Selcouth

Charlotte and Miles

AN: Woot woot! First chapter in a new book! Exciting. Just as a heads up, I wrote this for my creative writing class and I had to use a list of vocabulary words. So, if some of the words seem a little out of the ordinary that is why. Now that that's cleared up, READ! 

The sky was full of stars, the moon sat large and full just above the mountain tops, a young woman walked along the roadbed. She liked to walk at night when the air was chill and the world was quiet, it gave her time to think properly. The young woman walked without shoes, letting her feet feel the earth move and whisper.

As she walked, a young man snuck up behind her and tapped her right shoulder twice. She screamed and turned to find the smiling face of her childhood friend.

"Miles! You can't sneak up on me like that!" the girl yelled in the quiet sort of way that people do at night.

Miles only laughed and followed her as she stormed away.

"It is humorless," she spat, "Childish! And you, knowing my paranoia, ought to know better!"

"I'm sorry," he said, still smiling.

"Hmm," the girl stuck up her nose and crossed her arms.

"Oh, come on, Charlotte. Don't be indurated."

"I have every right to be. I might stop talking to you all together," she said, almost in imprecation.

"Charlotte, please." The smile had left Miles face and sincerity ran through his voice.

She wanted to stay mad at him, she really did. But...

"Charlotte," he pleaded.

"You are forgiven," She said coyly.

"Thank the stars," Miles mumbles. Charlotte couldn't help but to smile.

They left the roadside and turn toward the river. The embankment was old and leaking making the ground squishy, damp and cold. The pair approached a large tree near the river's edge. The town called this tree the tree of stories. It seemed everyone in their small town had at least one story to tell that involved this tree, including this young couple.

"Do you remember," Charlotte began.

"When we played war in this tree?" Miles finished, "Yeah, I do."

"You insisted on being first lieutenant, even though I told you that captains have more power."

Miles smiles slightly, "That was the day I fell out of the tree."

"The rocks were tiny! How was I to know they'd make you fall?" Charlotte defensively said.

Miles placed a hand on the tree in a thoughtful sort of way.

"I'd thought you were dead," Charlotte recalled quietly.

"I know. I'd let you."

"That hadn't been a nice thing to do."

His smile widens, "I know."

They stand there a moment, enjoying the smell of night and the memories of their youth.

Miles wraps an arm around the lowest tress branch and pulls himself up.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte questions.

"Come up."

"No."

"Why?"

"It would be unladylike." Charlotte crossed her arms.

"I don't care. Come up."

Charlotte scoffed, "Have you taken your nightcap? I thought you prioritize sobriety."

"I'm not drunk. I'm moonstruck. Come up."

Charlotte looked past the large tree to a couple of geese peacefully sleeping on the water's edge.

"Don't you crave the feeling of childhood?" Miles asked softly.

Charlotte looked away from the geese and met Mile's dark eyes.

She lifted herself into the tree.