It wasn't until I reached the top of the nearest hill i realized how little i'd thought it through. Me, sitting there in wet swimwear and a dripping cardigan. I removed the cardigan because it was just making me feel colder when the wind blew. Maybe the top of a hill wasn't a good idea either. I tried to forget about everything but the quite just made my thoughts seem louder and there were too many thoughts to silence them. I groaned dropping back onto the grass. Why did i have to screw up this early? If only i knew what was on the stupid card id know if it was worth it, but i don't so i have to.
I sat there for an hour, maybe more. I knew it was nearing lunch though because i was getting peckish. The weather stayed reasonably nice and sunny and warm enough to stop me catching my death. You couldn't hear the birds singing from here. The silence was almost deafening. I was a city girl without a doubt. Its where I've always lived and whilst i love nature and its beauty there was something about the lights that i loved more than anything in the world. The different colours and that there were so many others looking at them or turning them on and contributing to the perfect sight. Yeah, it was hard not to love.
The quiet was tainted by the footsteps of someone coming closer. I quickly sat back up, readying myself to run like hell if i smelt the smallest hint of overpowering perfume and hairspray. Valentina would have to catch me. I would not surrender to that girl. She would stab me with a stiletto. In the eye. Thankfully for my eyesight this pursuer had dirty blond hair and blue eyes. Oh, and a dick. Instead of being found by Valentina, Phoenix found me instead. I was thankful it wasn't Valentina but at the same time i wasn't thrilled about Phoenix showing up. Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against the guy, i just really, really, really don't want to deal with reality. Phoenix had a plain white carrier bag in his right hand and a smile on his face. He didn't speak at first, just walked and sat next to me and began unpacking his bag. I didn't look at what he had with him. After a minute or two i had a can of diet coke held in front of me and took it with a small smile.
"Think of it as part of my apology" He said to me. I turned to him meeting his gaze but he quickly dropped his. My eye brows tugged together towards my forehead. What did i do? "I'm sorry for almost killing you." A smile creeped onto my face from the way he phrased it. I knew he wouldn't have killed me. Phoenix wasn't the only one there. I'm pretty sure someone would have jumped in, maybe even Ryder, had Phoenix not jumped in soon enough after me to fix his own mess. I know that in the long run its not funny and my rescue without Phoenix is a big what if but I'm alive, bottom line. Phoenix caught me at the edge of his eye line and soon he joined me.
"It could have happened to anybody." I laughed not meaning what i was saying. I know I'm probably the only person in my entire school who cant swim and panics in water. Phoenix knew i wasn't serious and smiled a little wider.
Phoenix was surprisingly easy to talk to. Honestly, i wasn't thrilled about needing to kiss him. I'm one of those people who feel that a kiss should mean something, not just be something you do. Its to show your affection or love towards someone. Its why i always give my family a kiss good night or even put an 'x' at the end of text messages. I always thought it was important and that id always value it. For Christ sake i didn't have my first kiss until a year ago. If that doesn't make a point i don't know what does. To tell you the truth, i don't think ill be okay when the time comes with Phoenix but he sure is making it easier and that help. Just by being with me for a few hours with some crisps and a can of diet coke was enough to ease my nerves but i still wasn't ready, plus there was no use in kissing him on a hill, it wouldn't count.
"Wait, you set off the fire alarm?"
He chuckled. My sides ached from how much i was enjoying myself but it was the best kind of pain i could have. We had been talking about the last day of school. Our teachers let us go early because the fire bell went off and by the time they had done a sweep of the building to check if it was safe they let us go early.
"Me and the guys" His eyes glistened with joyful tears and i was glad he was sharing his stories with me but something bugged me.
"Do all your stories include Ryder and Kevin?" I said what id been thinking. The smile stayed on his face whilst mine had subsided into a mere pleasant look.
"You're one to talk. All of yours include Aria." He rightly accused. I'm such a hypocrite. At least i can admit it. I told him about when i was 8 and I smashed Arias mothers favourite lamp and we blamed it on Ryder who for some reason took the credit, if i an phrase it in such a way. I even told him about the last time i nearly drowned. In a fountain. To be fair i was like 6 and i freaked out so bad i wouldn't wash my hair for a week because i didn't like water getting too close to any part of me i needed to breathe. Even rain made me flinch for a while. Even reminiscing mentally over what id already told him kept a smile glued to my face as i mutter a quiet "That's true" more to my self than him.
"We should be getting back."
"Yes," He cleared his throat. "Who knows what they think were doing." When i gave him a funny look he raised his eyebrows which through the possibility of telekinesis told me that it wasn't so PG. I scrunched up my face at the thought. Not to sound childish but that's kind of gross. I mean, on a hill top? Really? What do they take me for? Anyway we both stood and began on out short trek back to the weeks headquarters. We walked closely beside one another so every so often our biceps would rub against each other but we wouldn't mention it; that wouldn't be right. Phoenix just continued to talk.
"I love it out here." He told me. "I think that on the last night, when all this is over I'm going to camp out back there." He smiled thinking about it. How contagious it was spread to me and i joined him in his happy thoughts."You don't get stars in the city like you do out here."
"No, but you get a different kind of beauty from city lights." i added. Of course i was inexperienced when it came to star gazing. Id never really looked at the stars off of my computer screen. I think the last time i saw a constellation was at the end of disneys Hercules when i was 9.
"True." He acknowledged my input but i expected him to counter it anyway. It wouldn't have been a true love for the stars if he merely accepted what i had to say and look so passionate about his own views. That would have definitely put me off of everything to do with him. "But the stars are a natural beauty. The lights only mimic what the sky had first."
I spent a second thinking. I could see where he was coming from and he made his point well. In fact, i think the only thing he didn't count on was my strong love for the city and above all how stubborn i could be. Nothing he could say would make me budge on my opinion. "So what you're saying is that the city is jealous of the sky?"
"Something like that." Phoenix nodded.
"Don't get me wrong, that was beautiful, but there's nothing behind the stars. They're tiny little things in the sky which provide little to no light where were standing, but in the city every light has a story, you know? Someone turns them on, they could be from anything, for anything, from anyone. There's something about it..."I finished realizing i had little direction with my point. If never really said it out loud.
Phoenix sniffed and i turned my head to him. He raised his left hand to his face and rubbed his index finger off the side of his cheek. "That was beautiful."He fake sobbed as he wiped away an imaginary tear. I shoulder-shoved him, not appreciating the sarcasm of his actions considering we were now walking in to the eye line of everyone our age that for some reason watched us get closer. I walked was a small angle in my steps which got a bit of distance between Phoenix and I so i didn't get any more attention. Few people seemed to lose interest in us and anyone that looked away realized that no one else did and looked back. They were all so dang impressionable. Jeez, you almost drown and suddenly your the hot new topic.
I don't know why i did what i did next, the point is that i did it. I took a few larger steps and stopped a few paces ahead of phoenix who gave me a series of questioning looks when i raised my hand. "Not dead, you know!" i clarified for my audience before adding "or a zombie." I nodded as though it was an excellent point that i just had to make and dropped my hand to wave them away. "Please, return to your hooliganism."
"Yet" phoenix added in my ear. i gave him a quizzical look before i caught on. Not dead-yet. Over his shoulder i saw little miss stiletto and sunglasses herself on a warpath again. Well, that would be my cue. With a smirk on both of our faces, Phoenix took my hand and we took off running towards the big old building.
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Unedited. Hope you enjoyed reading a little more of my story.
I made the picture at the side of Ryder, Terra, Phoenix and Aria and the song is by the talented Shelby Merry.
Thanks for reading