Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Driving

The flashlight flickered off trunks and branches as she moved through the trees. Every now and then something would glimmer in the gleam of the light, and she'd drop to her knees and skim the grass with her hands, grasping at twigs and fallen leaves. It had to be here! It just had to. And then it happened. A soft glisten on something definitely not natural. Sara felt her hand close around the thin chain as she held the found object up to the beam of light. There it was. A simple necklace, with a small silver medallion on the end, etched with a few letters.

He gave her a necklace on their one month anniversary. Chris was the most gentle boy she had ever dated. Sara knew they were going to be together forever.

If Chris ever found out she had been here ... best not to think of what he'd do. She left the woods and got in her car. He'd freak. Especially if she knew Nate had been with her. "Nate" she sighed exasperatedly. Just then, a tap sounded at her window. Well then. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Sara rolled down her window.

"Nate? What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, looking at her with eyes that worshiped her very soul. "Nothing much, just walking around. Thinking." His gaze became more intense. "Mostly about you."

Sara decided to ignore that last part and reached over to unlock the passenger side door. "Here, get in. I'll give you a ride home."

Nate climbed in, and Sara started the car, turning onto the road. They had only gone a few feet before Nate started speaking again. "Sara, you need to know something. That was a dream come true for me. I mean, you have no idea how hard it's been just being your friend all these years. I mean, I've loved you for..."

At the mention of the word 'love', Sara momentarily swerved into the other lane. Luckily it was late and they were in the heart of suburbia cul-de-sac land, so no one was harmed.

She punched the radio on, trying to prevent any more conversation with the soothing effects of music. Usually Weezer would be a good thing, but as soon as she heard "Falling For You" Sara knew she was doomed.

Playing chess in the summer grass, sharing headphones and laughing over her hopeless strategy as he checked her in three moves... Sara pulled into Nate's driveway and parked, the song the only noise in the stillness of the night. The car stayed put, and in that moment Sara moved on.

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