Belle & Daegan

After Curfew

"Holy--"

Daegan had a welt on his forehead and his temple. He grunted in pain when he winced.

"It was an accident," Daegan said. "He was shocked to see that he had done it."

"Oh, Daegan..."

"Look, I'm fine." He flexed his bicep to prove that he was strong. "I just need to work harder on the fence."

"Daegan, you shouldn't be working this hard." She leaned her elbows on the fence post, hiding her face in her hands.

"Belle, I don't have any other family. My mother's dead, grandparents dead, no aunts or uncles. If they found out, they would take me away. Away from this place. Away from your kind grandparents. Away from..."

Belle knew that he was about to say 'you', but she was glad he hadn't. It would make this situation so much harder.

"I don't want to leave," he said.

"And I don't want you to," Belle said, looking up at him. She grasped his hand. "Life here wouldn't be the same without you."

Daegan gazed up at the night sky. "I could run away," he murmured.

"No, don't. The police would go after you. You're still a minor."

"I know, I know, I'm just venting." He smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

Belle felt her cheeks warm. She glanced back at her grandparents' fence a ways away. "I should go. It's nearly my curfew."

"No, don't go." Daegan looked up at the sky. "Come on. I've got something to show you."

"What?"

But Daegan didn't respond. He climbed over his fence, second-glancing back at his house, and pulled her toward the front of both properties.

"Daegan--"

"Shhh!" He led her across the dirt road to the open field scattered with a few oak trees.

When they were a safe distance away from the farms, Daegan spoke in a normal voice again. "I wanna show you something, city girl."

Belle laughed at being called 'city girl' again. He had called her that when he first came, when he thought she was spoiled.

"You haven't seen the best of everything on this farm," he said. He led her through a dense part of the field, until they reached a meadow. Trees surrounded the square of tall grass, blanketed over by a dark blue sky.

"Tonight's a special night," Daegan whispered, lying down on the dirt floor. He patted the spot next to him.

Belle lay down next to him, and gazed up at the sky. "What's going to happen?"

"Just wait."

Belle waited, watching the night sky dotted with white stars. She looked at her watch. It was only a few minutes until curfew.

"Daegan--"

"Look!"

She focused her eyes, and gasped.

A shooting star swept across the sky. Another followed it. A few more shot across the sky. Soon countless shooting stars were sweeping across the sky.

"Wow."

"It's a meteor shower," said Daegan. "I found out about it ahead of time, and I've memorized the date of it so I could take you out and show you."

Belle blushed. She thought about holding Daegan's hand, but she resisted the urge to.

"I'm honored."

"Oh, please." Daegan shuffled nervously. "I wanted to show you, since you obviously haven't seen one in your city."

Belle smiled. "You're right. I haven't."

Daegan turned his head to look at her. "You know, this is worth getting curfew for."

Belle turned to face him. "It is. And I'm glad you showed me." She looked back up at the sky again. The meteor showers were starting to fade. When the last meteor had fallen, Belle didn't want it to. She wanted to continue watching the showers forever, lying beside Daegan.

"I need to get back."

"Yeah." Daegan got up, and offered his hand to her. She took it, and he pulled her up.

"Whoa!" she laughed. She let Daegan lead her back through the trees to her farm.

"I wish I didn't have to go back home," she said. The farm was now in the distance.

"Me neither."

When they reached the fence to her grandparents' property, she said goodbye, and climbed over it. She went inside to face the music.