Saving Sloane Winters

Sloane Erin M. Winters
Keywords do, you, know, the, feeling

There are probably only three things that Teak Richardson can say in this situation right now.

1. “I love you.”
2. “I don’t love you.”
3. “How’s the weather?”

The weather’s mild, nothing too hot, nothing too cold, no wind, no rain. Just completely fine, the twilight an image of perfect. Teak beside the lowering sun, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, breathless and lovely.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it back,” he says, and turns his face up to the orange sky, bleeding like his words. He sits on the playground bridge, looking awkward and lanky on the faded red metal.

I shrug, and the hood of my jacket falls off my head. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to."

"But that's it," his voice gives me the impression that he wants to snap his fingers like 'oh yeah' or 'that's right', but instead he's all calm, and maybe there's a type of exhilaration on his face. Wonder who put it there.

"What's it?" Feeling stupid as I ask.

"It's not that I didn’t want to say it, I just couldn't," he's got this twitch in his lip. "You know about us being crazy? I figured that you're not wrong. Everyone in this whole fucking world is crazy. We're all floating around in our own lies and denial until someone shows up and decides 'hey, they look tad bit insane, I should give a shot at saving them and making them sane instead'. It's what you decided," he shrugs himself. "S'what I decided too, when I first met you."

"How'd you know if you'd get it right or not though?" I ask curiously, his profound philosophy shit was always interesting to listen to. It nearly didn't come as much as I would have liked it to, and it was another clue to his mystery. "How would you know if the person you’re trying to save is the right one?"

He's grinning now, and lays his head beside my thighs. "You don't, that's just it, you just try to save them from whatever they're becoming and see how that goes. You saved me you know, so I guess you're right. I'm in love with you, Sloane, you've taken all my crazy illness away and cured me."

And even though I felt all fluttery inside, I snorted. "That's so cheesy."

He makes an understanding face. "May be, but that's how it goes for me, at least."

I'm grinning all over; my face feels like it can stretch a hundred metres. "You’re in love with me.” I run my hand through his black locks affectionately, and throw my head back and laugh. “Teak Richardson, resident heartless bad boy, is in love with me.”

His smile’s all wry now, as if he’s laughing on the inside. “I guess I am.”

“I want to kiss you, Teak! I really do!” Guess I’m crazy too.

But I’m thinking, as his mouth’s on mine and the kiss is the all fingertips and smiles type, that even though I might be insane, according to Teak’s theory, he’s the one who’d save me.

Crazy ol’ Sloane Winters being saved by the resident tattooed bad boy. See them at the Woodridge park and make all the snide comments or affectionate coos that you want!

There’s your happy ending, I guess.