Chasing Time

*******°

As the ball held by my parents took place in the ballroom, I fled to the balcony and shut the curtains. I walked out further into the balcony, gazing out to nightly New York. I shivered as a breeze passed by, hoping that Theodore saw me come here. My parents were foolish to think that I would forget Theodore Lennox so easily with a silly dance with men my age. Sure, they were handsome, but they were so uptight and so old fashioned. The dance though did have one benefit- with so many people around, it would be easy to lose my parents and sneak away with Theodore.

"Are you going to stand there with your eyes closed or are you going to kiss me?"

I opened my eyes, and there he was, closing the curtains just as I had before. I swear every time I saw him, he seemed to be more radiant.

"Theodore!" I squealed. Not the most attractive thing but he didn't seem to mind. He got closer and I saw that he combed his hair and was wearing a fancy tux. It was different from what the other gentlemen outside were wearing, it was older like something our fathers would have worn in their prime.

I motioned to his attire. "Where did you get that?"

He grinned at me. "It was my father's. He used his savings to buy it for his wedding. Do you like it? You don't mind that it's not designer, right?" He gave me a shy smile and my heart skipped.

"Of course, I don't mind. You look air tight." I tilted my head. "And very kissable."

He chuckled. "Good. I thought one of those fancy looking men had stolen you away from me."

A familiar piano melody begun. I didn't think my parents would play this song- my favorite song, Chasing Time. To me it was a reminder of the love Theo and I shared, but to my parents, it was "modern music" that shouldn't be played in a respectable household because it placed ideas that shouldn't be in a child's mind. They must have been desperate for me to forgive them. Or maybe they thought I would stop hiding if it was playing since I couldn't resist dancing to it.

Theodore extended his hand towards me as he had done plenty of times before. His hair falling slightly over his eye as pulled me closer. The right side of his lips twitched upwards as he asked, "Dance with me, doll."

I placed my hand in his.

"Catch my eye tell me what you see

Wonder if they could guess it about me

Here I stand in a double life

One with love one with strife

Try to ignore them, play it cool

So afraid of breakin a rule

But now I'm failing to hard to stop

Can't help but take the next drop!"

"Theodore, you know that if my parents find us together, they'll have a fit."

He shot me a knowing look. "That hasn't stopped you before." He spun me around. I giggled, remembering all those furtive glances across the room, the secret kisses in the halls, the silent conversations...

"I can't live in the normal world

I'm just chasing time

I belong in that endless whirl

The place where you're mine"

A strained expression came across Theodore's face. It vanished as soon as it came but not before I caught it. I sent him a questioning look.