~A Once and Again Series~
Life is What You Make of it
Chapter two/ / Not Just a Kiss
"Grace! What an unexpected surprise - you know there's no play practice today," Augustus smiled gently at her under the damp lights of the auditorium.
"Oh, I know. I just felt I could get some good practice using the stage." Grace felt slightly dizzy. He was just such a great man. Not a boy, laughing and joking over obscene things, but a man who listened to folk music and just exhumed intelligence.
"Want me to read the lines with you?" Augustus seemed hesitant, but sincere, like he really wanted to be here now with her. Grace couldn't believe her luck.
"Would you? That would be great." Grace smiled and dropped her backpack on the floor and walked onto the stage, where Augustus stood. They picked out an act and scene and positioned themselves. They both really got into acting out the play. Grace was amazed by Augustus' acting talent and felt her own talent expanding and growing by just being here with him.
Without conscious thought, they moved around the stage, letting their instincts take over as they sank deeper into their characters. And at the end of the first act they drew near each other as their characters talked about their love. Grace realized just how close they were, only inches apart. Augustus' strong hands grasped her shoulders tenderly.
"You must not leave me here, alone. I love you," Grace said.
"Your love is too strong. I am but a humble man and the power of your love scares me."
"No, you must not say that. My love for you is strong, but your love for me is just as strong. or am I mistaken?" Grace felt tears swelling in her eyes as she felt her character's sadness.
"Oh, I love you, I do." Augustus wiped away a tear making its way down Grace's cheek. His hands were so gentle.
"Then stay with me. Oh, please, please say you will not go."
"I won't go. I love you too much."
They moved without realizing it and suddenly his arms were holding her and their lips with greeting each other with hungry ecstasy. And they kissed. Grace kissed him with passion she didn't know was possible and everything felt perfect. This was where she belonged. Grace couldn't tell how long the kiss went on, but then Augustus was drawing back, and the look on his face was so naked and exposed that Grace had to look away.
"I'm sorry," Grace mumbled.
Augustus shook his head, coming to his senses. "Non, Grace, no. It's not your fault. I. oh, boy. Let's just forget about this, okay? It. It could get me in a lot of trouble."
Grace turned away and rushed down the stage steps. She picked up her backpack and turned back to her teacher, "Yeah, sure, Mr. Dmitri, it never happened."
"Grace."
Grace didn't turn around, just quickly exited the auditorium. 'I'm a fool! I'm an idiot!' Grace kept saying to herself as she began her walk home. Soon her little mantra was interrupted by the sound of a car trailing beside her. It was Augustus.
"Grace, we should talk," Augustus called out to her.
"I wouldn't want to get you in trouble," Grace snapped, but got in the car anyway.
Augustus was silent as he drove the car to the secluded parking lot of an abandoned building. Grace would have laughed if she wasn't so confused and upset. this parking lot was a popular spot for teenagers to make out.
"We were so wrapped up in the play that we acted without thinking-the scene does call for a kiss," Augustus said gently.
"That wasn't just a kiss," Grace whispered, and wished she hadn't. Augustus was giving her an easy way out. They could blame the kiss on the play and what good actors they were, and then things could go back to being simple.
Augustus put his face in his hands and sighed deeply, "It was wrong, Grace."
"Grace turned towards him and waited until he was looking back at her, "It didn't feel wrong." They held each other's gaze for a long moment.
"Grace, I can't," Augustus began, but Grace moved without pausing to think about what she was about to do and their lips met again. The same passion was there. The same intensity.
Suddenly their arms were around each other and they were kissing and grabbing and holding. It was a fury of actions that Grace didn't want to stop. "Oh, Augustus," Grace whispered, and Augustus seemed to realize what he was doing. A look of shame crossed his freckled features and he gently pushed Grace away.
Grace sighed and looked down at herself and realized her shirt had been unbuttoned in their heated embrace. Grace couldn't be sure which one of them had unbuttoned it. Grace looked up at Augustus. He too seemed to be just realizing that, and Grace watched his eyes take in her milky white skin, and the white bra, which Grace knew was slightly see-through. Grace didn't feel as naked and exposed as she thought she would have when a guy saw her like this. No, she felt beautiful and sexy and very much like a woman, and not a little girl - as her mother still seemed to think she was.
