uncool, stanley barber

29

29 - teenagers are like children and children are like fairies

the next morning at 5am, i wake up. i wasn't having a nightmare, wasn't being suffocated by the guilt i carry. carried.

it's early, but i have a plan in action. so i try to see my surroundings as i look around for something to wear. i find mum jeans and a pink frilly top. i plait my hair into two french braids like mum taught me. and, cause it's cold outside, i grab my colour block jacket and lace up my shoes.

i put a note to the fridge saying i wanted an early stroll and that i'm okay. dad made us come up with our own safe word cause he's a very skeptical man, being a cop.

i finish the note with leopard fairies, because i was young and loved fairies and i'd just learnt how to spell leopard at school.

i walk peacefully towards the house i've known to love. i pass sydney's house and check there's nobody but me, right now, watching her window. and luckily, there's not. she's safe.

i patter down his driveway and tap on his basement window quietly, but loud enough. i don't want to wake his dad, who's no doubt passed out on the sofa.

finally, the window opens with stanley staring at me. he's topless with pyjama bottoms on, rubbing his eyes and moving his dark curls aside from his face. they're really crazy in the morning.

"ella? what time-"

"shh, don't say a word" i say, excitedly. "just get dressed and meet me outside."

he nods before i scurry off to sit on his porch. my leg bounces up and down before i feel stan's hand on my shoulder, telling me to calm down. "you ready?"

"for what?" he asks. i see his face fully and see there's a grazing on his cheek which makes me reach out to cup it. "he, um. he didn't ignore the phone."

i stroke his face with my thumb, which seems to ease him. but then i notice the early light starting to wake up. "c'mon! let's go!"

i take his hand as we run down the empty streets. there's a small bit of light that dances on the gravel, but i'm determined to make it before it's too late.

stanley tries to talk to me, but i carry on. "hey, you're-" he puffs out his breaths "you're better at track than me! slow down!"

i laugh before tugging him again. we're running through the trees, the same forest we crashed. the same forest where syd revealed her powers. i turn to see the trees taped off. i wonder what my dad thought.

we run and run until stan's officially had enough and forces me to stop. but it's perfect timing as we're here. my baby hairs have fallen out of my braids as i stare out at the empty bridge.

"you didn't bring me here to jump, did you?" he asks, still caching his breath. i breathe in aswell, returning my heart's pace back to normal. or back to how it is around stan.

i go to the edge and look down. stanley does the same before i tap his shoulder and point out ahead of us.

he smiles. "the sunrise."

the morning sun was finally waking up, as the most amazing colours stream across the sky. yellow, orange, red, pink, indigo. they're all here with us.

i feel the warmth on my face, my freckles are golden as my skin glows in the light. then i look beside me and see stan.

he's smiling with his eyes shut. it's a toothy smile, the biggest one. he holds his arms out like rose in titanic with a slight breeze blowing his bouncy curls. the sun's shadowing fades out his grazed cheek.

i can't compare this feeling inside of me. looking at him, it all seems to make sense and everything falls into place. he fixes what's broken with just the sight of one of his dimples.

he turns to me, the same smile and admiration in his eyes. and that's how i know.

"i've never loved you more than i do now" i say. it's an acknowledgement, i'm saying these words with the most meaning i feel inside my heart.

he can't hide the blush in his cheeks as he holds me in a hug. the atmosphere between us is something not short of electric. he's created a feeling in me that i'll remember for the rest of my life. all because of him.

"there's always been something about you, arabella" he says, pulling away and holding me close. "and there always will be."

he cups my cheek with one of his hands and i kiss him. it's the sweetest kiss i've ever tasted. we pull away and stare out at the sun again.

i'm so happy that i start to jump and dance around on the empty bridge. he joins in as we're bouncing around with our shadows. like children.

it's perfect. this fizzling feeling inside of me that erupts when i'm with stanley. he means the most. we're in love, i love him, he loves me. we saved ourselves by having each other.

and with him, i am living.

that's it.
that's the chapter.
and i'm soft.

we needed some happiness with the state of the world right now, so have these cuties living it up at sunrise :)
lov u all