HATE THE TOWN LOVE HER

Chapter 2

The next day after school, Chris found himself thinking about Kaitlyn again. He had sent her a quick text earlier, and to his surprise, she replied almost right away. They decided to meet up after school, no big plans—just a walk around the neighborhood. Something simple.

When he met her near the end of his street, she was already waiting for him, leaning against a streetlight with her hands in her jacket pockets. The evening was cool, the sun just starting to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the quiet town.

"Hey," Chris said as he walked up to her, trying not to seem too nervous.

"Hey," Kaitlyn replied with a soft smile. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They started walking side by side, the conversation coming easily as they wandered through the streets. It was peaceful, and for once, Chris didn't mind being in this new town. Talking to her felt natural, and he found himself laughing more than he had in a while. Kaitlyn had this way of making everything feel light.

After a while, they stumbled upon a small park, mostly empty with only a few streetlights casting dim pools of light over the benches and the playground. Chris looked around and then back at Kaitlyn.

"Wanna sit for a bit?" he asked.

She nodded, and they made their way to one of the benches. The air was still, and the park seemed deserted. They sat there quietly for a moment, enjoying the calm.

But after a while, Chris felt a sudden urge to do something. He stood up, extending his hand to Kaitlyn with a playful grin. "Come with me."

She raised an eyebrow but took his hand. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Chris said, pulling her off the bench.

Without warning, he started running, tugging her along with him as they sprinted across the park. Kaitlyn let out a surprised laugh, struggling to keep up, but soon enough, she was laughing freely, her footsteps matching his. They ran through the grass, around the trees, their laughter echoing through the quiet evening.

At one point, they found themselves near the playground, and Chris led her to the slide.

"Go down first!" he said, out of breath but grinning.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes but climbed up the small ladder and slid down, laughing as she hit the bottom. Chris wasn't far behind, but as he slid down, he lost his balance and tumbled forward, landing on the bumpy ground right beside her.

They both lay there on the ground, panting and laughing so hard it hurt. The soft thud of their bodies hitting the grass was nothing compared to the lightness they felt in that moment. Chris turned his head to look at her, still laughing, and Kaitlyn did the same.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, their laughter fading into soft chuckles. Neither of them said a word, but something passed between them—an understanding, a connection. The world around them seemed to fade away as they stared into each other's eyes.

Finally, they both broke out into laughter again, the ridiculousness of the moment catching up with them. But even as they laughed, Chris couldn't help but feel that something had shifted between them. Something good. Something real.

And for the first time in a long time, Chris felt like this new town might just have a little magic in it after all.

After a few moments of laying on the ground, laughing and catching their breath, Chris sat up first. He looked down at Kaitlyn, still smiling at him, and couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest.