Status: Complete(:
Je T'aime
1/1
The sun was high above the hills, warming every little detail on the plains below. The trees rustled their leaves in a dance only they knew whenever the light breeze tickled their branches. Above head, there were exactly ten Cactus Wrens shrilling in the air as they headed toward the more deserted area of Arizona. A grin flashed upon my lips as I watched the grey birds flying north near the desert where the mountains could be seen looming above them like a mother watches her children. However, my moment of peace lasted only a few minutes as I remembered the real reason I was here. Standing barefoot on the scorching sidewalk with the crumpled paper in my hands, I felt unsure. Saliva slid down my throat as I folded and refolded the sheet of note paper.
I can’t do this.
My now blistered feet spun on the hot cement as I made my retreat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him: Lucas Dubois. His olive skin was at least a thousand times tanner than my own pale skin and I couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. He was wearing his favorite khaki shorts, the same pair he wore on his first ever date, and a T-shirt he claimed he wore when he won twenty dollars on a scratch ticket. A new smile appeared on my pale, chapped lips. The dashing male across the street was my best friend since the two of us were in kindergarten. We made forts together, dodged and sometimes collected scorpions, swam in the lakes, and ate ice cream. Even after his family moved back out to France for a few years, we never lost touch; for those years, we wrote letters back and forth.
I was too young then to understand that feeling..... that feeling causing thousands of tiny butterflies to tickle one’s stomach, that causes a person’s chest to tighten, and make frowning impossible. That feeling we call love.
As I tried to refocus, Lucas must have caught sight of me because he was calling my name. Gulping, I attempted to stuff the note in my pocket when I realized my dress didn’t have one. “Oh, crap,” I thought, quickly stuffing it in my bra as a last resort. Right when I was sure it wasn’t visible, two arms grabbed me around the waist and spun me around. A squeal erupted from my throat as I flew up in the air, which soon turned into giddy laughter. He spun me around in his arms so that I was facing his grinning face.
“Dez,” he grinned wider.
“Lucas,” I said back, a smile equally as wide on my on lips.
When he least expected it, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed away from him in a quick motion so I broke free from his grasp. In seconds, I was running down the vacant side street, maneuvering through the few, random trees and Lucas was right behind me. Our laughter filled the small town as I ran around a Joshua tree, gripping it tightly as he approached the other side. My mind flashed to a familiar memory, one that mirrored this one almost exactly. We had been playing tag, if I remember correctly, and he was It. Back then, his hair was merely a light blonde instead of its now brunette color. Back when we didn’t understand amour.
Two arms around my waist interrupted my thought process. Lucas stood above my with his head rested on top of my head. “You seem out of it today,” he noted. “Everything alright?”
I nodded into his chest, but truthfully I wasn’t sure. “Yeah, I fine,” as I said this, I poked his chest. “You worry too much!” This caused him to grin.
“You’re my best friend, I’m supposed to worry!” He shouted, moving away so he could look at my face. While I was sure the words were supposed to be comforting, they made my heart ache. Of course, I thought, I’m his best friend. I shouldn’t even be thinking of this. Lucas opened his mouth again and I was sure he was going to make a comment on the fact that I was spacing out again. However, what came out of his mouth surprised and frightened me. He stated, “Why the heck is there a piece of paper down your shirt?”
My cheeks were enflamed as he nonchalantly picked it out of my dress. “H-Hey!” I screeched, covering my chest before realizing he had the note. I screamed, “G-Give that back!” He chuckled as he held it high above my head and I jumped up to reach it. Damn him. As he held it up, he slowly unfolded it, and I could hear my screaming grow louder. However, when it was fully opened, I realized something and ceased my jumping. All I had wrote was ‘Je t’aime’, not his name, or even my own.
Suddenly, there was an ‘aww’ from directly above me and I pursed my lips at Lucas. He laughed and sang, “Someone has a crush on someone!” I groaned as he mumbled something under his breath. My attention refocused on him and I cocked an eyebrow.
“What was that?” I pried, narrowing my eyes at him.
He waved me off, “Nothing, nothing. Anyway, so who’s the guy? He better be up to my standard.”
I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “You’d really like him, I think.” The skin under my cheeks felt warm and I had to look away to hide my burning face. However, above me I noticed Lucas was beaming.
“Seriously?” he shouted. “Do you think I could meet him?” My averted eyes slowly found their way to his face, his perfectly chiseled face. His eyes sparkled and I knew I wouldn’t be able to say no to that puppy-dog look. Even if that did mean I would have to admit my feelings.
Granite Basin Lake was a quick ride by bike from our neighborhood. Its water was bright blue, so blue that one could see their reflection in it. The whole ride, Lucas questioned me about my crush, his likes and dislikes, everything. By the time we reached the lake, he was commenting how excited he was to meet his twin. Yikes… I thought with a grimace behind my smile. I thought that he’d realize who my crush was when I told him that he was fluent in French and was my best friend forever…
“So…” Lucas said as the two of us approached the lake. “Where is he?” The two of us got close to the side of the water and peered down into the never ending blue.
“He’s…” I pointed down at the water, “…right there.” Silence followed my comment for a few minutes until Lucas finally spoke.
“No joke?” he asked, and I shook my head, preparing for anything except what he said. “Sweet! He’s a mermaid!”
At this point, I was beyond flabbergasted, confused, and hurt. Glaring and embarrassed, I punched his arm once, then twice, then more and more as I shouted. “You idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Why are you so blind?” I looked into his beautiful eyes, while my own filled with tears; whether they were of anger or hurt, I wasn’t sure. I continued, “Idiot! I… I love you, you idiot! Je t’aime, idiot! Je t’aime…” My chin was forced up and in mere seconds warm lips were pressed against mine. I was too much in shock and still in a state of hysteria to close my eyes.
When he reopened his, he pressed his forehead to me and spoke with a small smile, “I know, I just wanted to hear you say it.” He stroked my cheek as I calmed my breathing and kissed my forehead. This time, I closed my eyes and was still, even after he replaced his lips with his forehead.
“Je t’aime, Deseree.”
I can’t do this.
My now blistered feet spun on the hot cement as I made my retreat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him: Lucas Dubois. His olive skin was at least a thousand times tanner than my own pale skin and I couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. He was wearing his favorite khaki shorts, the same pair he wore on his first ever date, and a T-shirt he claimed he wore when he won twenty dollars on a scratch ticket. A new smile appeared on my pale, chapped lips. The dashing male across the street was my best friend since the two of us were in kindergarten. We made forts together, dodged and sometimes collected scorpions, swam in the lakes, and ate ice cream. Even after his family moved back out to France for a few years, we never lost touch; for those years, we wrote letters back and forth.
I was too young then to understand that feeling..... that feeling causing thousands of tiny butterflies to tickle one’s stomach, that causes a person’s chest to tighten, and make frowning impossible. That feeling we call love.
As I tried to refocus, Lucas must have caught sight of me because he was calling my name. Gulping, I attempted to stuff the note in my pocket when I realized my dress didn’t have one. “Oh, crap,” I thought, quickly stuffing it in my bra as a last resort. Right when I was sure it wasn’t visible, two arms grabbed me around the waist and spun me around. A squeal erupted from my throat as I flew up in the air, which soon turned into giddy laughter. He spun me around in his arms so that I was facing his grinning face.
“Dez,” he grinned wider.
“Lucas,” I said back, a smile equally as wide on my on lips.
When he least expected it, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed away from him in a quick motion so I broke free from his grasp. In seconds, I was running down the vacant side street, maneuvering through the few, random trees and Lucas was right behind me. Our laughter filled the small town as I ran around a Joshua tree, gripping it tightly as he approached the other side. My mind flashed to a familiar memory, one that mirrored this one almost exactly. We had been playing tag, if I remember correctly, and he was It. Back then, his hair was merely a light blonde instead of its now brunette color. Back when we didn’t understand amour.
