A/N: Guess who just wrote a 16 pages chapter? I hate myself. Also, I tried to make this the most accurate it was possible, but yep, according to the internet The Huron River goes through Ann Arbor where there's an Arboterum that UofM owns. Yep. You can google-image it if you want to have an idea about it :)
Also, EVERYTHING IS FLUFFLY AND NOTHING HURTS.
Chapter 8: The Huron River
Lauren left her A Midsummer's Night Dream copy on the table, and finished her bottle of water. Taking that walk on that Saturday's morning was a wise choice; it had been refreshing. Although it was a little cold, she forgot about it when she put her body in movement. She turned on the radio, checking if maybe Caroline would wake up this way. It was midday already.
She fixed one of the Christmas balls that hang from their ridiculously tiny tree, while she dialed her mom's number in her cell phone. It rang five times before she picked up. They shared a brief perfunctory talk. Christmas, Grace's parents' house, dress neatly; yes, good and you, still working in the Perkins' case, see you there.
Grace was one of her high school friends that she'd meet every once in a while. Their parents were hosting this year's most elegant Christmas party, and she'd have to go. Not that this was a devastating new, she could usually enjoy those parties; but she couldn't recall in her memory to share just a normal intimate dinner with only her family. It was always an excuse for her mom to gather all her clients and make business. This year wasn't an exception; and Christmas was only next week.
Caroline walked from her room dragging her feet and with her eyes barely opened.
"Good morning…" Lauren said, and her friend snarled in response.
"I'm living here to escape from my parents." She said after a moment, throwing herself on the couch. "And yet, here you are."
"You're giving an additional tweak to the brake." Darren explained, walking to the bike, since Rick had almost fell onwards for the fifth time. "You gotta hold it on and then squeeze it some more, and that's it."
Rick put a hand on his forehead to be able to look at Darren, because the sun had risen above them and was currently behind Darren's shadow.
"I won't get it right for this week."
Darren snorted, "Then what do you want me to tell you? Don't do it? You signed up yourself for this Saturday." He said sharply. "You're in this now."
Rick took a deep breath. "I'll practice it once more."
"You gotta control you mind." He explained, his tone a bit softer. "You can't let the machine scare you. That's your only problem, and you know it."
Darren walked out of the road in which they were practicing that day; where Joe was resting against a fence to the side of the path. He had his sunglasses on, but Darren could imagine the disapproval on his eyes.
"He's kinda terrible." He said.
"He's improving." Darren corrected.
He wouldn't admit it, but Joe was right. Rick was pretty terrible. It was ironic, because he most than any of them understood the mechanism of motorcycles. But the panic in his brain wouldn't let him pour into practice all his knowledge. And Darren's tips had helped, but he'd still get on the last place without a doubt.
Rick started the bike and overtook (a little too much) before turning around a corner where a hill prevented them from seeing him. He disappeared for more than thirty seconds, and they started to think that he wouldn't go back, but then he appeared behind that same hill again. He took a long time to brake, despite he made that tweak again.
Darren winced at this. It was still his best attempt.
Rick didn't even look at them, he just turned around and made the same circuit again. He had said that was the last time, but he continued for a while. The guy wouldn't give up just like that.
Joe noted the grin on his face.
"He's kinda like you, right?"
"What? We're nothing alike."
"He might not have your innate talent, but he's stubborn as a mule, too."
Darren giggled. That was true.
There was a moment of silence, in which he had the most intense intern debate; before finally saying with a fake causality:
"You can borrow my bike for one of the races, tomorrow. If you want. It wouldn't be an issue."
Darren knew he was missing terribly the speed; and he also knew that the whole Devin-drama thing was serious game by then. He deserved some minutes of adrenaline; to let go the stress.
"You're serious?" Joe looked at him.
Darren shrugged. "Sure."
Probably the widest smile he had seen in the entire year was drawn on Joe's lips; and the beholden tone of his voice (almost) accomplishes to make him feel guilty.
"Man." He breathed. "I forgot how cool you actually were."
Darren didn't say anything.
