A/N: Hey guys! I'm updating from a computer at my school right now! I'm not suppose to, but I've been waiting for an opportunity to do something like this! Anyways, this is the last update for a while since my laptop is kinda messed up. Sorry guys. But enjoy the chapter!
As Charlene stood at the sink, washing dishes, Krystal brought her plate from the table and placed it on the counter next to the sink.
"Y'all want me to help with the dishes?" Krystal asked.
"No thanks, Krissy. It's your birthday, so go have fun and do whatever you want to. But keep your phone with you in case, alright?" Charlene replied.
"Sure, auntie Lina. Thank ya!" Krystal said, before hugging her aunt and running upstairs.
Once in her room, the red-head grabbed a small bag and tucked some supplies into it; bug spray, sunscreen, a towel, flip flops, sunglasses, and her phone. She also packed some peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water from the kitchen. Then she searched through her closet and found her swimsuit. It was an American-Flag-styled one-piece with wide straps that went around her neck and crossed in the back. The straps and chest part of the swimsuit was blue, while the rest was red-and-white-striped. She removed her clothes, slipped on the swim suit, and slipped her shorts and t-shirt over it, and put her shoes back on.
Krystal slung the bag over her shoulder and ran downstaris. She grabbed a red apple oout of a fruit bowl, said bye to her aunt Charlene once more, then ran out the back door. She made it to the horse stables, passing a few horses before coming to a stark black stallion. It's name had been engraved on a wooden board that went across the front of the stall, instead of written on a sticker. The inscription read: MIDNIGHT.
"Howdy, boy. You ready to go?" she asked the horse. It nieghed in reply, which she took as a yes. Krystal went around to the back of the stalls, careful as to not get kicked or stompd on by her equine friends. She got Midnight out of his stall, fed him the apple, and saddled him up. She then led her horse out of the pasture and was sure to close the gate behind her. She placed her foot in the stirrup and clambered up onto the dark brown leather saddle. She brought the strap over the bag over her head and laid it on her other shoulder so that it was secure. She then spurred the horse foreward and they took off into through the trees, and towards the lake.
"C'mon, boy! I know y'all are faster that this!" Krystal cried, spurring her horse once more. The horse gained speed, and the ground became a blur of brown and green below them.
Midnight carried Krystal to one of the few very remote, forest-like areas near the metropolitan town of Dallas. Krystal slipped off Midnight's back and allowed the horse to roam and graze on the grass as she took in the view; the land was flat and covered in grass, excluding the few yards of sandy shore that streached out from the lake. This was Krystal's favorite place to go during summer because it like her own little spot of relaxation.
Krystal walked down to the sandy shore, trusting that Midnight wouldn't run off. She pulled out her beach towel and laid it down, then pulled off her top, shorts, and boots. She slathered on some sunscreen, then laid back on her towel, deciding to relax in the sun a little before swimming.
"This- this is perfect." the young girl sighed.
The red-head lay there, lost in the tranquil silence, the only sounds being the occansional movement or munching sound made by Midnight as he ate. But suddenly, the perfectly serene moment was jacked up by a ringtone that was purely the product of a lost bet. A professional-sounding male voice sang:
I'm so cool, I'm so awesome.
This my super cool, super awesome song.
The voice then changed to the person's regular voice, saying:
Just kiddin'!
Now answer the phone Krissy!
Krystal picked up her phone and answered, wondering if having won that bet was a good thing.
"Hey Krystal! How's it going?" a guy on the other end asked.
"Pretty good," Krystal answered. "How 'bout you, Jason?" Jason was and had always been a close friend of Krystal's, and was only a year older than her, currently fourteen years of age. They'd both met about five years ago when he moved to Dallas from some big city in New York.
"Better, now that I'm hanging out with you." Jason replied. It sounded like he was right behind her.
"You sound really close," Krystal commented. She heard the sound of the other phone hanging up.
"That's because I'm right behind you." a voice whispered from behind.
The red-head whipped around to see her best friend Jason standing there. He was wearing a white t-shirt, tan cargo shorts and a pair of flip flops. He sat down beside Krystal, and she pushed him into the sand.
"Hey!" he cried. "What was that for?" He started brushing sand out of his blonde hair, shooting Krystal a glare.
"Because you sneaked up on me." Krystal replied cooly, placing on her sunglasses and laying back down on her towel.
Jason smirked as an idea came to mind. He pulled off his white t-shirt and his flip flops and placed them at the edge of the shore, far from the lake. As he walked to and from the edge of the shore where the sand met the grass, Krystal sat up and lowered her sunglasses, eyeing him suspiciously. Jason caught her stormy-eyed stare with his own light brown eyes. He winked at her and asked:
"Like what ya see?"
