Quiet Boys.

Sometimes I wonder if Parker has always known what she’s doing or if she just makes it up as she goes along. I think it’s a little of both, though it feels like the first one.
When I think of fireworks, I always think of sitting with my mom and dad in our backyard, with other relatives perhaps. I can’t ever recall a Fourth of July without family, I guess because I never knew anyone, until now.
To me fireworks can mean a million things, but I think to Parker they were merely another reason to go out and live. At the time, to me, fireworks just seemed like a good reason to be with Parker. I would have made up any excuse to talk with her though.
We walked from parking lots to sidewalks, to grass filled football fields, finally finding a decent place to sit.
Parker must have moved me twelve times, needing to make sure we a perfect seating arrangement. I didn’t mind moving though, because every time we got up, she would take my hand in her own.
“It’s lovely the way the sunset is making your face glow Ivan,” Parker said. I knew my face was burning, and it didn’t matter anymore.
People began to crowd around us, spreading out blankets and setting out chairs. We didn’t have anything, we just sat in the grass, and I think that would be the best way.
I suppose I should have learned to expect the unexpected, but Parker laid down next to me, and put her head on my chest. I knew my heart was beating wildly now.
“I like this sound,” she said, very softly. If she hadn’t been so close I never would have been able to hear her over the other people on the school yard.
“What sound?”
“Your heart. I think it’s funny that it’s going crazy, but it’s passionate.”
I couldn’t think of any words, so I just stared up at the sky, which now had stars. And slowly, the light receded and it was dark. I could hear Parker breathing, and we weren’t in sync at all. She so calm and I so much of a mess.
Eventually, lights started to blow up in the sky. The sound made me jump, and I heard a light laugh come out of Parker.
“Ivan, I have a question,” Parker said. It was hard to hear, but I still heard.
“What is it?”
“Why do you think I talked to you back in April?”
I couldn’t think of a good reason. I was really getting sick of not being able to be clever like her.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled. I’m still surprised she heard that. She always hears me, even when I don’t want her to.
“Want to know why then?”
“Yes,” I sounded inaudible to myself.
“You were very, very shy. And your face was so innocent. I liked that. And now I love that.”
I didn’t move. “And what did you think of me?” she wondered aloud.
“I don’t know. I thought you were happy, and I thought you might have been insane too. I thought you wore me out, and I didn’t know what to think. I just enjoy your company far too much.”
“I love how perfectly you made that sound. So honest, you know? Everyone should be more like you. And then this world would have no issues.”
“I’m far from perfect.”
“I know,” she whispered.
Parker lifted her head up from my chest, and looked at me, though I really only saw her silhouette because of the darkness.
Her hands were on either side of me, and I might have stopped breathing, I don’t recall.
She kissed me, and it went on like that.
We missed most of the fireworks, I just heard the cracks and thunder.
I wanted to tell her something, but then again, I didn’t want to ruin it either.