The Point Of Life.

Secrets

"You know, since we like became this,"I said gesturing to her warm hand intertwined with mine in my coat pocket, "we haven’t actually been on a date. I mean like normal people, if normal is even a realistic concept anymore."

Alice and I were sat in the middle of the forest behind my house, close enough to my house that we could see it peeking through the tree tops but not close enough to be seen.

We sat side by side, both in thick jackets, her head on my shoulder and my head lightly balance on top of hers. I loved to soak up the feel and smell of everything in nature and Alice seemed to love to watch me as I played with leaves whilst we sat leaning on probably the biggest tree in this small forest. Her hair was wild and darker than normal and as I looked down at her I found it hard to believe that she could stand being around me. Her eyes were closed and she seemed asleep except for her lips moving when I talked or her red lips moving into a perfectly curved smile when I said something ridiculous.

We had been sitting like this since the sky was clear and now it had turned into an almost deep blue abyss above our heads, an ocean above us in a way.

"I don’t like dates. They’re so… awkward and there is so much pressure to be perfect."

She sighed and moved her hand in my pocket so that she was pressing her hand firmly into mine. Yet again she was trying to merge herself with me, not that I had a problem with it.

"As if you have to try to be perfect,"I replied in almost a whisper and still Alice managed to hear me. She turned moving her hand out of my pocket and into her own as she shuffled slightly away from me to look into my eyes. In the darkness her eyes looked like bark and it was beautiful. I mean you never really look at bark and think ‘oh wow’ do you? But when you do notice bark and its existence you wonder ‘how the hell is this even possible?’ Or maybe that’s just me. Her bottom lip hesitated as she looked at the ground and said:

"You really think I’m perfect don’t you?"She seemed sad when she asked me and I wondered why she would be sad that she was perfect. It seemed ridiculous to me.

"I don’t think you’re perfect. I have a strong understanding that you are perfect. Every living organism on this doomed planet deserves to understand your perfection. They should all understand that it’s not an opinion it’s a matter of fact to learn. You should understand that you are perfection, not that I think you’re perfection. There does a difference between being perfect and me wanting you to be perfect and you are a being of perfection. That sounded like crap didn’t it?"

I laughed at myself at the thought of what I just said and this time Alice didn’t smile back and so my laugh faded and my face creased with confusion.

"What?"

"How long does it take someone to fall in love?"

There was a short pause between us as I thought deeply and quickly about if love actually had a designated time period to be felt.

"There’s lots of different love. I mean there’s love at first sight which is instant. Love at last sight which is elongated over maybe months or years. There isn’t a time period."I started by speaking normally and slowly my voice changed into a whisper.

She took my face in her hands then and whilst she did everything around me moved in slow motion except her. She kissed me lightly on the lips and put her forehead to mine.

" I need to ask you something Alice, but I don’t think this is the place for me to do it. It’s getting dark, we should go back inside."

"Wow wait, what did you want to ask me Aaric?" she grabbed my jumper so that I couldn’t escape.