It was late already when Julia honked the park from the street that night. Lauren was wearing a blue sweater, a black little skirt, black tights and brown ankle boots. Caroline whistled at her as she saw her, and Lauren shook her head. But she knew she looked pretty. She knew what make up to use to look natural yet glowing for a casual night; and straightening her hair always worked to make a difference.
Caroline looked gorgeous, too. She was the master at rocking a flowered dress, even at night; like if she were in high school.
"I hope you won't abandon me in the middle of the night again." Lauren commented, still slightly upset about that; as they got into Julia's car.
"Like if you'll need a ride tonight, please!" Caroline messed with her from the passenger seat, turning her head back to look at her reaction to this comment.
Lauren raised her eyebrows in a warning that it wasn't funny, but her friend ignored it and laughed anyway.
Julia parked four blocks away, and they walked from there. Lauren was shocked by the amount of people. At some point it was even hard to find a path without pushing anyone from the way. There was a group of guys that shouted and whistled inappropriately as they walked by, but putting that aside, it seemed an enjoyable, fun environment.
"There's Dylan." Julia informed, pointing near the bridge, under the roof an old food stall.
Lauren searched quickly thought the throng of people, but it wasn't hard to find him, there was a long row of people in front of him.
"Stay around here, I'll go in a minute." Lauren said, as her friends nodded her head and walked to Dylan.
She didn't know if she could just do that, but she was in no way waiting for that long row of people to bet just so she could talk to Darren. So she walked directly to the table, where he was with another guy she didn't know. They both were so busy with their tasks that they didn't happen to notice her presence at first. Then the guy next to Darren did. He seemed a bit hyperactive; but he spoke with a gentle voice.
"Can I help you?"
"Hi, yes. Fifty dollars to Darren Criss, please." Lauren said with a smirk, handing him the bill.
This guy whom she'd later find out was called Joey, didn't call her out on jumping to the front of the row and just accepted her money; and Lauren wondered if pretty girls got special treatments in that place. If Darren was in charge, there was a high likelihood.
He recognized her voice at the instant though. His face lifted and he smiled. She noted he was surprised; and this offended her a little. She said she'd go! Did her promises even worth so little?
"You came." Darren said, like if he couldn't believe it. Then he called, "Brian! Hey, Brian! Can you cover me up?"
"Sure." Brian replied, directing a short smirk to Lauren that put her nervous. Couldn't they act normally whenever she was around?
Brian took Darren's seat, and he walked to her.
"Hey," He said lowly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She felt strangely eager to talk to him.
"If you lose, you owe me fifty dollars." Lauren joked.
Darren softly pushed her back with his hand, leading her to walk through the people. His hand placed so spontaneously on her, that she had to ask to herself if he constantly held back those casual touches in order for her to trust him.
"That's not going to happen." He said, and his tone made clear he was serious.
"That's a little cocky from your part." Lauren commented. "Didn't you know that good winners never take themselves for granted?"
Darren let out a sharp sigh, and he looked at her as he replied, "That's probably been my mistake since the start."
She laughed, because she knew what he referred to.
He crouched in front of a hanheld icebox and grabbed two cans of beer from inside. Next to him, sitting down on the grass, there was this guy Lauren knew since he was in Nick's classes, the boy Caroline was helping to study. He seemed very young compared to Darren, despite the difference couldn't be so remarkable. His brown hair was fixed in a very stylish hairdo; but the expression of his face was rather naïve.
"This is Rick." Darren introduced them, handing Lauren the beer. She wasn't the biggest fan of this drink, but she accepted it since it was a special occasion. "Rick, she's Lo." Darren finished, using the nickname which he baptized her the other day, assuring this'd make her look cooler. Rick followed Darren's game, pretending his friends didn't know who she was, when this wasn't the case at all…
Lauren shook his hand, and he smiled to her. She could tell he was very attractive, his body was slim, his shoulders wide and his eyes from the color of the sky; but then again his insecurity was obvious and he looked a bit uncomfortable.
Darren then proceeded to point at the people chatting near them, explaining those were his friends and were helping them with the business, and introducing their names one by one so she could identify them. Thank God she knew most of them, because otherwise she'd never remember all those names. He talked passionately and excitedly about it, his eyes had a special bright, which confirmed that this was indeed very important for him.
