The Road Less Traveled

Day Six

Song: Unsteady by X Ambassadors

"Mother, I know That you're tired of being alone Dad, I know you're trying To fight when you feel like flying, but if you love me, don't let go"

Noelle

I wake up and the sky is still black and speckled with stars above me.

I sigh loudly then jerk my head to Asher to see if I woke him. Much to my relief, he lays still beside me, deeply breathing in and out, in and out.

My eyes slowly drift shut again as I focus on his breathing. In and out. I match my inhales and exhales to his.

I haven't slept a full night ever since I was checked into the loony bin. Sleep just hasn't been something of importance to me, though maybe it should be. I continue to listen to Asher, focusing so hard on his breathing that I am nearly putting myself into a trance.

In... out.

In... out.

He inhales loudly and rolls over onto his side, facing me. I hold my breath, waiting for his eyes to open, but they never do. His face softens again and I can just barely make out his facial features as they are lit from the dull light of the nearly full moon.

His eyelashes are so dark and so long. When his eyes are open, they frame his dark brown eyes so nicely that you want to jump into them and dig for miles and miles searching for buried secrets. His mouth is slightly parted and I have to fight my hand to keep my fingers from reaching up to touch his lips.

We kissed once. I remember it, but vaguely, like it was a dream or a distant daydream. We were in sixth grade and our friend, Ethan, was telling us at lunch about how he had his first kiss at his birthday party the past weekend in the bowling alley. That day after school, Asher and I were sitting in our tree house with a big box of Goldfish crackers in between us, hanging out like we did everyday after school before our parents got home from work. We began talking about Ethan and about how awkward the kiss had to have been, though he assured us it was the greatest thing that he had ever experienced. After minutes of laughter, I fell silent. I told Asher that I wish I could just get mine over with, and he agreed. So that was it. We decided to be each other's first kiss and it was awkward as ever and it tasted like Goldfish.

So, as all first kisses go, ours was quite repulsive. We didn't speak to each other for three days after, but then following those three miserable days, we decided it was completely hilarious, so we got over the awkwardness and from that point on, it had been an ongoing joke.

But now, as I find myself staring at Asher's lips, I decide that I wouldn't mind if it tasted like Goldfish, I just want to kiss him again. No doubt he and I are both more experienced in the kissing matter, so I can't stop myself from wondering how nice it would feel. He's matured quite nicely, honestly, but I would never admit it to his face, I would never live it down. 

I force myself to turn over onto my other side, facing away from Asher and his lips, and I toy in the sand with my finger until I drift back to sleep.

...

"Noelle," Asher shakes my shoulder, "I hate to wake you up but there are people starting to come on the beach, I think we should head out."

I rub my eyes and sit up. The tide is starting to come in and I breathe in the crisp sea air.

"When did you wake up?" I ask.

"Uh, 'bout thirty minutes ago."

I nod and stand to start folding up the blankets. My skin is sticky and my hair feels brittle from not showering after swimming in the ocean.