The Stories of Our Heroes

AU - Out by the Lake

We met out by the lake. After a high school football game. Looking back, it was so cliche I can almost laugh. But at the time, it was anything but that.

I'd been out there many times before. When Dad would have a spell, you could find me sitting out on the dock, staring out at the peaceful water. When I'd have a paper returned to me with a bad grade, you could find me with my feet cooling in the beautiful water. After the funeral for my mom, you could bet every penny you own that I'd be standing right on the edge of this lake, wondering how hard it would be to jump in and never come out.

So after the game that I didn't pay attention to, I was out by the lake. Nothing particularly wrong or bad had occurred that day, but for some reason that I couldn't explain then or even now, I was compelled to go out by the lake. And I'm sure glad I did. Call it fate, or destiny, or pure luck, but I meant to go out by the lake that night, and so was she.

She caught me off guard at first. As far as I knew at the time, I was the only one that visited the lake. Obviously, I was wrong. But I've never welcomed being wrong with arms this open. After the initial shock, I took in the details. She was standing on the dock that I knew every splinter and groove of. Her arms hung limply at her side. Her feet were positioned slightly apart, giving her an aura of determination and fearlessness. But her shoulders told a different tale. Long, blonde, curly hair fell over her hunched shoulders. Her head was down. Her back quivered like she was crying, but no sound came from her. I thought she was gorgeous then, and that was just from the back.

She about stopped my breath when she turned around. If that stick hadn't found it's way underneath my foot, she never would have swiveled my way. Even though I had been mesmerized by her, I wasn't going to go up to her. I wasn't going to talk to her. I was going to leave. But when I tried to walk away, that twig snapped under my foot and it was too late to run in the opposite direction.

When I saw her face and she saw mine, I was petrified. The fear that something good, something great, would come out of this meeting out by the lake. Something wonderful that would enter my awful life. But then it would ripped from my grasp, just like every other good thing. And I would be left in worse shape than I started.

When she saw me, I don't know what went through her mind. Years later when I asked her about it, she told me it wasn't important. But whatever it was, it caused her whole demeanor to change in an instant. Her shoulders straightened, her eyes turned steely, and her hands balled into fist.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Uh, sorry, I, uh, um, just came here because, I, uh, do a lot and I wanted to, and, uh, I'll just leave, sorry," I mumbled like an idiot, messing with my hands.

"It's okay, you can stay. It's not my lake anyway." She looked down for a few moments, then looked back up and muttered, "I'm sorry I snapped." Then she turned back on her heel and sat down on the dock.

"Oh.. alright." I walked over to the other side of the relatively small lake, and stood with my hands in my pockets, breathing deeply and staring at her. She was crying again, but still no sound was released from her.

I probably stood there, like a creep, for an hour. She had stopped crying long ago, but hadn't moved either. I became restless and made my way to her. She jumped when I sat next to her.

"Sorry," I whispered. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright," she replied softly. "So what are you doing out here?"

I took in her face in the moonlight. It was all perfect, but her eyes are what really caught my attention. They were as grey as steel, and the moonlight seemed dull compared to them. I was going to make up some story, but when those beautiful eyes caught mine, I knew I couldn't lie to her.