"Grace," Augustus whispered and his hands moved towards her chest. Grace's body ached, wanting more of the kissing, grabbing and holding. The intense passion that made time seem to stop and made being close to him the only thing she wanted. But Augustus' hands only began buttoning up her shirt. Grace angrily swatted his hands away and finished buttoning the shirt.
"Oh, Grace, can't you see? It's not right." Augustus pleaded. Grace looked away, out the car window and realized how dark the sky was getting, and wondered just how long they had been kissing.
"I don't care! I don't care!" Grace said angrily, but ended by bursting into tears.
Augustus pulled her into his arms and comforted her. Being so close to him, Grace felt her heart beating overtime, and snuck a peek up at Augustus' face. Yes, she could tell by the look on his face that he was feeling the same. Grace gave him a quick kiss before he could object and whispered, "Just hold me." And he did.
Finally Augustus sighed into Grace's hair, "You should get home."
Reluctantly, Grace agreed, "You know where it is, right?"
"You want to drive you? Do you really think I should? I mean. is that a good idea, considering."
Grace laughed, "Would you rather I walked in the dark, alone?"
"No, no, but."
"Don't worry, no one has to know. You're just my friendly teacher who helped me practice my lines for the play and then offered me a ride home. My friendly teacher who is an amazing kisser."
Augustus laughed and gave her a quick butterfly kiss, "Okay, but let's leave out that last part." He started up the car and prepared to drive to Grace's.
Grace put a hand on his forearm, "But. this thing between us - don't forget, ok? Don't let time diminish what we have. Don't let time put doubt and fear in your head. Because no matter how wrong this thing between us is technically, it is right, and you and I know that."
Augustus thought for a moment. "I won't, Grace, but we have to be careful, no one can know."
Grace smiled happily as he drove towards her house. Suddenly the whole world seemed perfect.
* * *
Life is What You Make of it
Chapter two/ / Not Just a Kiss
"Grace! What an unexpected surprise - you know there's no play practice today," Augustus smiled gently at her under the damp lights of the auditorium.
"Oh, I know. I just felt I could get some good practice using the stage." Grace felt slightly dizzy. He was just such a great man. Not a boy, laughing and joking over obscene things, but a man who listened to folk music and just exhumed intelligence.
"Want me to read the lines with you?" Augustus seemed hesitant, but sincere, like he really wanted to be here now with her. Grace couldn't believe her luck.
"Would you? That would be great." Grace smiled and dropped her backpack on the floor and walked onto the stage, where Augustus stood. They picked out an act and scene and positioned themselves. They both really got into acting out the play. Grace was amazed by Augustus' acting talent and felt her own talent expanding and growing by just being here with him.
Without conscious thought, they moved around the stage, letting their instincts take over as they sank deeper into their characters. And at the end of the first act they drew near each other as their characters talked about their love. Grace realized just how close they were, only inches apart. Augustus' strong hands grasped her shoulders tenderly.
"You must not leave me here, alone. I love you," Grace said.
"Your love is too strong. I am but a humble man and the power of your love scares me."
"No, you must not say that. My love for you is strong, but your love for me is just as strong. or am I mistaken?" Grace felt tears swelling in her eyes as she felt her character's sadness.
"Oh, I love you, I do." Augustus wiped away a tear making its way down Grace's cheek. His hands were so gentle.
"Then stay with me. Oh, please, please say you will not go."
"I won't go. I love you too much."
They moved without realizing it and suddenly his arms were holding her and their lips with greeting each other with hungry ecstasy. And they kissed. Grace kissed him with passion she didn't know was possible and everything felt perfect. This was where she belonged. Grace couldn't tell how long the kiss went on, but then Augustus was drawing back, and the look on his face was so naked and exposed that Grace had to look away.
"I'm sorry," Grace mumbled.
