𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥

11; under the stars

My heart was pounding I had never sneaked out to see a guy at night well not in daylight either. I slipped into some old white shorts and a comfy grey jumper with Nike written over the chest. He probably didn't care how I looked so I quickly placed my hair in a messy bun and lathered my lashes with mascara. I could hear murmuring down below in the kitchen of Ma and Pa it sounded as if they had a visitor maybe the bizarre neighbour who lived in the old house that haunted me was sipping tea with them like a fortnight ago. The neighbour was old though this voice didn't sound old at all, it sounded deep like the ocean in a way I couldn't explain and, well... young...
Feeling the creaking of the staircase under my feet I knew my cover had been blown.

"Abigail?" I could hear Ma's voice soft and innocent say scaring the life out of me, what would she say when I all of a sudden blurt out the fact that Zach is probably already outside and that I'm going with him to who knows where.

"Hi Ma..." My hands felt slippery against the railing of the staircase, my toes curling slightly in my shoes. Pulling my best I-love-you-lot-I'm-not-doing-anything smile I stare into her calm and gentle eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going out with this young gentlemen here tonight?"

"Um well- wait what?" Young Gentleman!?  My feet begin moving down the stairs quickly in a flurry. His slim body was leaned against the bench smiling, his brown hair neatly pulled back in his usual hairstyle and a blue shirt over his torso with ripped jeans.

"Ab."

"Hey Zach.." he winked slowly as he pushed off the bench coming over to me.

"I was just coming down to ask Ma, I'm very sorry."

"OH ITS FINE! GO! GO! DON'T DO ANYTHING TOO REBELIOUS!"

"Ma stop yelling" I laugh at her attempt of being a good parental and trying not to be embarrassing but that had just gone down the drain.

"Thank you Mrs Wilson-"

"Mrs Neil."

"Ah Mrs Neil, I loved that chat but we best be off" he says in a weird voice before he suddenly grabs my hand, entwining our fingers firmly. I tried not to freak out at the sudden touch, I was not going to be having another panic attack. I was better then this and I know it. I smiled again at Ma before abruptly dragging Zach out the front door to his car, not the mum van he had used the day before. I cocked an eyebrow at the car but he returned with a little huff and his mothers name.

"So what are we doing?"

"You wait." He smiled.

My heart did not flutter, or did it? No I can't be, I was not going to fall in love Zach, we were strictly friends and I need to get the stupid idea out of my chaotic brain. Are there side effects of panic attacks, this must just be one. Ugh why was I still thinking about it. How could I even think about messing up the gradual friendship I cared so much about? I need to stop questioning myself all the time. Gazing straight ahead, only half-aware of a world outside the comfort of the car, the smile could not have been wiped off my face even if I dropped an ice cream. Was this what they called a happy place? Because if so this was mine, the radio waving off music the small tunes filling the empty silence and Zach's hands stroking the steering wheel, the different landscapes forming into beautiful sunsets and beautiful trees. We stopped for a few minutes to take photos of the sunset and a quick second before we jumped back in the small car he turned the camera around, snapping a happy selfie of us actually genuinely laughing. t was weird to be captured by someone and to be able to hold the moment of the soft air drifting through my hair and the smile still plastered to my face. The laughs don't stop as we clamber back into the car and continue driving down the small, white lined road, I didn't even notice the the time passing and the final change in landscape morphing into deep yards of trees and forest.