Zap, Wham, Pow, Marriage

2. Boy kisses Girl

Leo Clarke and I met in the park almost every day.  We talked about random stuff.  He would ask me how Sheila/Buster was doing, I would try and figure out what his relationship with the tree was.  The usual conversation between friends.

"So, would you say you two are just regular friends, or best friends?" I questioned.  Leo pretended to think for a moment.

"I think probably just friends.  I want to take that big step forward into best friend-ship, but I don't feel that Tree is really ready for that," he answered, his expression completely serious.  I nodded in response before trying again.

"Do the two of you have conversations during your meetings?" I asked him, trying to look like a reporter.  Again, he took a moment before answering.

"Not out loud.  But we do converse.  I say something and Tree feels it, and responds.  We have a connection," he said touchingly.  I wiped a fake tear from my cheek.

"Wow.  That was... so inspirational.  I feel like I want to have a connection with a tree.  TREE HUGGERS FOR LIFE!" I yelled the last part, running up to a tree and hugging it.  I whispered, "We have a connection now.  Tell me your secrets."  Behind me, I could hear Leo laughing.  After a minute, I pulled away from the tree and faced him.  

"Tree says you are not very nice," I informed him, brushing some stray leaves and dirt off of my shirt.

"Oh really?" he asked.  I nodded importantly.  

"Yes.  He/she/it also says that you're a weirdo for staring at trees all day."

"I don't stare all day," Leo protested.

"Oh yeah?" I challenged him.

"Yeah," he said.  

"Prove it," I told him. 

"I'm not staring at a tree right now, am I?" he asked.  I slumped down in defeat.

"Dang it.  You win."  Wow.  We were so immature.  We both stood for a minute, looking off into the distance thinking our thoughts.  

I can't vouch for him, but I was wondering how Buster/Sheila was doing.  Then I remembered I didn't actually have a dog, or any pet, named Sheila/Buster.  Snapping out of it, I looked at Leo.  He was still staring at some random object, looking but not seeing.  So I did what any slightly insane, definitely immature person would do.  I started a staring contest with him, except he didn't know it.  Oh yeah, I was going to win this thing.

Eventually, he turned to face me, but he still hadn't blinked.  I was now faced with a dilema.  Either blink and pretend I wasn't staring at him, or continue the contest.  I chose to continue the contest.  He already thinks I'm stalking him in the least harmless way.  Staring can't freak him out any more than I already do.

Very confident in my ability to stare for long periods of time, I didn't stop to consider that I have watched him stare at trees for longer amounts of time than I can sit still.  Bad move on my part.  Because it turns out Leo Clarke found out about my staring contest, and he was ready to up the stakes.  He started moving closer.  Neither of us blinked, although I was wary, on the lookout for a trick.  

Eventually, with his slow advance forward and my determination to stay where I was, we ended up face to face.  Our noses were almost touching and my eyes were crossing, but I couldn't blink.  There was no way he was winning!  My eyes started to water and I was going.... to.....bli-

"HA!  You blinked!" I yelled triumphantly.  He had.  Just a millisecond before my eyes closed, he blinked.  "I won, you lost, I won, you lost!" I sang, dancing around in place.  Leo frowned.

"I demand a rematch!" he said.  I immediately shook my head.  "Come on Delilah," he pleaded.  Still, I shook my head no.  That's when he pulled out the big guns.  

"Unless... you're too chicken?" he asked coyly.  I was all up in his face in a minute.  

"Bring it on!"

We both gave ourselves a few seconds to prepare for our staring match.  I blinked rapidly and wiped my watery eyes. Then I did my handshake with myself.  I was so ready.  Leo nodded at me, and together we counted down.

"3,2,1 GO!" we said in unison.  I stared into his brown eyes as he looked back into my green ones.  We had separated and had been standing about a foot away from each other after I had won the last match, but again he stepped closer.  

"Nice try buddy," I thought.  "But that won't stop me from winning!"

I don't know how long we had been staring, maybe a minute or so, but eventually our staring contest started to seem like one of those sappy romance novels.  Since I was bored, I narrated in my mind.

"He looked deep into her eyes, reading her thoughts.  She stared back, entranced by his eyes that looked like melted chocolate.  Mmm, chocolate.  They say eyes are the doorway into your soul, and at that moment the young couple understood this saying."  Dang, I should be a writer, that was pure poetry.  

Wrapped in my thoughts, I didn't notice Leo had moved even closer.  Still staring, I moved my head back a little so I wasn't crossing my eyes.  There was something in his eyes that made me pause.  It was happiness, but deep down there was need.  Not need for me, but Leo Clarke sure needed something in his life that he didn't have.  Curiously, I tried to tell if his eyes would say anything more about him, so I moved my head back forward, searching his eyes and face.  I made sure not to blink, of course.  Then Leo brought his head closer, leaning down.

Apparently staring did funny things to my brain, but I went back to romance novel writing.

"He leaned closer, both of them still entranced with the other.  Her eyes begged to close, but she was determined to win this contest.  Leo moved closer still, until his lips hovered above hers.  She watched as his eyes slid closed."  I interrupted myself.  "Ha, I win again!"  Then I felt his lips on mine.

Caught by surprise, even though I had been narrating the whole thing, my eyes closed and I kissed him back for a second.  Then I jerked my head back and did something that stunned us both.