Between Two Eternities || Travis Hamonic

(18) Fire Starter

"Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect."

-Margaret Mitchell

Open it. Close it. Quietly.

I hadn't realized it was already past midnight when we had escaped from the party. He had joked about me keeping him up, but didn't seem to care too much as he took a million back roads back to my street.

Superheroes don't need sleep.

I wonder if I had this much fun sneaking in when I used to do it with Bobby. But my memories of those times are tainted with visions of drunkenness and smoking weed, parties (which we stayed at all night) and sweaty bodies. I was the one driving Bobby home, in his car, and then walking back to my own house, already in fear of my broken curfew.

This is nothing like that. These days, Travis pulls into the driveway, and walks me up to the door. He hasn't kissed me, but I suppose I've never given him the chance.

"Did you forget your phone in my car?" he asks, noticing that my hands are empty, and already beginning to walk backwards down the driveway to retrieve it.

I shake my head and pull it out of my back pocket. "Nope, got it right here," I say, choking over my words and awkwardly palming the phone.

He nods with the slightest smile on his lips, and I look away. "So ... I'll see you tomorrow?" I ask, the hope so evident that even I can hear the desperation.

He doesn't answer right away, which reminds me why I'm not the one to ask those kinds of questions, the ones that put you out on the limb like that.

"I'm leaving for some games," he says carefully, cautious of how I'll react. I nod solemnly and fiddle around in my pockets for the key to the front door. "Yeah, I was just ..."

"How 'bout breakfast?" he says quickly. I glance back up at him. "Yeah," he assures, "I'll pick you up. What time do you have school?"

"Uhm at nine," I say, going over my Tuesday schedule in my head.

"Perfect. How's seven sound?"

I begin to shake my head, not to refuse but only to make sense of the sudden plans, and then quickly nod instead to avoid giving off the wrong idea. "Yeah that sounds perfect."

He grins and picks up my hand that was nervously pulling at the seam of my newest pair of jeans. The skin on skin contact makes me blush.

"Great. I'll see you in a few hours then," he says cheekily. What happened next is something that I'll never forget. Travis pulls me closer by the hand he had a hold of, and hugs me.

As I settle into his chest, his hands even rub slow circles on my back. I almost close my eyes in tranquility but then the hug ends and after a short sentiment of goodbye, I end up leaning against the door from the inside.

I stand still until I hear his car drive away. My heart is still beating out of my chest and my cheeks have been blushing so much that they are literally hot to the touch.

If only a hug has this effect on me, there's no telling what anything more will do.

I gingerly put my bag on a chair and let out a breath. Looks like I'll be getting away with this one no questions asked.

Fat chance.

"So! I let you live in my house and this is how you repay me? Coming in past one in the morning!" Aunt Molly. It is dark in the house so I can't see her face. But I can guess that she has her arms crossed. She scared me, all of a sudden talking like that.