Asylum | E.D

25

"Seventeen years of existence and I haven't even had my first kiss."

Jaylee

Ethan pulls me along with him as we both stop running on the streets.  We've been out of Grayson's place for about fifteen minutes and we both reveled in the cool night air and silent streets.

"This is amazing." I say as we both settle ourselves down on one of the benches.

Ethan smiles to himself still trying to catch his breath. "Yes, this is."

The light from the streetlights illuminating the dark road as the stars shine down from the sky looks so serene. It's like I am seeing the world for the first time. It's like living on this earth for the first time and I'm loving every second of this moment right now.

"Thank you," I tell Ethan as we both lean our backs against the bench. "For letting me experience this moment."

He pulls me closer to him, wrapping his left arm on my shoulders. "Thank you for deciding to leave that place with me." he says.

"I wish I could stay in here forever, I wish things could stay like this forever. " I mutter because as much as I'm having fun right now, I know sooner or later I'd have to go back to reality once the sun starts to rise. 

I know deep down that I still need to face my terrible life. If only I could just run away from it. But that would be impossible, considering my situation.

"You will, Jay." Ethan says. "Now, wanna get some ice cream?"

I smile and nod, letting Ethan drag me to wherever again. Ethan and I pull our hood up making sure that we're fully covered as we step inside the ice cream shop.

There are two people by the corner eating their orders and another man standing by the counter ordering.
Ethan and I walk towards the counter where a girl, maybe about my age is handing the man his ice cream.

"What flavor do you want?" Ethan asks, as we scan through the different flavors in front of us.

"Uhmm," I trail off. Ethan chuckles at me. "Just try to pick something that you think looks good." I nodded at his suggestion and look over the different ice cream flavors in the shop.

"I think I'd go for that one," I tell him pointing towards the blue colored one. Ethan smiles as he starts to order. The girl behind the counter handed the ice cream to me and I gladly took it. 

We went out of the shop after that, being a little less alert now since there aren't that many people out here that might recognise us. And I doubt it's something that the whole city is stressing about.

"This is officially my favorite ice cream flavor now." I announce as I bite on the ice cream cone to my nearly finished ice cream. Ethan chuckles I smile as my gaze darted across the street, up into the sky, with the wind touching my face gently.

Thank god I'm out.

-

Ethan

"What's with the sudden frown?"  Jaylee asks as we both reach the front of Grayson's place.

"Nothing, I just," I start. "Tonight made me realise how much I had missed out on life." I tell her.

We didn't enter the door immediately, instead, we take a seat at the front steps as we both look up at the sky like as if it is the most interesting thing on earth at the moment.

"I didn't enjoy my teenage years. I never went to high school, I never went to prom or Homecoming." I ramble. "I didn't experienced how it was like to have friends, go to parties. I don't know what it's like to feel goosebumps every time I see someone I like." I pause. "I didn't know what's it like to have a girlfriend. Seventeen years of existence and I haven't even have my first kiss." I say, embarrassed.

I feel Jaylee's gaze shift towards me. I laugh sarcastically at myself for sounding so stupid, "I'm sorry. I probably sound crazy." I mumble.

"No you don't." she says, chuckling while wrapping her arms around my waist. "It's normal for you to feel that way. You've been locked up in that place since you were 13." She says.

"But come to think of it this way, you might have missed out on a lot of things and we can't take that back can we?" I shake my head.

She continues, "But they didn't prohibit you to make your own memories right? That's why you're here now, outside that place. So that you can experience how to live life properly. So you can act out on what you missed." She smiles up at me.

"That's true," I say. "But how can I still do all of that if we're hiding?" I ask her.

"Baby steps, Ethan." Jaylee answers, squeezing me close to her. "We're going to do it step by step." she tells me.

"I like it how you're always full of positivity in you." I remark. "How do  you do that?" I ask.

She shrugs standing up from her seat and helping me up. "Maybe because I try to always think on the bright side. Now let's go get some sleep, we still have a lot of planning to do later in the morning." she says.  

We both go to enter Grayson's apartment with smiles on our faces. This is one of my favorite events in life so far, not like I have any. I'm about to enter the door when Jaylee held my arms making me turn around to face him. 

"Ethan?" She asks me.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we could check out one of the things that you missed out on your life." She says in a slightly confident tone. "Right now." She adds.

I raise my brows at her. "Which one is that?"

She looks at me straight in the eye, not answering. I stare back, and I feel some crazy sensation blooming in the pit of my stomach, and it is in a good way, I think. 

I honestly have no idea what she's thinking, but my mind is all in for whatever she is implying. I waited for his response, but I just got a silent smile and meaningful look, until she starts to inch a bit closer to me.
Leaning closer that I find my breath catch up in my throat. 

Wait, .. is she... 

I'm a bit uncertain and confused about what's happening, but I find myself wanting to live on in this moment. She looks into my eyes, and then her gaze travelled down my lips, and then back at my eyes again.

And after a few more painfully slow seconds, she starts to lean even closer until our nose are touching and mouth so close to each other that I can almost feel his own breathing.

"Seventeen years of existence and I don't even have my first kiss." Oh my gosh... is she going to kiss me? 

I feel myself flush at the memory of what I had just stated earlier. And now with Jaylee leaning closer to me, my mind is full-blown racing. My heart started racing along with my mind. Finally starting to close the gap between us when a voice spoke.

"There you guys are."