St. Cloud

Dorton Park

The mystery and raven filled soul that was the Gray himself, ended up talking to me for days to come. Through social media of course, because it was July and obviously we weren't in school so I couldn't speak to him face to face.

Thus, we exchanged simple conversations nonstop. From the moment we woke up, to the moment we fell asleep. I'll never understand why he chose to keep talking to me. He could've left it as an accident, could've chosen not to respond and simply just ignore me.

Yet he proceeded.

He proceeded for quite a while actually, thirteen days to be exact. We kept an ongoing conversation for about 306 hours, until I built up the courage to ask the Gray himself to meet me in person somewhere.

Anywhere, because after 13 days I wanted to see if the mystery that was Gray would actually present himself to me. I wanted to see if we could actually be something.

I wasn't expecting a response, or for my plan to actually work, because you see I didn't have faith in boys. I believed that they were all narcissistic jerks that didn't have hearts or emotions. Thus, I thought I was a joke to Gray, and I wanted to somewhat prove that he wouldn't show up to actually meet me.

Because who would want to be seen with someone like me. Not that I was undeserving, I know my worth full and well. It was more so because I was different than the other girls at our school. Well, at least I thought so.

Yet the Gray himself was full of surprises.

I gave him a time and place, and even though he was 30 minutes late, he showed up.

To further the pattern of surprise, I even hugged him too. Maybe it was because I was excited that he actually came, and that he proved me wrong which is not usually done on a regular basis.

He had dark thick hair, just as dark as I remember it in the school hallways. He was also taller than me, not by seven feet but enough to let my head rest perfectly beneath his head.

Then there was his voice.

Now that took me by surprise more than anything else. It was much deeper than I thought it would be. It was full and rich and I wanted to hear more of it. Whenever words came out of his mouth, his vocal cords blended to make a sound that I was very fond of, and granted I never had the opportunity to speak to him ever before, which is why I was so intrigued by his sound. I loved it.

His eyes were a beautiful shade of brown, I got lost in them more often than sometimes. It was easy to lose your way in them, because they'd pull you in suddenly and drown you in their sweet honey color that was as deep as the trenches of the sea.

But anyway, we met up at a park. Dorton Park. There was a creek and a wide open field, a little playground and plenty of trees. A perfect place to get to know someone better.

We crossed the creek together, and as time passed, I noticed that I was doing most of the talking. Perhaps I was annoying, but I could tell he didn't have any topics to discuss on his mind. So I persisted. I wanted to know more and attempt to understand the mystery that he was.

Hundreds of questions later, we ended up laying in the grass on the field and talking about our most embarrassing childhood memories. One fact we recognized about this particular day we met, was that it was the Fourth of July. Independence Day.

Thus, as the sun set we had to part our ways and be with our families for the holiday. I didn't want to leave him, but I couldn't say the same for him so we simply hugged goodbye. It was a soft hug, and I was nervous it would be our last one.

I was nervous I had said too much, perhaps annoyed him with my nonstop talking and questions. I can be a little too much. Hard to handle at times.

Yet after we departed, my phone lit up and I received another surprise from Gray. The boy was full of surprises one after the other.

He told me he had a good time, and that we should meet up again some time soon. Call me cliché, but something in my chest exploded like fireworks and color and light and as my family and I went to watch the fireworks that night, I could've sworn the fireworks felt like a celebration for me because my heart felt something different. A good different.

And it happened at Dorton Park.
Where I entered the city of St. Cloud.

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