KISS

6-Racing Heart

The week had gone by fast and all too soon Iris knew she would be starting the first day of senior year. She sighed, she was excited to get back to her friends but she didn't like spending time away from Chester. They'd bonded. It was as if they've never spent the last three years apart.

"I can pick you up from school." She glanced at him through her peripherals. His face was stoic and there was a faraway look in his eyes as he stared at the sky above them. The wind tousled his hair; the strands were fluttering around in a synchronized dance. His moves graceful—she knew there was a puppet master with invisible strings manipulating his movements. He was too graceful and out of her reach. He was a celestial being forever out of her grasp. Was this how Clyte felt as she watched Apollo with unrequited love? Did she love him? What about her attraction towards Axel? Was he nothing, but a rouse to distract her from her true target? She was so confused. How could she go from having no boy problems to things being overly complicated? The sad thing—she was the only one who knew about the complexities of love.

She imagined telling her mother about her love life. She would stand on some fancy grand stage singing show tunes and telling her about love woes. Sad music would play subtly in the background, while Iris would look on with unspeakable horror; suddenly her mother would launch into a burlesque song telling her to go after her man. She shook her head at her dastardly thoughts. There was just one problem, which one was she supposed to go after? She wanted Chester with a passion but was afraid to ruin their friendship and rejection, and Axel—he was smokin' hot. Did she need to say more?

"You can't pick me up Cheese. Then everyone will know I'm wealthy, better yet, friends with a rock star and they'll try to become my friend. I don't want that."

"Why do you do that? Why do you hide from who you are?" He asked turning on his side. He never understood her fascination with hiding her identity. She was skilled in her artistic abilities, she could be earning millions off pieces of art if she wanted, and she was a genius but hid it. She strived so much to not be like her mother and find her own identity, but he found it contradictory that she didn't to want admit her status was a part of who she was. It was the same as being heir to a throne but denouncing it out of fear or selfishness.

"I'm not doing anything. I just want to be normal." Iris said rolling on her side avoiding his gaze. She felt him scoot closer. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer spooning her from behind, and she fought the shiver. Why did he fit so well there? Why did he invoke such feelings from her?

I have got to get out of my feelings. Mufasa is not dying right now. This is not the Lion King. Sheesh.

"What is normal? It's so overrated. I like you as you are." He could sense her discomfort and like always he conceded. "Are there any guys you're interested in?" He hated asking the question. His jealousy making the pits of hell look cold.

"What?" Her heart galloped at an unprecedented rate in her chest. It was the prize winner in the Kentucky derby and even broke world records, she was going to set another new record—her heart was going to launch itself out of her chest and lie on the ground exposing all her dark secrets. Eep!

How did he know? Did she slip up and say something? She sat up, running her hands through her hair she glanced at Chester. He laid there smirking at her. He did know?! What the hell?

"You jerk!"

"Iris, calm down. What did I do?" he said sitting up. Now he was bewildered. What was she exactly accusing him of?

"You know?"

"What do I know?"

Wait a minute...was her secret safe? She hunched over her secret similar to the golem that kept his 'precious' away from others; hissing at anything that was a threat. She was a volcano exploding, the magma devouring everything in its wake. Burning its way into her heart, her mind, the ground and her cheeks...because they were on fire. She hated boys!