Summer Love

Chapter Eight - I Need You

I sat on Nova's bed, staring at the paintings on her walls. There was a painting of a girl on a balcony, staring at a pink and purple sky. I couldn't help but wonder about the inspiration behind all her art. 

The sound of a loud, ear-piercing bang interrupted my thoughts. The lights in the house flickered, and then went out. I heard the bathroom door creak open, and I heard my heartbeat ringing in my ears. 

"Nova? Is that you?" 

There was no answer. 

"Nova?" I started to panic in the darkness. 

I managed to find a flashlight in one of her drawers, my hands shaking as I turned it on. 

I walked through the hallway, scanning the doorways for any sign of Nova. I bumped into something behind me and screamed. I turned around to see Nova looking at me in the darkness, her damp lavender hair in curlers and goosebumps lining her arms.

"Oh my God, it's just you," I sighed in relief and hugged her tight. 

"I think the power went out," She sighed. 

"What should we do?" 

"There's a bunch of lanterns downstairs in the living room that should work, they run on batteries so we could stay in there until the power's back on." 

"Sounds good." 

We went downstairs and struggled through the darkness as we tried to turn the lanterns on. After they were turned on and we could see, we sat on the couch in silence. I stared at the ceiling and sighed. I felt Nova get off the couch and watched as she put a mixtape in her tape deck and turned the volume all the way up.  

I heard a familiar tune start playing and looked at her smiling. 

She spun around and held a flashlight as if it was a microphone, I laughed as she sang the lyrics to 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by Bonnie Tyler.  

"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely And you're never coming 'round" 

I got off the couch and started to sing too. 

"Every now and then I get a little bit terrified And then I see the look in your eyes" 

I tried not to laugh as we sang it as a duet, getting louder as the song went on. 

"TURRRRRRNNN AROUNDDDDDD BRIGHTT EYESSS"

"Every now and then I fall apart!" 

I was startled by the sound of her tripping and falling over the back of the couch. 

"Nova are you oka-"

"TURRRNNN AROUNDD BRIGHTTT EYEES!" 

I burst out laughing as she continued singing from her spot on the floor. 

"Every now and then I fall apart!!" 

She got up and dramatically screamed into the flashlight, and I screamed the lyrics along with her. 

"AND I NEED YOU NOW TONIGHTTTT" 

"AND I NEED YOU MOREEE THAN EVERRRRR" 

She grabbed my hand and spun me around. 

"AND IF YOU ONLY HOLD ME TIGHTTTTT WE'LL BE HOLDING ON FOREVERRRR" 

"And we'll only be making it right" 

We started screaming the lyrics at the same time as if no one was listening. 

"CAUSE WE'LL NEVER BE WRONG, TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE IT TO THE END OF THE LINE" 

"YOUR LOVE IS LIKE A SHADOW ON ME ALL OF THE TIME" 

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND I'M ALWAYS IN THE DARK, WE'RE LIVING IN A POWDER KEG AND GIVING OFF SPARKS!" 

The sound of thunder rippled outside and lightning flashed outside the windows. 

"I really need you tonight" 

"Forever's gonna start tonight" 

"FOREVER'S GONNA START TONIGHTTT!" 

We danced around the living room in the darkness as the song continued, thunder and lightning rippling through the clouds outside. 

I laughed as Nova got on her knees and sang the last verse as she looked up at me, the flashlight still in her hand like a microphone. 

"Once upon a time there was light in my life, But now there's only love in the dark. Nothing I can say, A total eclipse of the heart" 

She held her hand out to me so I could help her up, but she pulled me down next to her instead. We collapsed on the floor, laying next to each other laughing as the song ended. 

"I didn't know you could sing," I laughed and tilted my head up to look at her. 

 "Me either!"  We burst out in fits of laughter, and every time we made eye contact we started laughing all over again. 

"Stop looking at me!" 

"I can't!" 

"Yes, you can!" 

"No, I can't!" 

"YES, YOU CAN!" She grabbed the nearest pillow and hit me in the face, which made me laugh even harder. 

"I CAN'T BREATHEEEEEEE" 

"Do I need to do CPR?" 

I cackled even louder, unable to catch my breath. She punched me in the stomach and I screamed then started laughing again. 

"THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO CPR!" 

"YES, IT IS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!" I pushed her off of me and threw a pile of pillows at her. 

"AH NO STOP IT!" 

"NEVERRR!" I stood in front of the couch and she ran at me, I held my hands in front of me to stop her but she fell on top of me, landing us on the couch. 

She looked into my eyes smiling, the smell of her vanilla perfume taking over me. 

"Kiss me, you idiot"

"I'm not an idiot you are!" 

She connected her lips with mine, and I smiled into the kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, we fell asleep in each other's arms to the sound of thunder and rain pouring down outside.