That one little question made Krystal flush. In mere moments, Krystal turned even paler than before, then she turned red, like she'd been out in the sun for a few hours instead of a few minutes. She turned away, trying to avoid further embarrassment.
"Why?" she whined quietly, questioning why the universe would want her to be so embarrassed at the moment, much less on her birthday. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms pick her up and carry her bridal-style towards the lake.
"Ahh! What the- Jason what are you doing?!" Krystal cried out. Suddenly, she was dropped into the water. She popped her head back up to the surface, standing in waist-deep water, and grabbed Jason, dragging him down.
"Hah!" she yelled when she came back up. "That's what ya get, Jason!"
Krystal danced around in the water for a few seconds before she realized that Jason hadn't come back up.
"Jason? Jason, come on. This isn't funny. Jason? Jason!" Krystal squeaked when she felt something brush against her ankle. "Jason!" Then she was pulled under. When she got back to the surface moments laters, she was met by the grinning face of her friend Jason.
"Oh my god- you pain in the butt!" she yelled, pushing him back. Krystal turned on her heel and began walking towards the shore. Suddenly, she felt Jason's hand grip her wrist and pull her back in.
"Come on- it was only a joke Krissy! Let's swim and enjoy the afternoon."
Krystal was a bit annoyed, but nevertheless relented, "Alright,"
What followed in the next couple of hours were various games such as splash wars, Marco Polo, and other things. Jason even took a rope he had brought and made a make-shift rope swing by tying the rope to a branch, claiming that it was the exact reason he'd brought it.
"Woo-hoo!" Krystal cried, letting go of the rope and diving into the lake. Jason dove in seconds after making a large splash. It prompted a cannonball war, which immeadiantly followed.
"YOLO!" Jason yelled at the top of his lungs before crashing into the water.
"Cannonball!" Krystal shouted, plunging deep into the lake. She resurfaced and began laughing. This had been the most fun she'd had in what felt like forever. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind and someone's chest press against her back. Krystal could feel warm breath cascading down her neck, and soft lips brushing gently against her ear.
"Let's get out of the lake and have a picnic. I brought some food." Jason whispered. He sounded casual as ever, but Krystal sensed something different in his voice.
"A-alright," Krystal replied, unsure of why he was holding her so close. It made her blush even more than earlier, if such was even possible.
Jason released Krystal, as if nothing had happened, and the duo swam to the shore. Jason searched through a bag he had brought with him, along with a picnic basket. He pulled a blanket out of the bag, along with a sealed plastic pitcher of sweet tea. He spread out the blanket and set down the basket. He pulled out plates, cups, utensils, and various fruits, vegetables, and sadwiches.
Krystal looked at Jason as she sat down across from him. "I don't suppose y'all had this all planned out?" She asked, though it sounded like a statement.
Jason held up his hands submissively. "Alright, ya got me." He reached one hand across and cupped Krystal's cheek, keeping his balance with his other hand as he leaned closer. His thumb continuously traced a curved line along the younger's cheekbone. "I just wanted to make your thirteenth birthday was the best it could be." Jason leaned in closer and placed a kiss on the cheek he didn't have cupped, pulling back after a few seconds. He could feel as Krystal's pale skin warmed and turned a deep pink under his hand.
"Ya know," he whispered, his face still close to Krystal's, "If your face gets any warmer, I'm gonna think you're running a fever." That comment only made Krystal's face grow warmer, and caused the blush to spread down her neck.
"Stop that," she said in a quiet tone, shyness evident on her face along with a hint of a smile.
"Stop what?" Jason asked coyly, inching closer.
"That!" Krystal laughed, gently pushing him back.
"Making you laugh and look like a tomato? Not likely, Krissy." Jason replied.
Krystal giggled and the two returned to eating. As they finished off their food, Krystal hopped up and began to walk back towards the lake.
"Woah, woah, woah- where are you going?" Jason asked, stepping in front of her.
"The lake of course," Krystal commented, walking around him.
"You know you're supposed to wait thirty minutes after eating before you go swimming, right?"
"Yeah,"
"Well then why are you going to the lake?"
"I don't have time to waste waiting around. This is my afternoon- I need to make the most of it!" Krystal exclaimed.
"By risking getting a cramp and drowning?" Jason asked.
"Well what do you propose?"
"Well," Jason drawled out. He took Krystal's hand and led her back to the blanket. "I wrote something for you, and I thought I'd get a chance to sing it for you. Looks like I got that chance after all." Jason grabbed an acoustic guitar from behind the tree they sat under. He had hidden it there the night before, knowing Krystal would come here, they could meet, and he could sing this for her. He started strumming the chords, and seconds after, he began to sing, his voice almost hypnotic.
...
Baby I love you with all my heart.
I want you in my life.
Baby I love you with all my soul.
I need you by my side.
...
Baby you're worth more than gold.
