falling

ten: don't forget to kiss

Jade ran across the roof top of the building, her hair sprawling and flying in the wind behind her, as the city lights shine in front of her and a dark sky.

Elijah started at her in awe. he didn't understand how someone so unbelievably exquisite managed to find beauty in things that would ruin other people's days.

"ever wonder what life would be like if the moon was the sun and the sun was the moon." Jade asked, as she spun on the roof.

"um, you'd have to elaborate." Elijah said, walking behind the spinning girl with his hands in his pockets.

"like, if we were awake when the moon was in the sky, and we slept while the sun was up." she tried to explain.

he kind of understood. he had gotten used to his girlfriends weird thoughts and analogies. it had been nearly five months, and the adventures and thoughts never ended with her. being with Jade was like waking up and being in a new city everyday.

the two fought so often it had become routine, which some would call unhealthy. they called it art.

"well, how would we see anything if we lived in the dark?" Elijah asked, Jade stopped.

"how are we seeing stuff right now? lights." Jade remarked, Elijah shrugged.

"hmm. i don't know, I like the sun." Elijah sighed. Jade nodded.

"me too." and she began spinning again, across the roof.

he watched her and shook his head with a smile. his thoughts kept nagging at him, pulling on his brain, the shuttle reminder; she's leaving soon

you're leaving soon summers coming soon everything's ending soon he was pulled out of his thoughts when Jade turned around and placed her hands on his cheeks. "stop."

"stop what?" he whispered.

"thinking about leaving. I know you are, I can see it in your eyes." she whispered in return.

he looked down to avoid crying, she tilted his chin back up. "I don't wanna leave."

"hey, it's okay. We're growing up, baby. it'll be okay. we're finishing high school, we're going onto live the rest of our lives. college is the start of our future." she whispered.

"and though we're separated for these next couple years, we'll see each other every week, i promise, and all these days will seem so small when we finish college and get to spend everyday together in our new lives."

Elijah new Jade was right. but still they would be 2,014.8 miles apart, it was a 30 hour drive just to see her smile.

"spin with me," Jade whispered letting go of him and spinning around on the roof.

"you're crazy." he cried with and laugh, but nevertheless, Elijah spun with her. because he loved her anyways. They spun around and around in circles around the roof of the apartment building that they managed to sneak into.

Jade was a large dreamer. she had so many plans for her life, and Elijah wanted to watch her accomplish all of them. her dreams were so big, she felt like she couldn't tell anybody. somehow, Elijah understood though.

they stopped spinning and Jade fell into Elijah's reach, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around as she leaned back and let out a beautiful giggle.

when she leaned back up, she connected their lips so quickly it almost didn't
register into Elijah's mind that they were kissing. even after a million kisses, he still got overwhelmed dizzy inside when she kisses him.

he noticed her necklace was crooked. he let go of her slightly, and moved the necklace clasp to the nape of neck, letting it fall onto her.

he interlaced their hands, and they walked back to the stairs to leave the roof.

he was slightly concerned when she looks over at him with the brightest smile in the world, she's excited for no reason. she did this often. she got excited over breathing. he admired it.

when they got off the roof and down the stairs and into Elijah's car, it was midnight. they drove down the roads of the city in silence, hands locked as he radio slowly hummed 80s tunes, Elijah's free hand tapping on the steering wheel to the beat.as dark as his mind was, with mystery and worry, Jade made him find just enough light inside himself to adore her to pieces with all of his pieces.

"let's play a game." Jade blurted softly, as she watched the city lights blur out her window.

"what sort of game?" Elijah asked, focusing on the road, and her her hand in his.

"name four things to live for."

"hm. okay, music, words, the moon, and you." Elijah responded quickly, the first words coming out of his mouth falling out. Jade squeezes his hand with a smile.

"your turn."

"warm hugs on bad days, laughter, long drives with the windows down, and falling in love with you." she said after a thoughtful moment.

key word; falling. I'm sure you remember this word. because even after all this time, Jade was still falling in love with Elijah and he was still falling in love with her. they hadn't even figured themselves out yet, and now their just beginning to figure each other out. they were still falling.

Elijah squeezed her hand. "let's play another game."

"okay, what should we play now?" Jade asked.

"We shouldn't play anything, actually." Elijah said as he turned off the road and into a
parking lot.

"what are you doing?" jade asked, noticing that they had left the road. they were at the dollar store, jade didn't ask questions. every day with Elijah was a mystery, but she enjoyed figuring everything out about him, day by day.

she followed him into the dollar store and they bought two yellow heart balloons. then they got back into the car, and drove to the park they first began to fall, the one they visit almost everyday.

and they wrote on those balloons every single thing they'd miss about the small town they call home. every crease in their favorite page, of the way a corner jars out of their walls in their home, or how the kitchen smells when it's summer. they wrote it all down, and then they let it go.

"okay universe!" Elijah screamed into the sky as the balloons flew up into the sky.

"I'm ready for more good days! make me have more good days like today!"

Jade giggled at her boyfriend, taking his hand, and then she screamed. "okay
universe!" she screamed with a smile. "I'm ready for more memories before I go! make me have more good memories before I go!"

Elijah did just what her heart needed that day. he brought her flowers, told her she was crazy, but said he loved her anyway. he smiled at her. the world was a really horrible place, and it was coated with destruction and chaos, and he kissed her. 

Because even in the chaos- don't forget to kiss.