BLACK ROSE

The dream

Ashley. 

It all makes sense now. I finally understand why my eyes were drawn to the little girl and why I had a strong feeling she resembled someone. I just couldn't figure out it was Alex.

Her hair's a soft and light chestnut brown and her big emerald-green eyes make her look like a fairy tale character. Her features are still young, so baby-like I question her age for a second. It's obvious she'll be breaking hearts when she grows up.

"How did you two meet?" Sarah asks, casually munching on her blueberry muffin. I was surprised when she asked me if I wanted to join them. The other kids and their parents had already left, leaving the three of us alone in the studio. Her question surprised Alex too, though he instantly played along.

Her voice is somehow mature for her age, her pronunciation elegant of a business woman. Her tone is perfectly controlled, a sign too mature for a kid like her. Like her eyes – one second she's fooling around like the seven year old kid she is, the other her eyes are piercing through with you with such a maturity she makes you feel small. Her duality is insane, and she has yet to figure it out.

I look at Alex, hoping he'd answer. But he's grinning at me, eyebrows raised, sipping on his drink. The sunlight collides with his metal ring, reflecting off and hitting my eyes. "We met at a party, through a friend."

I'm relieved he answered for me. I reach for the coffee I ordered, thankful for the dose of caffeine at this hour.

"How long have you been dancing?" She continues asking me questions with the curiosity of a young child. The maturity has disappeared completely.

"Since I was four," I say. "For a very long time."

She widens her already big eyes, looking even cuter. "Wow!" She looks at Alex, then back at me, then back at him. "Did you know?" He laughs at her reaction, nodding his head. "I want to dance for that long too."

"You're very talented," I say. I've kept an eye on her almost from day one. She's the quickest of them all to pick up a new choreography.

Alex's looking at Sarah with a soft smile I haven't seen him smile before. It's different from the soft smiles he's occasionally flashed at me. Whenever he grins at me it's a teasing smile, a challenging mischievous intention behind it. But at Sarah... It's only sweet and soft. I didn't know he had such a sweet spot for her.

We stay in the café for around an hour when we collectively realise we need to get home. Alex's phone keeps on ringing every five minutes, causing him to glare annoyed at it. I have homework to do and tests to study for.

********

His hands are cold but soft. The cold metal of his rings isn't bothering me at all, in fact it's doing the opposite to me. They travel up and down my waist, eventually stopping right above my hip bones. With one pull our chests collide, his lips crashing on mine instantly.

I pull myself closer if even possible, demanding more and more. I can't get enough of the kiss, of the taste of his lips. The surroundings have faded completely, leaving only us left. My brain's closed off completely, the only thing on my mind is him. His presence, his touch, his kiss. Him.

He smiles into the kiss, gentle taking one, then two, three and four steps behind, until I don't feel the table. To secure my own stability I disconnect one of my hands out of his hair, reaching behind me and resting my weight against it.

My table, I realise as my hand touches my open textbooks.

I'm too focused on the kiss to question how we've ended up in my room, or what led to this situation. After leaving the café I headed straight home to study. Then.... I don't remember what I did next. Did I open any books? Judging by their presence on my table I must've at least opened one, but I have no memory of reading it.