“How can you keep EATING like that?” Ally asked in wonderment, staring at Jada as she devoured yet another plate of the oriental food.
Jada paused and shrugged. “I’m hungry.”
“3rd plates in 20 minutes does not count as HUNGRY,” Jessica stared. “They count as DYING OF STARVATION.”
Jada glared.
“I’m backing off,” Jessica said, holding her hands up.
“Hey.”
Jessica froze as she heard the voice she knew so well. She turned around to see Lance standing above her, smiling.
“Lance! What’re you doing here?”
“Um, eating?”
She smiled. “How’d you know where we were?”
Lance shrugged. “Beats me.”
“Are you gonna sit?” Jessica asked, gesturing over to the chair next to her.
“Why not?” He lowered himself onto the seat.
*-*-*
“Are you guys done YET?” Lance and Jessica asked exasperatedly.
The rest of the group looked up innocently.
“Why don’t you guys leave if you’re done?” Ally asked.
“Fine! Sheesh. One would think it was the end of the world by the way you guys are eating,” Jessica muttered, grabbing Lance’s hand as she made her way toward the exit.
They stepped outside into the cool night air, letting the soft breeze hit their faces. Jessie looked inside to see her friends watching her.
“Why do I get the feeling we’re being set up?” she asked, smiling.
“Because maybe…we are?”
Jessica laughed. But she stopped abruptly when she saw someone smoking on the street corner. She made sure she breathed in only small amounts of air, for she didn’t want to get the vicious smoke in her lungs…it was horrible and disgusting.
“How long do you think they’ll take to get done?” she asked, looking at Lance.
“At the rate they’re going…” Lance thought, “…dawn.”
“I don’t get it…they’ve never eaten this much before…”
“Pssh,” Lance smiled. “Hey…wanna go somewhere?”
“Where?”
“C’mon.”
‘Another surprise…I like it’
*-*-*
“Are you sure?”
“YES, I’m sure. Now COME ON!” Lance urged, holding his hand out to her.
“You’re sure that I won’t fall off?”
Lance rolled his sea green eyes. “YES. Please?”
Jessica pursed her lips and set her hand in his, stepping cautiously into the small rowboat. It rocked, and she grabbed Lance on instinct.
He chuckled deeply. “It’s ok.”
“Oh gosh…” Slowly, she lowered herself onto one of the wood seats. Her hands went out to the sides, hoping to steady the boat.
“You worry too much,” Lance shook his head, sitting down also. His hands grabbed the 2 oars provided and started to turn the boat around.
Jessica smiled lightly and looked at the sky. The watercolors of sky ran together in a ‘sea’ of vivid oranges, reds, and pinks, all becoming a masterpiece from God. The sun slowly set, and the east was slowly fading into a soft blue of early night. Her eyes ran down to the water…the glistening water. All was silent, except for the call of various animals, and the soft sound of the oars beating against the water. How the water would ripple…how the water would dip…how serenity would wash over her body in one simple wave…it was incredible. She felt at peace with herself. She could see the crystal likeness of the surface of water…how there would be a net…yet none there at all…only solid-well, liquid-water. Innocently curious, she reached out with her hand, and dipped the tips of her fingers into the water, and watched as she pulled out her hand, creating ripples of the water in their wake. Jessica blinked and looked at the sky again. There was more blue now, and the sun was slowly, but surely sinking into the west, casting its golden glow on them. Jessie stared thoughtlessly out into the beautiful sunset, feeling her problems being whisked away with the sun as it set. No problems…just…tranquility. And it was wonderful.
“Jessie?” Lance whispered.
BOOM. The words rocked her trance and she looked over at him, her serenity shattered.
“Hmm?”
“You like?”
She just nodded and sighed happily. “What words are there to describe the beauty of simple nature and peace? The sinking sun, the glowing, crystal water, the radiance of the late sun?”
Lance’s eyes twinkled. “Poetic.”
Her lips curved upwards. “Creatively spoken.”
Lance just shook his head and stopped rowing. He leaned forward, his arms resting on his thighs and holding the rest of him up. “Beautifully expressed.”
“Why thank you, dear Lansten,” she smiled, giggling a little.
He let out another chuckle as his face came closer. Her giggling stopped, realizing their closeness. She could feel herself being pulled…drawn into his eyes…his face.
