Eight Letters. Three Words.

Eight Letters. Three Words - Epilogue

Epilogue

Leela’s head was nestled between her hands, “I can’t believe we…” She stopped mid-sentence.

“Lost?” I offered.

She rewarded me with a small glare, “Yes! We lost!”

We were nearing the end of the season; this Saturday Rams High’s football team had played against a school whose name I had forgotten. The only thing I remembered was the ugly shade of yellow their uniforms were, and the tendency they had to kicking our players.

“It’s not the end of the world,” I tried reassuring her, “Ethan played well, he scored our only goal.”

That seemed to perk her up, “You’re right, he did! My boyfriend scored the goal!” She then made a giggling sound before turning away to look for him. Giggling ought to be considered illegal.

Hands spun me around suddenly, and Dylan planted a kiss onto my laughing mouth.

“I’m sorry you didn’t win,” I told him, letting my hands brush along his face.

He squeezed me tighter, “You always say I’m not perfect. I guess you’re right,” he laughed.

I kissed him again, this time letting my fingers slide inside his hair. He made a satisfied noise in his throat, and kissed me back harder.

I came up for air, suddenly aware we were in public, “You are perfect,” I told him, “or at least you’re pretty close.”

“I’ll remind you of this the next time you say otherwise.”

I began to laugh, but it caught in my throat as I came face to face with Brendan. Who’d been standing beside us, patiently waiting.

“Good game Dylan,” he offered his hand, which he shook, smiling lightly.

He nodded towards me, “Chloe.”

I went for a small smile, “Hey.”

The smile he offered before turning back, barely reached his eyes. But we had gone from despising each other, to a relaxed and harmless relation. Inside of me, something knew things with Brendan would never be the same. The scars went far too deep. It was a burden we’d have to carry throughout our high school. One of the many bumps in the road ahead of me.

“Chloe!” Leela bounced from nowhere, Ethan attached to her hand. “Are you and Dylan coming to the post game party?”

Confused I asked, “But we lost.”

Ethan shrugged, “So? It’s still a party.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning himself a light punch from Leela.

I leaned back, looking for Dylan’s touch. Then shook my head, “We’re not going.”

“We’re not?” he whispered in my ear.

I shook my head, and turned around to face him. Resting my hands on his chest, “We’re going somewhere else.”

Ethan chuckled behind us, “Have fun wherever you two decide to go,” he stirred Leela away. But not before she turned around and urgently whispered, call me! Don’t forget!

Dylan hugged my waist, “Where are we going? The ice cream parlor?”

I shook my head fiercely, “You’re not going back there,”

Confused he asked, “Why not?”

“I don’t like how the waitress stares at you.” I said simply.

He laughed, and pulled me closer against his body, in a warm embrace.

“Besides you always choose where to take me. I’m choosing today.”

I could picture him smiling, “And where is that?”

“I’ve always wanted to watch a sunset…”

He opened the car door for me, and ushered me inside, giving me a pointed look when I deliberately ignored the seatbelt. He drove like always, gracefully stirring the car towards an isolated area where we could see the little town beneath us.

I got out of the car, and couldn’t suppress the little gasp that escaped from me. The sun was setting down behind the horizon, the ending to this day. Shades of blues, purples and reds decorated the sky.

“Dylan?”

He was right beside me, as lost in the sky as I appeared to be. “Yes?”

I looked up at him, “I love you,”

He sighed, “I know, just as I do.”

I hugged him then, and watched as the last sun rays hit the sky; signaling the end of the day. The moon took the sun’s place, and like a silver plate, smiled down at us. I didn’t know what Dylan was thinking, his face was inched upwards, staring at the moon.

I urged to reach upwards too, feel what it would be like to live up there. But I realized then, I was already there. I was half way between the ground and the sky, not falling, but neither soaring. I wasn’t alone though; Dylan was with me. Both of us, together, in that realm where fictional characters are kept after they live their happy ending.