April 22, 2013
Day 22: Write a scene where two characters kiss UNEXPECTEDLY.
"Elizabeth, you have entirely lost your mind," Caleb told the girl in the emerald dress sitting across from him, shaking his head in bemusement. He was fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt, ruining the already fraying fabric. The light from the drawing room fireplace cast a faint glow across Caleb's face, enunciating his bone structure, as pencil hatchings might emphasize the contours of a sketch.
"No, Caleb, consider it for even a moment," Elizabeth insisted, overwhelmed with the desire to make him see, to make him understand, "You and I, travelling the world together, taking it by storm, can't you see it? We could be anyone! We can do anything! The possibilities are endless!"
"Seriously, Izzy," Caleb said resignedly, "What you are suggesting is impossible! You are Elizabeth Whitechapel, the governor's daughter, and who am I, merely a gardener's son?"
At that precise moment, a slight blond haired boy sauntered into the room, his face ever so mischievous as a lazy smile crept upon his lips. He settled himself on the available chair on the small chess table, between Izzy and Caleb. Neither paid him heed.
"From the looks of your clothing, Cale," the blonde boy teased annoyed at being ignored, knowing full well how his friend loathes the nick name, "You don't look like the gardener's son. You look like something a chimney sweeper would use to clean the grate."
Caleb glared at the blond boy, but Elizabeth held his attention, "Who cares about any of that?" she said passionately, "You are Caleb Grace and I am Elizabeth Whitechapel, and that is that. We are Caleb and Izzy, and that is all that matters."
Caleb looked at Izzy, really looked at her. She looked so different from the girl he knew, the clumsy freckled girl with the two left feet, but her opal eyes were the same melted copper color, still mesmerizing. Elizabeth was a woman, now. A beautiful one, at that.
"You two lovebirds drive me insane," the blond boy interrupted again, crossing his legs and knitting his pale slender hands together.
"Is there a reason that you are in our company, Conrad?" Caleb finally addressed him, annoyed. He was always touchy about jests about him and Elizabeth. To anyone else, this would have been taken as hostility, but to three friends who have known each other since they were little, it was an average little banter.
"Yes, a good one at that."
Elizabeth looked at him expectantly. Conrad's lazy smile widened.
"I was bored," Conrad said, giving a little shrug.
"CON," Izzy and Caleb groaned at the same time. They loved Conrad but he can be a little insufferable sometimes.
"Oh for the love of God, you two, I'm the one who should be groaning," Conrad told them, "What are you two oblivious idiots bockering about now?"
"Don't call me an idiot," Elizabeth protested.
"Izzy's got it through her head that we should go see the world together, get away from everything, and live the lives we wished we had," Caleb informed a moody Conrad in a dejected tone.
"Ahh," said Conrad knowingly, "And of course, I'm the one she plans to leave behind. How come I'm never in any of your plans Izzy?"
Elizabeth ignored him.
"But Caleb, we can follow our dreams," she said to Caleb, her voice rising excitedly, "Nothing could hold us back now!"
"You dream big, Elizabeth, but you need to wake up and see that I can never be a part of those dreams."
Caleb's words were like a slap to her. Did he not want the same things she wanted? Did they not dreams together? Were they not two lives forever intertwined? Silence hung in the room like a heavy cloak, suffocating them all.
"You haven't told him, have you?" Conrad asked Elizabeth quietly.
"Tell me what?" Caleb inquire but it was his turn to be ignored, now.
"Izzy!" Conrad exclaimed in exasperation, "Tell him now."
Elizabeth shook her head, her eyes pleading with Conrad. Annoyed, Caleb tried to get back into the conversation again.
"Con, tell me."
"Conrad, no. Please."
"You guys are both so blind!" Conrad exclaimed, his temper peaking, "Why don't you just tell each other that you've both been in love with the other for eons!"
Silence prevailed once more, this one of embarrassment. Elizabeth gripped the table until her knuckes turned white, a complete contrast of the beet red of her face. Caleb, his neck flushed looked everywhere but Elizabeth.
"Just tell each other!" Conrad repeated.
More silence.
"For the sake of whatever this friendship matters," Conrad muttered under his breath angrily and trailed off.
Quick as a panther, he leaned across the table and kissed Caleb on the mouth.
It barely lasted a second before he was on his feet, a safe ditance away from Caleb's fist.
Time seemed to stop as what happened just registered on Elizabeth's and Caleb's faces. Caleb swore fluently as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand furiously.
"That'll get you both to act!" Conrad proclaimed.
Conrad laughed as both Elizabeth and Caleb lunged at him.
Just as they had when they were mere children.
