...And a Happy New Year

April 12, 2014

Chaney was in a deep sleep when the sensation of someone shaking her woke her with a start. Wide-eyed, she looked around the dark room as her eyes adjusted, to see who woke her. She could barely make out the silhouette of whoever broke into her room. She was almost afraid to lean over and turn on the bedside lamp in fear of who could be there.

She felt a hand touch the right side of her face, their thumb lightly stroking her cheek. She instantly knew who it was. Her suspicions were confirmed when he leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips.

“Halvo?” she said over a yawn, “it’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?”

He chuckled slightly, “Nice to see ya too babe. C’mon. I gotta surprise for you.”

“Can’t it wait?” she groaned. “Need I remind you it’s the middle of the night?”

“Let’s go lazy bum. You can sleep on the way and once we get there. I’ve got this taken care of.”

She reluctantly got out of bed, but not without Halvo’s help pulling her up. She haphazardly pulled on a pair of sweatpants over her boy shorts, and grabbed one of Halvo’s hoodies that he had left there over her camisole. She slipped into a pair of boots and followed him outside to his car.

Once she got in the car, she instantly reclined her seat back. He reached in the backseat and grabbed one of the blankets he brought with and draped it over her sleeping figure before pulling away from her apartment. The ride was silent, save for the soft hum of the radio playing. Halvo was singing along with it just as softly, in hopes of not waking Chaney up. He had been waiting for this day for over a month now. Today was the day he would finally reveal this big surprise he had been working on for Chaney. She meant the world to him, and he wanted to show her that. He hoped everything he had planned would be enough to accurately convey those feelings.

He looked over at her sleeping a couple times while he drove and a small smile graced his lips. He had never felt so content than he was in that moment. He never would have thought to be sharing this moment with Chaney. He was still in shock that she agreed to be his girlfriend. Though he felt a bit old-fashioned and silly for asking, their relationship had become so ambiguous. He knew the ambiguity was bothering Chaney, as it bothered him as well. He wanted to finally put a name to the change in feelings they had towards each other. He would never forget the moment he realized that he was in love with his best friend.

It was the summer between their seventh and eighth grade year, and Halvo and Chaney were hanging out like they usually did. They spent their summers glued to each other’s sides, often times getting into trouble. That was just the way they were. They didn’t care what they did, so long as it was together. This particular day was no different, or so Halvo thought.

They both got up early this particular day to enjoy the sun before it got to hot. They knew the afternoons were often spent in the pool or inside, so anything they wanted to do outside of that had to happen either early in the morning or once the sun went down. Since they were still so young, they were limited to what they were allowed to do after dark. Luckily for them, the desert sun set late.

Halvo woke up that morning to Chaney hunched in the tree outside his window, quietly knocking on his window to let her in. He quietly made his way over to the window, opening it to let her in as they discussed what they were going to do that day.

Chaney always came prepared. She had her bikini underneath her shorts and sleeveless crop top, ready for the afternoon of swimming.

He motioned for her to sit on his bed while he quick changed out of his pajama pants and tee. He came out a few minutes later sporting his swim trunks and a tank top.

Once he emerged from the bathroom, the two quietly made their way out the window and down the tree in his backyard. They kept quiet until they made it a couple blocks from his house.

“Your house is on the other side of town. How do you manage the walk over here every morning? I know you’re not a morning person, and it’s early enough as it is…”

She simply shrugged. “You’re my best friend. You’re worth it.”

Those simple words ignited a fire within him, and butterflies in his stomach. A feeling he wasn’t too familiar with; especially with Chaney.

They continued walking until they made it into town, trying to figure out what trouble to cause that day.

“So what’s on the agenda today Halvo?”

“Hmmm…not sure. What haven’t we done yet?”

Chaney hummed in contemplation. “Well, we haven’t broken in anywhere.”

“Alright, where should we break into?”

“The high school?”

“Ugh, that’s so lame…” Halvo groaned.

