Jeremy and the Moon Dancer

Sharing spaces, sharing kisses

(Song to go with section- Two by Liza Anne)

When we were done I took her to the place I go at night when I need to think, at the corner of Pine st and 55th. I showed her how I sat on the edge of the sidewalk with my feet in the street. I showed her when I was ready how I took off my jacket and laid it under my head as I star gazed.

We realized that we both liked each other more than as friends. Our connection deepened after we kissed for the first time; there was so much electricity between us.

But one night an innocent question led to an answer I never in a million years would have seen coming. Our relationship as we knew it changed that night, and it never changed back. Our familiar talks here and now were no longer safe.

"So you like to go to the beach late at night?" I had offered to start the conversation, after it felt like we knew each other so well we didn't need to talk. It was such a stupid question, so obvious the answer that I had never bothered to ask before.

"Yeah, always late at night. I guess I just like the stars."

"That's cool, the stars are so...so...inspiring." I said dreamily on a sigh.

"They are, aren't they? I've never thought of them as anything other than far away suns. I like to pretend they are closer than they really are. That the stars in the sky are bigger, brighter, but only if they didn't..." I cut her off.

"But we have a sun! What's with all the fantasies when we have our own sun? I mean it's bright and pretty damn big, better than any stars in the sky if you ask me."

"No, no...just, never mind. The stars are perfect just the way they are, never mind."

I didn't understand at all.

"Laila why didn't' you just come dance on the beach in the day. Why were you here at night when it is dark and cold?"

"Because I can't dance in the day, at least not outside anyway. My body won't let me."

I was lost again.

"Laila, I don't understand? Help me here."

"I can't tell you. I know I can't, I won't. You'll treat me different, like everyone else I tell. They always treat me different. Either they pity me or whenever they are around me they act like they are doing community service just to hang out with poor Laila.  I can't stand that. Or worse; they run away." He voice was wavering as if she was on the verge of tears.

"But they never, never, treat me the same again."

By the time she was done telling me all of this she was sobbing and it was hard to even catch the last few words. I just sat there holding her. I understood, kind of. I understood she couldn't lose me, but what she didn't understand is that she wouldn't. I wanted to tell her I would not run away, not me. I would not be a coward, not this time. And whenever I was with her I felt way, way too amazing to be doing community service. So I tried to tell her that. And I think she understood, kind of. So then she took a leap of faith and told me,

"Jeremy I have something called Cutaneous porphyries or CP, which means... I'm deathly allergic to the sun."

"Oh" was all that seemed to come out of my mouth.  "You're allergic to the sun?" Is that possible? I wondered.

"Yeah, I am." from her face I could tell it was possible, that she was serious.

"Well I don't mind, I... I love the moon," I said shattering the silence that had encased us.

"I never miss the sun when I'm with you. If anything, it makes me like you more."

"Like me more? How?" she challenged, quite taken aback at my claim.