple seconds before he shook his head and asked, "What?"
"Yeah! Be mad at me. I went to a party, I drank, I danced... officer, punish me!"
I saw him blush at those last words that I regretted saying without thinking. He gave a small sigh and continued to stare at me for a minute, not understanding why I would want that.
"Why?!" he asked, scoffing at how ridiculous I seemed to him.
"It's part of the party experience! Supposedly, you go to a party and if your caught, you get in trouble. Isn't that right?"
A half smile was still on his face, his eyes lit up slightly at me. "Well yeah, that's what happens. If you do something wrong, you get punished and throwing that party and serving alcohol was wrong. But in your case, I'm happy you did it. You got to experience what it was like. Now, if it was some other teenager, sure I'd be pissed if this was regular behavior for them. But I can't with you. You wanted to go out and feel what it's like."
I get where he was coming from. And I really respected him and was happy he wasn't mad at me. However, that's not I wanted tonight. I wanted the full experience and that includes the 'consequences' to a party and drinking.
"Yeah but I want the full effect."
He smiled, shaking his head. Though he looked at me as if I were silly, in his eyes... I knew he understood. That's what I loved about him. No matter how stupid or weird something sounded, he didn't judge. He looked at it from my point of view and understood why I wanted to experience getting yelled at, even if he wasn't really mad.
"Alright," he said, pausing for a moment to compose his face and preparing for that one second before he turned into 'angry Luke'. "Albany Higgins!" he stood up and looked down at me, his lips tight and his eyes narrowed. "Who the hell do you think you are, going to a party and drinking?!" His voice was full of creative attitude; over exaggeration of everything. His facial expression with his words were just over the top too. "Don't you understand the concept of thinking through something before actually going out and doing it! There are people that want to come after you. In general, it was dumb since you're not exactly the town's pride and joy! Can't you do anything right? And the music that was playing there! God, just terrible. You could have gone deaf listening to that pop shit!"
I started cracking up half way through it and now, I was on my side, my head buried in my arm against the bed as I laughed hysterically. Looking up at him over me, I spoke up through my chuckles. "Hey, some country played too!"
"Well, that makes it a little better," he said in a mumble, eyes full of amusement. "But that doesn't change anything! You went, you drank.... And lord knows the type of guys that were there, hitting on you. Nobody has a damn right!" he yelled and though he was kidding around and I was laughing, I kind of wished he meant that last part; he would have sounded somewhat jealous.
Through my constant laughter, he went on. But not before he asked me in a normal voice through a small sign of a chuckle, "Did you dance?"
I nodded and after I did, he was off again. "Well then! You go out drinking but no, that's not enough. No, you just have to go risk breaking an ankle too!"
By then, he couldn't stop his laughter from erupting and by that point, I was satisfied with that. I was glad he yelled at me even if it was clearly not serious. I wanted to know what it kind of felt like and though I didn't really get the full experience considering he didn't mean it, it was so funny.
I started clapping and sat back up against the headboard, seeing him sit down on the edge of the bed, smiling too when he turned to look at me. He pursed his lips and tried hiding his smirk as best as he could. Cheeks flushing a slight red, he laughed once more before speaking. "Was that good or should I yell at you some more?"
I shook my head. "That was perfect."
It was a fun night. It was clear that it deserved a strange ending but one I was enjoying. The tension between us seemed barely there and it was something I forgot existed before, a time without so much tension. His smile lit up his face and it gave me the same effect that I couldn't hide. It was nice and it reminded me just how great of a friend he was, even if I felt more for him. I forgot the sound of his laugh, a real good laugh. It's been so long since I've heard him chuckle like that, with life and happiness. Staring up at him, I now just realized how stressed we both were if this was the first time in a while we were laughing like this.
He seemed to have read my thoughts with his next words after our laughter faded. "You needed a break. And you still do." He paused, a kind smile glowing over his face. "Christmas is coming up. I want you to relax, laugh, and have fun with it. It's a time of year to spend with the people you love and not the time of year to worry over BS that you don't deserve to constantly think about."
