Sequel: Palm Trees ›
Seashells
until the clock strikes twelve
December 31, 2006
I can't say my heart didn't flutter after you told me that I missed. But I was leaving you for a year, and that kind of killed it. Or so I thought.
It was a few days after Christmas, and that year I asked for nothing but money, since I never liked the things that people got me anyways. I ended up getting about a hundred dollars in gift cards that I would never use and three hundred in cash. I was pretty happy.
Then my dad announced that we were going on vacation. My mom was in on it too, and she said they wanted to surprise me. I guess they didn't know me very well because I kind of hated surprises.
It wasn't really much of a vacation. We didn't go anywhere exotic or even really exciting. I mean, New York, really? The only thing that interested me there was you. And that was what I got.
My mom wanted to visit Ron, and he was visiting your family. So your family invited us all into your house to stay for a few days. I'm surprised we all fit in there. My parents were in the guestroom, your parents in their room, me and Emily in her room, and you and Austin in your room. Your uncle had to sleep on the couch, but he didn't mind (or so he said).
Nothing particularly interesting happened until New Year's Eve. We didn't go anywhere or do anything that night. It started snowing, though, and you and I went outside.
"Why is it so fucking cold?" I said.
"Why are you outside if it's cold then?" You kicked at some snow that was already on the ground from the week before.
"Because I like the snow," I said, which wasn't a lie. The idea of snowflakes all being unique was so interesting to me and I just kept looking at them as they fell and melted in my hands.
"Come here," you said, and you wrapped your arms around me. It really didn't heat me up at all, but somehow it still managed to make me warm.
Some fireworks went off at that moment, exploding in a rainbow of colors. It really felt like I was in a movie, Aden, and I hope you felt like that too. It was quiet. We were silent, but it was nice, just standing there in the snow.
The moment was ruined when Austin burst through the front door and screamed, "Get your asses inside before you get frostbite! Mom says she doesn't want to pay the medical bills."
You let go and immediately I felt a bit colder. When we went inside, your mom had made us hot chocolate. You started drinking it right away, but it kind of sucked for me because I didn't like hot chocolate.
"How can you not like this stuff?" you said. "It's like Jesus."
"First of all, that comparison doesn't make any sense," I said. "Second, I just don't like it."
"There is something wrong with you, Cass."
"I know."
You moved your chair right next to mine. "Someday, Cassidy, you'll see what I mean."
"I'm sure."
Then I remember I zoned out for a few minutes, just staring at the table. You didn't say anything either, just drinking your nasty drink of watery chocolatiness. I felt a tap on my left shoulder which broke the spell and I turned. There was no one there.
"Aden!" I said, because I remember when you did that two summers ago.
"What?" you said, trying to act like nothing happened. But you started smiling. You were never a good liar, Aden.
"I know that was you."
"You know what was me?" Seriously, it was pathetic to see you even try to lie to me. However, some part of me just found it adorable. You did it again but I didn't catch you in the act. I just rolled my eyes that time.
"Almost next year!" Emily said, running to the table. "There's like twenty minutes to go."
"Twenty minutes seems like forever," you muttered. "Let's go do something, Cass."
"I'm not doing you," I said.
"Let's go outside," you suggested.
"But we're just gonna get told to go inside again. What's the point?"
"Not if we go out the back door. We can watch fireworks from there."
It sounded like a good plan, but then I said, "What if we miss the new year, huh?"
"You know that giant clock at the town's center?" I did know. It rang every hour but I forgot about that at the moment. You lived close enough to hear it. "It will ring and we'll know."
So we went and sat behind your house. At one point you attempted to shove snow down the back of my shirt, which resulted in me shoving snow into your face.
"It's too cold for this," you said, then held out your hand. "Truce?"
"Truce," I said, shaking your hand. "Wait, don't let go of my hand, it's cold."
"Okay," you said, and then you put your other arm around me. "Better?"
"Yes," I mumbled. I don't know if you heard it, but if you didn't, yes. It made it so much better.
We watched the fireworks, pointing out which ones we liked as they exploded in the sky. After a while, we just stopped talking and simply watched. The snow was falling on our heads but we didn't do anything about it. We simply sat in this peaceful silence until the clock struck twelve.