"I didn't think there'd be so many people." Lauren admitted, then drank a sip of beer.
"I know, right?" His face lighted up all over again. "It's amazing." He looked at Rick. "And it's Rick's first race, too."
"Is it?" Well, that explained why he looked that nervous.
"How are you feeling? Ready to kick their asses?" Darren friendly punched him in the shoulder with his fist. It was mostly to try to give him some hope.
Rick stood up, first shook her head and then grabbed the can from Darren's hand to drink like ten sips straight. Darren laughed.
"Just stay alive, please?" Lauren said with a frown, observing just in case he could choke from the way he was drinking.
Darren looked at her with a grin on his lips. "You're such a killjoy." He said, messing with her. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen." He subtly leaned closer while he talked, and his hand brushed her arm.
And when he said it, it sounded true.
Darren's phone rang and he read a text from Brian saying that they should start with the first series soon. He chuckled, but he knew he had to go.
"Go get ready." He said to Rick, who took a deep breath. "You can do it! The girls will get crazy for you." He pat his back, and this seemed to encourage him a bit. The guy glanced at Rachel, of course; and then walked to get his bike. Then Darren called Rachel, and the girl seemed kind of upset when she walked to them.
"What?" She asked fiercely. She had a can of beer in her hands as well. Her nails were painted the same burning red from her lips; and a platinum necklace showed mildly under her leather jacket.
"Can you stay with Lauren? I gotta go to start the race." He asked, and the expression on the girl's face switched to a smile as soon as he mentioned her name.
"Hey, we haven't properly met." Lauren could only force a smile before she talked again, "Of course I'll stay with her. You go do your shit."
Darren looked at Lauren again.
"You won't escape, right?" he whispered, grinning lightly.
But she didn't give him an answer. She mocked the phrase he said instead, "I hope the girls get crazy for you, too."
There was a dash of jealousy on her tone again; but this time, it was intentional. Darren laughed.
"I'm waiting for just one to do it. But who knows? Tonight might be my lucky day." He shrugged; and she shook her head, laughing too, as he walked away.
Lauren made a sign with her hand to Caroline indicating to come with her. As soon as she got there, she made questions about Darren, and she replied vaguely trying to hide her discomfort since his friend was standing next to them. Rachel seemed sort of approachable, but she really couldn't think of a conversation to start with her.
Joe walked to Rachel and put an arm around her, whispering something; taking a place next to Lauren. It was only after that that he realized the two girls were there. He unwrapped his arm from her very quickly.
"Hey," He called, looking at them with a charming smile. "Enjoying the soiree?"
"I think so, yes." Lauren replied shyly.
"Don't fraternize with the enemy." Rachel warned to her, but the slight of a grin on her lips indicated a joke. "He used to be Darren's hardest competition."
"Really? I thought you guys were very close friends." She commented; although she bit her cheek at certain memory regarding this.
"We're best friends." Joe cleared, but then he added, "We just get very… competitive, sometimes. If you get what I mean."
She didn't.
"Yeah, Lauren's whimsical like that, too!" Caroline jumped in, trying to take a part in the conversation. "The other day, I got a better grade than her in an essay for our Stage Production class, and she made a scandal."
"I didn't make-!" Lauren cried. "It was unfair, you wrote it the night before it was due."
Joe looked surprised that Caroline had dared to join the talk, but he smiled briefly at her. Then he said particularly to Lauren:
"I think that's great. Don't get settled for anything less than the best." He slowly wet his lips with his tongue. "That goes for Darren, too."
Lauren frowned, quickly asking, "What does that-?"
"It's a joke." Rachel cut in with a resentful voice. She gave Joe a strange look, "Joe's going to get ready because his series is the next. Right, Jo?"
He only grinned calmly in response. "Right." He gave Lauren one last look before walking away.
Rachel lighted a cigarette next to them, looking away and crossing her arms.
Lauren gave Caroline an utterly confused look. "What did he mean?"
