windfall

twenty-eight: "get on my level, adley"

Normal: Kat Torres
Bold: Easton Adley

Underlined: Phoebe Radisson

~

"Where are we going?"

    "I told you, it's a surprise."

    "Unless the surprise is food, I don't want it. You're cutting into my Netflix times, Pheebs."

    "You mean I'm cutting into your Easton time."

    "Oh, would you stop wiggling your eyebrows like that?"

    "Look, we're here."

    "And where is here exactly?"

Kat looks around in confusion, wondering why Phoebe brought her to the planetarium on her last day in California. She doesn't even like the planetarium, but she doesn't say anything as her best friend guides her inside. Phoebe has a hidden smile on her face that Kat doesn't understand.

    Inside the planetarium, there are usually many people but today, it's empty. Not a single person other than a security guard and a lady at the ticket booth are there. The lady looks familiar, but it's not until she speaks that Kat realizes who she is.

    "Pheebs, I didn't know your aunt works here."

    "She's helping a friend plan a date to woo the girl he's into."

    At that moment, a boy strides out of the dome with white lillies in his hand. He grins and holds them out to Kat, almost shyly. She breaks out into a big smile and races toward him, flinging her arms around his neck.

    "These are for you."

    "How the heck did you do this? Where is everyone?"

    "Phoebe helped. I don't completely understand, but I thought we could have a day underneath the stars. You know, like that episode of Friends."

    "I don't know what to say. This is... amazing."

    Easton smiles and reaches down to lace their fingers together. He glances at Phoebe. "Thanks for your help."

    "No problemo. I'll see you at your house, Kat. Treat her well, Easton."

    Easton and Kat walk into the dome and surround themselves with a simulated starry night sky. They sit down with their backs against the wall and their legs pressed against each other and their hands curled around the other's. They sit and watch as a meteor shower rains down from the sky and down past the seats at the front.

    "You're so sweet, East. This is beautiful."

    "I know."

    "Wow, you're modest."

    "You ruined it. You didn't look at me. If you looked at me, you would have seen me looking at you. Good job, Kat, you ruined my romantic gesture."

    "How rude of me. Here, let me try again. Ahem. You're so sweet, East. This is beautiful."

    "I know."

    "Oh my goodness. I'm blushing. I'm red. Look what you've done to me, Easton Adley."

    "Your sarcasm isn't appreciated."

    "You don't need to make a romantic gesture. This is enough. This is MORE than enough. I can't believe you did this."

    "Not to ruin my cred, but it was actually Phoebe who did this."

    "Well, I don't want to kiss Phoebe."

    "... huh?"

    "Wow, I actually succeeded in rendering you speechless. Remember that's what you said to me the first time you called me? You were so weird."

    "How did you go from wanting to kiss me to calling me weird? And I was not weird."

    "You're right. You ARE weird, present tense."

    "That's rude."

    "You still like me enough to recreate a Friends date."

    "I'm getting whiplash from all these subject changes."

    "Get on my level, Adley."

    "I don't think that's possible."

    "Hey, look. It's a shooting star. Make a wish."

    "I don't have to."

    "Dude, come on, I know it's not real but - "

    "I don't have to make a wish because everything I want is right here with me."

    "..."

    "Who's the speechless one now?"

    "I was THIS close to tackling you. You were about to get kissed, Adley. You fucked up."

    "I take it back. I take it back, Kat!"

    "Also, based on everything you told me about your school life and home life, I think you need that shooting star a lot more than you think."

    "Well, that's a low blow."

    "Still wanna kiss me?"

    "Obviously. Pucker up, Miss Torres, I'm going in."

    "You look like a blowfish."

    "Don't laugh at me, I want a kiss."

    "And I want a million dollars."

    "Well, I want a million dollars AND a kiss, and it looks like I can get one of those two things soooo..."

    "You're so cute."

    "Kat, my ego is taking a real blow today. First my brother tells me I'm not the coolest anymore and now you're laughing at my kissing face."

    "Were you ever the coolest?"

    "I'll have you know, I was a god to those eight year olds. I was a god when I MYSELF was eight years old. My teachers loved me. I was a goddamned joy in class."

    "I can't wait until spring break. I want to meet your brother and your mom and see pictures of eight year old Easton."

    "He looked exactly like me except adorable."

    "Did I not just say you were cute? Are you fishing for compliments here or something?"

    "Actually, I'm fishing for a kiss."

    "Looks like you don't have the right bait."

    "I'm gonna kiss you eventually, you know."

    "Excuse me?"

    "I'm gonna kiss you. One day. Might be today, might not be. But when I do, it's going to be extraordinary. I'm talking fireworks. I'm talking the Notebook kissing in the rain scene. I'm talking Taylor Swift."

    "You're a cheesy romantic, aren't you?"

    "The cheesiest, babe. The cheesiest."

    "Cheesy like the main topping on pizza?"

    "We agreed never to talk about that ever again."

    "Yeah, it wasn't your best moment."

    "I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all."

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "So tell me more about this kiss."