She's a Bullet in Russian Roulette

Aeron had admitted that she liked me, Me! Of all people! Boring, stupid, douche bag me! Even though she seemed pleased enough with the painting and our little talk, I still felt like I needed to prove how much she meant to me.
I decided to drive to the local park so I could swing, maybe sketch a little, and hopefully come up with a claver plan to impress her.
When I go to the park not too many people were still there. It was just as I hoped. I grabbed the sketchbook and graphite pencil that I always kept in the glove compartment and got out of the car. I saw that there was only one kid on the swings, so I figured it was safe to swing a little.
I plopped myself down onto the swing to the left of the little boy. He was swinging higher and higher with each pump of his little legs. His shoulder length light brown hair flying everywhere as he gently soared to and fro. I opened my sketchbook to a new page and set off to work drawing the little guy.
It wasn’t until I was almost done that he really seemed to notice that I was even there.
“Hay, what cha doin?” he asked in a childish slur
“Drawing” I grinned as I quickly finished and showed him
He stopped his swing too look closer, “wow! That’s me isn’t it?”
“That it is” I nodded
“That’s cool!” he cried as he jumped up off the swing, “can I have it?”
“Sure thing” I laughed as I signed the picture and ripped it out of my sketchbook, “here you are, young sir”
“Thank you” he grinned as he took off running towards a women sitting on a bench near by.
He looked to be yelling happily as he franticly pointed to me, waving the picture around in the air. The women laughed and put her book down as she took the picture from him. I couldn’t tell if he liked it or not, from the look she shot me when she looked in my direction. I didn’t think she could be offended by it or anything. I had just drawn her son dressed up like a superhero swinging. It wasn’t inappropriate.
She took the boys hand and started walking in my direction. I couldn’t help but feel a little frightened. She was a nice looking woman who was maybe in her early thirties. She looked approachable and all… but there was this determination she seemed to have in her face when she looked at me.
“You drew this?” she asked as she held up the picture
I just looked up at her and nodded slowly.
“It’s very good” she smiled warmly, “you should really consider a job involving art, thank you for the picture, um… I didn’t get your name”
“Oh Ian Sykes” I said as I held out my hand for her to shake
“Well Mr. Sykes I hope to see more of your work someday” she said as she shook my hand, before she turned to her child and began to walk away.
I just continued to sit on my swing, slightly pushing myself. And then the idea hit me. I would take her on a date!
I grabbed my sketchbook and took off for my car. I had to get home as fast as I could so I could start making plans.

***

School passed by excruciatingly slowly. All of my teachers gave me truckloads of missed work. Luckily it was all easy, so I finished most of it at lunch and recess. Which was a good way to distract myself from how nervous I was about asking Aeron out. I had spent pretty much all night getting things ready so I’d be even more crushed if she said no to coming with me after school.
I was currently sitting in her driveway gathering up the courage to ask. I took one last deep breath and got out of the car. I walked up to the front door and knocked loudly. I turned around and looked at the road as I waited for someone to answer.
Aeron didn’t take long to get to the door. She looked slightly surprised to see me though.
I grinned stupidly, “go get dressed, I’m taken’ you out”
She raised an eyebrow quizzically, “oh… okay, just give me a minute”
I walked into the house and waited at the door as she went off to get ready. I really hoped this would go as planned… so far so good.
“I assumed we weren’t going anywhere fancy, seeing as you’re wearing jeans and a flannel shirt” She smiled as she slipped on some shoes, “so I didn’t get really dressed up”
“What you’re wearing is perfect” I smiled as I opened the door for her.
“Good” she laughed as she walked out the door and to my car, with me right behind her.
The drive to my house was pleasant. We talked about what we had done today, which wasn’t much. She didn’t get mad at me once. Things were going perfectly.
Once at my house I quickly jumped out and ran into the house threw my door and grabbed the picknic basket I had prepaired this morning. I ran back out and over to where Aeron was looking at me as if I had lost my mind.
“What?” I asked as I offered her my free hand
“You’re acting really weird” she laughed as she axcepted my hand.
“Am I?” I asked as I started to lead her towards the woods inbehind my house, “I didn’t really notice.”
We continued to walk threw the woods until we came to the clearing that I had discovered with Hunter. I liked it here. It was the perfect place for a picnic.
I got the picnic blanket out of the basket and laid it out on the ground.
“This is probably the most time and thought I’ve put into a date” I admitted with a laugh as I sat down.
Aeron laughed and sat next to me, “so… this is a date?”
I shrugged as I started to take food out of the basket, “I like to think so… but it doesn’t have to be if you don’t want”
I looked hopefully over at her. She was smiling, which seamed like a good sign.
“I’d like to think of it as a date too” as soon as those words left her mouth my heart started to beat faster with excitement.
Aeron and I began to eat and talk. We ended up talking until it got dark.
“Maybe we should head somewhere where there’s light” Aeron suggested
I laughed and shook my head, no. I had a plan. I dug threw the picnic basket until I found my box of matches.
I walked over to the small fire pit I had arranged the night before and grabbed some of the wood I had drug there. I arranged everything to look like a traditional campfire and lit it. It took a second for it to really start to burn, but it worked.
“Well done” Aeron clapped as I took a bow and dug threw the basket again.
This time I pulled out marshmallows, chocolate, and gram crackers.
“Wanna make smores?” I asked with a big grin, I couldn’t have them. But I knew she could.
“Psh, heck yes I want to make them” she smiled
I handed her the stuff and dug the role of tinfoil out of the basket. I ripped her off a peace, then one for myself. I was just going to melt some chocolate between two gram crackers, it wasn’t the same, but it was just as good.
“You’re not going to use marshmallows?” Aeron asked as she watched me wrap mine up in the foil.
“I cant” I shrugged, “it contains gelatine which is made from boiling bones, ligaments, and tendons of animals… and I think there’s something to do with pig skin. My mom didn’t have any vegan marshmallows so I’m stuck with this. Not that it’s bad”
“Oh” she said looking a little grossed out, “that’s pretty…”
“Disgusting?” I suggested
“Yeah” she nodded in agreement, “maybe I wont have marshmallows either”
I laughed as she took them off of her ‘smore’ and wrapped it up.
I took them over to the fire and laid them near the hot coals at the bottom. Aeron came over and sat beside me.
“How long does this usually take?” she asked
“I duno” I shrugged, “ I haven’t done this in years”
I looked over at Aeron and studied her as she watched the fire flicker. She was beautiful in normal light, but the glow that the fire was casting on her just enhanced her beauty. Most of her cuts were almost gone the same for her bruises. I still felt terrible for everything I’d put her threw. I wasn’t really worth it… at least I didn’t think so, hell my mom probably didn’t think to either. That’s why she wasn’t, and still isn’t, there.
“Aeron?” I asked suddenly as a need took over my functions
“Yeah” she smiled as she looked over at me
“Can I kiss you?”