Luna

• 10 •

I appreciated that you didn't kill me

The very next day, the first of autumn's leaves began to fall. I was ecstatic-my smile effectively irritating Kim as we sat in english together. 

"You're smiling while reading Shakespeare." She posed, eyeing me, "Something must be wrong."

"It's fall!" I mused, envisioning the warm fires, hot chocolate, sweaters and then once all the leaves fall, it'll be winter, my second favorite season. 

Kim shrugged, "It's cold here all year round." 

"Everything's just prettier here," I spoke, staring out the window. 

"Must be the grass is greener on the other side type thing." Kim mumbled, utterly confused. 

Our class passed rather quickly, making this to be an even better day, but as I saw Paul standing outside my classroom door, my mood dropped.  

I could sense the anxiety from him as he fumbled with his hands and a clear frown was on his face. Why was he upset? Did someone make his upset?

"What's wrong?" I immediately pressed as I neared him, ignoring the pleasantries.

He appeared somewhat startled by me, yet he straightened his back and took a deep breath, "You were honest with me about Chicago, so I want to tell you the truth, everything."

"Hey," I placed my hands on his forearms and smiled lightly to reassure him, "You don't have to tell me because you feel pressured or anything."

"No it's not that it's just....I don't want you to be scared."

The light smile stayed on my face, "Of what? You can't think that I'd ever be scared of you?"

He just shook his head, "I meant what I said before. When you're in the dark, you're innocent and safer, but you've been ready to know for a while and it's selfish of me to keep it from you just because I want you to be happy." 

"What do you think is going to happen?" I questioned, "If you tell me you're secret, I'll become angry and scared forever?" 

"I don't want that light to leave your eyes," He breathed out, "After everything that's happened to you, you still have this radiating kindness and hope inside you. What if this secret could crush it, change your view of the world." 

My hand gripped his forearm as I rubbed my thumb in circles to soothe him, "Well that's why I have you to help me through it." 

He said nothing for a moment, but perked up as the bell rang, signaling the next class to begin. "Ditch with me?"

"What?"

"I want to tell you right now, but I was serious, it's going to take awhile to explain everything." He spoke his eyes pleading me to go with him but his tone even.

I looked to the entrance doors thinking it over. Paul was ready to take this huge step with me yet I knew the whole ditching thing would come back to my parents, causing yet another disagreement. 

Yet, my gut instinct knew this was more important than sitting through boring classes where I already learned the material. 

Turning back to the nervous boy, I gave a nod. "Let's go." 

It was a tense drive as he drove through the barren roads. My eyes never left the boy, assessing his nerves. What could be so bad he was this scared to tell me? 

Paul suddenly took a sharp left from the paved street to a graveled path. 

I jumped and clung onto the seat as he continued his off roading. While the sudden turn from the normal road made me anxious, I wanted to reassure him that I could handle this.