mary ☆ p. verona

9

The water always scared Rory. It always had. When she was little and her parents would have to pry her from her car seat to get her out on to the beach. Rory's little sister would always wonder why she never played with in the lake.

The water had always scared her, it was so brash and unpredictable. That's what scared her.

"Mary, are you ok?" Patrick's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh, yeah...yeah I'm fine." Rory blinked herself back to reality.

"You've staring at the water the whole time. It's not going anywhere." Patrick laughed.

"Yeah, it just-" Rory signed "I'm kinda scared...of large bodies of water" She thought Patrick would laugh at her for this but instead a look of sincerity fell on his face. Patrick without out breaking eye contact, reached his hand over to hers and laced his fingers through hers.

"I'm not gonna let it take you from me" He reassured her with a warm smile.

The two started peddling the boat again. They went further in the ocean.

"So I think it's time learned more about you." Patrick said trying to start a conversation.

"What do you mean Verona?" Rory half giggled. "There's not much to me"

"Well you have a life, correct?" Patrick asked rhetorically.

"Yeah..." Rory responded.

"Tell me about." Patrick insisted. "Every bit, every piece. Not details spared."

"Well... let's see, um my full name is Aurora Jean McIllroy. But you refuse to call me that."

"Precisely!" Patrick grinned back at her.

"My dad is a professor at U Dub, that's why we live out here. And my mom and sister are staying back in Ohio until my sister wraps up school."

"Do your mom and your sister have names?" Patrick chimed in.

"Hang on I'm getting there!" Rory scoffed. "Yes, my mom's name is Saoirse but she goes by 'Susie' and my sister's name is Josie but she prefer to go by 'Jo'".

"Well you and your sister sound like you belong in an old timey novel."

"Verona as much as I enjoy the soothing sound of your voice I could go with out the commentary." She scoffed. "I went to a small catholic school in the middle of butt fuck Ohio and followed their 'purity' narrative placed on the girls."

"You don't think much of yourself... do you?" Patrick asked sincerely.

"What?"

"Rory, you gave me the shortest version of your life story even though I already know you are one of the most exciting people on this planet."

"Huh..." Rory was now staring.

"You are not as boring as you think you are. You are a ray of sunshine in my world and you need to start seeing yourself as such!"

"Patrick, I know your trying to be all philosophical and shit right now, but I'm starting to feel sea sick." Rory let out.

"Ok let's start peddling back." Patrick said heading the two back to shore.

★☆☆

"Bye thank you!" Rory waved good bye to the teen at boat place.

"So what should we do now?" Rory asked Patrick.

"What?" Patrick laughed.

"C'mon, you said I need to start seeing myself as more exciting, well I wanna do something exciting!" Rory insisted.

Patrick was slightly dumbfounded seeing as Rory was about to spill her guts to the entire North Pacific Ocean. "Ok well there's that place over there..." he suggested pointing to a colorful sign marked 'Paint Balls'.

"Ok!" Rory cheered yanking Patrick by the arm and dragging him over to the paint ball arena.

★☆☆

  Patrick and Rory were now inside the arena. They were both wearing white jumpsuits over their clothes, protective goggles, and a satchel filled paint bombs.

They were running around the park trying to find another but Rory had planned a sneak attack.

Slowly creeping up on Patrick, careful enough to not make a sound.

She drew her arm back for some momentum and BAM! Rory had landed a bright red splatter on Patrick's upper back.

"Gotcha Verona!" Rory taunted before running off.

"I'm gonna return the favor Mary, just watch!" Patrick shouted and threw a paint ball back at her but Rory had managed to hid behind a barrier before it could hit her.

She stuck out her tongue and put her hands by her ears as Patrick approached her and they started standing up at the same time. They had made eye contact with each other for a second, which has then broken by Patrick slamming a yellow paint ball right on top of Rory's head.

"Ugh my hair!" Rory squealed. "Oh your so dead Verona!" Rory started chasing after him.
Patrick managed to look over his shoulder and toss a paint ball at her but missed. "Nice try!" Rory taunted and caught up to Patrick.

Right as the got near each other Rory started to trip into a pile a of hay and she saw Patrick start to laugh and so she did what she had to do and dragged him down with her.

Rory couldn't process what was happening, Patrick's body was hovering over her and propped up with both of his arms at her side.

"Hi." He finally said flashing his signature, sweet smile.

"Hi back." Rory smiled.

Patrick picked up his hand and lifted it to Rory's face to clear away the same piece of hair that fell in front of her face a few mornings before at breakfast and brushed it against her ear. Patrick dragged his fingers down from her ear to her jaw, taking in her entire face in all of its beauty.

Patrick finally made a move. He leaned in to her and pressed his lips to hers.

Rory was filled with joy and shocked at the same time. She kissed back at him, putting her hand on the side of his face and stroking his hair with her thumb. She let herself deepen the kiss until the two couldn't breath and Patrick pulled away.