With closed eyes, she leaned against the brick wall and let a cool summer
breeze intertwine with her hair and her skin. It danced around her and
left her tingly, somehow taking all her cares away with it.
"Why are you smiling?" asked a curious voice. Autumn's eyes fluttered open, partly out of embarrassment and partly out of being startled. She hadn't realized she was smiling, and it was not something she was normally predisposed to when no one was around.
"I don't know," she responded slowly. He grinned as if he knew a secret about her and she felt something inside melt. Alone – his attention focused solely on her for the first time, it was something she always hoped for. And now that moment was there, she was struggling for words.
Autumn did the only thing she could do, the only thing his smile could allow her. She grinned back and he took a step towards her.
"It's a nice night," he said, pushing his hair away from his face. She saw his eyes twinkle in the dark night as he smiled again.
"Beautiful," Autumn murmured.
Does he want to talk? she frantically thought.
"So how was your day?" he asked.
Getting better, she thought and smiled shyly.
"Good," she said and meant it. "How was yours?"
Autumn longed for that night again, to relive that moment and perhaps make it even better. Jack and her talked all night, sharing secrets they wouldn't dare tell anyone else. Autumn told Jack about Charles. Jack told her about his father. She confided her dreams of writing a novel one day. Jack shared his dream about going to Santa Fe. Before they knew it, their lips grazed each other. Autumn drew back slightly out of surprise, but found herself leaning forward again.
"That was my first kiss," she confessed when it was over.
"Really? Havoc doesn't kiss you?" he asked.
"He does, but I've never kissed him back," she said.
He smiled and looked up at the lightening sky. They both knew it was time to sneak into their bunks, but Autumn didn't want to go so soon. She wanted another kiss. It had felt so right, so comforting. Not at all like Havoc. She wanted to be wrapped up in Jack's arms. But she knew it was never meant to be. After they climbed down the fire escape and into their bunks they would go back their lives – Jack back to Sarah and Autumn back to Havoc.
"Why are you smiling?" asked a curious voice. Autumn's eyes fluttered open, partly out of embarrassment and partly out of being startled. She hadn't realized she was smiling, and it was not something she was normally predisposed to when no one was around.
"I don't know," she responded slowly. He grinned as if he knew a secret about her and she felt something inside melt. Alone – his attention focused solely on her for the first time, it was something she always hoped for. And now that moment was there, she was struggling for words.
Autumn did the only thing she could do, the only thing his smile could allow her. She grinned back and he took a step towards her.
"It's a nice night," he said, pushing his hair away from his face. She saw his eyes twinkle in the dark night as he smiled again.
"Beautiful," Autumn murmured.
Does he want to talk? she frantically thought.
"So how was your day?" he asked.
Getting better, she thought and smiled shyly.
"Good," she said and meant it. "How was yours?"
Autumn longed for that night again, to relive that moment and perhaps make it even better. Jack and her talked all night, sharing secrets they wouldn't dare tell anyone else. Autumn told Jack about Charles. Jack told her about his father. She confided her dreams of writing a novel one day. Jack shared his dream about going to Santa Fe. Before they knew it, their lips grazed each other. Autumn drew back slightly out of surprise, but found herself leaning forward again.
"That was my first kiss," she confessed when it was over.
"Really? Havoc doesn't kiss you?" he asked.
"He does, but I've never kissed him back," she said.
He smiled and looked up at the lightening sky. They both knew it was time to sneak into their bunks, but Autumn didn't want to go so soon. She wanted another kiss. It had felt so right, so comforting. Not at all like Havoc. She wanted to be wrapped up in Jack's arms. But she knew it was never meant to be. After they climbed down the fire escape and into their bunks they would go back their lives – Jack back to Sarah and Autumn back to Havoc.
