hello, goodbye • jonah marais

32.

off-screen

⤛◈⤜

it's nearly 8 pm. the sun has
made its way past the ocean
horizon. the result is a sky
with warm hues that gradually
transitions into dark blue skies.

everyone is inside the
house, music booming through
the speakers, loud enough to be
heard outside. luna and jonah
are alone, sitting next to each
other in front of the fire.

luna: hey. thanks for today. i really needed this.
Pause.
it's nice just to focus on the present instead of being worried about the future that hasn't happened yet.

jonah: of course. everyone needs time for some reflection.

luna: yeah, i guess i just want everything to be perfect. make my mom proud.

jonah: hey luna? you don't have to say anything if you don't want to but... you've never mentioned your family before.

luna: that's because i don't have any.
Pause.
my dad left before i was born. my mom passed away two years ago in a drive-by shooting. it's been just me ever since.

jonah: i'm so sorry. i didn't know.

luna: it's okay. it was hard at first, but growing up, she taught me to be strong. that made it a lot easier afterwards.

luna doesn't look at jonah
when she says this. her eyes are
fixated on the sky, which is now
completely dark. a few
stars were scattered, surrounding
a bright full moon.

luna: you know, i was born on a full moon. it's why my name is luna. my mom, on the other hand, was named solis because she was born at the break of dawn. she always called me her 'other half'; the moon to her sun.

jonah: i love that. you must have been really close.

luna: we were. i could trust her with everything and she would never judge.

jonah: you must miss her.

luna: terribly. but i know that even though she's not physically here, i know she's with me every step of the way.

jonah stares at luna, who's
staring intently at the fire in
front of them. he goes back
to staring at the fire. luna puts
her head on his shoulder.

jonah: my full name isn't jonah marais.

luna: what?

jonah: it's jonah marais roth frantzich. marais is actually just my middle name. i started going by my middle name when I decided to pursue music.

luna: any special meaning behind it?

jonah: yeah. before i was born, my parents would go to this small town called grand marais every summer. it was lakeside and just absolutely beautiful. one summer they were supposed to go but couldn't because i was born. and there you have it, my middle name.

luna: that is so sweet. you must have a great relationship with your family.

jonah: yep! i couldn't live without my parents and siblings. they're everything to me.

jonah, rethinking how
his words may make luna
sad, apologizes.

jonah: i'm sorry.

luna: don't be! if anything, hearing you talk about your family makes me happy. you don't have to censor yourself. yeah, it would be great to have a complete family i can spend time with and talk to, but sometimes it doesn't work that way. and that's okay.

luna: i've learned to accept that everything happens for a reason, just like we talked about before. and everything that has happened, has led me right here, at this very moment, next to you.

luna looks at jonah as she says
those last three words. he looks
back. it suddenly feels like they're
a lot closer now than they were before.

the ocean high tide makes for
a stronger breeze, and strand of
luna's hair falls onto her face. jonah
lifts a hand up to brush it behind
her hair. instead of dropping his
hand, it lingers on her face. their
faces are inches apart.

jonah: hey, luna?

luna: yeah?

jonah: if it wasn't already obvious, i really, really like you.

luna's breath hitches in her
throat, her heart pounding a
million beats per minute in her chest.

jonah: if you'll let me, i'd really like to kiss you.

she pauses for a moment, hesitant.
all her life, she was wary of relationships
and the potentiality of falling for
someone. she had only known what
it was like to be independent; her
mom did it all on her own, so why
couldn't she? all people ever do is
leave, just like her dad.

but at this very moment, she
understands. jonah, the one who
bought a season pass to her job
just to see her. who teases her
when the twins beat the white sox.
who lost his mind for a week
when he couldn't reach her. who,
for these last couple of months, has
understood her more than anyone.

jonah isn't her dad. so as she stares
at the (nervously waiting) man in
front of her, she smiles, and kisses
him before he does. and it feels like
the most natural thing in the world.

luna: if that didn't already make it obvious, i really like you, too.

to be continued...

⤛◈⤜

A/N: F I N A L L Y. it's about
damn time, lmao.

anyways, once again, thank you
for reading! i'm sorry this one
took a while; there's a lot more
details that need to be put in
when it's off-screen so bear with me.

beach party chapters aren't
over yet! the next one
will probably be the last one.
again, like I said before:

what could go wrong?