Astrophile

Anticipation

** Mature Audience **

Rachel's POV

I sit outside, cellphone in my right hand and a menthol cigarette in the left. Inhale, exhale. The nicotine settles my bouncing nerves. The warm summer air rushes across my face, sending warmth over my entire body, leaving me hot and sweaty.

I take a drag of my cigarette and look down at my phone. 5:36 p.m. No messages, no calls. But it doesn't bother me.

I slip my phone into my back shorts' pocket, then stand up and make my way across the driveway. I doubt I have any mail. If anything, there might be a bill - could be a cable, water, or electric, it's hard to tell. I glide across the hot, sunbaked gravel till I reach my white plastic mailbox. I open it up with caution, the fear of small spiders crawling out makes my skin crawl. One small envelope sits tucked in the back. I pull it out and scan the back, then the front. It's handwritten in neat script.

I flick the now-dead butt across the road and return to the comfort of my house. I wonder into the living room, straight ahead, and retrieve my phone from my pocket.I look at it once more before laying it down on the small wooden side table, along with the letter.

After a long cold shower, I want to get out of the house. I'm in need of some fresh air. I don't know where the road will take me, but I drive till I find myself sitting alongside a nearby river. It's getting late, the sun is hidden and the moon rising. The air is cooling off enough that it's no longer unbearable, although it is still humid. The clock on the dash reads 9:05 p.m. I step out of my car and light up a cigarette, standing at the edge of a small hill that leads down to the water's edge. The river is calm and seems as though no one has been here in awhile. The mud is stuck to the bottom, leaving the river clear, no footprint in the sand-dirt mix leading up to the water, all pointing and telling me that no one has been here in awhile.

Finishing up the last bit of my cigarette, I toss it to the ground and stomp it completely out. I take another look at the clear water.

"Hell, why not?" I whisper to myself.

I walk down the small hill, then slip off my flip flops, and slowly put one foot into the cool water. It feels nice against my warm, sticky skin. It's now dark out, and there's no one in sight. The only light available is the one street lamp lighting up the road my car is sitting on.

Taking one last glance up at the road, I pull off my shorts, panties, then my tank top and bra. I lay them along with my flip flops on a small, smooth rock.

Butt ass naked, I make my way into the water till it comes up past my chest. The water settles around me, hugging me. The mud squishes between my toes as I sink into it. I stand there, looking up at the stars, watching them dance across the sky. The moon is nowhere in sight. Just the sky full of peaceful stars shining for me.

Asher's POV

I park my car across from an all blacked out Nissan GT-R. It's a wicked car, so sit and look it over. I've never seen it around here. There's no one in the car, so I take some more time to drool over this beauty; whoever owns this car is one lucky SOB. I look over the car once more before I turn my attention to my phone and play on it, waiting for some buddies to meet me here. I'm a party boy and love the night scene - maybe it's knowing that most people are not out at night, or maybe it's the darkness.

I'll be sitting here for awhile; I'm over an hour early. Blake wants to meet here at 11 p.m. I was already in the area and thought might as well wait, not like I have anything better to do. Besides, this is my favorite spot to come and relax. It's a very peaceful and quiet location.