Vanilla Girl (girlxgirl)

18- End of Camp

"She wasnt exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure was that right here and now, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way."
-Nicholas Sparks

°•°

His hair was a lovely whisky, the color of fallen leaves browned and sleek with the first rain of autumn. How such a tint could play with the light, like peering at the sun through a jar of pine honey.

His eyes reminded me of a child's watercolor painting—how, in their haste to paint all the grass, they add too much water to the green, and it comes out with that subdued shade.

People think of laughing as a noise that comes from the mouth, but when Harry laughed, it was nothing like that. The laugh was in his eyes, in the way his face changed into that vision of relaxed joy and unrestrained mirth.

Yet truly, it wasn't in his face either. His laugh came from within; it was just the way he was wired. People like him just have more flexible brains; all that humor bubbling around in him was like yoga for the synapses. Just being around him for a few minutes was better than a whole day of self-absorbed pampering in some all-day spa.

Just the sound of his gales, his snickers, and his giggles was enough to transport me far away from my worries about never being able to speak to him again.

It didn't bother me because he was laughing at my clumsiness or the fact that I had cake all over my face. The only thing I cared about in that moment was the sound of his voice. With strawberry cake all over my face, I stood there, admiring him. Everyone left the campground, and it was just us that were remaining. We weren't quite as ready to say goodbye to each other.

I wiped my face of all the cake I had on it with a napkin as I heard his laughter dying down. He meets my gaze. The moon brought flecks of light to his hair that made him look even more divine. He smiles at me amusingly, but that smile soon turns into a more despondent one.

"When will I see you again?" He questions me in a sad tone.

Sooner than you expect, Harry. That's what I was about to say, but I immediately refrained from doing so. After all, I did lie to him.

"I'm not sure." I held my head down to hide the guilt that I was feeling.

"Can I come and visit you in Australia?" His voice was filled with hope. "I mean, if my dad doesn't cut me off, I can immediately buy a plane ticket and visit you."

My heart sank even more.

"Umm, email me, and maybe we can arrange something. Who knows, maybe I'll visit this Christmas break." I smiled weakly.

"Can't you just move here and live with your aunt Olly?" He pouted.

I laughed nervously. "C'mon, let's just enjoy the time we have left. We'll talk about that later when you email me."

We laid our heads down on the blanket next to each other as we gazed at the stars. We had a small picnic in the evening, and he surprised me with a strawberry cake he attempted to bake. Too bad I didn't get to taste it. My face did.

"What if I attended the same school as you?" I pondered. "What would that be like being your friend?"
I turned my head to look at him. The moonlight shone on him, and his green eyes twinkled along with the stars.