Artemisia High

16 | Red

"You really need to stop calling this a motorcycle," Wolf said. "It's a moped."

"I mean, it's basically a motorcycle...with a basket."

"With the way you drive, it feels like being on a motorcycle," Wolf mumbled.

"Hey!" Scarlet said, looking over her shoulder and punching Wolf on the arm lightly.

It was becoming a routine for Wolf to ride with Scarlet after practice and go on an adventure. They had no idea where they were going today; they never did.

Wolf scooted closer to Scarlet and wrapped his arms around her hips. Lately, Scarlet had started to feel things when he did this, things she didn't feel when they first started this routine. Every touch from him just burned even more than the last. Scarlet could barely handle having him pressed against her back with his arms on her torso. She tried her best to ignore the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, but every time Wolf's stubble brushed against her head or his breath made the hairs on her neck stand up, the feeling grew stronger.

"Lead the way," Wolf said.

And so she did. Scarlet sped down the highways and side streets. Any time she saw a yellow light, she sped ahead and just barely managed to get in the intersection before the light turned red.

Somehow, they found themselves in a field with nothing but train tracks and dandelions.

"We should make a wish," Wolf said.

"What?" Scarlet said over the roar of the engine.

"I said we should make a wish. There are dandelions all around here."

Scarlet stopped the moped and looked around.

"Huh. You're right."

Wolf removed just hands from Scarlet's torso (making Scarlet feel the slightest twinge of disappointment that she quickly buried with all her other feelings in the pit of her stomach) and hopped off the moped. Scarlet followed suit.

"I like your jacket," Wolf told her after she hopped off and flipped her hair.

Scarlet looked down at her jacket. It was a red leather jacket gifted to her by her grand-mère for her birthday. She hadn't worn it much to school, but that morning, it was practically screaming at her from her wardrobe to take it to school. She reluctantly did so but left it in her locker until she couldn't resist its temptations when changing after practice.

"Thanks," Scarlet said sheepishly.

Wolf crouched down to the ground and Scarlet followed suit. He examined all of the dandelions, his eyes occasionally passing over Scarlet's face (making her heart skip a beat or three), and then he picked the largest one.

"Ready?" Wolf asked.

Scarlet nodded. Wolf held the dandelion in between them, his large fingers pinching the minuscule stem. And then, they blew. It only took one breath from each of them in sync to knock all of the seeds off. They flew away with the wind, though a few landed on the pair.

Wolf reached his hand out to Scarlet and brushed a seed out of her hair. Her cheeks turned that same color. When he pulled away, he looked at her again. His piercing green eyes poring into Scarlet's made her stomach churn like butter. She couldn't feel herself breathing anymore, that is until a loud noise passed by.

"A train!" Scarlet exclaimed. "I have an idea."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Wolf followed her movements as she got up and ran towards the train. His long legs gave him an advantage, and he got there first, jumping onto an empty train car before Scarlet did the same. Her landing wasn't nearly as graceful, though, and she nearly knocked Wolf over.