She shrugged shortly. "I don't know, but let's be serious. Joe is way hotter than Darren. Ugh, but Darren has the musician thing, so I guess that beats him." She looked at the scandalized expression on Lauren's face. She didn't understand the Joe hype, but then again she didn't understand the Darren hype at first neither. "Oh, come on. I know Darren's yours."
"He's not…"
Caroline slapped her arm, "It's starting!" She said excitingly.
The first series consisted in Rick and three guys more. Two of them were newbies that couldn't be much better than his friend; and Darren didn't know who the third one was, he was a small swarthy guy and might be a little older than them. Once they all were ready, and the start was only seconds away, Darren looked at Brian next to him and shook his head.
"He's going to make a fool of himself." He said bitterly.
To his surprise, Brian grinned. "He's not." He explained, "Joe saw that it was hard for him, and he told me he's… helping him. He snagged a hobnail under the mudguard of the only dangerous competitor, which is that one." He pointed at him. It was that guy he didn't know. "The front wheel is going to mess up a soon as he moves."
Darren let out a sigh of relief. "That's awesome. Good."
Jim shot his air gun and the four bikes trundled on like if they had been shot as well. Rick was going last during the first fifteen seconds.
"Come on." Darren whispered, his lips were tense.
The manipulated motorcycle wiggled repeatedly in its way; then its speed was lowered so quickly that the rider almost fell; and the rest of them overtook him. The guy cursed as he searched for the cause of his loss of control; he cursed again and walked out of the path with his bike.
Ten minutes later, Rick was crossing the finish line, and he threw his fist into the air as the people gathered around him. When they all congratulated them, and he approached Darren and Brian whom were a little away from everyone else, he showed off the widest smile on his face.
"I told you. It was all in your head. Good job." Darren just said as he patted him on the back to congratulate him. "Joey will give you your pay at the end."
"I still can't believe it." Rick said shaking his head.
"Yeah, neither do I." A voice behind them added. It was the guy whose bike Joe sabotaged. Darren had a bad vibe about that since he started talking. "This is bullshit. Someone spiked my wheel. This whole thing is a fiddle."
The pissed tone of his voice left clear he wasn't in the mood to fuck with; but they couldn't confess. They had to play dumb and pretend to misunderstand.
"Are you kidding me?" Darren said, turning around. Brian immediately stood one step behind Darren, and Jeff had walked from somewhere to do the same thing as soon as he noticed someone was confronting him. Jim shot his air gun again announcing the second series just started; and Joe was running in this one. But they couldn't watch, since they had to take care of that guy. "Rick won fairly. Don't be a dickhead, and accept it."
Darren's tone was merely less intimidating than his; but only because he knew he couldn't be totally in the defensive. Not in the position he was now.
"He won his first race ever, and he's casually your mentee? At the same time that my motorbike mysteriously disarranged? Bullshit." He repeated, angrier, and giving a step forward.
Darren knew that look, it was someone disposed to fight. And even though he was petite, he could tell had muscles and if he dared to just talk back like that, alone, it meant that he had his tricks. That he had a plan.
But Rick was new, and he didn't know that.
"Don't talk to him like that." He said, and he stood up next to Darren. His smile had disappeared and they could tell he wouldn't let anybody ruined his night. "Do you have any idea who he is?"
He snorted. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He gave another step towards them, dangerously close; and Darren cursed inwardly, despite he didn't express it. "You've screwed me enough for tonight. You and your fag friends better stay away from me, it wasn't you who I was talking to."
He was referring to Jeff; they all knew it. And Darren wondered if that was truly the first time he saw that guy. He definitely knew who they were.
But it hit Rick's breaking point; he still had the adrenaline all over his veins and the shouts from people echoing in his ears. He felt unstoppable and that's why (and it all happened so quickly that nobody could stop him) his fist sailed across the air and wildly punched his opponent in the eye. It was all so fast and unexpected; that Darren wasn't even sure if it happened like he remembered it.
They all couldn't help but to gasp quietly. What just happened?!
He took only a second to breath, shaking his head and mildly leaning back; before attempting to fight back. But they responded on time. Darren grabbed his wrist and Brian his other arm, disabling his upper body to move.
"You don't wanna do that." Brian said calmly. "We're four and you're alone. This is our Hole, our city and our university. Let's leave it like this."
