The Anomaly Affliction

Seven

"Do you think we'll grow old together?"

I peer over at my girlfriend. She doesn't look back at me - she's too busy staring at the bright blue sky. But that's okay. I can tell she's thinking deep thoughts. She told me once that she finds the sky really poetic and that she thinks deeply when she looks at it. It's nice.

It's 13:01pm and Lake and I are lying next to each other on the grass in Amber Park, staring up at the sky. Well, she's staring at the sky; I'm staring at her. Her green hair is almost camouflaged against the summer grass, her mouth is curved into a slight smile, and there seems to be a glow about her today. Being outside makes her happy, especially if it's sunny. That's where we differ.

"If we both work for it," I reply to her question.

There's a slight pause, before Lake says: "And...would you like to?"

"Like to what?"

"Grow old together."

I roll over onto my side to face her. Now I have a proper view of her hypnotic eyes, which look away from the sky and turn their focus to me.

"I'd love to grow old with you," I tell her sincerely. With the hand that isn't keeping my body propped up, I run my thumb softly over her cheek. She likes it when I do that, and it shows on the smile on her face.

"And I'd love to grow old with you," she smiles.

I smile too. "Then let's do it."

"Yeah," she says, looking content. "Let's."

You know in movies, when the two characters are staring at each other like they're going to kiss but they're just waiting for the other person to make the move? That's what we're doing now. This always happens. She alternates between looking at my lips and looking into my eyes. I do the same.

'Just fucking do it,' my brain says. It has a point.

I press my lips softly against hers.

The kiss lasts about five seconds, and then we just lie there, continuing to smile at each other. Eventually I lie back down and we both look up at the sky. And it's like I'm not depressed at all.

"Um..." Lake says quietly. "Can I...ask you something?"

"Sure," I reply. "What is it?"

"Would you ever leave me?" She sounds a little scared.

"No," I tell her firmly. "Of course I wouldn't."

"But what if, like, I killed your whole family or something?" she says jokily, after a moment.

"Well, you're not going to do that, are you?"

"No."

"Then we're good."

Pause.

"I would never leave you, Lake," I say, looking at her. "I promise."

"I'm just..." she sighs. "I'm scared of...I don't want to lose you. Ever."

I place a hand on her cheek. "Lake Summerall, I promise you will never lose me."

She smiles. "And Violet Thorburn, you will never lose me either."

"You promise?"

"I promise," she says. "I promise you will never lose me."