Two arms around my waist interrupted my thought process. Lucas stood above my with his head rested on top of my head. “You seem out of it today,” he noted. “Everything alright?”
I nodded into his chest, but truthfully I wasn’t sure. “Yeah, I fine,” as I said this, I poked his chest. “You worry too much!” This caused him to grin.
“You’re my best friend, I’m supposed to worry!” He shouted, moving away so he could look at my face. While I was sure the words were supposed to be comforting, they made my heart ache. Of course, I thought, I’m his best friend. I shouldn’t even be thinking of this. Lucas opened his mouth again and I was sure he was going to make a comment on the fact that I was spacing out again. However, what came out of his mouth surprised and frightened me. He stated, “Why the heck is there a piece of paper down your shirt?”
My cheeks were enflamed as he nonchalantly picked it out of my dress. “H-Hey!” I screeched, covering my chest before realizing he had the note. I screamed, “G-Give that back!” He chuckled as he held it high above my head and I jumped up to reach it. Damn him. As he held it up, he slowly unfolded it, and I could hear my screaming grow louder. However, when it was fully opened, I realized something and ceased my jumping. All I had wrote was ‘Je t’aime’, not his name, or even my own.
Suddenly, there was an ‘aww’ from directly above me and I pursed my lips at Lucas. He laughed and sang, “Someone has a crush on someone!” I groaned as he mumbled something under his breath. My attention refocused on him and I cocked an eyebrow.
“What was that?” I pried, narrowing my eyes at him.
He waved me off, “Nothing, nothing. Anyway, so who’s the guy? He better be up to my standard.”
I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “You’d really like him, I think.” The skin under my cheeks felt warm and I had to look away to hide my burning face. However, above me I noticed Lucas was beaming.
“Seriously?” he shouted. “Do you think I could meet him?” My averted eyes slowly found their way to his face, his perfectly chiseled face. His eyes sparkled and I knew I wouldn’t be able to say no to that puppy-dog look. Even if that did mean I would have to admit my feelings.
Granite Basin Lake was a quick ride by bike from our neighborhood. Its water was bright blue, so blue that one could see their reflection in it. The whole ride, Lucas questioned me about my crush, his likes and dislikes, everything. By the time we reached the lake, he was commenting how excited he was to meet his twin. Yikes… I thought with a grimace behind my smile. I thought that he’d realize who my crush was when I told him that he was fluent in French and was my best friend forever…
“So…” Lucas said as the two of us approached the lake. “Where is he?” The two of us got close to the side of the water and peered down into the never ending blue.
“He’s…” I pointed down at the water, “…right there.” Silence followed my comment for a few minutes until Lucas finally spoke.
“No joke?” he asked, and I shook my head, preparing for anything except what he said. “Sweet! He’s a mermaid!”
At this point, I was beyond flabbergasted, confused, and hurt. Glaring and embarrassed, I punched his arm once, then twice, then more and more as I shouted. “You idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Why are you so blind?” I looked into his beautiful eyes, while my own filled with tears; whether they were of anger or hurt, I wasn’t sure. I continued, “Idiot! I… I love you, you idiot! Je t’aime, idiot! Je t’aime…” My chin was forced up and in mere seconds warm lips were pressed against mine. I was too much in shock and still in a state of hysteria to close my eyes.
When he reopened his, he pressed his forehead to me and spoke with a small smile, “I know, I just wanted to hear you say it.” He stroked my cheek as I calmed my breathing and kissed my forehead. This time, I closed my eyes and was still, even after he replaced his lips with his forehead.
“Je t’aime, Deseree.”
♠ ♠ ♠
1357 words(:Comments Appreciate!!(: