Before it ends

Under the stars...

"Ry." I could hear Hayley's voice floating around my pillow. "Montgomery."
"What?" I turned on to my side and wrapped my arms around her waist. I heard her yelp but didn't open my eyes.
"No wake up, don't take me down with you."
"Why?" I asked
"Get up Montgomery or I'll be forced to make you." I would have rolled my eyes if they were open.
"Whatever." I muttered, Hayley huffed.
"Fine" and then her lips found there way onto my neck.
Pop.
My eyes shot open.
"What the fuck was that?" I sat up to see Hayley grinning beside me.
"I gave your neck a raspberry."
"Why?"
"What do you mean 'why?' I needed to get you up."
"Okay and why'd you need to do that?"
"I have hot coco and blankets and stars."
"Stars?"
"Shooting stars." She elaborated. "Come see them with me. I put out the deck chairs." Her smile beamed and she bounced on the bed beside me. "Get up." She was persistent I'll give her that. I groaned in to my pillow but did as I was told. "Good now come downstairs." Hayley ordered. Soon enough I was standing in her kitchen wearing my black boxers and white top. She handed me a dressing gown and cup of hot chocolate.

"Put that on then come to the garden." She leant against her table top. "There are blankets on the deck chairs. I nodded and she shot me one last heart breaking smile before disappearing behind her garden doors.
                          *****
"Ryan. You are wrong."
"I'm not. You just need glasses."
"Shut up Montgomery. It's a star."
"It's an aeroplane."
"It's stationary." Hayley shook her head from side to side, and buried her head in my chest.
"How is that staying still? It's clearly moving."
"Montgomery." She lifted her head from under my chin. Both eyes narrowed and then my poker face crumbled. "You're teasing me."
She punched my shoulder hard.
"Ow." I grabbed my arm and tried stifling my laughs.
"Why do you love winding me up?"
"I don't."
"You do."
"You're right I do." That earned me another punch. She stared up at me,my Hayley, with a single blue strand hugging her eyebrow. We ended up ditching the deckchairs and laying on the grass, her legs are entwined with mine and her head hovers over me.
"Stop it." She scowls before setting her head back on my chest. "That's an aeroplane." She points to something moving in the sky, it flashes red and green.
"Or an alien saucer." I felt her laugh on my chest.
"If you could be on that aeroplane who'd you be with? Where'd it be going?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe with my dad, to the Dead Sea. I've always wanted to go there, I think it'd be awesome. My dad promised to take me."
"Why didn't he?" She nuzzled deeper into my chest.
"My dad died." There wasn't any sadness in her voice. It was just another fact, like her sisters illness, something I wanted to take away and would never be able to.
"I thought your dad was a cop."
"Yeah my step dad is, Greg. I've lived in this city since I was 5. My dad died when I was 3, Grace 2. My mum married Greg when I was 6, Grace 5. He's not my biological father, but I love him like he is. He's all I remember. I know my real dad had the gene, it didn't effect me but it did Grace." There was a moment of silence.
"I'm sorry."
"So am I." She took in a deep breath and propped her head up. I could feel her hands playing in my hair. "What about you?" It took me a while to realise what she was asking.
"Skiing in Iceland. I've always wanted to see the northern lights."
"With who?" That was the question, there was only one person that I've truly missed, one person that I wish I could have held on to. Someone thats slowly coming back to me.
"Ryan Montgomery."
"That's you Ry."
"Not anymore. I used to be fun and popular and confident and girls were all over me. They didn't run once they got to know me. That was Ryan Montgomery."
"Hey." Hayley pinched my arm. "I really don't want to hear about your ex's."
"Okay. Okay." I smiled down at her, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "The point is I was different, you would have loved me."
"I don't see that."
"See what?"
"The difference. You're still the funny, confident, cocky, popular asshole you use to be,"
"Well I never said that-"
"and I love that about you. We're alike me and you. You come off sweet but your the funniest, most dirty minded guy I've ever met."
"Is this a complement or an insu-"
"The point is I'm a little like that. I'm not a bitch, at least-"
"There's is no 'at least' okay?" I interrupted "You're not a bitch, period. You're sweet and geeky and sarcastically sickening  and the best to wind up," she rolled her eyes "and the sexiest girl I've ever kissed."
"Ever?"
"Yep." I nodded.
"You are by far the cheesiest boy I've ever dated."
"Hey, I'll be your cheese if you're my cracker"
"No, just no." She laughed above me. "To think I was gonna kiss you."
"What and now you've changed your mind?"
"Your fault not mine."
"Well if it can change that easily," I rolled over on the grass and moved on top of Hayley. She let out a small squeal. "Then perhaps I can change it back, with a little persuading of course." She smiled.
"Of course."