Brian's warning was strange, too. Like if they knew each other. Darren made a mental note to ask him about it later.
He didn't look satisfied at all; there was a wince of anger in his lips and his fists clasped in a sign of impotence. But he wasn't an idiot, and he didn't resist. He only violently shook his arms to let go off their grip, and stayed there, for a second, breathing heavily and without looking at them. Darren wasn't sure that it was all going to stay there.
They waited in silence as the guy walked until he got lost of their sight. Darren looked at Rick with a grave expression. Then he shook his head.
"I can't believe you just punched someone." And he burst into laughs.
And when Rick did the same, the laughter spread among the group like the flu. It was beyond belief. If there was someone who they thought could never punch somebody, that was Rick.
"This deserves a celebration." Jeff said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll buy you a drink."
It took them a while to act like normal people again. They couldn't explain precisely what was so funny in the situation, but they were amused. And when they walked to their icebox again, they were still giggling mildly.
"Rick just punched someone." Darren repeated to Lauren, thrilled. "Rick! This night is epic already."
"Oh, God!" Lauren looked at his friend, who was laughing and drinking next to them as if he just won the freaking Olympics. "Is he okay?"
"A bit arrogant now, but he's fine."
"I mean the guy he hit."
But Darren wasn't listening. Rachel had walked to them, and her expression augured something bad.
"Joe just lost." She said severely. She seemed disappointed.
"No way."
"He's out of training." She shook her head dreary, and then went to congratulate Rick.
That was something new. Yes, all of them lose every once in a while, but Joe had been desiring to ride again so badly, that it was mighty unexpected.
"What about you?" Darren's attention returned to Lauren again. He needed to get his bike from Joe, but he was afraid Lauren would leave The Hole too soon or that he wouldn't find her again. "Will you be cheering for me?"
"Like if you need that."
"You said you'd support me…" Darren whispered. "As a friend."
"Okay." She finally agreed, with a half grin. "As a friend."
This felt like enough for the moment, and he smiled before walking to the starting line. He gave Joe a quietly "I'm sorry, man, shit happens"; his friend shrugged and even quieter thanked him for the favor and disappeared from his perspective. Darren waited for the next and last race. A girl he didn't know tried to talk with him, but he wasn't certain about the words he replied.
Despite the uncanny trend that night was following, nothing unpredictable happened during his series. He crossed the finish line practically at the same timing, the same way and with the same pleasant sensation he did the last week.
Meanwhile, a few feet away; Brian, Jeff and Rachel were too focused on trying to get Rick drunk (Which was practically their ritual of celebration) to notice that Joe was gone and to hear the conversation between Lauren and Caroline.
"Go to congratulate him!" Caroline pushed her waist, but Lauren didn't move. "What? Do you like him or not?" she asked, stressed.
"I don't know."
It was all pretty strange for her. She definitely didn't like him at first. She thought he was nothing more than an arrogant delinquent under the famous star spectrum. But right then she couldn't just lie and say that she didn't enjoy spending time with him, counting the days back for Sunday; or to deny the fact that she could still remember the way her hands placed carefully on her waist, or to ignore that his cologne had become her favorite smell during the last month. She had wanted to kiss him the last time, but she stopped him because she felt uncertain and weird and scared. And she still didn't quite understand when or how he happened to earn such an important place in her life, because it was unusual for her and because he tried to avoid this many many times. She tried to determine a moment, or a look, or a word that had changed it all, and it saddened that the memories were so blurred and that she had thought they wouldn't be memories she wanted to remember.
She guessed that she liked him. It was such a rare feeling for her, that she couldn't ignore when it happened. But a part of her feared, because Darren was so different and they wanted different things and she didn't know what could result from their relationship.
She shook her head. They didn't even kiss, and she was already overanalyzing things.
"Maybe." She added quietly.
"Come on, Lauren, admit it! You wouldn't come to a fucking bike race for any other guy on earth. And you smile every time he talks to you! When you don't even… laugh….or stuff." Caroline pushed her waist again, this time stronger. "Go!"
She was so lost in that last reflection that she walked to him almost by impulse.
