Hidden Secrets

5

I breathe in the fresh, crisp air. The stars shine brightly through the clearing, as I notice that my heart rate has spiked ever since I saw the girl. 

She's sitting next to me with a dark strand of hair falling out of her ponytail. Even in the moonlight, I can almost make out her details perfectly. Soft face yet she looks so confident, her delicate frame looks like it could carry the world. Perfect and beautiful in every way

"So do you have a name, or...?" She talks like she's known me for years, maybe she's been watching me. 

"Okay hold up. You come out of the middle of nowhere, I don't know if you've been stalking me or something, you act like we've known each other for years, you sit next to me for some random reason, like have you ever heard of stranger danger? And to top it all off you want to know my name?" I take in a breath as I regain my composure. 

"Chill out, I was just in a walk in the forest and I heard crying, wanted to check it out. When I saw you is when I spoke, okay? I'm not some crazy stalker chick." She turns her head away from the sky to look into my eyes. 

"My name is Jess." She pauses for a moment "and you are..?" 

"Oh, um, hi, I'm Scarlet." Dammit, why am I so awkward. Oh right, I don't get out much.

She turns to face back up to the sky so I do the same, but I can't help but notice that the corner of her mouth is tilted. Is she smiling because of me?

"What are you doing in this part of the forest anyway?" I carefully phrase to make it sound like a casual question. 

"I could ask you the same" She sighs "well I guess since you accidentally told me your tragic life, I might as well tell you mine."

I look back to her curious for more. 

"I live on my own, my parents murdered by that evil king we got here." A wave of guilt washes over me at the mention that my father killed her parents. "I actually live in this forest so that I can protect all that my parents have found. I'm keeping some things from you because I just met you and you could be a spy but, I think I trust you." She looks at me now. 

She takes a long pause thinking about what to say next or thinking how she tells a stranger a heavyweight in her life. She turns her head away and sighs. 

"I'm going to be the next one with their head cut off." She nods as if accepting her fate. 

I don't know what to say. The only person I knew that was willing to die was my mom. All the other heroes only did small things not knowing they would die, not expecting it. 

"You can't die. You're not allowed." I don't know where this urge to keep her alive is coming from but I can't take it back now. 

"What else do I got to lose?" A girl without hope but yet believes she can do something to help. I saw this is my mother too, but there's something different about Jess, something possibly more beautiful than my mother, which I thought was impossible. 

I touch her shoulder gently to get her to face me. "Let's make a deal, you meet up with me here again tomorrow, same time, and if it goes well then we meet again." I pause thinking for a moment. "I guess that's more of a plan than a deal. I guess your side is staying alive, as long as you want to keep seeing me, you have to stay alive. Deal?" I hold out my hand for her to shake. 

She laughs real low and grabs my hand "It's a deal then, I hope you don't get too attached to me" It saddens me that she still thinks she'll die but my heart quickens at the thought that I get to see her again. 

As silence blankets over us for a moment, I notice that the stars are dimmer meaning dusk will fall over us soon.

"Sorry Jess, I got to get home now or else my father will kill me." Guilt fills me once again at the mention of my father. 

"Uh, y-yeah. I should get some sleep too I guess. I have planning to do and... stuff." I feel guilty about leaving her but I know I can't let my father see me sneaking in again. 

We both stand up not knowing if we hug or handshake or what so I awkwardly wave and instantly regret it but she waves back with a smile. 

"It was nice meeting you Scarlet." My heart quickens at the sound of my name on her lips. 

"You too Jess. Until tomorrow?" I sound desperate but I think I'm doing okay for little to no social interaction in about 10 years. 

She laughs quietly and turns away. I almost think I'll never see her again.

"Untill tomorrow." She calls over her shoulder.