Chapter Five
Exploring is good for the soul. At least, that is the family's philosophy on the matter. Exploring gets the body moving, the mind seeks out things that are new and things hidden. Seeking Does that have to do with the fact that we know when we are going to die? Most definitely.
It is even better to explore nature. When you can escape into the untainted earth, it is beautiful. Trees feel different. They feel stronger and protective. There's fresh and crisp air. Energy from the eath flow through you. The fallen leaves serve as a reminder of death and how it's purpose is to nurture the next generation.
That's why I was exploring the woods with Reid. I want to show him what the purpose of ourselves is at the end. If he could even understand what I was trying to do, well, the juries still out there. But I like to think that in a few years he'll remember this and realized what I was trying to do. I hope he will at least.
Reid still followed me, occasionally asking if I knew where I was going, or if I knew how to get back.
The answer 'no idea' as to where I was going. The truth there was a path of younger trees that had started when I left the road. Did I tell him I was following them, where is the fun in that. But I wasn't lying when I said I knew the way back.
It wasnt necessarily a straight path either. It felt like there were turns and other paths that branched of suddenly. Almost like someone, decades ago, had been looking for something, but couldn't find it. Or maybe they found what they were looking for and were trying to cause confusion.
At thirty minutes Reid was concerned about my determination to continue forward.
"No, I'm fucking exhausted!" Reid snapped when I asked if he was scared of the dark.
"Why the fuck did you come with me?" I yelled after stopping and turning back to him.
"I thought I was gonna get laid!" He stomped closer to me.
I raised an eyebrow at him, which he may or may not have seen given how dark it was getting.
"What did you think I was magically going to change my mind once we got far enough?"
He shrugged, "I was kind of hoping, yeah. Also didn't care to be lectured by Caleb for letting you go out alone. Woods aren't necessarily the safest places at night."
There was a barely hidden scoff when I asked if he needed to take a break before we headed back. This was followed by him turning and beginning to walk the way we came. The leaves crunched under his feet and then the whoosh and muffled thud of him landing face first on the ground.
"SHIT! REID!" I ran over to him. He groaned as I kneeled next to him. At least he wasn't too hurt, probably.
"That did not just happen," he groaned out as he rolled onto his back. "I will pay you to never tell anyone about this."
He was sitting up now. I was silently laughing as I watched him.
"Yeah, yeah laugh it up."
"You okay? Want to take that breather now," I my voice strained as I tried not to laugh.
"I mean, we're already here."
So I sat in a more comfortable position, mimicking him as I too sat with my legs out in front of me. Casually, I flashed the light to our surroundings for a few moments. More bored, and realizing that I wish I had water or a snack.
"Seriously, don't tell anyone," he said after nugging my leg with his.
"I'm telling everyone," I said with a grin.
Next thing I know, I'm being tackled onto my back. I'm laughing, because really, I was expecting some form of bribery again. Reid looks super proud of himself, having me on my back one arm pinned down.
Without any hesitation, I used my free hand to push against his shoulder, I used my leg to push his hip. In a blink of an eye. I was startling his waist, my hands had his for arms pinned to the ground. I was laughing even harder now, Reid was chuckling along with me. When I did get my laughter undercontrol, I sat back and glanced around us. Keys and flashlight where somewhere nearby.
Seeing a glint of something shiny about four feet away, I started to crawl off Reid towards it. His warm hands on my thighs had me moving back to look down at him. He moved his hands behind, pushing himself up. I giggled once, before moving my head down to meet his waiting lips.
We both shot back a second later.
"Fuck!" He yelled.
That was a little to strong to be static shock.
"Maybe we should head back now," I was already crawling off him and towards my keys.
I heard a thud and groan from him. Flashlight in hand, I flashed the light towards him. He was on his back, again, his head tilted to look at me. It felt like he had a tilt in his head, like he was waiting for the answer of an unasked question.
"One more kiss?" He asked sincerely.
"Hmm, let's get out of here first, yeah?."
Almost thirty minutes later we heard the sound of rubber on pavement up ahead.
"Did you memorize the way there?" He asked as he finally saw the road a minute later.
"Don't be ridiculous," I scoffed. "I followed the path of the trees."
He stopped walked, "Path of the trees?"
"Yea," I nodded as I continued to walk to the road, "The smaller ones made a path. You were not a boyscout, were you?"
The walk back to Nicki's was in silence. Reid held the door open for me as I walked in. I went back to where Sarah and Kate were still sitting, Tatum with them, waving her hands about, excitI mentioned in her voice.