No need in askin' why.
Baby you're the only thing in the world
That money can't buy.
...
You're worth more than platinum,
Or silk, or jewels, or satin.
You're worth more than diamonds.
Your looks- baby, they're so timeless.
...
You're priceless,
You're timeless.
For a man to give you up,
He'd have to be mindless.
...
It's hard for me to understand
How you don't see
How beautiful and wonderful you are.
And how much you mean to me.
...
And I hope that you always know
That's there's no length I won't go.
To keep you safe,
And keep you happy.
To keep you smiling
And keep you laughing.
...
There's nothing I wouldn't say,
Nothing I wouldn't do,
Every single day
Just for you.
...
So don't leave me, baby.
Cause you know it would drive me crazy!
Don't leave me, honey.
You're the only thing that money
Can't buy.
So don't say good-bye,
Just stay by side.
...
'Cause baby I love you with all my heart.
I want you in my life.
Baby I love you with all my soul.
I need you by my side.
...
Baby you're worth more than gold.
No need in askin' why.
Baby you're the only thing in the world
That money can't buy.
...
Yeah, baby I love you.
Baby, I love youuu.
Oh baby...
I love you~
...
As Jason strummed the last chord, a tear slid down Krystal's cheek.
"Oh my gosh...Jason- you wrote that? For me?" the red-head asked in disbelief.
Jason smiled widely. "Yeah, I did."
"But why?"
"Because," Jason said as he reached down and clasped Krystal's hands in his own, pulling her to feet and closer to himself. "I really, really care about you Krystal. I... Well, I think I love you. And what better way to tell you than to sing it when you don't know how to say it?"
"Jason, we're both very young. We don't even know what love is. How do we know when we feel it for someone?" Krystal argued.
"Krystal- love is a feeling. You know when you feel it. And it's something I feel for you." Jason replied, leaning closer. "How do you feel?"
"Well...I don't know. I care about you, too. But I don't know if I love you." she answered.
"Well then," Jason said, his forehead pressed gently against Krystal's and their lips inches away, "Kiss me and find out." Though it was a request, it sounded more like a demand.
Krystal's eyes widened and she blushed heavily. She internally debated on whether or not she should do this. After a few moments, she finally leaned in to kiss him. Although, she could've sworn that she saw a gleam in Jason's eyes as her eyelids lowered; it made something go off in the back of her mind. But it quickly disappeared, destroyed by the blissful haze that entered her head and clouded her thoughts.
"It's probably the sun reflecting off of his eyes," she thought dismissively
Just as their lips nearly brushed against each other's, Krystal's phone rang, snapping her out of her blissful state.
"It's auntie Lina," Krystal said, examining the caller ID. "I should get this." Krystal flipped open the phone and said, "Hello? Auntie Lina?"
"Hey Krissy. Sorry if I'm interrupting your 'me time', but you should get back; it's nearly supper time." Charlene informed Krystal.
"Oh," Krystal said, looking almost crestfallen. "Alright, I'll be right there."
"Good. I should have supper done by time you walk through the front door. Love you, Krissy."
"Love you too, auntie Lina. Bye," Krystal hung up the phone and tossed it in her bag. "Sorry," she said, turning to Jason. "I have to go. I'll see you later, though, alright?"
Jason nodded. "Yeah, see ya later, Krissy." He seemed a little disappointed.
Nevertheless, Krystal slipped her clothes and shoes back on, gathered her supplies and put them back in her bag, then slung it over her shoulder and got on Midnight.
"Ya want a ride home?" Krystal asked, casting her glance downwards towards her friend.
"Nah, but thanks. See ya." Jason said, waving. Krystal waved back, and he continued until she was out of sight. Once she was gone, his smile turned into a scowl and he punched the tree. He cried out in pain and pulled back his hand, muttering curses under his breath.
"So close," he thought. "I was so close, but that old hag had to call and ruin everything! Couldn't she have waited a few more seconds?!" Jason took deep breaths, trying to calm down. "No matter. She'll be mine soon enough. I won't let anyone take Krystal away from me. I love her, and she's mine. It's only a matter of time before we're together. From there, it'll all run smoothly." Jason grinned. "I'll see you soon, my love." he said, before packing up his stuff and heading home.
A/N: Originally, this chapter was 2,716 words long, but then I came back to post this author's note and the one at the top. First off, the song is something I wrote myself. I'm not lying. I wrote it. Anyways, there won't be any updates for a while. I promise that I will finish this story, though. I won't give up on writing it! But I gotta go now before the teacher catches me!
~Ciao!
UPDATE: I came back and fixed a couple things. Those things being that I bolded the song lyrics [instead of italicizing them since it was a guy singing] and separated the stanzas with periods. I tried to use other symbols, but it wouldn't let me. That's it. Anyways, Ciao!
