Flashes of Our Endless Summer Love
Chapter 6: The Equaliser (Not Alone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQxBFOMEp8M
When I come out of the bathroom, I see you right outside the door walking past. You don’t even flinch. Once again, I don’t exist in your world. But there was a time that I did. Didn’t I, Alex? You would come to my front door unannounced just because. Or so you claimed. I know better now. Much better.
Just as I was leaving my house, I saw you crossing the road to come see me. It was a nice sunny day. Your hair looked a much warmer honey brown with the light beaming down on you. Although it was already hot outside, it was seeing you what made me feel warm inside. I really liked you, Alex. You made me smile no matter what the day.
“What are you doing?” You asked me with a small amused smirk on your face.
“Dunno.” I squinted at you, wanting to see you but the sun was blinding. “On a walk or something.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Not going to Daytona?” You joked and nudged me carefully.
“No, I’ve got stuff to do here now.” I softly bit my bottom lip and decided to go for it and press a quick kiss on your lips. Every single time I did that, I still got a rush. It didn’t matter that I saw you nearly every day for five weeks.
“What if I told you I’ve got more stuff for us to do?” You breathed against my lips and pulled something out of your back pocket.
I pulled away and looked at what you were holding up. It took me a second to read what was on the two long pieces of paper, but when it did, my eyes went wide. I stared back at you, my heart beating fast in excitement. I don’t think I showed that excitement all too well. Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe things would have been different if I showed more appreciation. You seemed just as delighted, though.
You took me to a planetarium. It was the perfect date. You knew how much I loved space and the stars. It was a not-so-secret obsession you also had late at night.
We sat on the chairs and looked at everything they showed us up above our heads. It was surprisingly empty. It felt like we were the only ones in the universe. Maybe you only chose it because you knew nobody would be there to see us. That wasn’t what was on my mind then. I was fascinated by all the planets and stars. We weren’t actually seeing them, like with my telescope, but it was all so enchanting.
“Don’t you think it’s weird?” I whispered to you, still looking up at the videos and images.
“What?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yeah. How does anything exist? Why does it exist? Where did it come from?”
“Oh…” You took a second to go over my questions. “I don’t wanna think about that. That’s frightening.”
“Right?” I leaned over so I could rest my head against your shoulder. “Here we are, living on a strange planet. And there’s billions more of them out there. It’s never ending.”
“I definitely don’t think we’re alone. There has to be something out there,” you told me, resting your head on top of mine. “And I’m not talking about highly intelligent aliens – although, I wouldn’t rule that out. There have to be living cells or organisms somewhere.”
“Hmm…” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say being alone isn’t an option. It’s an all too familiar feeling.”
“You’re not alone,” you spoke softly into my hair and wrapped your hand around mine. “You’ve got me.”
“Yeah…” I sighed deeply.
“I love you, Mia.”
I took my eyes off the screen and directed them at you. You were already looking at me, showing me that you had consciously said it. You had said it on purpose.
“I love you,” I returned.
You told me something I never thought I would hear just mere weeks after we first spoke to each other. It was the first time somebody has ever said those words to me; it was the first time I had ever had these feelings for anybody. The problem was that it was all a lie. You didn’t care and I cared too much.
When I come out of the bathroom, I see you right outside the door walking past. You don’t even flinch. Once again, I don’t exist in your world. But there was a time that I did. Didn’t I, Alex? You would come to my front door unannounced just because. Or so you claimed. I know better now. Much better.
Just as I was leaving my house, I saw you crossing the road to come see me. It was a nice sunny day. Your hair looked a much warmer honey brown with the light beaming down on you. Although it was already hot outside, it was seeing you what made me feel warm inside. I really liked you, Alex. You made me smile no matter what the day.
“What are you doing?” You asked me with a small amused smirk on your face.
“Dunno.” I squinted at you, wanting to see you but the sun was blinding. “On a walk or something.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Not going to Daytona?” You joked and nudged me carefully.
“No, I’ve got stuff to do here now.” I softly bit my bottom lip and decided to go for it and press a quick kiss on your lips. Every single time I did that, I still got a rush. It didn’t matter that I saw you nearly every day for five weeks.
“What if I told you I’ve got more stuff for us to do?” You breathed against my lips and pulled something out of your back pocket.
I pulled away and looked at what you were holding up. It took me a second to read what was on the two long pieces of paper, but when it did, my eyes went wide. I stared back at you, my heart beating fast in excitement. I don’t think I showed that excitement all too well. Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe things would have been different if I showed more appreciation. You seemed just as delighted, though.
You took me to a planetarium. It was the perfect date. You knew how much I loved space and the stars. It was a not-so-secret obsession you also had late at night.
We sat on the chairs and looked at everything they showed us up above our heads. It was surprisingly empty. It felt like we were the only ones in the universe. Maybe you only chose it because you knew nobody would be there to see us. That wasn’t what was on my mind then. I was fascinated by all the planets and stars. We weren’t actually seeing them, like with my telescope, but it was all so enchanting.
“Don’t you think it’s weird?” I whispered to you, still looking up at the videos and images.
“What?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yeah. How does anything exist? Why does it exist? Where did it come from?”
“Oh…” You took a second to go over my questions. “I don’t wanna think about that. That’s frightening.”
“Right?” I leaned over so I could rest my head against your shoulder. “Here we are, living on a strange planet. And there’s billions more of them out there. It’s never ending.”
“I definitely don’t think we’re alone. There has to be something out there,” you told me, resting your head on top of mine. “And I’m not talking about highly intelligent aliens – although, I wouldn’t rule that out. There have to be living cells or organisms somewhere.”
“Hmm…” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say being alone isn’t an option. It’s an all too familiar feeling.”
“You’re not alone,” you spoke softly into my hair and wrapped your hand around mine. “You’ve got me.”
“Yeah…” I sighed deeply.
“I love you, Mia.”
I took my eyes off the screen and directed them at you. You were already looking at me, showing me that you had consciously said it. You had said it on purpose.
“I love you,” I returned.
You told me something I never thought I would hear just mere weeks after we first spoke to each other. It was the first time somebody has ever said those words to me; it was the first time I had ever had these feelings for anybody. The problem was that it was all a lie. You didn’t care and I cared too much.
