"I wish I were a bird," black, beady eyes reflected two teenagers sitting on the grass below, their heads tilted up at the sky, "ya know?"
"Uh, yeah," the boy's head turned to hers as he replied. After some silent seconds, he turned his gaze back up.
For a few minutes, the two watched the big, black stain in the blue sky circle around, and around, and around them, "I bet he thinks we're dead,"
She rested her head on his shoulder, but her eyes never strayed from the creature, "I wish I was a bird," he could feel her jaw move as she spoke, "like that one," her finger reached up and tailed the vulture as it flew over them, "ya know?"
"Yeah, I know,"
Her finger circled around, and around, above their heads.
"Birds are free," Her finger spun around and around, "they're not like people, they can just fly away…"
She caught herself, then continued,
"Hey, Alex," her finger shot to the middle of its orbit, "Do you ever wish you could just…" she lifted her middle finger to stand parallel to the one pointing at the sky, imitating a pistol. She slowly brought both of them down, pressing them to her temple, "...bang."
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SORRY SARAH.
Chapter 1: I love you, Sarah.
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Her head went limp and slammed face down onto my lap, "Phht, Bwa-ha ha-ha," her muffled, rapid-fire laugh kept time for my beating heart Bu-bum ha-ha.
"No, not really," her laugh slowly faded, and she turned her head to the side, her eyes trying their best to meet mine. She stared at me for a few seconds, her lips neutral, her eyes squinting for the bright sun above us.
She spoke suddenly,
"Bull crap," she slowly smiled, then rolled over, "everyone thi- Look! Look!" Her arm desperately shot up to the sky, "hey, it's leaving!" I watched the bird fly away in the reflection of her dark brown eyes, "look Alex, the bird is leaving! Look! Look!! Darn, you mis…"
The world around us slowly faded as I fell into her eyes.
"Hey, Sarah," my mouth spoke without the consent of my brain, "I love you," but I didn't correct it, I just watched for her reaction.
"I know," her hand pointed to another cloud, "and that one sorta looks like a bunny, kinda"
"I guess," that marks the eighty second time I've confessed my love to her, just to get shot down, "it sorta looks like a duck to me,"
"Nah, no way, that's totally a bunny," I mean sure, it hurt like hell the first few times, "those are his ears," but I've grown numb to the pain,"and there's his tail,"
"I think that's his bill," plus, if that's all it costs to have a cute girl lay on your lap, "and his 'tail' looks more like flippers to me," then I'd gladly get my heart broken every day of the week.
"I guess I see it," the feeling you get from that never goes away, "woah, look at that one, it sorta looks like a dragon!"
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We walked together for about two and half miles before we split up. Walking is a stretch, it's more like dragging her around.
"See ya!" She walked backwards and waved both of her hands over her head, "See ya tomorrow!"
"Bye! See ya later!" I leaned over my shoulder and waved back with just my hand.
I don't think I understand women.
The evening sun hid behind the hills on the horizon, but the sky didn't turn dark.
Everything she says contradicts what she does, I mean, if anyone saw her hugging me, or sitting on my lap, or kissing my cheek, they'd totally just assume that we were dating, right? I mean, no sane person does that to a friend, right?
"They'd totally assume that she's in love with me, too, right?" flickers of orange and yellow danced in the sky. A colony of ants swarmed an ice cream cone near my feet, "or am I the crazy one."
"You don't look crazy to me," the old man's words caught me off balance, and I jumped a little, "Bwa ha-ha hah! So you've got girl troubles, huh? Bwa ha-ha!"
"Uh… Sorta," my heart was still beating hard from the scare, but I tried my best to play it off, "H- how did you know?"
"Bwa ha-ha! You don't have to play it off Bwa ha ha-ha!" His face was red from all the laughing, but I failed to see what was so funny, "Bwa ha-ha! You're so easy to read, kid! Bwa ha-ha ha!" His laughter slowly faded, and, while wiping a tear from his eye, he continued, "Plus, that's all you teenager boys come around here for anyhow! That and money! Bwa ha-ha ha ha!"
"Come around where? The… sidewalk?"
"Bwa ha ha-ha guess you can never get enough of'it! Bwa ha hah!" He was too busy laughing at his own joke to hear my question.
"Alex, stop right there!" A voice I've never heard before called my name, my head shot over to see a girl I've never seen before, "someone stop him please!"
"Brrrrrrr, ow!" A little kid, wearing a mask, running around with a model airplane ran into my leg and was knocked to the ground, "Wahhh! Wahhh!"
"Did you just hit my kid?! Hey asshole, look at me!" She stormed up to me, "did you just hit my kid?"
"N- no! He ran into me, I swear I wouldn't- *SMACK!*" I looked to the old man for support
"Bwa ha-ha ha! I hope she's not the girl you're tryna bang! Bwha ha ha!" I shot him a look that said, 'you're not helping!'
Luckily, she stormed off anyway, dragging her wailing child behind her, into the crowded festival. The banner over the entrance read, '34th annual Weston Chinese Lantern Festival.'
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NEXT CHAPTER: What will you wish for, Alex?