There were a few people around him; and his bike was next to him. A girl asked for his autograph, and Lauren couldn't help but to frown. Was she serious? A freaking autograph?
He signed it like if that was the most flattering thing someone could've done. When the girl left, giggling frenetically, Lauren touched his shoulder to make him turn back.
"I'll pay for the dinner tomorrow." She said with a grin. It was a good input, after all. "Congratulations."
He smiled widely, "That'd be great. Joey will give you the money later. But now…" He hid his lips inside for a moment, and then added quieter. "Listen, I want to take you somewhere. It's nothing weird, I promise." He cleared; and it was impossible for her not to trust him. "Would that be okay?"
"Sure. I just gotta tell Caroline…" And as soon as she turned her head, Caroline waved goodbye from the distance. She had found Julia; and she seemed to know what it was going to happen as well. Julia mouthed something that seemed use protection and Lauren chose to try not to decode that out.
"Ready?" Darren hurried her. He wanted to get out of there already.
She nodded. Darren grabbed the handlebar and leaded his bike next to him, to get out of the crowd. Lauren followed him.
"Aren't you even the one in charge of this thing? Who's going to take care now?"
"The guys can handle it themselves for a while." Darren assured like if it wasn't important.
But Lauren doubted that, having in mind how they were trying to convince Rick to drink a beer while they held him from his feet upside down.
They got in the bike once they were in an avenue away from the people. Lauren could wrap her arms around his waist with more confidence than the last time. It didn't feel weird anymore. His body felt warm. She could feel how certain muscles tightened every now and then with some normal spasms from driving.
"Is it a long ride?" Lauren asked with a whisper.
"Meh. Ten minutes." He replied. "Why? Are you scared?"
"Not scared. But I'm not a speed freak like all of you."
"It's me." He said, like if this could redress it all. "You have nothing to worry about."
She breathed deeply, "I know."
Darren took a desolated road that wasn't precisely lightened or comfortable. But he was right, there was nobody else around. Just the two of them. This thought strangely comforted her. So she allowed herself to feel the wind, and the fresh air, and Darren's little spasms.
They crossed a sign that read The Huron River; and Darren wandered the contour of a wiring until a place in which a tree had fallen upon it, and the wire was so distorted you could easily pass with a jump. But when he made a turn and seemed disposed to ride directly through that narrow place, it suddenly didn't seem so easy.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lauren asked, half scared half pissed.
"Um, getting us inside?" Darren said calmly.
"We're gonna crash! Stop." She cried whilst they got dangerously close to the fallen tree. There was no way they could get inside. They were going to hit the tree. And he was even speeding up. "Darren!"
While he seemed to ignore her; she closed her eyes and grabbed his waist with such pressure she was without a doubt hurting him. So, that was it. Darren was still a psycho and wanted both of them dead.
She didn't know how she did it; she truly couldn't figure it out to this day. But he managed to do a dodge in which she barely felt how the bike jumped upon the tree trunk; and she barely felt how they landed on the grass inside, too. She let out a sigh of relief once they were placed on the ground again.
"Don't you trust me?" Darren said, offended. He had lowered the speed once they were inside of the wiring, and took a footpath. There were a few lamp posts with lights, but there was no one inside. The place seemed, by simply appearance, a nature reserve.
"That was before I knew you wanted to die."
He giggled. "I've done this a million times. You can stop breaking my ribs now, if you want."
She didn't realize she was still stabbing her nails on him, under his leather jacket. She loosened the grip, embarrassed.
"Is this even legal, by the way?"
"Define legal…" Darren made a pause. "It's University of Michigan's arboterum, so technically, technically, we're allowed to be here."
"You'd always rather guide your moral with technicalities, right?"
Darren ignored this question.
He stopped the bike at the end of the path; and they got off. There was nothing but shrubbery surrounding them and a river quietly waving in front of them. The Huron River.
The smell of humid water and nature filled her lungs. The night was so calm, and if you were careful you could hear a few crickets and frogs singing distantly. Darren walked closer to the river, with his bike next to him; and she spotted a covered bridge destined for people and made of wood, like five half a mile away. She thought he'd lead her there, but he walked the other way around.
