Maximus of Mine

Page 24 Something So Sweet

As he stands beside me, I feel his shoulders match mine. We both are just as tall. His face looks pink, his neck is red. He lights up another cigarette and as he does, his hair falls over his eyes again. He puts out the lighter and exhales smoke, I cough, waving my hand before my face. He throws his cigarette on the ground, "Sorry,"

We were already surrounded by smoke. I came out here to avoid just this and now this man is plunging me into air pollution again. His body spray, he smells like some expensive shampoo, the smell of smoke, his mouth smells like energy drinks, all of them are burning inside my eyes with this smoke.

"I should go home,"
"Why so soon? Did I disturb you here?"

Yes. "No, I was going to leave anyway,"

"I can drop you home"
"No, I'll take a bus"
"But I can drop you on my bike. It would save you bus money, and you'd have someone to talk to talk to on your way back home,"

"Well," Should I let him drop me? I mean, he has already seen where I live so it's not like he would suddenly find out where I live. No, he's still a stranger. I can't trust him. Besides, I'm alone at home today. Casper is out. It won't be the safest thing to get a man in and it won't be very polite to not let him in if he's bringing me all the way to my room.

"I'll be fine," I look at his curious eyes, "I can go home by myself,"

"I'm not saying you can't. I insist-"
"My decision is unchanged,"

"You're quite stubborn, curlhead. It's very uncute,"
"YI don't want to be cute for you,"
"But you are cute for me," He smiled at me. I looked down at my shoes. I didn't expect him to catch me off-guard like that. 

"I hate to say this...But can you stay a bit longer?"
I looked at him, "Why?"
"Because...It's so boring inside. It's nice to be here...with you...I-IN THE OPEN, I mean. The weather is nice,"
I looked up at the dark sky and he looked up at the sky with me. We were quite and I wanted to ask him something too personal. I was contemplating if I should. 

"Did you feel lonely in there too?"

You only seldom find the courage to ask this to people who are not terribly close to you. I couldn't find it. 

I looked at him and he finally stopped looking at the sky and looked at me too. I saw the peace in his eyes. So calm, like frozen water, glowing under an Aurora Borealis, somewhere around the poles, where it would be beautiful for itself, and no one looking at it. Until I crash into the ice, and distort it and the light would still on me, the way it falls on your aurora blues and reflects them back to you. And light your entire face under this dim street light, struggling to keep up with whatever we were doing with our eyes. 

I wanted to look away, but I also wanted to keep looking at him. I faintly believed that if only I looked for a little longer, I would want to look away. And yet, there I was, near to him when my light was low, when the streetlight went off, and my wheels began to slow...

"Be near me when the sensuous frame
Is rack'd with pangs that conquer trust;
And Time, a maniac scattering dust,
And Life, a Fury slinging flame."

He smiled, "That was beautiful,"
I nodded, "I think so too,"

"Did you make it?"
"No... It's my favourite poem-"

"Daffine! There you are, I've been looking for you" When I heard Casper's voice, I almost fell like I jumped out of a spell. I looked at Casper, "Femke got so worried! You never came back! Come, I'll drop you home," Casper held my hand and I followed him. I turned and looked at him, watching him pick the burnt cigarette from the ground and put it in the dustbin. 

-To be continued