Paper Towns~ A Continuation

Chapter 6. Angry Birds

When I was five years old, my family and I began coming to a little, secluded forest that was a couple hours away from our house. It was a peaceful place filled with animal life and greenery. We used to share picnics there, take walks, skip rocks on a lake. My parents, who were therapists, always agreed that "It's healthy to get away from life sometimes, and going to this piece of the woods was just the way to do that." So when I parked on a dirt road inside of this forest, you could imagine how excited I was to show Margo this little piece of my life.

"I used to come here all the time when I was a kid," I say, giving Margo an award-winning smile. "It's nice, peaceful...just like you wanted. It's perfect."

We step out of the mini-van, and I look up at the dark sky. I've never been here at night before. But somehow it's even more beautiful in the dark, with the stars twinkling in the sky.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Cheesy," Margo says. "This is very cheesy of you, Q."

I raise my eyebrows. "How so?"

She pretends to think. "Okay, here's what I think your plan is for tonight. You take the girl you love to a beautiful, romantic forest, and maybe skip some rocks with her. Somewhere in the skipping rocks stage, you have a heart-felt conversation with her, explaining your feelings. She suddenly realizes that she's in love with you, too! Then you two proceed to make-out under the stars. Now look me in the eyes, Q, and tell me that that was not your plan for tonight."

I try to make eye contact with her, but I can't. That was exactly my plan. If it works for the guys in movies, then why can't it work for me?

"That's what I thought. You should come up with a better plan to steal my heart, because that plan is cheese."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. That wasn't my plan, anyways."

Margo walks to a patch of grass and lays down on it. I follow her lead and do the same, laying down next to her on the soft grass.

"You know, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings earlier," Margo says quietly. Her hair is sprawled out on the ground. "I just...y'know. Didn't think it was the right time?"

I laugh a bit. "Now you're being the cheesy one, Margo."

She laughs, too. "Yeah, I suppose I am. I guess there's nothing wrong with a bit of cheese once in awhile."

"When is the right time to tell you I love you? Because apparently I suck at determining time."

She stays silent.

"Margo?"

"Q, don't you get it?" she whispers. "Never. The right time is never."

Well, that stings a bit. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...like...never." Margo stands up and brushes the grass off of her. I do the same.

"Can you be a bit more specific?"

"Earlier, when I realized that we're both going to jail in the near future, I also realized that we'll probably never see each other again once that happens. And I just...don't want to be with someone if that's gonna happen."

We begin to walk slowly on a dirt path, not meeting eyes with each other.

"So...you don't want to be with me?" I ask. This night is definitely not going as I planned.

"If circumstances were different, then sure, I would go out with you. But since we're both criminals and the police are coming for us and we're gonna be sent to jail soon and when that happens we're probably never going to see each other again... I just don't think that it would be the wisest idea to be in a relationship. It would hurt too much if we never see each other again."