A different homecoming

A small climb into uncertainty

The cold air his her skin, it has become much later, the outside area is almost empty except for a group waiting to be picked up by the road. Finally, some quiet. Her ears ring and barely pick up his lighter flicking. The cigarette strikes on fire and he exhales towards the moonlight. He really did change a lot.

„So, you understand the game now?" he asks. She nods. „Good, because you already played it with me. Ninth grade, i think." She nods again. He does remember.

„You used to be so quiet, did you spread your wings now?" he asks. It feels like a strange question, but she gets what he means. She was never a risk taker. Didn't drink on the school trip, never had a boyfriend or drama in class. She was just there. Some friends, good grades, no talk of interest.

„Well, seems like you guys flew more than i did."
She thought about that answer for a good while. Maybe too long, hopefully he doesn't think she's awkward. He smiles. „Hey, if you didn't jump your shadow, wanna do it right now?"

She agreed immediately. She didn't even think. And all this went through her head as he was pulling her off the beaten path, only a minute away from the venue. Through the dust, up a hill. A small wooded area. She almost slips, he laughs, and pulls her up the embankment.

A green metal fence. She's puzzled. „So, whats your adventure?" she asks. He points up, and starts climbing the fence. She is truely going to be arrested tonight. She'd never do this, and she also wasn't really drunk. Why is she here, trying to climb a fence in her fancy shoes?

He stands up top. Looking down at her. „Take them off, you'll fall. Throw them over" he says in a whispering voice. She does as he says and starts to climb again. A branch is woven into the fence, it has been here a long time. He pulls her up onto it before jumping down the other side and holding his hands up as to catch her. No going back now, she jumps.

The grass is cold and very wet. It's a bit muddy, it's strange. It's quite dry out. He grabs her hand and runs up the field with her, towards a looming shaking light. It's a pool. This idiot made her break into a pool. Not in somebody's backyard, the one where they used to go as kids, back when the tickets didn't even cost a single euro. She's baffled. She used to know this area, but this, she didn't expect.

He runs out front, she can tell he's excited. It's contagious. She can already tell where he is going. He is going to jump in, probably from the highest board there is. He gets up. And waits, looking down at her. He lights up another cigarette. „Come enjoy the view!" he says to her as the smoke flies into the night.

A short climb, the metal is cold. Her dress is drenched in sweat. This normally doesn't happen, but nothing that happens today does. He keeps walking to the edge, talking old times. He already took his shoes off. Only fair, he said. Her's, after all, are still somewhere on that field down below. Let's just hope nobody patrols this place at night, or even if she manages to run, they'll hunt her like cinderella. Those kinds of jokes, she remembers more of his character.

He bends down, extinguishing his cigarette in a small puddle. He carefully puts the cigarette butt into his pocket, before he undoes his belt. „Time for the main attraction" he says. Before she knows it, his shirt flies. His pants fall. He is in his boxers. Does this man have no tact?

He is not the boy she once knew who wouldn't even want to attend gym class. He had tattoo's, some were very bad.

He walks over to her, asking if she's ready. Ready for what? He smirks. That damn smirk. He ducks down and quickly pulls her dress up over her entire body. It's cold. It flies.

He still smirks „look, my eyes are closed, i'm respectful. Lets go." He puts his hand around her waist, wrestling her to the edge, before he pulls her off it.