𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐊𝐨𝐥 & 𝐊𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐓

I've never met someone so irritable in my life. I know everything. Thoughts of him swirl in my mind. I look over to Casey, who's sprawled across the couch as she scrolls through her phone.

"I forgot to ask you, how was work yesterday?"

"Oh, it was alright. Nothing eventful," she says, not bothering to look up from her phone.

"I was going to wake you up this morning, but I had to go. Did you sleep in late?"

"Yeah... long night." Casey takes a sip of her lemonade.

I decide not to prod too much based on the uneasy frown that rests on her face. I can tell she just wants to be left alone.

"I'm going on a walk," I say, grabbing my sweater.

"This late?" Casey glances out the window, which emits golden rays through the white sheer curtain. "Be back before dark. Your mom is paying me too good for anything to happen to you," she grins.

I laugh as I step out the door. I find myself walking to the park that's just a few miles away. A light breeze blows my hair back, and singing crickets fill my ears. The winter's previously denuded branches offered their wands of tight green as they bud to the brilliant rays of spring. The wind has lost its bite; it has become ambient, congenial, blowing branches and tousling my hair. From my neighbor's garden waves the precocious yellow bloom of the daffodils, and I tilt my head toward the sky to feel the mellow heat in the sunset's golden kiss.

About 15 minutes later, I'm sitting on the swings, facing the colorful sunset. It makes a terrible noise when I rock back and forth. The rusted chains grind together, adding to the squeaking sounds that emit from the swing. I sigh heavily and ignore the annoying sounds.

Soon I hear someone sit on the swing beside me. I don't bother to look, assuming it is a child.  My stare is focused on the mulch as I swing side to side– it makes less noise than swinging up and down. I sigh, getting bored with myself and this supposed walk.

A familiar irritable voice takes me away from my momentary peace. "Do you not know how to swing?"

I look to my right to find the last person I want to see right now.  "And do you not know how to ever stop talking?"

He laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hmm... I don't think so, no. Maybe I was wrong when I said I knew everything."

He stole the words right out of my mouth. "And you said that I'm the stalker. What are you doing here?"

"I like it here. It's rather peaceful, wouldn't you agree?"

I roll my eyes and grumble, "It was."

"It still is."

I bite my lip, contemplating if I should get up to leave or not. I don't want to be downright rude... but he started it, right? I decide against it when I spot a firefly blink a few inches from my face.

"I love fireflies," I say.

He tilts his head and then gives me a sly smile. "Do you like catching them?"

"Yes, I do, actually. My mom and I used to catch them in a tomato jar before bed every summer... They always died by the morning though." I let out a subdued laugh.

"Did your hands smell afterward whenever you caught them?"

I wrinkle my nose. "Uh... yeah?"

He squints his eyes, lit with a twinkle of mischief. "That's because they pissed on you. When you hold a firefly it pees on your hand!" He turns away when he sees the look on my face and bursts out in laughter. I let go of the firefly that was just in my palm, my mouth wide open with disgust. "You have piss hands now!" I try to suppress it, but I can't help but let out a giggle at the situation. He catches it and his eyes exaggeratedly widen. "So she laughs?"

I cross my arms. "I laugh all the time."

"Sure you do."

"I do."

"Well, not that I've seen," he says.

"It's because you're around, so there's nothing to laugh about besides your face."

He puts his hand to his heart. "Ouch, that's a bit too far," he feigned.

I smile and look away, back at the sliver of sun left in the sky. We sit in comfortable silence, the only sounds are the crickets and creaky swings. I let go of the old chains to reveal brown marks on my fingers and palms. Before loosely clasping them together in my lap, I wipe them on my pants. I think I have to go home soon. What time did Casey say I need to be back by? I completely forget. I revert my thoughts back to the scenery and the irritating boy that sits beside me. I look over to him to find him lost in thought, his features soft and eyes sparking. He holds a weightless gaze out to the flowers that surround the park. I realize I'm staring and look away, only to look back up at him. I think he feels my gaze when he turns to me, our eyes meeting.

He breaks the silence. "I've seen many things in my life, but I have never seen blooms that appeared to kiss the sky so boldly as those scarlet tulips." He averts his gaze back to the flowers, and I do the same. "They raise themselves from the ground as if they are some magic trick turning the timid earth into steady and brilliant flames."

I'm rendered speechless by his choice of words. I blink like a fool as I muster up a good reply. "So you're a poet now?"

"If that's what you'd like," he gives me a flirtatious smile.

I suppress the shy grin that's fighting to form on my lips. "I wouldn't."

"Oh really? You seem to be a bit flustered."

"You wish," I say, my feet shuffling in the mulch.

"I really don't, no. It's not my fault my looks have taken such an effect on you."

I give him a harsh squint. "You are so arrogant."

"So? I'm not wrong," he shrugs.

"Exactly. Arrogant. I hate to break it to you, but you're not attractive."

"You say that like you weren't just staring at me moments ago," he smirks.

I cross my arms. "I was not!"

"If you say so, darling."

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i thought this was a really cute moment. i was giggling so much when writing this lmfaoo i hope you enjoyed!!

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