Forever August ✔️

chapter three

"but there's so many things we could
do, and all we need is escaping."
- milky chance
____________________________

"ARE YOU SICK?" the boy asked as they walked side by side up the dirt road. They left the ocean in the distance, but the waves still echoed in their ears.

"Nope," Aurora answered, jumping onto the sidewalk's ledge and walking with her arms spread to her side to maintain her balance.

"Suicidal?" he asked cautiously.

"No."

"Then what are you dying from?" He stopped walking and turned to her. Aurora couldn't pin point what it was that had her spending so much time with a stranger, but she felt oddly at ease in his presence.

Aurora, jumping off the short ledge, began to walk backwards on the dirt road so she could watch him as she spoke. "Why does it matter?"

He shrugged. "You've peaked my curiosity."

Aurora laid a hand dramatically over her heart. "I'm touched," she gushed.

The boy rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. "You're really not going to tell me?"

"It's a long story," was all she gave him.

The boy pulled his phone out of his jeans' pocket and eyed the screen. "It's barely two o'clock. I have all day to pester you, if needed."

Against her own protests, Aurora felt her lips tug into another easy smile. "You're willing to spend your day pestering a girl whose name you don't even know?"

"I don't have many hobbies."

"Aside from stalking, clearly."

The boy laughed again and his curls danced around his head. "Not stalking," he rolled his eyes. "Fate, maybe," he added a second later with a goofy grin.

"That's some shitty fate if it unites you with a dying girl,"  she said. They walked in silence for a moment before Aurora spoke again. "Tell me your name and I'll tell you my story."

"But then I'm no longer a stranger and lose the privilege of kissing you," he said, his bottom lip jutting outwards into a pout.

Aurora sighed dramatically. "I'll make an exception. Promise," she held out her pinky and the two sealed the deal. "Now — Name?"

"Gus," he answered easily.

"Gus," she replied, liking how the name rolled off her tongue.

He liked it, too.

Before she could uphold her end of the deal and begin her story, Aurora stumbled backwards as her feet fumbled over a rock. Her helpless cry filled the air as her arms flailed at her sides like a broken windmill. Before she fell, Gus rushed forward, grabbing her by her waist and holding her upright.

"Thanks," she mumbled awkwardly, standing upright as Gus' hands still lingered on her hips. She gazed down at his arms and, as if just remembering they were there, he pulled away quickly and began walking again.

"You may be dying, but not today," he said, glancing back at her and gesturing for her to walk with him. "There's still plenty I want to know about you and I believe you owe me one story," he reminded her.

Aurora took a long breath and began. "Last summer, I went to visit a psychic," Gus' eyebrows raised, a question lingering on his face. She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Chill with the silent judgement."