Augustus shook his head, coming to his senses. "Non, Grace, no. It's not your fault. I. oh, boy. Let's just forget about this, okay? It. It could get me in a lot of trouble."
Grace turned away and rushed down the stage steps. She picked up her backpack and turned back to her teacher, "Yeah, sure, Mr. Dmitri, it never happened."
"Grace."
Grace didn't turn around, just quickly exited the auditorium. 'I'm a fool! I'm an idiot!' Grace kept saying to herself as she began her walk home. Soon her little mantra was interrupted by the sound of a car trailing beside her. It was Augustus.
"Grace, we should talk," Augustus called out to her.
"I wouldn't want to get you in trouble," Grace snapped, but got in the car anyway.
Augustus was silent as he drove the car to the secluded parking lot of an abandoned building. Grace would have laughed if she wasn't so confused and upset. this parking lot was a popular spot for teenagers to make out.
"We were so wrapped up in the play that we acted without thinking-the scene does call for a kiss," Augustus said gently.
"That wasn't just a kiss," Grace whispered, and wished she hadn't. Augustus was giving her an easy way out. They could blame the kiss on the play and what good actors they were, and then things could go back to being simple.
Augustus put his face in his hands and sighed deeply, "It was wrong, Grace."
"Grace turned towards him and waited until he was looking back at her, "It didn't feel wrong." They held each other's gaze for a long moment.
"Grace, I can't," Augustus began, but Grace moved without pausing to think about what she was about to do and their lips met again. The same passion was there. The same intensity.
Suddenly their arms were around each other and they were kissing and grabbing and holding. It was a fury of actions that Grace didn't want to stop. "Oh, Augustus," Grace whispered, and Augustus seemed to realize what he was doing. A look of shame crossed his freckled features and he gently pushed Grace away.
Grace sighed and looked down at herself and realized her shirt had been unbuttoned in their heated embrace. Grace couldn't be sure which one of them had unbuttoned it. Grace looked up at Augustus. He too seemed to be just realizing that, and Grace watched his eyes take in her milky white skin, and the white bra, which Grace knew was slightly see-through. Grace didn't feel as naked and exposed as she thought she would have when a guy saw her like this. No, she felt beautiful and sexy and very much like a woman, and not a little girl - as her mother still seemed to think she was.
"Grace," Augustus whispered and his hands moved towards her chest. Grace's body ached, wanting more of the kissing, grabbing and holding. The intense passion that made time seem to stop and made being close to him the only thing she wanted. But Augustus' hands only began buttoning up her shirt. Grace angrily swatted his hands away and finished buttoning the shirt.
"Oh, Grace, can't you see? It's not right." Augustus pleaded. Grace looked away, out the car window and realized how dark the sky was getting, and wondered just how long they had been kissing.
"I don't care! I don't care!" Grace said angrily, but ended by bursting into tears.
Augustus pulled her into his arms and comforted her. Being so close to him, Grace felt her heart beating overtime, and snuck a peek up at Augustus' face. Yes, she could tell by the look on his face that he was feeling the same. Grace gave him a quick kiss before he could object and whispered, "Just hold me." And he did.
Finally Augustus sighed into Grace's hair, "You should get home."
Reluctantly, Grace agreed, "You know where it is, right?"
"You want to drive you? Do you really think I should? I mean. is that a good idea, considering."
Grace laughed, "Would you rather I walked in the dark, alone?"
"No, no, but."
"Don't worry, no one has to know. You're just my friendly teacher who helped me practice my lines for the play and then offered me a ride home. My friendly teacher who is an amazing kisser."
Augustus laughed and gave her a quick butterfly kiss, "Okay, but let's leave out that last part." He started up the car and prepared to drive to Grace's.
Grace put a hand on his forearm, "But. this thing between us - don't forget, ok? Don't let time diminish what we have. Don't let time put doubt and fear in your head. Because no matter how wrong this thing between us is technically, it is right, and you and I know that."
Augustus thought for a moment. "I won't, Grace, but we have to be careful, no one can know."
Grace smiled happily as he drove towards her house. Suddenly the whole world seemed perfect.
* * *