With my head resting against my pillow, looking up at him, I felt my eyes fall from his as did my smile. "It's going to be my first Christmas. Celebrated, I mean. I... I don't know how to act. Or how to... be that way, I guess. I mean tonight was just some crazy experiment. But to actually try and be that way, to feel... free...."
Luke gave me a sad expression, his beautiful eyes swimming in mine filled with understanding sympathy. He leaned down, closer towards me and though the tension was still gone, when he rested his hand comfortingly on my arm, all I could feel was the burn of that contact.
I felt my breath hitch and I tried to cover it as best as I could so he wouldn't notice it. His warm eyes searching mine, he spoke gently to me. "Yes, you do. You acted that way around me over the summer. You changed and became happier, felt the freedom... it's just going to be applied differently this time."
I sighed. "Yeah but it's one thing to feel a little better about yourself. It's another to deal with emotions, with people's emotions towards me, and to react properly to them without feeling like an alien."
His light lips pressed together, pursing as he watched me, taking in my words. His hand still on my arm seemed to move up move, just barely but I could feel it. He looked down for a moment before he spoke again, his voice much quieter and his eyes somewhat hesitant to dance with mine. "You know how to deal with things like that. You know how to react to... emotion aimed at you."
I didn't like my first thoughts that came up from his words as well as how intimate his voice became, his eyes glowed, and how much I liked that. Looking into his eyes, I felt we both knew what those words implied as an example of me showing myself being open for intimacy and passion. I felt myself blush and look down.
Before I was able to form a response, he moved on, seeing the obvious mistake he made in his words, unknowingly letting the conversation end up there. "Anyway, as your first Christmas, I want to make it a good one. And that's going to start with getting a Christmas tree right after vacation begins from school," he smiled.
I raised my eyebrows at that one. Christmas tree? Nearly as unheard of as Candy Land. Either way, I felt myself smile. I was nervous, not knowing what to expect no matter how dumb that sounds, but it would be great too I knew. Mixed feelings on the matter, I knew he was right in the end though. I wanted a Christmas that was worth celebrating, one that I should have had when I was younger. He was giving that back to me.
***
"How much farther back is it?" I asked him, walking through the deep snow with him. The cold of the snow reached my kneecaps, making it hard to walk so far back in these woods. And for a damn tree.
It was a nice enough day, I suppose. The sun was shinning, nature surrounded us as we walked through the scattered trees. Only issue was how cold it was. It brought back bad memories the entire time but I needed to force myself to try to forget about it today. Nothing bad was happening, we were looking for a Christmas tree, Luke was with me, and I was wearing clothes - a jacket, a hat, I reminded myself.
Luke was walking beside me, snow sticking to his jeans with how deep it was too, I noticed. His long black wool coat hugged his body perfectly, the ends of his brown hair brushing along the collar as he walked ahead of me. Holding an axe in his hand, we walked on as he answered me with a glance.
"Not too much farther I think," he said, smiling.
Looking down, I continued ahead with him, just wanting out of this. It wasn't his fault that my mind was stuck in the past. I was grateful for when he began to talk to me. At the same time, I wanted to avoid what he was bringing up.
"Is there something wrong?" The caring and worried note in his voice made my heart skip a beat. The actual words made me internally kick myself. I didn't like how he could always seem to figure me out.
"Hm? No, I'm fine," I said, shaking my head when I looked back up to him. His eyebrows were dipped, those jade eyes finding mine and I couldn't look away quick enough.
"Why do you still lie to me?" He stopped walking and I groaned, turning and stopping as well, glaring at him.
"I want a Christmas tree, not to stand around and talk."
"Well you clearly are trying to get this over with as fast as possible and I want to know why," he said, crossing his arms after he set the axe down. Standing before me, eyes in mine, he just waited. I scowled as the most appropriate response came to me. Staring off to the side, I didn't know what to say. I didn't have an issue telling him but it would piss him off and I didn't want that.
