MY NEW NEIGHBOR

Chapter 11

          We crunched through the woods, uphill, in the heat, headed to a little clearing atop a cliff, that overlooked the river. It was a place I had come to often after my mother had brought me home, whenever I needed to escape. I hadn't been out here in quite some time and my little path was overgrown long ago, forcing us to fight our ways through brush and bramble though it was easier for me than Graham who lugged the overstuffed picnic basket. We had argued at first about who would carry it, with him citing the fact that my mother packed it and I picked the place and me countering with his suggested a picnic and my arm was still healing. What a sucker.

          "Wow..." He said softly as we created the treeline.

          I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and spreading my arms, letting the breeze cool my sweat soaked body. "Isn't it beautiful."

          "Yeah, you are."

          My eyes snapped open and I looked at him. "What?"

          His face was neutral, devoid of any emotion. "I said, yeah, it is."

          "Oh, yeah. It is." I said, attempting to shake any wayward thoughts out of my head. I was definitely losing it.

          The day was simmering hot, but the breeze was nice and it made for fine picnic weather, not that either of us were experts on picnics or anything. We talked of the classes we would both be taking the upcoming year though sadly enough, were not the same. I had several advanced classes in subjects where his marks were little more than average in the normal and I was glad when he changed the subject to anime which he had come to enjoy and football where I didn't know anything other than to hope the Packers won.

         
          The day wore on a bit and Graham pulled his shirt off, laying back and using it as a pillow. My heart did that fluttering thing at the sight of the little muscles rippling underneath his sunkissed skin and I marveled again at the fact he was only four months older than me. Unable to help myself, I pulled out my sketchbook and began to draw him, enjoying the easy companionable.

          "Maxwell..."
         
          "Mmhmm...?" I responded, trying to capture the light in his eyes and the mischievous turn of his lips.

          He rolled onto his side, bracing his head in his hand to look at me. "When I looked over the edge, did I see a footpath?"

          I hid my smile behind the sketchpad. "Oh... Is that what that is?"

          There was the sound of him rustling around and standing but I didn't look up until he asked me, "Ever jump?"

         "What!? No! It's like sixty feet." I said startled, snapping the pad shut and looking up to find him standing on the edge, arms splayed out to his sides. "Graham!"

          He gave me that smile, not the sweet lopsided on I loved so much, but the one that promised trouble.... And let himself fall backwards.

          The world was kind of hazy, my heart in my throat, choking me, as i crawled over to the edge because my legs felt too weak to carry me and looking down into the water below, only releasing the breath I didn't know I was holding once Graham surfaced, laughing, and swam ashore.

          I wanted to be mad at him but honestly I was just relieved that he was okay and I'm sure that's what was written across my face when he reached the clearing, laughing again and shaking the water from his golden curls, breathing hard, cheeks flushed from exertion and excitement.

          "Why did you do that?" I asked.

          He was silent for a moment, looking at me with those piercing eyes of his before shrugging. "Because sometimes, when you really want to do something, you just have to do it. If you spend too much time thinking then you come up with a thousand reasons not to. Sometime you just have.... To jump."

          He kissed me then, not softly like in all of the rom-coms we watched, but hot and hungrily, crushing our lips together, his tongue running across mine, tasting of lemonade while his fingers tangled deep in my hair, pulling my head back.

          When he released me, I stood dazed, panting for breath, hands pressed firmly against his chest, and wondered if I had been the one to have jumped off the cliff and hit my head in the process. I'm not proud of how things went next. No matter how many times I had imagined this, which had been quite a few, I had never run away afterward... Which is exactly what I did.

          It hadn't been my intention to bolt, but I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, not with him so close to me. I needed time to clear my head, to be alone, but that wasn't going to happen. I reached the front door pushing it open to everyone, my family and his, standing in my living room.

           "There you are!" Tasha exclaimed loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "You need to get ready or we are going to be late."

          Something in my face gave me away because my mom stepped forward with a concerned look on her face. "Baby what's wrong?"

          Before I could answer Graham was there, still shirtless, breathing heavily and I might have run again if he hadn't spoke. "You will get tired of running a long time before I get tired of chasing you."

          As always he managed to say something so embarrassing without an ounce of shame and my knees felt weak as he walked over.

          "Why?" I whispered the question I had wanted to ask ever since we had first become friends, feeling as if I might cry as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him in front of everyone. "Why would you like someone like me?

          There was that funny smile I loved so much as he rested his forehead against mine. "I think you are asking the wrong question. You are so smart and sweet. No one has ever made me laugh or feel like you do Max. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to bed at night. Instead of asking why would I... You should be asking how could I not."

Tears were hot in my eyes but it was me that kissed him this time,  both of our families in attendance though I'm not really sure anyone but me was surprised. "Go get ready for dance? We will talk about everything tonight when you get home okay?"

          I nodded against him as he hugged me tight but we didn't talk that night. I left with Tasha, my head in the clouds and happy for the first time in my entire life but it was short lived.

          I was upside down when my eyes fluttered open, my lungs burning from gasoline fumes and smoke, thick and cloying, obscuring my view and I could barely see Tasha in the front seat.

          "Mom," I croaked, unable to draw a breath, fingers fumbling to unbuckle my seatbelt. "Mom!"

          Then the flames came, rushing across the backseat with a whoosh, and I closed my eyes, fixing Graham's face into my mind, remembering how he smelled, how he felt against me. Glad that we had kissed. Glad we had jumped. And then I began to burn.