After a few minutes walking in silence they got to a route of train tracks that were suspended, like a bridge, too, across the river. It was a narrow space, but two people could walk comfortably through it. The thing was that it wasn't meant for people to walk, and it had no fences or edges forbidding you to fall.
"Mmmm." Lauren hesitated. She already knew his intentions. "I'm not sure about this."
Darren looked at her. "Did I let something happen to you so far?"
"No, but…"
He smoothly intertwined his fingers with hers, and she didn't notice that she stopped talking when he gently pulled from her hand.
Lauren took a deep breath as he leaded her through the tracks. She walked behind him, that way she wouldn't be so close to the edges. But what helped her the most was the strong grip of Darren's fingers. The wind was harder and colder in there; it was the first time during the night she felt a little cold. She could swear they were in the exact middle of the tracks when he stopped.
He turned around to look at her.
"So, this is it." Darren said. "One of my discoveries. The campus is there." He pointed towards the other side of the reserve where they had walked from. It actually wasn't that far. She had been living for three years close to such a wonderful place, yet she'd have never had the eyes to appreciate it as he did.
"It's very nice." She admitted. "But I think I need to sit down."
He nodded, "Me too."
The wind was kind of rough, that you couldn't help but to sway slowly from one side to another. And observing the calm water anywhere where you looked at was an amazing and unique experience, but it caused them a little of vertigo.
Lauren sat down and crossed her legs, resting her hands over her lap. Darren sat down over the tracks, looking at one side of the river. He put his legs over the rail and leaned onwards. He stretched his arm, softly touching the water with his fingers.
"Cold as fuck." He finally said, shaking his hand to get rid of the drops of water. Lauren laughed. He was quiet for a while, and then he asked, " So what are you doing for Christmas?"
"My mom wants me to go to a party, from one of my high school friends. So I guess I'll have to go." She explained, putting her hair onto her other shoulder so the wind wouldn't provoke that it hit her face. She realized after she finished that phrase, that it came up like if her mother was forcing her to go. It's not that she didn't want to go. She was going to clear that up, but Darren talked earlier.
"You probably were so popular in high school." Darren placed the palm of his hand on the ground, and leaned backwards to look at her. "All the boys wanted to go out with you, carrying your books and shit. But you only dated the head of the soccer team or something."
"That is not true!" She complained, frowning. "Not that it concerns you, but I waited to be a senior to have a boyfriend."
"And he was probably a dick."
She sighed. "Pretty much. Yeah. How do you know?"
He shrugged. "Guys are inherently dicks in high school. Usually."
"He wasn't-" Lauren stopped herself from having that conversation. Instead, she called him quietly, "Darren." A pause. "What happens if a train comes?"
He didn't hesitate to answer. "We die."
She smiled, and Darren had to bite his lip. She looked perfect that night. And seeing her under the sight of the moon made it special, too. Her hair was shining, and so were her eyes. The sweater she was wearing was sort of transparent under that light, and it allowed him to imagine the texture of her body if he dared to touch her. Her crossed legs had lifted her skirt a bit, and the way the fabric folded and the way it was tightened in that tiny space where her legs were spread was driving him insane. He had to make an effort to not stare.
This was a fiasco. He couldn't keep pretending he wasn't craving to kiss her every time he leaved her house, or that he didn't desire to run his hands all over her body instead of watching a movie. There was not a day he couldn't think about it.
He bent his knees and rested his arse over his heels; but this time he was facing her.
"I have to be honest with you, Lo." His tone was staid, and she frowned mildly. "This just friends thing is bullshit. I've never wanted to be just your friend, I want more. I think you knew that since the start."
She grinned, pressing her lips together, and a dimple formed at the side of her lips.
"A part of me always knew it, I think." She confessed. She disavowed that sensation at first; but not anymore.
"And now that I'm being honest." Darren continued. "This whole thing was staged so I could get the chance to kiss you. Because I want to kiss you so fucking much, and I'm still waiting for a signal or something, and I feel I'll go nuts."
How to reply and pretend she hadn't been thinking about that the entire night?
It was hard to keep her chill, when that conversation was leading the beat of her heart to an uncommon rhythm. "A signal like what?"