I can't say my heart didn't flutter after you told me that I missed. But I was leaving you for a year, and that kind of killed it. Or so I thought.
It was a few days after Christmas, and that year I asked for nothing but money, since I never liked the things that people got me anyways. I ended up getting about a hundred dollars in gift cards that I would never use and three hundred in cash. I was pretty happy.
Then my dad announced that we were going on vacation. My mom was in on it too, and she said they wanted to surprise me. I guess they didn't know me very well because I kind of hated surprises.
It wasn't really much of a vacation. We didn't go anywhere exotic or even really exciting. I mean, New York, really? The only thing that interested me there was you. And that was what I got.
My mom wanted to visit Ron, and he was visiting your family. So your family invited us all into your house to stay for a few days. I'm surprised we all fit in there. My parents were in the guestroom, your parents in their room, me and Emily in her room, and you and Austin in your room. Your uncle had to sleep on the couch, but he didn't mind (or so he said).
Nothing particularly interesting happened until New Year's Eve. We didn't go anywhere or do anything that night. It started snowing, though, and you and I went outside.
"Why is it so fucking cold?" I said.
"Why are you outside if it's cold then?" You kicked at some snow that was already on the ground from the week before.
"Because I like the snow," I said, which wasn't a lie. The idea of snowflakes all being unique was so interesting to me and I just kept looking at them as they fell and melted in my hands.
"Come here," you said, and you wrapped your arms around me. It really didn't heat me up at all, but somehow it still managed to make me warm.
Some fireworks went off at that moment, exploding in a rainbow of colors. It really felt like I was in a movie, Aden, and I hope you felt like that too. It was quiet. We were silent, but it was nice, just standing there in the snow.
The moment was ruined when Austin burst through the front door and screamed, "Get your asses inside before you get frostbite! Mom says she doesn't want to pay the medical bills."
You let go and immediately I felt a bit colder. When we went inside, your mom had made us hot chocolate. You started drinking it right away, but it kind of sucked for me because I didn't like hot chocolate.
"How can you not like this stuff?" you said. "It's like Jesus."
"First of all, that comparison doesn't make any sense," I said. "Second, I just don't like it."
"There is something wrong with you, Cass."
"I know."
You moved your chair right next to mine. "Someday, Cassidy, you'll see what I mean."
"I'm sure."
Then I remember I zoned out for a few minutes, just staring at the table. You didn't say anything either, just drinking your nasty drink of watery chocolatiness. I felt a tap on my left shoulder which broke the spell and I turned. There was no one there.
"Aden!" I said, because I remember when you did that two summers ago.
"What?" you said, trying to act like nothing happened. But you started smiling. You were never a good liar, Aden.
"I know that was you."
"You know what was me?" Seriously, it was pathetic to see you even try to lie to me. However, some part of me just found it adorable. You did it again but I didn't catch you in the act. I just rolled my eyes that time.
"Almost next year!" Emily said, running to the table. "There's like twenty minutes to go."
"Twenty minutes seems like forever," you muttered. "Let's go do something, Cass."
"I'm not doing you," I said.
"Let's go outside," you suggested.
"But we're just gonna get told to go inside again. What's the point?"
"Not if we go out the back door. We can watch fireworks from there."
It sounded like a good plan, but then I said, "What if we miss the new year, huh?"
"You know that giant clock at the town's center?" I did know. It rang every hour but I forgot about that at the moment. You lived close enough to hear it. "It will ring and we'll know."
So we went and sat behind your house. At one point you attempted to shove snow down the back of my shirt, which resulted in me shoving snow into your face.
"It's too cold for this," you said, then held out your hand. "Truce?"
"Truce," I said, shaking your hand. "Wait, don't let go of my hand, it's cold."
"Okay," you said, and then you put your other arm around me. "Better?"
"Yes," I mumbled. I don't know if you heard it, but if you didn't, yes. It made it so much better.
We watched the fireworks, pointing out which ones we liked as they exploded in the sky. After a while, we just stopped talking and simply watched. The snow was falling on our heads but we didn't do anything about it. We simply sat in this peaceful silence until the clock struck twelve.