I was three or four feet from the table before Sarah noticed me, "What happened to you?"
The heads of the others snapping towards me as I took the last chair at the table to sit.
"Reid's afraid of the dark and he tripped and was not happy about my laughing at him."
When Kate demanded details of where we were and what happened, I gave her the cliffnotes of most of it. And by the time I was doing a detailed discription of how he had tripped, obviously over exaggerating, Reid placed two cokes in front of me before picking me up by my waist to sit down and bringing me on top of his lap.
"Okay," I said confused, but grabbed a coke and took a sip from the straw.
"What?" He sounded offend, which given the looks he was getting from the girls. "It's packed, I'm not going to try and find another chair."
I understand their concern, I really do. Ladies man Garwin manhandling a sweet seated girl, I get it. But he's exhausted, I'm getting there. He also bothered to buy me a drink. It was Friday night, the bar was busy with people and movement. Besides, he wasn't completely uncomfortable.
Shortly after that, Rosemary and Tyler made their way back to our table. Reid just happened to acquire Tyler's keys. But being that it was just past ten pm on a Friday, he decided that he wasn't going to take me home just yet. Who am I to complain. Not that I'm complaining. I just thought that he was tired. Wouldn't blame him if he was. First the two hour swim meet then, me dragging his sorry ass all over the woods. It's been a tiring day for him.
But instead he brought me to 'the Dells'. The sandy, beach like areas just before you reach Marblehead, the cliffs across from the lighthouse. Both of which you were allowed to be around at night.
"Are you still thinking that you're gonna get laid?" I asked playfully, when he parked in a clearing.
"I'm too tired to give you what you deserve," he smirked over at me.
With a head tilted back 'ha', I asked him if I should be flattered or appalled. He just grinned and winked before getting out of the car and walking into the sand.
Naturally, I followed him. Because I am curious by nature and I've been having with him so far so why should it stop now. It wasnt too cold. I mean for the beginning of October it was about where it should be. I was mostly prepared for the cold anyways.
It was a good thirty feet before I caught up to him as he was going up a slight hill. At the top, he stopped and sat down, leaning his back against a log that had been dragged out from the woods.
"The guys and I used to come out here all the time while we grew up, haven't been out here much outside of parties."
"Real shame. This is perfect for star gazing," I said after sitting next to him and tilting up to look at the stars.
"Thought you might like it," he chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
He was warm, even through both our layers I could feel the heat his body was producing. I looked over at him and smiled.
"This is my favorite type of moon," I said after a moment. When he stayed silent, I assumed he wanted me to elaborate.
"It's waxing," I said pointing to it. "I mean aesthetically I like waxing creasants because it looks like there's a smile in the stars."
I felt his body move as he silently chuckled.
"Symbolically I like waxing moons... and new moons. New moons are new begins..."
"And waxing moons?"
"Growth. Spiritually or in other things. Like did you know that it is scientifically proven that we tend to weigh more during the full moon thnt during any other time during the moon cycle. Something to do with gravitational pull and the moons distance to the earth at that time or something. We spend a month growing to that and we don't even notice it."
"So you work at an autoshop, you're fearless, like nature and the moon, and a little nerd." He counted on his fingers.
"Ha, I'm not fearless. I have plenty of fears, but I know that one day, I will die and I don't want to spend my death bed remembering all the things I was afraid to do."
I could feel him watching me as I continued to look up at the sky. His arm still warm on my shoulders.
"Thanks for tonight, Reid." I spoke after a long silence and looked at him.
"Any time," he smiled, his blue eyes sparkled in the moon light.
Slowly I leaned over and kissed his lips. We both pulled back again, a similar shock as the first time. But softer. Reid was pulling me by the shoulders To him when he kissed me again. There was still a slight shock but it felt empowering, like I could feel him beyond what I was touching or what was touching me.
I found myself on his lap once more, my knees on either side of him. His other are held me at my waist and pulled me closer to him. I was clutching his collar in one hand and holding onto the arm as the attached hand caressed the back of my neck.
A loud ringing startled both of us away from each other. It came from his jacket pocket. He pulled it out, panting as he looked up at me. His other hand moved to the front of my neckand I felt his thumb brushing against my lips.
"What?" He said into the phone when he finally answered.
A few seconds later when he hung up he pecked my lips quickly before motioning me to get up.
"Dylan called, said dispatch is sending out a car because a suspicious suv was seen driving up Old Dell Road.