I Fell Hard and Fast

Months have gone by since I met Venus. Mom and dad let me keep Johnny and they never put Venus and I in separate rooms.

Graduation is in two days and we still didn't have plans.

"Babe, I can't leave the forest for that long," Venus argued.

I wanted - no, needed - her to go to college with me. Every time I asked, she denied but I was determined to keep us together.

She was set on making me go to college as she stayed in the forest for four years alone.

"If we're going to live the rest of our lives here then why do I need to go to college," I asked her, "Why don't we just tell my parents the whole story? We're going to have to at some point and they have a right to know."

She opened her mouth to answer but we suddenly heard a twig snap and a bit of giggling. "Who's there? Show yourself," Venus called softly but loudly.

A small woman came into view. She was thin and old-looking but didn't have any wrinkles. She looked at Venus with so much love in her eyes.

"Child, you have grown-up so well," the lady said.

I looked at Venus and she looked entirely confused. "I'm sorry, I don't believe that I know you," Venus kindly stated.

The lady laughed, her laugh like Venus's but a bit more raspy. "But of course you do, I'm the one that put you here," the lady said, gesturing to the forest surrounding us.

"You're my mother?" Venus asked, sounding skeptical.

The lady shook her head. "No, but I knew your mother. Lovely woman she was. She passed away a few centuries ago," she informed.

The lady, Victoria, told Venus and I everything.

She had to bring Venus here to keep her safe. Since Victoria has eternal life, she thought that she should bless Venus with the same gift. However, she knew eternal life alone wasn't fun so she charmed Venus.

"Told you I had a lot of 'true loves'," Venus told me.

"I didn't say that," Victoria claimed, "sure those guys had a lot of good traits but everyone knows you can only have one true love."

"Then how was I able to live so long?" Venus questioned.

Victoria smiled and looked at me. "Isn't it obvious? You had to live to meet you true love," she explained.

Venus and I looked at each other. "So how am I sure that Kyle's the one?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of me. I was about to ask the same thing.