“Well let’s make it interesting! Let’s break into the swimming pool!”

“You know it’s closed during the summer except for swim lessons…”

“Exactly! Which is why we’re going to break in! Let’s go!”

Chaney grabbed his hand, and led him behind her as they ran towards the school. They arrived at Corona del Sol a few minutes later out of breath. She still hadn’t let go of his hand, and that both excited and nerved Halvo.

She led him around the campus to where the entrance to the pool was. The sun was just starting to rise there, so their cover wouldn’t be hidden for much longer if they didn’t make it inside.

They made it to the door’s and Halvo instantly pulled on them, dismayed to find them locked.

Chaney laughed, “Did you honestly think they would keep it unlocked?”

He rolled his eyes, “Well no, but…”

“This is why you keep me around,” she smirked as she pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. “Keep watch and let me know if anyone is coming.”

Halvo nodded and she leaned over the lock of the door as she used the bobby pin to pick the old lock. It didn’t take her long before the padlock unhinged. She unhooked it from the chain that hooked the door handles together. She quietly set them on the ground, and motioned for Halvo to follow her inside.

At first they were afraid to make any noise for fear that there was someone in the school keeping guard. They walked the short hallway to the pool and Chaney found a chair and started stripping off her top and shorts.

Halvo could only stand there, not really sure how to handle the new feelings that were now consuming his entire being. Chaney caught his eye with a smirk, and he felt his face go flush. She couldn’t know that he was not so subtly checking her out. He shook his head and tore off his shirt.
With a huge smile on her face and a glimmer in her eye, Chaney jumped in the pool as she yelled “Cannonball!”

Once she surfaced, she slicked her hair back out of her eyes. As Halvo stood on the side of the pool watching this transpire, in that moment he felt everything change. He no longer saw her as the quiet, smart girl he befriended almost four years prior. She had a new glow to her appearance that he couldn’t describe. He felt as if he had only truly looked at her for the first time. He hadn’t realized that she was trying to get his attention until she splashed him with water. He jumped back as it was cold.

He knelt down by the side of the pool, prepared to attack her back with splashes. They continued doing this for a few minutes until Chaney’s face went blank.

She quickly closed the short distance between them, grabbing both his arms and pulling him in the pool. She dragged him underwater with her. He tried to surface, but she pulled him back down, motioning that someone was up there. Eyes wide, he tried to bring her against the wall of the pool so she could be shielded. He began to poke his head out of the water, observing the school security guard walking around the pool. It was then Halvo noticed his and Chaney’s clothes were still lying in one of the chairs. He was about to jump out of the pool and take the wrap for sneaking in, but Chaney pulled him back into the water. She held a finger against her lip, as her other hand covered his mouth, and shook her head.

He made pleading eyes at her, motioning to their clothes on the chair. She still shook her head no.
They stayed barely above the water, and tight against the wall, surprised they didn’t get caught. The security guard found their clothes and collected them, muttering something about “irresponsible kids leaving their clothes behind” and exiting the pool.

Once they both heard the door close, Chaney bust out laughing while Halvo groaned.

“God, Chaney! It’s not funny! My mom’s gonna kill me!”

“Chill dude! My clothes are gone too.”

Not that he minded, he thought to himself, but quickly shook that thought away as Chaney laughed at his reddened face.

“If I uh, didn’t know any better Halvo, I’d say you were blushing…” she teased with a devilish smirk and a sparkle in her eye.

That smirk would become the death of him. That day was the day he realized nothing between them would ever be the same.

He thought back on that day in fondness. He laughed to himself as he recalled having to explain to his parents why he and Chaney didn’t have any other clothes besides their swimsuits. He got in so much trouble for that, but it still remained one of his favorite memories with Chaney. He looked over at her sleeping again, and the same feeling of fire and butterflies filled his being as he couldn’t wait for all the new memories he was going to share with her.

