Thaw Fickle Buskin

Clear Skies

We sat across from each other at my rotting table. The wool tablecloth swung lazily in the dusty air of my kitchen. I looked around warily at the state of the kitchen, but Kanoa didn't seem to mind. I had an itching feeling that she's seen worse. She was staring down at a steaming mug of hot chocolate, steam blowing onto her crestfallen face. I hadn't ever seen her so genuinely defeated and tired. Maybe that's because she only shows the world her strong skin and determination.

    Kanoa lifted up the mug and sipped it cautiously. Her eyes lit up at the taste of the sweet cocoa. If there was one thing that my mom made sure was high quality in our house was the refreshments. We prided ourselves on that. It was such a small thing, but it made our family connected. We would come together on nights like these and drink tea and hot cocoa, laughing about the long day behind us.

    I sadly sipped my tea. I didn't really enjoy the stale taste--it reminded me of dirt and old leaves--but I drank it nonetheless. The smell of it brought me back pleasant memories of my brother and I before he left for college. No matter how much I missed him, though, I hoped he would never come back. Coming back to this town meant you were never going to leave.

    I took it upon myself to fill the comfortable quiet. "If you don't want to talk about what just happened, I wouldn't blame you. But I'm beyond confused."

    Kanoa tore her gaze away from her drink and bore her glare into mine. Her eyes had that familiar fog over it. That look that I had known and observed for years were just feet away from me, covering me in a mist that only Kanoa and I could see. Her fingers tapped on her mug anxiously, echoing through the empty kitchen.

    "It's confusing for me, too," she said, voice dripping with sorrow. "And I've had to live with it all my life."

    To my surprise, she began chuckling. I attempted to crack a smile, too. "Ha...w-what's funny?"

    Kanoa shook her head and her laugh trailed off slowly. "It's just...this isn't living. Going around in circles every day. Trying to keep everything deep inside so I don't hurt anyone else." Kanoa cleared her throat. "Sorry, that sounds very cheesy. But that's what I have to do. I guess it just piled up for too long. Can't keep the storm at bay, right?"

    I kept my eyes on her, trying to decipher what that meant. I was too afraid to ask any questions. I didn't want to offend her in some way. She was already fragile enough; I didn't want to bring up anything that would set her off again. So I just let her take another swig of hot chocolate and calm down again.

    Kanoa reached up and took out her bun. A cascade of shiny black hair fell around her shoulders. I always envied her complete beauty. It almost made me self-conscious when she looked so beautiful without even trying. It made my chest tighten. I had to look away and she adjusted herself in her chair.

    She must have noticed my body language, because she smiled. That just made it worse for me. Kanoa's smile looked so...natural. She used her entire face to grin; her eyes tightened, her cheeks rose and changed to a warm pink, her eyebrows lifted slightly. No matter how genuine it was, her smile always looked welcoming and happy.

    "I promise I'll explain everything someday," Kanoa said. "It's just a little hard right now."

    "Right," I said. I was excited that she said someday, like she didn't plan on forgetting me as soon as she left my home.

    Kanoa took in a deep breath and exhaled, causing the steam from her drink to waft across the table. "In the meantime, can I ask a couple questions about you?"

    I bit my lip nervously. "I guess?"

    Kanoa lifted up her legs and tucked them close to her chest. Her face changed to a certain playfulness. "Have you ever been in a relationship before?"

    My heart did a backflip. "Sadly, no." Then I laughed to myself. "No one around here is my type, you know?"

    Kanoa nodded with a suppressed laugh. "Yeah, I get what you mean."

    I could feel the tension around us begin to melt. The candles I had lit flickered mischievously between us. They were the only light in the house. The storm had knocked out the power, so I had placed candles strategically around the room. They made Kanoa illuminate with a warm glow.

    Garfunkel panted at her feet. Ever since we emerged from the basement, he hadn't been able to leave her side. He must have picked up on something coming from her that I couldn't see. So he must have been just as surprised as I was when Kanoa excitedly leaped from her chair and skipped towards the window.

    She looked over her shoulder and beckoned for me to come to her side. I got up and rushed towards her side. When I looked out the window, I was completely taken aback at what I saw. It was dark outside, yes, but the absolutely breathtaking sight of the sky made it seem like it was broad daylight.

    Millions of stars twinkled in the clear night sky. There wasn't a single cloud to be seen. From this side of the house, it didn't look like there had been a storm at all. The trees were stationary, hiding any hint of destruction. A calm blue light covered the hills from the distant stars and the bright moon hovering over the town. For the first time, the town actually felt safe to be in.

    I glanced over at Kanoa. She had her hands outstretched, face filled with disbelief. Her head was tilted slightly as if she was trying to solve some hidden riddle. Along the lines of her hands was a soft light peaking through. They danced along the surface of her hands like the folds of a dress. Blues, greens, and pinks covered her skin.

    She looked up at me with her eyebrows perked up. "I...I don't know what's happening. This has never happened before."

    A lump formed in my throat. "M-maybe it was the hot chocolate."

    Kanoa didn't respond. She continued to watch the lights flicker and twirl around each other, like two lovers in a ballroom. It was an unbelievable sight. Then Kanoa turned towards me, cupping her hands to hide the lights.

    "...You know what these are, right?"

    I shook my head.

    She unfolded her hands. As soon as she did this, the kitchen exploded in a show of these lights. They slithered across the floor and floated against the ceiling. They sailed around me with a personality of their own. They twisted around each other, making a whole rainbow of color. They whirled in Kanoa's hair and left behind streaks of shade. Kanoa's eyes watched them fill the room.

    Kanoa came closer to me and reached out. She took my hand and placed them in hers. The colors began trailing up my arm, making my skin blush with rich colors. They fell into my veins and pulsed with my heartbeat. I tugged away at first, but Kanoa's smile told me that it was alright. She watched her own skin radiate like a prism.

    "It's aurora borealis. They're my own Northern Lights."

    My mouth gaped open. Kanoa let go of my hand and all pigment leaped out from beneath my skin. It erupted in an arrangement of smoke, dispersing in the cold kitchen air. Kanoa reached out, attracting any loose string of light back into her hands. Within moments, we were in the dark with the moon as our only light.

    Kanoa was breathing heavily with excitement. She couldn't stop staring at her hands with glee. Garfunkel was barking at her feet, pouncing and leaping with happiness. I could do nothing but continue watching her eyes flicker beneath each palm with absolute wonder.

    Finally, she said, "It's you. There's something about you that's causing my powers to shift. I..." She trailed off and looked at me. "I have no idea what to do about this."

    My brain went fuzzy. There was too much to process at once. What did she mean, it was me? What did I do? But I didn't question it. I let Kanoa live in this pure moment, filled with nothing but her own happiness. I looked out the window and saw all the stars shine brighter than I've ever seen them.

    Trying to keep everything deep inside. What was she feeling now that triggered such a powerful response inside her? I wanted to peer inside her and see what was really going on. But hearing her laugh, seeing her smile....it made me realize that this was serious.