Now only millimeters…merely millimeters away from each other. She could feel his breath, tantalizing her senses…
CAAAAW!!
Her eyes widened in complete shock and surprise, and she backed away…too fast!! Their combined force rocked the boat, and the shock of the ‘caw’ was still there, causing them to stand up, thinking they had to escape. Suddenly there was an imbalance, causing the boat to rock even more severely…before they knew it…SPLASH!!
COLD!!
The first thing that surfaced in her mind…COLD. Her arms flailed in the water, trying to get to air. Her clothes seem to pull her back…the denim of her jeans weighing her down. But thanks to certain sports, her legs were able to kick her way back up to the surface. With a loud SPLOOSH! She was able to break through the surface. Her legs kept kicking, helping her tread water and stay up.
“Lance?” she called out looking around.
The water was flat, except for the boat, upturned.
“Lance?” she called out again, frantically turning in place, searching for him.
“LANCE?!”
“BOO!”
She let out the highest, loudest shriek she’d ever shrieked and instinctively kicked.
“OOF!”
Jessica turned around in panic, finally recognizing the deep voice. “LANCE?”
“Ugh here,” he moaned, clutching his chest and treading.
“Don’t you EVER scare me like that again!” she scolded, pushing him.
“You weren’t that scared…”
“Ha! I wasn’t scared,” she mocked. Then she shook her head. “I wasn’t SCARED…I was TERRIFIED!!!”
Lance smiled wide and laughed.
“Oh so you think that’s funny, huh?” she challenged, ignoring the wetness from the water. “You think that’s so funny?” She splashed water in his face.
“Hey!” he spluttered, wiping the water from his face.
Jessica burst out laughing and splashed him again.
“Stop that!” he laughed splashing her back.
“Aah!” she cried, laughing her head off. She splashed. He splashed. That’s how it was for…ah who knows how long.
Jessica, panting, finally leaned back on the water, floating on her back, kicking every once in a while to stay afloat. “Whew.”
Lance mimicked her and sighed. “That was a lot of fun.”
She laughed. “Yeah. Now we’re soaking wet.”
“It was fun, you have to admit,” Lance pointed out.
Jessica blinked and thought about it, staring at the cerulean sky. Her giddiness slipped away as she was filled with disappointment. ‘We were thisclose’ she thought, chagrined. ‘So close. Stupid bird. I wonder what his lips taste like…’ Her eyes closed and she was about to close off when suddenly her face was covered in water. She was slowly sinking. Her arms went out and she surfaced again, spluttering.
Lance laughed. “Did you MEAN to do that?”
“Ah shut up,” she grumbled, smiling at the same time.
“I think we’d better get in,” he said, looking at his hand.
“Whatcha lookin’ at?” she asked.
“My hand.” He laughed. “My PRUNY hand.”
Jessica laughed and swam toward the boat. “C’mon then!”
They finally turned the boat over again, and they both tried to pull themselves in. SPLASH they were down again.
“Ugh.” Jessica wiped her face. “That didn’t work so well.”
“I’ll get on this side,” Lance said, realizing the reason for their failure.
“Oh yeah…I forgot about that balance shit,” she grumbled, grabbing the boat and turning it over.
“On 3. 1…2…3!”
With a few grunts, they pulled themselves in. They waited for a while, getting their breaths back. They looked around and noticed the sky being covered in the water of the heavens. Night was coming. A slight breeze blew by, chilling them to reality.
Lance managed to grab the oars and slowly row the boat back to shore. He grabbed the rope and tied it first, making sure the boat would stay. Then he pulled himself out onto the dock. He leaned over and grabbed Jessica’s hand, pulling her up. She stood in front of him, water dripping from her hair and clothes.
“Look at me! I am drenched!” she cried, squeezing water from her hair and shirt.
“You look fine,” Lance said quietly. ‘More than fine…beautiful’
Jessica smiled and stopped squeezing out the water. “Really?”
He nodded.
“I guess I’ll take your word on it then,” she smiled.
A light whoosh of air blew by and she shivered.
“C’mon. The sooner we get back, the sooner we go home.”
“I sorta figured that,” she laughed.
Lance laughed with her and subconsciously grabbed her hand, and was glad she didn’t pull away.
The car was just ahead, waiting for them to come back into its warmth.
“I wonder if they’re done eating yet,” Jessica laughed.
“Probably not,” Lance chuckled.
“FREEZE.”