He couldn’t help but relate the day he had planned for them, to the day he realized he liked Chaney. Part of it was intentional, but on the other hand, it also came naturally and fell into place. He was excited to spend this day with her and hoped by the end of it she would know how much she meant to him.

He drove a bit further, and turned onto a dirt road, pulling the car slightly off the paved highway. He parked the car, and turned it off. He gently shook Chaney awake for the second time that morning, and she stirred slightly. He tried coaxing her out of her cocoon, but she only snuggled further into the blankets, all too content in her current position. He laughed, grabbing a few items from the back. He made his way over to her door and opened it, trying to lightly pull her from the car.

She followed his lead with much reluctance, but eventually stumbled in step behind him. She wrapped the blanket around her arms, shivering in the cool morning air. Halvo was holding a basket by the handle across his right arm, with a couple blankets folded on top. His left hand reached back, and held her right hand as it stayed warm beneath her blankets.

He led her to the top of one of the cliffs nearby. She vaguely recognized it in the dark as one he would frequent with the guys during past summers. They made it close to the edge of one of the cliffs. She couldn’t see much of anything, surprised he could. Besides the various birds and critters around them, the only other sound was the water falling a few yards away from them. She stayed glued to her spot, afraid of falling over the edge as she couldn’t see.

She could hear Halvo rustling around, setting stuff up as she stood there. When she felt him tug slightly on her hand, she walked towards that direction. She nearly tripped over him, as he was seated on the ground. He caught her before that happened, and helped her sit down. He had set a couple blankets down on the rocks below them for cushion and warmth. He also had a giant quilt that was draped across his back, and he held it open for her to join him underneath. Opting to not sit beside him, she crawled over his open legs and sat between them instead. He chuckled slightly to himself as he wrapped his arms across her front, as she leaned back into him. She took the blanket that she had wrapped around her arms and laid it over both of their legs.

Chaney was so happy in that moment. She couldn’t remember a time in her life where she felt so happy. She was here, enjoying this quiet darkness with her best friend, and she couldn’t ask for anything more. She leaned back into him, sighing in contentment as she breathed in his scent. She couldn’t describe it, but it was so distinctly Halvo and it comforted her more than any other smell. It was a scent she grew accustomed to smelling growing up. It was the same smell she would inhale when Halvo would hold her in his arms to calm her down from crying. It was the same smell she inhaled when she wore his hoodies or shirts to bed when he was away on tour. It was the same smell that adorned his bedsheets when he would let her spend the night when she had nightmares.

Halvo lightly rocked the two of them back and forth, rubbing his fingers slightly over her collarbones, trying to memorize everything about this moment they were sharing. He was still in disbelief that she felt the same about him as he did about her. It was all too good to be true, and he never wanted it to end.

“I could stay like this forever,” Chaney mused, barely above a whisper.

Halvo hummed in agreeance. “It is pretty nice isn’t it?”

She nodded against him. “Who would’ve thought we’d ever be in this position?”

He chuckled a bit, “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve hoped it would happen for a while, but gave up hope for a few years.”

This caused Chaney to lean forward slightly and turn around to face him with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”

He could hear the slight panic in her voice. He moved one of his hands to stroke the side of her head, smoothing part of her hair against her head, as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter anymore. All I care about is now. What we are going to do with the time we have together now.”

Chaney smiled and leaned forward to connect their lips momentarily before turning back around to their previous position.

After a few more minutes of silence, she spoke up. “Not that I’m not enjoying this, but any particular reason we’re sitting on top of the cliffs at who knows what time in the morning?”

He chuckled a bit, and with one hand pointed to the stretch of sky that lie in front of them. “Just over those cliffs in front of us, the sun will rise. I’ve never seen the sun rise, and I wanted to share that with you.”

She smiled and snuggled into him more. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her to him as tightly as he could. Now that he had her, he never wanted to let her go.

