It was a cool night. The humidity of the lake stuck to my skin and made my hair plaster to my face. A loud creaking could be heard from the swing. I moved back and forth reveling the feeling of the wind against my sticky skin and my hair falling into my face with each motion. I imagined I was flying, but gravity kept pulling me back and I tried again. I opened her eyes into slits as I peeked at the lake. It came and went as I swung closer and light of the park glimmered across the black glass. My thoughts were simple as I swung, my shoes barely skirting the wood chips that had long replaced the sand from my childhood days. I was a teenager now, seventeen. A young lady. Yet, I felt like a child again for a few blissful moments on that old park swing. Yet...I felt like I was too old to be doing such a thing; and I was sad.
I wondered what brought me to the park tonight. I guess I needed some fresh air. Life was slipping too fast from between my fingers and I had to take shelter. A shelter deep in my memories. Life was good as a child. Back when there was no responsibility. Everything was fun and new...but now? Now I had to be afraid of everything. Not the dark. Not the boogie man. But things like gas prices, bills, backstabbing friends, rapists, managers, not going to the right college, and failing school. There are too many things to worry about and take into consideration. Too much.
A snap of a twig and the sound of crunching wood chips brought me to sharp attention. I snapped my head up and to the left; ignoring my neck's protest. The boy stood there looking at me as though I was an odd looking stranger. He then smiled a soft beckoning smile and said, "I'm Jonathan."
"I'm Lira." I said after a long pause. The boy was taller than me, but not by much. His skin was a honey bronze and his hair was a stark wavy black. His eyes seemed to glow golden beneath his locks. He wore a tight black shirt and black skinny jeans completed with old and worn converse. He cocked his head slightly, eyeing me eyeing him so critically.
He probably noticed that I was brunette and pale; but not sickeningly so in my opinion. I was clad in simple jeans and a blue sweater; my shoes white sneakers. I became suddenly even more uncomfortable and shifted on the swing. It stopped a long time ago.
"Why did you look so sad?" He asked softly, stepping closer. His hands were shoved into his pockets.
I smiled wanly; "I had a bad test score."
"I don't believe you." He smiled impishly. He took the swing next to me and sat down. I stared at him for a moment wondering why on Earth a guy my age was being nice. Well, a guy without thick rimmed glasses desperate for my attention anyway. He was kind of cute. He was more normal looking if anything.
"Why does it matter to you, stranger?" I smiled a little bit. He laughed.
"We're not strangers Lira. We know each other's names." He gave me a side long look.
"Fine. You asked for it. I'm scared of getting older. I don't like being an adult. It's too hard." I sighed heavily. I felt like such a whiney teenager.
"Ah." He nodded. "You don't like being human."
"No..." I gave him a confused look, "I'm okay being human. I just don't want to be an adult human."
"Well there is no helping that if you're human. You age. If you were an immortal, like say, a goddess, then you wouldn't age."
"Well then, I'll find myself a God." I snapped.
"You already found one." He smiled widely, pointing to himself.
"Whatever." I laughed. Jonathan and I could be good friends.
"Laugh all you want. It's true." He had a tight-lipped smile.
"Prove it to me." I challenged.
"What would you do if I did do something god like? Would you run away?"
"Depends on if it's scary..." I admit, I was getting wary.
"Oh, I was lying anyway. I'm not a God. I'm something else."
"Oh what? A werewolf?" I felt the relief. What was I afraid of?
"Just something." Something in his tone told me to drop it. Was he diseased?
We were silent for a few moments. I started to swing again to hint that I was getting bored. He did the same. It felt very odd swinging with a guy I just met. As a kid it happens all the time; but being two teens swinging at ten thirty at night...it was oddly romantic. I turned to face him and he faced me. Unfortunately he was swinging faster than me and I couldn't see his face the whole time. The more minutes I spent with him, the more attractive he seemed.
"So..." He swung away but came back, "Why are...you here...so late?"
"I just needed...some fresh air...Why are you...out...so late?" I asked in the equally ridiculous manner.
"I'm fishing..." He answered while looking out into the lake. Then with a final high swing he jumped from the seat and landed hard on the grass beyond the wood chips. It was a pretty high jump and I was alarmed for his safety; yet, he was a guy so of course he could do the more physical crap than I, an un-athletic girl.
"Where's your fishing pole Sawyer?" I laughed.
"I don't need one. I just need bait. I then lull my "fish" into a false of security, then strike like a tiger." He said all this while looking at me very dead-pan. I cocked my head to the side wondering what a freak he was, but then I laughed as I got that he was kidding.
But he wasn't.