Dreams Or How I Live My Life in Daydreams

Strange Magic

Nara pulled up into the recreational park.  From the creases on her forehead, Autumn knew her best friend worried about her.

The redhead scaled the volume down on the satellite radio.  "You sure you don't need me to stay for backup?"

Autumn nodded.  "I'm sure."  She jerked the door open, turning sideways in the seat, her feet planted on the pavement.  

"Call me if anything comes up," Nara called after her. 

Autumn smiled, hoping to assuage the girl's fears—and her own.   "I will."

The garment bag swathe over her arm, she stepped out of the car.  Mouthing she would call later, she turned and headed towards the creek where Maddox said he'd be waiting, her throat constricting.

As she trekked through the pebbled trail-way, she stopped to inhale the rich scent of fresh-dirt and wet grass to calm her nerves.   Her heart hammered in her chest.   Past the trees,  she saw him.

He stared out at the creek.  A puff of white smoke drifted in the air.  

Halting in her steps, Autumn's mouth dropped.  "I didn't know, you vape?"

With a jolt, he spun around a black e-cigarette Pod clenched between his fingers.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he countered.

Intrigued by his statement,  she approached him.

Frozen in place as she sauntered towards him,  Maddox's gaze swept over her curvy figure,  his eyes focusing on her hips swaying gracefully like a dancer.  Shakira was right.  Hips don't lie.  His mouth went dry. 

The heat bearing down on her, Autumn wiped a lock of her hair,  sticking to the side of her sweat-slicked face, away. 

They stood face to face.  Her eyes pierced him in an unspoken challenge.   "Oh yeah.  Enlighten me, then."

His eyes lowered to her lips, the urge to kiss her harder to resist.   He turned his attention back to the creek.   "I... I," he stammered,  at a loss of what to say. 

"You what?" she said. 

He faced her, drawn to her pouty mouth.  He inched forward.  His breath quickened.   He touched her face,  stroking her hairline.  Her lips parted,  her eyes questioning.   He drew back,  his head bowed.

A crunch of a twig startled him.  He lifted his eyes, shocked to see Autumn standing in front of him,  their faces mere inches apart. 

She raised her hand to his face.  He seized it, a battle waging in his mind.  Now or never.  He pulled her towards him.

Autumn's eyes widened.  Is he going to...?

Their lips smashed together,  noses bent, teeth colliding. 

As quickly as it began,  it ended.  He eased away,  his breath shuddering.

Autumn's lip smarted.

Whenever she imagined her first kiss, it wasn't like this.   Flowers didn't sprout,  rainbows didn't shine, and birds didn't sing.  It was clumsy and sloppy.   Yet,  she couldn't help but smile.

His hand flew to his mouth in shock.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," Autumn said, blushing.   "I didn't mind."

He smiled a toothy grin.   "I'm glad."

He noticed the bag draped over her arm.  "Is that the dress you're wearing to the dance?"

Her eyes followed his gaze to the bag.  "After a few tweaks, it is," she replied.

Gingerly, he took her hand, his palms sweaty.   "I'm glad you didn't change your mind about going."

Her eyes dropped to their threaded fingers.  If someone told her she and Maddox would be in a situation like this,  she would have thought them crazy.

With rumors swirling about them, they added more fuel to the fire with that kiss.  She felt taken aback at the strange turn of events her life has undertaken.   It was as though she woke up in an alternate universe.

"So," she said,  trying to keep the edge off her voice.   "What do we do about the rumors?"

He snorted,  rolling his eyes.   "Let them talk.  I don't care."

The words stuck in his throat when he saw fear spike in her amber eyes.  "Do you care?"

She let go of his hand.   "It's just..."

The words she needed to describe her trepidation was lost to her.

"You're not used to the attention.  I get it."

Nodding, she dropped her eyes to the ground,  shuffling her foot on the dirt.  He nudged her chin, urging her to look at him.   She met his eyes.   "I won't let anything happen to you," he said.   "I promise you."

She furrowed her brow.   "What do you mean?"

His jaw tensed.  Dante's threat hovered over him like a dark cloud.   "I'll do all I can to protect you," he said.  "That's all."

He looked up at the late afternoon sky, bathing them in its orange splendor.

Autumn gasped at its breathtaking beauty.   "It's beautiful," she said.

Maddow took in the sight of her,  her eyes wide in awe and wonder.   His heart swelled.   "Yeah," he mumbled.

Arriving outside her house,  Maddox set the gear in park and shifted at an angle.   He took Autumn's hand in his, raising her fingertips to his lips.  His lids hooded as though intoxicated,  he planted light kisses on each digit.  Her face flushed.   She eased away from him, fumbling with the door handle.

"See you tomorrow at school," he said,  his voice strained.

"Tomorrow is Saturday," she said.

"Oh," he pursed his lips then chuckled.   "Can I see you tomorrow?"

She nodded.

"I"ll call you."

"Okay," she replied.

She stepped out of the vehicle onto the sidewalk.  Waving as he drove off,  she spun on her heels to an audience of her mother and brother standing at the front door.   Her arms folded, her mother arched her brow while her brother stuck out his candy-stained tongue,  gagging.

How much did they see?  Autumn wondered, her face heating.

"Who was that?" her mother said.

Autumn chewed her lip, the awkward kiss fresh on her mind.

"Remember that classmate I told you I was helping with studying?" she said.   "That's him.  That's Maddox."