After nothing but his stare and silence between us, I sighed. "You'll get mad."
He raised his eyebrows. "All the more reason to tell me," he said softy, looking me over and waiting.
I sighed. He knew some of the things she did to me. But that's when I told him before he ever fully believed me. I didn't like talking about this stuff now, when he knew that everything I was saying was true. He couldn't stand me getting abused and this would only make him upset. But that's why he needs to hear it, like he said.
He's trying to get over his hidden failed marriage. He loved Clare and even though he found out the truth, his feelings for her just don't go away instantly. He hated her but at the same time, it was painful for him because he use to care for her so much. Now though, I had a theory that he wants to hate her even more to try to get over her that much easier, if that makes sense.
I bit my lip and took a deep breath before I spoke. "I don't like being out in the cold for too long, especially the snow. Clare... she use to show me these videos from the Holocaust. The Nazi's would make the Jews stand outside for hours in the middle of winter for roll call; if they moved, they would be shot. And that's what Clare made me do. She would make me stand out in the backyard for hours, freezing. Sometimes I could wear most of my clothes, other times she would make me go barefoot for a shorter amount of time. She would tell me if I moved at all, I would be punished. And I was if I moved. I learned not to move, do anything. So I would just have to stand there. So that's why I'm not too fond to be out here."
He just stared at me, his expression showing anger, obviously. But most of all, just overwhelming sadness across his broken face. His lips set in a tight line, his eyes shinned in mine with pain, with understanding and at the same time, hate over what Clare did to me. He looked down finally and slowly shook his head, disgusted. His bright green eyes found mine again.
"We will take her down. But I don't think there is anyway to make her suffer the amount of pain that she has already inflicted on you. And I can't stand it. Because no matter if we lock her up, you still are so scarred from her...." he shook his head again, scowling.
"I know that," I said, pursing my lips. "Now, lets go," I smiled, trying to get the mood back up a little. "I want to find this perfect pine tree and convert it to a Christmas tree," I said, walking forward again, knowing he would follow behind me.
As we walked on through the snowy woods, my thoughts were interrupted but something hitting me square in the back. It didn't hurt but by the time I turned around to see what it was, I saw a smirking Luke, acting as if nothing happened, the axe in the snow and leaving his suspicious hands free. I realized what it was.
Staring at him with my eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Did you... did you just throw a snow ball at me?" I wasn't sure why he would do what he did. Was he suppose to be kidding around?
He shrugged, stopping again as he faced me. "Well, you don't like the memories that come to you when you are out in the snow. So," he said, bending down and burying his hands in the snow, packing together a tight ball of snow before he rose and faced me. "We will make new ones." He threw the ball at me and before I could react, it hit my chest and shattered into smaller pieces, falling back to the ground.
I could only stare at him for a minute. What he was doing was really sweet. I never did it before but why not start now? "Are you picking a fight?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"What do you think?" he said and before I knew it, he was getting together another snow ball. One I planned on avoiding this time. I chuckled and moved quickly off into the trees more, trying to get away before he hit me again. This would be fun.
Hidden as best as I could be behind a tree, I moved down towards the ground and made my own snow ball. It was really actually kind of cool, how you could just pack snow together and it would stay. I never made anything in the snow before so this was somewhat fascinating to me. But no time to be 'caught up in the moment;' Luke needed to go down.
Looking around the tree, I saw him start to run towards me with a snow ball and I squealed as I threw mine at him and it hit his leg. By the time he got to me, I was running from him, laughing as I scooped up more snow, packed it together, and turned around and threw it at him. It missed him but when he threw his snow ball at me, it hit me in my side and I could feel the excitement run through me, the fun we were having. And I never felt like such a kid before.