"I don't know, like, fix your hair, or touch my hand, or say something cheesy. Something the girls in your movies do."
"Can you stop saying nonsenses and kiss me, you fucking idiot? How's that?"
"Well, that's better." He said, satisfied, before leaning closer.
The way his lips first stroked hers was tender and this surprised her. It was like if he was slowly asking permission. She closed her eyes, feeling the way they softly brushed hers. But it wasn't long until his hand grabbed her neck; his fingertips shaping the curve between her jaw and ear, and he pulled her closer. His fingers were callused due all those hours scraping guitar chords, but somehow she liked that they were. This grip allowed him to deepen the kiss, and the movement of his lips started to go faster and his mouth opened more; and this was the moment where her heartbeat got crazy.
She almost didn't notice that she was sloping her body towards him to get closer to him; but he did. It felt like he wanted to devour her with that kiss; and she liked it. He seemed so full of passion, and secrets, and tricks, and she wondered if she could learn them all in one night.
But he couldn't kiss her the way he wanted to being so far from her. The hand that wasn't holding her ran slowly from the end of her skirt to her knee, he put it under it and softly pulled from it. So Lauren uncrossed her legs, and he could place his knee between them, and get even closer.
He truly went for it now that he was comfortably close. His hand ran through her waist and squeezed his sweater. Lauren didn't know if to focus her sensations on his fingers or his lips; she felt a world of overwhelming sensations. The smooth shape of his lips and the skilled manner to kiss her; the way his fingertips pressed against her clothes like if they were craving to rip them off; the smell of his cologne, and dry sweat, and beer, and she never thought that combination could ever be this pleasant. She placed one hand on his chest, where the muscles were the hardest, and the other one a little upper, in the groove of his collarbone. The kiss had gotten passionate, and she was finding it difficult to follow his rhythm. She just wanted to lie down and let him do all the work; he was such a good kisser.
Darren was breathing heavily through his nose. He pulled a little harder from her waist, bringing her closer. He wanted to know how her body against his felt. He was so tempted, actually. He wanted her too bad. He wanted to take her, right then right there. He didn't care that they were in that place or that this was their first kiss. But he knew she did; so he did his best to control himself. He suppressed the urge to suck her neck, and to sneak his hand under her sweater, and to lift up her skirt.
He focused instead on the feeling of her lips kissing back, or the way her chest moved with her loud breath, or the bend that was forming on her waist as he firmly ran his hand through it. He wished it wasn't Christmas time, and that it was hot, and they were wearing nothing but a shirt and pants; so it'd be easier to feel her skin.
He stopped not because he was out of breath, but because he felt her fingertips on his bare neck.
"Shit." He whispered against her lips. Lauren opened her eyes when he cut the kiss. "You're cold." He said. He didn't want to get out of there, but he didn't want her to freeze. "Do you want to go back to The Hole?"
Lauren wanted to say that she didn't mind the cold, if he could just keep kissing her, and leave his hands there, holding her; she wanted to, but she felt too shy to do it. So instead, she replied lowly:
"Okay."
Darren wanted to curse out loud, but he simply put his hands away and stood up. She did the same, and they both felt that sudden emptiness from splitting up so quickly.
Darren put his hand on her hips as they passed the same dangerous route back through the trail. So casually, with such spontaneity she could never master. Once their feet touched the grass again, she stopped there for a moment. Darren didn't move his hands; instead they held her tighter, hugging her from behind.
He couldn't believe it; he had to make an effort to pretend he was cool. He felt like if he could dance. He had kissed Lauren, and she kissed back; and everything was awesome.
She closed her eyes, feeling the wind on her face. The waves of the river sounded lowly. And Darren's voice had never seemed sweeter:
"Everything okay?" He asked, cradling his face on her neck.
I'm just feeling, she wanted to say.
Instead, she lied. "I'm trying to gather the courage to go through that stupid tree again."
Darren giggled shortly. And she could've sworn that, like the gift of destiny, time stopped only for a second, giving her time to check that he was real, and so was the happiness invading her chest.
A/N: I crave for reviews and attention, pls.