Apartment 6F

fourteen; happiness and loss

Hours passed on that beach. We didn't need conversation. It was perfect the way it was. The sun had started to set, and the sky was bright hues of pink and purple. Casey leaned over and pressed his lips to mine, his thumb moving in circles on my cheek. I ran my hands through his black hair and kissed him back, my heart fluttering a million miles an hour. I wanted this. I wanted him. I knew it all along even when my head was flooded with denial. The way he smirked, the way his hair curled at the base of his forehead, the way he called me "Einstein". It made my heart want to jump out of my chest and maybe I had confused it with hate, but now as his lips were against mine, all I had thought disappeared and all that mattered was us. I didn't care about Levi or how I got drunk, or even how my precise life plan had fallen apart in the matter of hours. I knew this is what happy felt like, something I hadn't felt since my childhood. I pulled away from Casey and glanced into the distance. He reached out and took my hand in his. "Noah, whats wrong? Did I do something?" , he asked. I laughed and squeezed his hand. "No, I'm fine. Perfect, actually. Thank you." He bunched his eyebrows together and asked,"Did you just thank me for kissing you, Einstein?" I buried my face in my hands to keep him from seeing me laughing. He pulled them off and I said, "I didn't know you had a thing for dead scientists. Should of said so before kissing me." I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing until his smirk appeared again. I took his arm and pulled him up, I don't know how it happened. He smiled at me. "Noah, what-" I cut him off and said, "Shut up and dance with me," with a smirk I learned from him. I put one hand in his and another on his shoulder. He followed me by putting his remaining hand on my waist, which made my stomach jump. He looked into my eyes and smiled. "I'm not exactly a dancer, Einstein..." He seemed slightly worried. I pecked him on the cheek and responded, "Neither am I, just dance."

Before long, the sky was getting dark and we were almost back in the place we visited the other day. My head was pressed up against his chest, his arms wrapped around me. Goosebumps creeped up my arms and my stomach was making unattractive noises. "I'm starving, Casey," I said with laughter in my voice. He smiled and hooked his arm through mine. "Anything for you, my dead scientist." I rolled my eyes. "That was probably the least romantic thing I've ever heard."

"I try."

"Try harder big guy. Let's get some food.

"Anything for you, my dead scientist."

I slapped him on the shoulder lightly in response. "Do not say that ever again..." Casey just laughed and grabbed my hand. "Let's get you some food!" he shouted.

By the time we had made it through the woods and to Casey's car, the sun had set in the horizon and we were surrounded in darkness. My Hello Kitty pajama shorts weren't providing much warmth so I practically bolted once his car was in sight, and jumped in as soon as he had unlocked it. "Turn on the heat, now." He smiled and said,"Calm down, I'm getting there."
We drove for a long time, music floating from the car stereo. My eyes were getting slightly droopy, but my need for food kept me awake.

Casey looked away from the road for half second to smile at me and suddenly the car lurched to the side and spun in a circle, causing my head to slam into the window. At the same time, airbags exploded from sides of the car making my body swing forward. Black spots clouded my vision and I felt warm liquid drop from my nose.
A thought suddenly jumped into my mind. Casey. He was in the car with me too and I hadn't heard one word from him the whole time. I tried to scream for him but a strangled cry only left my throat. I looked over and saw his body slumped against the car window, blood dripping down his forehead.
This couldn't be happening. I'd just gotten something... And now it was gone. No, he wasn't gone. It'll all be okay. It is okay.
Dizziness filled me as I tried to look outside for the other car we had collided with. I saw a car in the ditch, with a crumpled front end. The spots in my vision came back then and it all faded to black.