They continued to sit there in the stilled silence. Nothing that either of them had ever experienced could compare to the moment they were sharing. Below them, they observed various critters and creatures waking up to start their day. There would occasionally be a small breeze that drifted through the trees around them. The water continued to steadily fall over the cliffs beside them with no sign of slowing. They watched as the sky turned from dark shades of black to warm hues of reds, violets, and oranges as the sun began to make its presence known. They could feel the warmth from the giant star slowly share its heat and light as it rose over the horizon ahead of them. They continued to sit there until the sun was risen and well above their heads.

Chaney had fallen asleep not long after the sun rose, with Halvo following not far behind. He laid them both down to where they were laying on their sides. When Chaney woke up, Halvo was lying on his back, one arm perched behind his head. She was laying on top of his chest, his other arm lying across her back, holding her to him. Both of her arms were wrapped around his torso, not wanting to let him go. She rose slightly to get a good look at him. He looked so peaceful. His face was full of so calm and he had a slight smile on his face. She could only hope she was part of the reason it was there, as he was a big part of the reason for the smile that now graced her lips. She leaned forward slightly, hoping not to disturb him, as she began to kiss him across his jaw and down his neck, under his ear. She could feel the goosebumps appear on his skin the further she went. She smirked to herself, as she continued to kiss down his neck and towards his Adam’s apple.

He hummed as she reached that spot, taking the hand that was draped across her shoulders to now start smoothing her hair back.

“Mmm, what a way to wake up. I wouldn’t complain about waking up like this every morning,” he smiled, still keeping his eyes closed.

She smiled, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the lips before sitting up. She was starting to get warm, as the sun had risen considerably since she fell asleep, and she was still in two layers of clothing, underneath a couple blankets. The Arizona heat was seeping through her clothes, and she was desperate for some relief. She peeled off Halvo’s hoodie that she had been wearing, leaving her in a white camisole. The fresh air hitting her arms felt good, but she couldn’t wait to jump into the cool water below them and swim.

Halvo sat up, leaning back on his arms, as he watched Chaney brush her fingers through her hair, ridding it of any tangles. He couldn’t keep himself from staring. Even doing something so simple, he was still in awe of her. She finished, and caught his eye, blushing under his stare. He chuckled, and crawled over the small distance between them, kissing her deeply.

Right before things got too heated, she slightly pushed away from him, biting down on her lip.
He half smiled, understanding that this was all still new for her as well. He sat down and leaned over to the basket he brought with him earlier. He opened it, and began taking out various containers.
He began opening the different containers, and dishing food onto the plates that he pulled out of the basket.

“Wow Halvo, I must say, I’m impressed. You’ve thought of everything,” she responded with a smile.
“Man, I can’t wait to take a dip in the lake below…water looks super inviting.”

It was then Halvo realized that he didn’t tell her to bring a swimsuit, and he wasn’t prepared for her to have one. He had his trunks but that was it.

“Shit,” he muttered. Frustration lining his brows.

“Halv? What’s wrong?”

“I uh, didn’t plan ahead…for you at least. I didn’t make sure you had a swimsuit when we left this morning.”

She gave him her infamous devilish grin. “Well, I guess that means we’ll have to skinny dip,” she quipped with a smirk and quirked eyebrow.

Halvo’s heart beat uncontrollably, and he felt all the blood rush to his face at her words. This was definitely not how he planned on today going, but he couldn’t complain. As long as she knew how much she meant to him, he didn’t care what they did. If he had to make the “sacrifice” to skinny-dip with her, he would do it.

She waited until his back was turned, continuing to pull stuff out of the picnic basket before she began to quickly dispose of what clothes she was wearing and dive into the giant lake roughly 25 yards below them.

It was the splash that tipped Halvo off that something was out of place. He frantically looked around him, and noticed the small pile of Chaney’s clothes lying a few feet away from him. He swallowed thickly before slowly making his way to the edge of the cliff to see her head emerging from the water below.

