Trace

Chapter 7

Immediately, I start my car and drive away. For some reason, I was struck with fear when Harry said those words to me. The words I have been trying to remember- of course, how could I have forgotten??

        After he kissed my forehead, he backed away from the bed slowly and said it. Has he been trying to find me, ever since? Following me? Was Harry a stalker?? I shake those thoughts out of my head, as I can feel the anxiety building in me. I turn up my music loudly to block out my thinking, and start singing along to Ed Sheeran's "Give Me Love".

Finally, I arrive back home and quickly depart from my car and into my house. It's late, by now, and my mum is already asleep. I tiptoe up the stairs and into my room, and take a shower and prepare for bed.

    When I'm done, and am under my soft comforter, I hear my phone vibrate and the screen lights up. I reach across to it, and open the text.

Harry: I'd like to see you again sometime-soon.

            I am about to ignore the text, but my mind flashes back to a few hours before. Me, enclosed in Harry's tall frame and warm body, feeling safe and relaxed. Two complete strangers who know absoulutely nothing about each other, feeling so good together under the stars. If I were to get to know Harry- maybe, just maybe things would work out? I suddenly am surprised at myself for feeling excited to see him again. The other times were completely by chance and spontaneous...

~I'd like to see you, too.

   I wait for his reply, and when a few minutes go by with nothing, I begin to braid my hair and look around my dark bedroom. I look over to my window, and see my curtains flowing elegantly in the soft summer's midnight breeze. The moonlight is a bit covered by a thin cloud, and I am overcome with a sense of joy for an unknown reason. I feel so happy right now, perhaps it's the sense of summer that I love so much.

   At once, I feel my phone buzz against my palm, and I unlock it, revealing a bright light that makes me squint. I turn down the brightness of my phone, and check my messages.

Anne: Tonight was FANTASTIC!! Come over tomorrow so I can tell you all about it!!

  I sigh, a bit disappointed that it wasn't from Harry, but respond to my best friend, anyway.

~Tonight..?

Anne: My date with Toby!!!!!!!!

~Oh, I forgot all about that!

Anne: How was Ghain?

~He kinda ditched me..lol..

Anne: Oh no! Give me all the deetz 2morro- goodnight xxxxxxxxxxxx

~Night x

I let my head fall back into my pillow, and feel myself drifting to sleep, as each second goes by. Finally, my cell lights up and vibrates across my arm, I sit up and check to see who it's from- hoping it's Harry.

Harry: Tomorrow- meadow at sunset .xx

    Sunset?? I begin to wonder why he didn't give me an exact time, but shrug it off. I place my phone on my nightstand and fall asleep right as my head makes contact with my plush pillow.

*******

    "It was soo romantic. He bought the dinner and wine, and ohh he's absoulutely perfect!!" Anne swooned, holding her hands to her chest.

   "Did you get the D?" Ayla smirked, as she jokingly elbowed Anne in the arm.

"Is that ALL you ever think about??" Anne giggled, as her cheeks turned red.

   "OH MY GRACIOUS!" Ayla dramatically bellowed, "She SOO did! Look at her face, Cae!!"

I grin, as Ayla points to Anne's pink face.

   "NO! Of course not!!" Anne shrieked.

This makes Ayla laugh that silly laugh of hers, "Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a wad!"

    "But we kissed," Anne swooned again, lifting her arms above her head, and falling down to her bed, with a huge grin plastered on her face.

    I look at the time, and it's only 11:30 in the morning. I am anticipating "sunset" very much. I have already picked out my outfit- I decided on yet another summer dress that comes down just above my knees. It's thin and light blue, just perfect for today's weather.

   "Cae?? CAEEE??"

Startled, I look up at Ayla, who's demanding my name.

    "Hmm?" I ask, with my big brown eyes wide.

"We asked you about Ghain-last night?" Anne says, a little too sweetly.

   "Yea, honey, what happened? He just stood you up, yeah?" Ayla frowns sympathetically.

"No, not really. I was driving to the lake and he texted me saying he could'nt make it. It's really no big deal," I say, looking down as I fiddle my fingers.

    "So, you just went home?" Anne asks, innocently enough.

"Well, I went to the meadow. I just needed to be by myself for a little while, to think things through," I tell them.

   "You could have come to my place, love. We could eat away your sorrows with some icecream," Ayla smiles.

    "No, no. It wasn't heartbreak, Ayla. This was only the first date!"

"Yea, yea. So did you reschedule??" she asks me.

     "Uh..w-well. Not exactly, I don't really think I'm that much into Ghain, to be honest," I say.

"Really?? I thought you two would be really cute together," Anne chimes in.

      "Yea, totally adorbs," adds Ayla.

"At the meadow," I begin, nervously, "Harry came..."

    They're both silent, and then burst with millions of questions.

"How? When? Did you invite him?? What did he say? Did you go somewhere? How did he act? Was it awkward??" they were shooting all these questions at me and I didn't really know what to do, except to wait for them to finish.

   "No, we just sat there, together. And watched the stars," I tell them

My answer was simple enough, not the whole truth, but they don't really need to know every detail.

    "Weird," mumbles Ayla.

I let her think what she wants, as I have no care what they think of Harry- I don't even know what I think of Harry, yet. I just know that I am ready for this evening's sunset.