Jeremy and the Moon Dancer

Getting to know Laila

(Song to set the mood-  Over Your Roof by Francis Luke Accord

(The Call by Ruu Campell )

So I did.

 I waited until the sun was gone from the sky, like she had said. And then I saw her; Laila, approaching us from the opposite direction we had come. Jeans and a simple cardigan replaced the dress, except she was still barefoot. She had her arms crossed around her chest and was looking at Luna, who was going crazy. As soon as she got close enough to hear, I smiled and said "Hi, Laila. I waited."

"I can see that" she said, with a slight smile. As Laila looked at Luna her face melted, and her folded arms unfolded to pet her. She bent down to Luna's level and Luna jumped up to meet her with a kiss on the nose. Laila laughed and made no attempt to wipe it off. Luna, without knowing it, had broken down the wall entirely and Laila was easier to reach. I sat down next to Luna and joined the petting.

"So you read my letter I'm guessing." Laila stated even though her words formed a question.
"Yeah." I smiled at the scene I front of me "God, Luna loves you!"
"Thank You, well, she's so sweet!"
"Usually it takes her a while to warm up to new people." I said "She loved you the first time she saw you." I smiled.

"Well, maybe she knows just how much I love and appreciate the moon. My name means dark beauty, or night beauty, you see,"
"Fitting"
"Thank you," she blushed. "But we both love the night, is my point." she stopped petting Luna and was just gently resting her hand on Luna's head. Laila had this undeniable gentleness about her. "Maybe she knows that" she added, and smiled shyly.
"Maybe she does." I said, reflecting smile, though mine in no way was shy.

We were both silent for a while. I just listened to the waves crashing on the shore and Luna panting loudly. And then I added, against my better judgment, "You know, I keep wondering why you think you had to run away?"

I looked at Laila who had stopped petting Luna now and had leaned back on her elbows, thinking.

"I mean, I understand you were embarrassed," I continued "but I thought I scared you off. I felt bad. You should have stayed and at least have said hello." Wow, I said too much! I'm so, so stupid and I can never shut up, I thought.

Laila looked uncomfertable and I regretted my question.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Ummm, forget it. I shouldn't have spoke."

She was silent and slowly started petting Luna again, but purposefully avoided my gaze. I watched her, watching her fingers weave in and out of Luna's thick fur. I then noticed her fingers looked so fragile and breakable. Actually, her whole body was frail and her ski so white, for a second I thought she was going to blow away in the wind like a thin sheet of paper.

"I'm sorry, I don't know you well enough to have said that" I whispered. She now turned her gaze to me, and her eyes had the strongest look in them that I was afraid she would burn a hole straight through me. Or worse, she could peer deep into my soul and see me for the true coward I was.

"It's ok," she said simply "Lots of people don't."

At first, I didn't know how to respond "Oh." I managed. After a long silence of only the crashing waves and Luna's panting "Ok," I said, turning to her. She still was looking at the ocean now, but I was looking at her, studying her blank look. So, let me get to know you." I said earnestly.

So from then on it was my personal goal to get to know Laila, who not a lot of people knew well enough. I'm not gonna lie, she was shy and timid but after a while she started to relax around me, open up. And then miraculous thing happened; we actually clicked. Like a lot. A lot a lot. And on many levels. You see; we both love dogs (obviously, though) her Dad's allergic so she can't have one. I'm only one year older than her, it turns out she is sixteen. We both live two blocks away from the beach. But we found out that we had plenty more in common.

Of course I didn't find that out all in one night though, no, that would be too easy. We had this thing going that we would both meet at the beach every evening right after the sunset and I would bring Luna. She would play with Luna for about ten minutes or so and I would just watch. Then when Luna was panting hard enough we would sit down next to each other and talk until it became too dark to see each other anymore, hug and then go our separate ways and I would start counting the hours until the next sunset. It was nice to have a good friend that wasn't from school. None of my friends knew of her and my parents assumed that I was just going for a long walk with Luna every night. I wanted to keep it that way, and it seemed like Laila did too.

It had never even occurred to us to meet at a different place or time. This was us. The stars were more beautiful at night with someone to share them with and alone on that beach our talks felt more sacred. We became really close.

                         ***********
"Are you going to see your girlfriend?"

"What?" I jumped nearly two feet. I spun around to see Summer standing there with her hands clasped in front of her pleated plaid skirt.

"I followed you." Summer said bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Yeah, I can see that, Summer. Don't follow me."

"Sure, ok. " she inched towards me to make she I understood she wasn't planning on leaving without what she wanted.

"I just want to see what you're doing. Like if you're going to see a girl or something. Do you have a girlfriend Jeremy Carl?"

"No, I do not have a girlfriend Summer Clementine, so calm down. Can you please just go home? Aren't you supposed to be asleep or something?"

"No, I am not supposed to be asleep or something. And you know that. You also know that i'm not leaving until you tell me who you're going to see."

"And you know exactly how to annoy me, don't you?" She smiled sweetly, clearly enjoying my frustration.

"Summer go home!"

"Fine. I will" Summer said with her hands up in submission.

"But I know you're up to something Jeremy Carl ." She turned and trotted away.

Summer Clementine Rain was my next door neighbor who had hippie parents, no siblings and had taken to following me around at a very young age. She was a very contradictory soul. The first thing she had everyone know when you met her was not to assume that she loved summer. Infact, she hated summer. Ironically she also hated oranges, and since clementine's were basically baby oranges, as she referred to them, she hated them too. Although she was annoyingly stubborn, sarcastic and valiant at times you learned to appreciate her.

you know the drill, my friends, by now. if you don't by any chance: you read you make me happy, vote, comment, it's all the same to me.

 I love all <333