Pandora's Box

Jordan's POV:

"So… Where are you taking me?" Briefly, Angela's eyes flicked at Jordan Catalano behind the steering wheel, only to reattach themselves to the sideview mirror again hastily.

"I know this place, you'll see." Dividing his attention between Angela and the road, Jordan was surprised when his eyes encountered the back of her head instead of her eyes.

Jordan VO: "I don't like, *get* Angela sometimes. Why does she um… keep looking into the sideview mirror, at this Brain-guy? Does she like, know, I made *him* write the letter, or something? I thought we were like, good and all. I thought she like, forgave me for, you know… She kissed me after I like, gave her the letter, so I don't get it."

Long after they had left the street where Angela lived, she kept eyeing the sideview mirror anyway, like she expected something to happen. She took her eyes off the sideview mirror once every while, to just stare at Jordan's lips, maybe expecting something to happen there instead.

Jordan VO: "God, why doesn't she talk to me? You know, she seems like, somewhere else with her mind. I hate this silence, it doesn't feel right."

"You okay?" It nerved Jordan out that Angela hadn't spoken a single word since they left. Normally, she'd talk so much he had to cut her off by kissing her.

Lost in thought, Jordan's hoarse voice wasn't able to bring Angela back to reality.

Illuminating the dark, grey road ahead, the car cut through the woody environment.

Near a curly, iron gate, separating the forest from the concrete, Jordan pulled the car over. The lack of soothing engine sounds finally startled Angela from her thoughts.

"Oh…" Abruptly, her head shot up and her eyes took in the unknown environment. "Why'd you stop?"

"'Cause we're here."

"Where is 'here' exactly?" Huddling towards the farthest end of the door, Angela looked around warily.

Jordan VO: "Why does she crawl like, away from me now? I just thought, you know, I'd take her someplace quiet. I come here sometimes, it's where songs like, come to me now and then. Besides, her mother said it was okay I took her with me, so."

"Pittsburgh Forest, you've never like, been here?" Flicking his tongue over his lips, Jordan eyed Angela coyly.

"Sure, but not at this hour!" A loud laugh, coming from deep within Angela, concealed her fear.

"Look, I just thought, you know… We could like, take a walk, or something." White knuckles clutching the steering wheel displayed Jordan's insecurity.

Then his eyes turned into two portals into his soul again, begging her to put him out of his misery. Her strained muscles relaxed instantly and she looked like a big blob of jelly skidding all over the seat.

"Okay. Let's go for a walk." A brief smile adorned Angela's face before she climbed out of the car.

"Look, we still need to talk things through, you know?" Holding onto Jordan's hand, Angela strolled alongside him.

"Yeah? I mean… I know."

Jordan VO: "Crap, I thought we could just, you know, make out or something. I missed kissing her. But now she wants me to like, talk."

For a while, leafs and twigs crackling underneath their feet, were the only sounds audible. Their thoughts had been put into a natural soundtrack to accompany their evening saunter. Chilly air wrapped itself around their hot breaths, making the oxygen visible by turning it into foggy, little clouds. Beaming through the trees, the moon was glowing like a big, white lantern.

Jordan VO: "She didn't stop staring at me, all the way up here. She didn't say a word, which like, freaked me out. What does she like, expect me to say? I can't tell her anything beautiful, like in that letter, you know? What if I mess it up, like, again?"

"I um… I'm sorry, Angela."

Jordan VO: "The way Angela like, looks through me, with that dreamy look… I guess she wanted me to tell her I was like, sorry. I was… I mean, I am, you know?"

"But it didn't matter, 'cause…

All I could see were like, her beautiful green eyes, staring at me.

All I could like, feel was her tiny waist.

All I could smell was like, the sweet scent of her hair.

All I could like, taste were her lips on mine. Man, did I like, miss kissing her!"

"I hoped she could like, feel, how much I missed her, and how I like, needed her. I wasn't great at words and all, so I hoped my kiss would like, tell her how I feel."

"I know, but thank you, Jordan Catalano."

Jordan VO: "Did that just mean she like, forgave me? Sometimes I feel kinda bad, you know, 'cause she seems like, so easy to please. Like she doesn't expect anything from me, 'cause I let her down before, I guess. But I'm not gonna hurt her again, ever."

Jordan VO: "It's like we opened this box of Pan… Peter Pan, or what was it? We talked about it in school, like, the other day. Opening that box surrounded us with like, huge misery and evil stuff. If I like, had known all this, I never would've made Brain write that letter for me. I never meant to like, drag him in this mess, you know? I should've just told Angela I was sorry. That was like, enough."