Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.29
It had been a while since Polly had been hiking.
“Why do you insist on making me walking everywhere?” she asked, looking up the hill at Alex.
“Well, we certainly couldn’t drive up here, silly. Come on. We’re almost there!”
“You said that 15 minutes ago!”
“You’re walking slow, that’s why. You gotta speed it up for this to work. Now, come on, before I leave you behind so you have to find yourself through the woods.”
Polly glared at his back as he hurried up the hill. She followed, quickening her pace slightly. She hated to be left behind and being left behind by Alex would be even worse.
“Slow down!” she whined, trying to hike up after him but the hill grew steadily steeper and she did not have the right shoes on. In fact, she didn’t have the right kind of anything on. She had on her flat-soled sneakers, a pair of almost skin tight jeans and a t-shirt that also clung to her body like a second skin. Meanwhile, Alex loped easily ahead in his running sneakers, loose jeans and t-shirt. It was easy for him, she thought bitterly, he knew what was going on that day.
He turned and waited on a small plateau on the hill, waited for her to catch up. When she arrived, he smiled mischievously.
“Reach the top before me and I’ll give you an extra surprise,” he said, glancing at the top. If she was trying, he’d let her win.
“Is it a bad surprise?” she asked cautiously. He shook his head.
“Not at all.”
“Alright then,” she said and before he could even say to go, she was gone. She dug her shoes into the dirt, pushing herself up to the very top. He stared in awe as she stood victoriously above him, a smirk evident on her face. She raised her arms above her head and danced in circles.
“Come on. I want my surprise!” she yelled down to him. He shook his head and followed up after her, slower than she had been. He reached her and stood before her. She was not only fully awake but also energized and seemed to be in a good mood.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it over and sat down, waiting for her reaction. She opened the small box and squealed.
“This is so cute!”
Inside, nestled in tissue paper, was a small metal ring with a plastic purple jewel in shape of a heart.
“It was literally only 25 cents but, it reminded me of you.”
“It’s my birthstone!” she squealed. It was the cutest thing someone had ever gotten her and that was saying something, considering the diamond-encrusted Claddagh ring that hung around her neck on a silver chain.
“Yeah, I hoped you would like it,” he said softly. She attacked him in a hug, causing them to fall on their side.
“I love it, Aleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex,” she continued, pressing kisses all over Alex’s face.
“I’m glad.”
They lay there on the top of the hill, Alex’s arm resting behind Polly’s head, acting like a cushion.
“Is this what you had planned?” she asked.
“No, not exactly. But to be honest, I like this much better than my plan.”
“I agree.”
“Why do you insist on making me walking everywhere?” she asked, looking up the hill at Alex.
“Well, we certainly couldn’t drive up here, silly. Come on. We’re almost there!”
“You said that 15 minutes ago!”
“You’re walking slow, that’s why. You gotta speed it up for this to work. Now, come on, before I leave you behind so you have to find yourself through the woods.”
Polly glared at his back as he hurried up the hill. She followed, quickening her pace slightly. She hated to be left behind and being left behind by Alex would be even worse.
“Slow down!” she whined, trying to hike up after him but the hill grew steadily steeper and she did not have the right shoes on. In fact, she didn’t have the right kind of anything on. She had on her flat-soled sneakers, a pair of almost skin tight jeans and a t-shirt that also clung to her body like a second skin. Meanwhile, Alex loped easily ahead in his running sneakers, loose jeans and t-shirt. It was easy for him, she thought bitterly, he knew what was going on that day.
He turned and waited on a small plateau on the hill, waited for her to catch up. When she arrived, he smiled mischievously.
“Reach the top before me and I’ll give you an extra surprise,” he said, glancing at the top. If she was trying, he’d let her win.
“Is it a bad surprise?” she asked cautiously. He shook his head.
“Not at all.”
“Alright then,” she said and before he could even say to go, she was gone. She dug her shoes into the dirt, pushing herself up to the very top. He stared in awe as she stood victoriously above him, a smirk evident on her face. She raised her arms above her head and danced in circles.
“Come on. I want my surprise!” she yelled down to him. He shook his head and followed up after her, slower than she had been. He reached her and stood before her. She was not only fully awake but also energized and seemed to be in a good mood.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it over and sat down, waiting for her reaction. She opened the small box and squealed.
“This is so cute!”
Inside, nestled in tissue paper, was a small metal ring with a plastic purple jewel in shape of a heart.
“It was literally only 25 cents but, it reminded me of you.”
“It’s my birthstone!” she squealed. It was the cutest thing someone had ever gotten her and that was saying something, considering the diamond-encrusted Claddagh ring that hung around her neck on a silver chain.
“Yeah, I hoped you would like it,” he said softly. She attacked him in a hug, causing them to fall on their side.
“I love it, Aleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex,” she continued, pressing kisses all over Alex’s face.
“I’m glad.”
They lay there on the top of the hill, Alex’s arm resting behind Polly’s head, acting like a cushion.
“Is this what you had planned?” she asked.
“No, not exactly. But to be honest, I like this much better than my plan.”
“I agree.”