Falling in love again by Adrian Alie
Your gentle eyes calm me as we lay side by side, our legs tangled together so we don’t break apart. The humming of the A/C fills the hot air, working hard to save us from the smoldering summer sun. As my honey eyes explore the cramped room, they leap from the rainbow pride flag waving by the window, to the bunk bed, where my soft hoodie I gave you lies, to the grainy, wooden shelves with your favorite dystopian stories. I smell the comforting scent of your touch, with hints of wood, as I watch you lay your head on my chest, your golden hair flowing down your back. Your lips forming a soft smile. My body freezes so I don’t disturb the silence floating around us. A gentle warmth fills me, but not from the summer air. It makes my stomach flutter like I’m crushing on you all over again, like I was two years ago. The taste of your lips still lingering on mine as your lake-blue eyes softly shut, leaving me to protect your loving soul. I pray to the gods I never believed in to make this single moment last forever. But like all good things, it comes to an end when I feel you slowly sitting up, and I keep my arm wrapped around your waist, clinging onto the moment we shared. You leave my embrace, and get ready to go join your family for dinner, and I follow right behind, hoping to go back to this perfect moment.
As we leave the cabin, the humid air fills my lungs, and as we walk through the woods to go back to the main house, the smell of body odor and grilled meat drifts through the air. On the deck, your mother stands by the grill, sweat dripping off from her body due to the summer sun. You ask to go swimming at the boat dock so we drive over. When we arrive, there’s a rusted post emerging from the ground holding life jackets, but only one for adults. I put it on since I can’t swim properly and step in the water. The contrast of icyness and the heatwave makes my body shudder, and I dive in further, driven by my melting bones. You follow behind, and I notice your shirt on the ground, exposing your muscles. I try not to stare, but catch the glimpse of your back glistening when you come out from swimming underwater. My face turns crimson and I bite my tongue as all my thoughts threaten to show just how badly I need this. Need us. I step closer, my toes barely touching the bottom, and my heart drops. I try to swim back to shore, but it just looks as if I’m splashing around, unable to escape the feeling of dread coming over me. Before I can pretend I’m fine, like I normally would, you wrap your arm around me, and help me get to shore, remembering my phobia of deep water. My hands tremble, my heart still racing from the anxiety. We agree to go back to your place, and I remove the dripping life jacket, my clothes underneath drenched. I grab my Stitch themed towel and put it on the seat to protect your car, not wanting to cause anymore problems for the night. As we drive there, you put your hand on my knee. Showing once more just how much you care, like you always have.
Later, we lay back down on the bed and I feel your arm wrap around my waist, my face buried against your beating heart. In this moment of the summer day turning to night, you hold me, keeping my heart guarded from the horrors coming to life. The warmth from before returns, but this time I recognize what I’m feeling deep down while my gut flies with joy. This is love. Not the crap people use against you, but the feeling of being chosen by someone with no expectations of you feeling the same. This is love, like in fairytales read to kids to encourage them to find their soulmate. I shut my eyes. Embracing the moment. Time feels as if it has frozen just for us. You kiss my forehead softly and watch over me as I rest in your arms with your gentle eyes.
Adrian Alie is a rising senior at Baxter Academy, and they are hoping to learn more about the person that they want to become. They are a writer, singer, gamer, reader, artist, and love to advocate for the people they love in their life.
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