transparent saints // jack johnson

t w e l v e

The chandelier in her bedroom was on a dim setting. I sat down on her bed while she scanned through her crate of vinyl records.

"Ever heard of Donnie & Joe Emerson?" She looked back at me.

"Another 90's band?" I replied.

"Try 1979," she giggled. She slid the record out of its cover and placed it on her record player. Soon a smooth and dreamy instrumental began.

"What's this called?" I asked.

"Baby."

"Hmm?"

She chuckled. "It's called Baby."

"Oh...I knew that." I patted my knees along to the slow beat. "Sounds beautiful."

Kat walks over to her desk and picks up the holy sketchbook that brought us together. She comes and sits down next to me, opening to the last page. And on that last page was a brand new sketch; it was her and I kissing. She drew her hair as longer and it was wrapped around us like a cocoon. 'I'll be here when it rains' was written beneath it. I simply smiled and rewarded her with a kiss. As the kiss deepened, she tossed the sketchbook to the side and let her hands roam through my hair.

When our lips parted, she stood up in front of me. She was trembling a bit, biting her lip nervously. I hold onto her hands and look up at her.

"It's okay," I assured her.

I reached for the top button of her lavender sweater, making my way down until I was able to get it off of her. She trembled more now that she was standing before me in the tank top she wore underneath. I could tell she wanted to cover herself back up. But instead, I kissed the healed burn scars on arms, slowly.

"You'd think I'd be used to 'em by now," she spoke. "It's been years I've had to live with them."

"And the years to come," I added. "You have to own them as a part of you, Katerina. And I love all the parts of you."

My hands traveled down her sides and I carefully unbuttoned & unzipped her jeans. But I never pulled them down. Instead I pulled her back onto the bed, laying her on her back. I moved her hair off her face and stared at her lips.

"Go ahead and undress me," she said before covering her face with her hands.

I paused for a moment, waiting to see if she was going to change her mind but instead she kept peeking through her fingers.

"Do it," she muffled.

I got up and began to pull her jeans down. At the same time she pulled her tank top up over her head. I viewed the scars at a larger scale. The scars covered most of the left side of her body from her calves to her shoulder. On the right side, only her thigh and parts of her torso had scars. Her eyes fluttered shut as I ran my fingers over them. I felt a massive amount of sympathy and couldn't imagine the fear she must've felt when it happened. But I can, however, admire the strength she's been trying to maintain ever since.

My lips brushed along the waistband of her cotton panties and traveled up past her navel. I paid close attention to her breathing and how it slowly sped up with every kiss. Right before I kissed beneath her bra, my phone rang. And I could tell it was my mother due to her ringtone.

"Sorry," I sighed with defeat. "Just...one second."

I sat down and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Jack, honey, your father and I are stranded at Grandma's because someone forgot to fix his car correctly," she explained.

"Do you need me to come pick you guys up? I'll just drive your car which I may or may not have borrowed tonight for the carnival." I held my breath, waiting to get yelled at.