The Fire Escape

Chapter Five (Five Minutes)

We went to Navy Pier and bought our weight in ride tickets. We didn't even use them all! When we were finished we gave them to a kind stranger in the line for tickets and went to the docks.

We weren't going to ride on a boat or anything. We just watched them, focusing on one boat and watching it leave and come back for hours.

Then it grew dark and we walked to the alley.

"It's getting chilly, take my sweatshirt!" Luke commanded handing me his smelly oversized hoodie.

"Thanks," I said, knowing he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

We were pretty quite until we reached the fire escape.

"Wanna sleep on the fire escape again?" I asked,

"Nah. It won't be any warmer than down here."

"I guess you could sleep on the floor in my room," I said this carefully. "Just for tonight though! Just because it's cold."

"That would be amazing!!" he said. He was serious! It got pretty cold in Chicago. Usually he would sleep in HIS bed on nights like tonight but I knew things were tough at home for him right now.

"Come on," I said.

Once in my room I tossed him the usually pillow and blanket. "What? You're really going to make me sleep on the floor?"

"Yeah! Where else would you sleep? With my mom?!" I said sarcastically.

"With you."

"No!" I said angrily! "No way!"

"Whhhhhhhhhhhhhy??" he whined!

"Because we're just friends Luke!" he sat quietly on the floor with the pillow in his lap and then positioned himself in an awkward way and said, "Goodnight then," he said disappointed. I turned off the light and laid down.

This lasted all of five minutes. In those five minutes I'm not even sure what happened. Those five minutes are not even in my memory. If someone said, "You are going to die!" and I said "Don't I have like five minutes?" and they said "No you used them back when you were 16!" This would be news to me! If I were to go to jail if I didn't explain what happened in those five minuets I would be getting ready to meet my cell mate. But I certainly know what happened after those five minutes.

Sometime during the sixth minute, when I came back to my senses, I noticed that Luke was in my bed. Then at the started of the seventh minute I realized we were kissing. And I was liking it. I'm not supposed to like it. It's Luke! But I couldn't stop. We were no longer kissing, we were making out. I have kissed guys and made out with guys. The two are very different.

The taste of Luke was in my mouth. At the moment he tasted like mustard from the soft pretzels we were eating. i guess I probably tasted the same. He also tasted like McDonald's, which was usually what he smelled like too.

After about ten minutes of making out Luke started to unbutton my shirt. For some unknown reason I just let him. And for some more unknown reason I unbuttoned his. After about two minutes of being shirtless, not that I was timing, we also became pants-less. Both of us, still wearing undergarments, kissed and made out like we will never do it again with anyone else. We've never kissed like this. He gave me a quick peck on the lips time to time but never like this.

I was on tip of him kissing his lips with passion. Then I moved to his neck, then his chest. I lightly brushed my hands against his abs. Luke has abs? Still moving down I kissed and kissed and kissed until I was at his belly button.

When I reached the elastic of his boxers I was ready to pull them down and continue kissing, but .he put his hand under my chin and pulled me up to his face.

"I have waited years to kiss you like this," he breathed, "give me like five more minutes." So I did. I tasted his tongue all night long and never more than that.

I thought that's what he wanted, you know, for more me to...you know. But he just wanted to kiss.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of my mother knocking at the door. I got up and ran.

"Morning," I said opening the door just a crack.

"Morning," she said, "Can I come in?"

NO?!?!?!??!?! "Um...why...what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Oh...um...can we talk in the kitchen? My room is a mess."

"Yeah that's fine."

"Cool I'll be right out. Let me change."

"Okay. Is everything alright?"

"Just dandy!" she looked at me funny then I closed the door.

"LUKE!" I whispered while running to him, "Luke! You gotta go!" He slowly sat up and stretched. It wasn't a dream! Shirtless Luke was in my bed and his abs were even more impressive in the day light.

He rubbed his eyes, "huh?"

"You need to leave!" I commanded pointing to the window.

"Why?"

"Because!"

"Why is that always your answer?"

"Why is "why" always your comeback?" He blinked at me as if to say 'touche' and I yelled, "Put your shirt on!"

"Am I distracting you?" he said moving his eyebrows and speaking in a really deep morning voice.

YES!!!!!!!! "No, but you have to leave!"

"Is your mom home?"

"Yeah, and she wants to talk to me!"

"Oh well give me five minutes."

"Just be gone by the time I get back." I put my pj's on and headed into the kitchen.

"I thought you were getting changed," my mom said.

"Oh yeah...I forgot." She shrugged it off and handed me the envelope that I gave her only a couple of days ago. I opened it and pulled out the contents.

Dear Ms. Tate,

You have been cordially invited to a poetry reading next weekend, Saturday, January 7. You will be expected to read one of your works so come prepared.

Sincerely, MW (Matilda Winde)

Mrs. Claire, we hope your daughter will attend.

I looked up at my mother, stunned with bitterness, happiness, and shock. I was angry that I had to do this, happy that I was recognized for me and not my mom, and shocked for all sorts of reasons.

"Um...thanks," I said and went to my room.

"I am going shopping! Wanna come and talk about what you'll read?"

"No thanks," I was actually hoping shirtless Luke was still existent in my room considering she was leaving.

When I ended the room fully clothes Luke was standing in the fire escape.

"I know! I'm going! I'm going!"

"No!" I ran to him. We kissed in the fire escape until Mrs. Creevy, who was doing her laundry on the fire escape of the building across from us, told us to get a room.

So we did. Once again withing five minutes we were both shirtless and pants-less passionately kissing.