"Is that all you got?" I yelled back to him as I ran back and around a bush, kneeling down and getting together two snow balls. Looking around the bush towards where I figure he'd be, I didn't see him. Looking around for him, I still couldn't see him. Standing up, ready for him, I scanned the area a bit more but it wasn't until I heard a whisper come from behind me that I knew it was too late.
"This is all I got," he said and I whipped around to face him, only to get a huge handful of snow thrown at me, drenching over me and though it was cold and some got on my face, I loved this. Laughing, I threw the two snow balls at him and because he was too close, they didn't have much of an affect.
"You ass!" I said, looking down at myself as I laughed.
He smiled to me, his jade eyes lighting up in the sunlight shining down on us and his lips parted, his teeth shinny as well. "I can make it up to you," he said.
"Liar," I smirked.
Without a word, he guided me over through the trees to an open space. Smooth planes of snow, he stopped and turned towards me. "Do you know what snow angels are?"
I shook my head, confused on what he was talking about. He tried hiding his sad expression and tried forgetting the fact that I didn't know about... well, whatever it was he said. Snow angels? Waiting for an answer, he explained it to me.
"It's when people lay down in the snow and spread their arms and legs out and in."
Staring at him blankly, he moved back from me as he still faced me, his back to the snow as he smiled. "I'll show you," he said and let himself fall back into the snow. Curiously, I watched as he was laying flat on the snow, interrupting the smooth planes with his body. But he showed me what he meant now. "You move your arms and your legs like this," he said, moving his arms out from his sides and then sliding them back in to his sides. He did the same with his legs and I couldn't keep myself from chuckling at him.
"You are in a very vulnerable position. I could mistake that as some sort of mating call for a bird."
He laughed, looking up towards the sky before back to me. "I'm making a snow angel," he defended.
"I see a foolish looking man making strange movements in the snow, not an angel."
He smirked before speaking up again while he continued that movement. "You do what I did. Trust me, you'll love it. When you are done, you stand up then you see the angel."
I smiled and nodded. This would be interesting. "Okay. So I just fall back?"
"Yep. Just fall back and do what I'm doing," he said.
I did as he said, turning around with my back to him. Falling back, knowing the soft and thick snow would catch me, I landed right on my back, a few feet from Luke next to him. The coldness of the snow now surrounded me but it didn't really bother me. It was a strange feeling, being held up by snow and making an indent in it like we were.
Glancing over to my side towards him, I saw his eyes find mine as he stopped his movements. I smiled and began moving my arms and legs like he was doing. By the time I did it a couple time and Luke said I was done, I looked back to him after a minute and said, "This was fun."
Luke nodded, looking up at the sky with me from where we continued to lay. "I haven't done this since I was a little kid. It's nice returning to that," he said softly.
I bit my lip. I knew that was part of the reason for doing this. I mean yes, he wanted to show me what I've missed out on and show me it was time to get over those bad memories every time I just go out in the snow. But he also had issues like me. He's childhood was cut short with his own bad memories. After his sister was kidnapped, he told me he refused to continue to have much of any fun. He owed it to his sister he said since it was his fault. Only now is he was beginning to revisit the times he also missed and right now, I knew we both loved this. We both felt like kids again and it was so refreshing.
After a few more minutes, a joke, and savoring this moment, replacing my past with this, Luke carefully moved off to the side as not to disturb the pattern of where he was laying before. He walked over near me and offered me his hand and helped me carefully get up so I didn't ruin it either.
Standing up and brushing off some of the snow, I turned back towards where we were laying a moment later and I felt my smile grow at seeing the indent in the snow match that of tow angels. It was actually rather neat and I looked up at where Luke was standing next to me.
I realized now that it was like all that tension was gone, that we were friends again. And I loved that. It was like all our problems were forgotten and all that existed was the beauty of my bad memories fading with every second and new ones being made like he said. I could only hope everyday could be like this between us now. With no more tension and just our friendship in action.
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Hey guys, not too sure on how I did with this one. Please tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it :)