Walk Away

Fatales: Charlie

\Fatales\ [fairies/mythical creatures]

I walked towards the entrance to the garden, metres behind Isla. As I stepped onto the flagstone pathway in the botanical garden, I saw butterflies fluttering around, and birds flying up in the trees. I followed the path around the garden in the centre, and saw Isla standing in front of a miniature waterfall. She suddenly turned to face me as if sensing my presence.

"It's mythical, isn't it? My grandmother would always take me here, and tell me that the butterflies were actually fairies in disguise, and liked to hide inside the flowers at nighttime." Isla reminisced.

"It truly is." I replied.

"I'm sorry for running out like that. I just got a bit overwhelmed." She explained, as she sat down on a large grey rock.

"Uhm, hey Isla, there's something I've been meaning to talk about with you. I think I-" I started before she cut me off.

"I've been accepted at Harvard law school Charlie." She looked at me, small tears beginning to streak down her face.

"Oh, Isla! That's great! Why are you crying?" I said, as I crouched down to her level, wiping away her tears.

"Because, I'm going to be on the east coast! Thousands of miles away from you and my family!" She said in full blown tears.

"Isla, you'll come back, we won't forget you, your too hard to forget anyways!" I said with a light chuckle in my voice.

"I know. I always do." She said, looking in my eyes. For a second, I thought she wanted something more too, but that was just my imagination. With a sudden burst of confidence I held out my hand.

"Would you care for a dance milady?" I asked.

"Charlie!" She laughed. "Of course, but there's no music!"

"And?" I said quizzically.

"What will we dance to?" She replied with another question.

"The birds." I stated, and she laughed that gorgeous laugh that makes me melt a little bit more inside every time.

We did a slow waltz outside in the garden, all alone away from the chaos. And I just couldn't help myself from falling in love with Miss Isla Hansen a little bit more.

As the Prom was coming to an end, Isla and I hugged each other and went our separate ways towards the limos. Genevieve caught a ride with her friends to their after party, but I just decided to go home and watch some television. I've been living with my aunt since my parents decided to move to Italy. I wanted to stay here for the rest of my education, so my aunt took me in. As I walked through the front door, she ran over to me, still holding the dish washing rag she was currently using to dry plates and bowls. She hugged me in her comforting bear hug, and I told her all about the night. We sat down on the couch that we decided to move to the kitchen, so that everything could be as close as possible to each other. We were silent for a little while, until she asked me a question out of the blue.

"You love her. Don't you." She stared T me intently.

My aunt has known Isla since pretty much the first week that we met. They're like family to each other, especially after her dad died, and her mom was admitted to a mental institution when she became extremely depressed.

I stared at her hoping the previous question would evaporate like water into thin air. When she showed signs of determination, I gave in and told her the truth.

"Yes. I do love her." I replied, defeated.

"Oh thank GOD! " She yelled, throwing her hands up into the air, earning some laughter for me when she clumsily, which is not out of the ordinary, threw the plate behind her head and across the room. We were both laughing so hard by the end of the whole ordeal.

"Does she feel the same way about you?" Aunt Mel got right back into the conversation as soon as our fits of laughter ceased.

"No. But I hope she will someday." I said in response.

The room went quiet, and Aunt Mel switched on a movie that was currently playing on the television. I'm pretty sure it was a Fast and Furious movie, but I was too tired to stay up and watch. We both dozed out on the couch, and slept peacefully and comfortable for the rest of the night.

Well, if you include tangled limbs as being "comfortable".