With You, Or Without You

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

                     We sat on the lake side together.  The dark water was still.  The sound of bull frogs and crickets chirping filled the air around us.  We sat on a rock that grew into the water.  When we stretched out legs out, our feet would just be able to touch the water.  It was a warm night.  The lake looked more like an overgrown pond instead of a lake.  We were deep in the woods.  Melanie had brought me here, said it was the prettiest place in town.  In when it was pitch black, expect for the glow of the full moon up over our heads, it was very pretty.  Here we were in the middle of the woods all alone with a wide open surface not even kissing.  I was just fine with that.  

                       In life people are always striving to be normal or be different.  You just do it unconsciously.    But this moment, with Melanie.  I was happy to be me and nobody else.  Didn't want to try to be something, just wanted to stay the way I was with her, always.  

                       The moonlight hit her perfectly, or maybe she was just naturally glowing.  I wouldn't doubt that if she said it was true.  

                      "When I first met you, I didn't think you liked me very much," I said leaning back on my arms.

                       She looked over at me, "No, I hated you very much.  I'm sorry..."

                       My eyebrows pulled together.  Why'd she hate me?  I thought she just didn't like me, but she hated me? "How come?"

                      "I judged you before I knew you.  Thought you were some punk ass asshole you was just looking for free things like taking advantage of a little old lady.  You also looked like an asshole with all those layers of clothing and hair.  Again, I'm sorry." she bit the corner of her bottom lip.

                     "I thought you were a bit of a stuck up bitch..." Kind of.

                     Her jaw dropped and eyebrows shot up, "What!  Why?  I am not!"

                     I kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes smiling, "The way you ignored me like you were better than me or something...I also thought you were dating Todd the Fireman"

                    She snorted, "Nah, he's just in love with me.  Got lucky once last year and keeps thinking he'll get another date with me"

                   "He was your first?" She acted like some Christan girl who would wait till after marriage.  

                   She shook her head, "No no, he got lucky with a date with me.  I'm still a....hm hm"

                    I decided to tease her a bit, "A what...?" I acted honestly confused.  

                    She looked down at her dress and was playing with it, "a hmm hmm!"

                   "What's a 'hmm hmm'?" I knew this was mean but I couldn't resist.

                  She turned around and whacked me upside the head.  We both just sat there laughing after. 

                                                                             *    *    *   *

                    We were running out of the woods when time had managed to hit us square in the chin. We had no clue how late it had gotten till Melanie got a text from her mom and dad asking where she was and that she better be home right then and there or she'd be in big shit.