“C’mon Halvo! Don’t tell me you’re gonna chicken out now!” she teased as she splashed water up towards him. The splashes not reaching him by a long shot, but the memory of the day they snuck into the pool hit him hard in that moment.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he quickly took his shirt off. “Alright, alright, but no peeking!”

She laughed and gave him a thumbs up before turning her back to the edge of the cliff where he was standing. He quickly disposed of what he was wearing and jumped off the side, the splash and waves in the water, letting Chaney know he was in the water.

She turned around to look for him, but he never emerged from the water. She began to panic as she frantically swam around the lake, occasionally dipping under the water trying to find him. She wasn’t having any luck. She feared the worse had happened. She started screaming out his name, tears starting to fill her eyes as she screamed for him to appear.

A rough jerk on her legs brought her underwater, causing her to choke on a mouthful of water. Her and Halvo resurfaced around the same time. She could have killed him. He was wearing a triumphant smirk as he bobbed in the water a few feet away.

“Halvo I swear, don’t you ever scare me like that again! I thought I lost you,” she cried, as tears started to rim her eyes.

He instantly felt terrible, not realizing she would take his prank as hard as she did. His whole expression dropped and he swam over to her, and wrapped her in his arms. The two of them keeping each other afloat as they continued to embrace. He put both of his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, and began stroking her hair. She wrapped her arms underneath his, and up around his back. She rubbed the small area on his back right under his neck. The more Halvo cooed her to calm down her tears, reassuring her that he was right there, the tighter she clung to him. She eventually wrapped both of her legs around his waist if it meant she could keep him with her.

There was a moment, neither of them spoke, but both pulled away and looked at each other with a question in their eyes. He didn’t even have to ask, but she nodded.

He slowly moved to close the distance between them, brushing their noses against each other slightly before softly connecting their lips together. His hands moved from her back to her hips, as he held her to his body. She moved her arms to rest on top of his shoulders as he began to kiss across her face. She leaned her head to the side as he continued to kiss down her neck. Things were starting to heat up between the two, the kisses becoming more passionate, when they heard a voice from above yelling at them.

“You kids need to get outta that lake! This is private property! Are these your clothes?” he questioned astonished. He shook his head in disdain not giving them a chance to respond before he continued. “I’m giving you kids 20 minutes to get back up here, get dressed, and get OFF this property!” He then turned and disappeared from the edge of the cliff.

Halvo looked at Chaney apologetically, she couldn’t help but start laughing. She found the situation humorous. “Halvo, you do realize, this is a lot like the day we almost got caught sneaking in to del Sol’s pool right?” she laughed.

He grinned, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, but not exactly…”

She hummed, “I dunno about that…I distinctly remember wanting to kiss you that day, much like now.”

He looked at her wide-eyed. “Seriously? Because I did, too…at least, that’s the day I realized I did.”

She smiled and bit her lip. “I know. I could tell. You suddenly got really nervous around me in a bathing suit. You better believe I was using that to my advantage. Lucky for me, you grew up nice,” she said as she gave him a small peck on the lips.

“Woah, woah, woah there…what do you mean I grew up nice? Do you not remember your awkward middle school years? That was definitely during that time frame…you had braces, frizzy hair, terrible clothes,” he listed off.

She playfully hit his shoulder and scoffed. “You’re one to talk Mr. Bowlcut!”

“Hey, my mom cut my hair…” he defended.

“Mmmm,” she hummed with a smile, “I kinda like the fact you’re a momma’s boy. It’s kind of endearing,” she said as she stroked a piece of hair behind his ear, as she whispered in that same ear. She could tell she was getting him worked up by how tightly he kept gripping her hips as well as the goosebumps she saw covering his skin. She took that as her cue to tease him a bit more. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna go get dressed. I don’t wanna get in trouble. Remember, no peeking,” she winked as she removed herself from his grasp and swam towards the end of the lake.

Halvo couldn’t get over it. Sometimes history really did repeat itself. However, he wouldn’t deny he liked this ending a lot better.