A World Without You. A. S. Peterson
Briana replied as Scott took her hand.
They trekked across the clearing. The dirt path was covered with larger twigs and forest debris. They followed the trail. It narrowed. Leafy branches from the surrounding trees blocked their route. Scott led the way, moving the branches out of Briana’s way. Nearly one hundred feet into their trek, the trail began to slope downward.
Scott held Briana’s arm, glancing at her sandals and the slick dirt path. “If you grab the branches with your other hand, you won’t fall.”
Briana nodded. “Okay.”
She took a few steps and grabbed a branch that was more like a twig. It broke and her feet slipped from under her. She fell, pulling Scott with her. She landed on her rump and then fell onto her back. The next thing she knew, she was looking up at Scott who was falling too.
He quickly grabbed another branch to soften his fall as he landed on Briana. He looked down at her, thinking this was a position he could easily get used to. Their eyes met. When there was no uneasiness evident in her eyes, he wondered if she felt as comfortable as he did. Calming his racing imagination, he joked, “I didn’t think I’d be in this position on our first date.”
She laughed as he climbed off and jumped to his feet. He helped Briana up and asked, “Are you okay?”
She brushed the dirt off her clothes. “Yes.”
“Do you want to take your sandals off? This ground is pretty slick.”
“No, but I’ll be more careful.”
They continued their descent. The closer they got to the bottom of the hill, the sparser the trees became.
Briana managed to stay on her feet with the help of Scott’s firm grip on her left arm. Several minutes later, they exited the woods, strolling into the lower field.
Scott scanned the field. “I can take this path if I want to come to the park unseen.” He noticed a log lying on the ground. “Do you want to rest before heading back up the hill?”
“Yes,” Briana replied, disappointed he had released her arm.
They sat in silence on the aging log, staring at the tall grass in front of them. Scott placed his hands on his lap which now felt bare without the warmth of her touch. He leaned forward, plucking a tall grass stem while racking his brain for something interesting to say. His knotted tongue frustrated him. He usually didn’t have a problem talking to girls.
He wiped the sweat off from his forehead. He wasn’t sure why he felt so hot since the wind was more powerful down here than inside the park. A sudden gust of wind blew Briana’s hair into his face. He inhaled. Her hair smelled like the lilacs growing in his backyard. He had an urge to run his fingers through it.
Briana gathered her hair. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. Your hair can blow into my face any time.”
Briana smiled as Scott asked, “Do you need to get home at a certain time?”
She glanced at her watch and sighed. “Noon.”
Hearing her sigh, Scott nodded in agreement. Time was passing by too quickly. He studied her hands as she twisted them self-consciously. He had never met a girl as quiet as this one. She never spoke unless he asked her a question or to apologize for something. Most of the girls in school were talkative, and if they weren’t, it didn’t take much of an effort to get them chatting; but Briana was the opposite. In fact, being around Briana made him feel like a freefalling meteor, hurtling through space without any navigational coordinates.
He redirected his thoughts toward his town and asked, “Does it bother you that I live in South Hillside?”
The wind blew powerfully again, and Briana quickly grabbed her hair. She answered without hesitation, “No.”
Their eyes met and held, and Scott noticed her dreamy expression. It was as if she was having a secret conversation with herself. He just wished she’d open up and reveal some information about herself.
When she gazed at him longer than usual, he moved his attention to her lips. Captivated by her innocence, an urge to kiss her swept through him. He leaned forward, hoping to satisfy his longing, but she moved her attention to the path.
Scott followed her gaze, wondering if he had misread her, but then, she might not even be thinking about kissing at all. However, she did look at the path. Was she giving him a hint she needed to leave? He asked, “Will you get in trouble if you’re late?”
“Yes.”
Scott stood. “Then we need to get you back up the hill.”
Their climb to the top took longer than he anticipated. The slickness of her sandals on the smooth terrain slowed their ascent. He held her arm firmly to keep her from falling. When they reached the clearing, he led her to the large rock for a chance to rest. He hadn’t realized hauling a girl with slick sandals up a hill could be this much of a workout.
He pulled out his second-hand watch from his pocket. It was ten minutes before twelve. Their date was over. As Briana’s breathing returned to normal, he asked, “When can you come to the park again?”
“Ten o’clock next Thursday,”
“Will you be able to meet me every Thursday at ten o’clock this summer?”
“Yes.”
Scott smiled. He had a date with Briana every week.
He returned his watch to his pocket and pulled out his poems. He handed her the folded pieces of paper. “I wrote two poems for you.”
When he observed her surprise, he kicked himself for his boldness. After all, this was merely their second meeting. “You can read them when you get home.”
Scott rubbed his hands on his jeans before reaching for her hand. “I’ll walk you to the entrance.”
They strolled through the park slowly, each not wanting their time to come to an end. Briana focused on their hands as the entrance loomed closer. Waiting for two full days to see Scott had been grueling. Now she had to wait for an entire week. She was grateful for their hike up the hill. Her heavy breathing had been mistaken for exertion instead of the nervous energy she felt from their near kiss. The vision of Scott moving forward replayed in her mind. His gaze had moved from her eyes to her lips, and a brief look of vulnerability existed before he gave an intense look of devotion. If she hadn’t glanced at the path, she would have kissed a boy she had barely met three days ago; and a kiss with Scott—Briana stopped her thoughts, refusing to think about that very idea.
She had been surprised earlier when he asked if she minded he was from South Hillside. She had wanted to say, “Why would I be? You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met. I don’t care if you live in a shack.” To her, Scott was caring, funny, and good-looking, but most importantly, he had missed his breakfast just to come and see her.
Her belly contracted with anticipation. Would Scott try to kiss her again at the entrance? When he simply squeezed both her hands and said, “I am looking forward to next Thursday,” Briana wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved.
She smiled shyly. “Me too.”
Briana hurriedly walked away. Her mother and sisters would be home soon and she had to be there first. She could feel Scott watching her all the way to the corner of the block.
After Briana turned right and was out of sight, Scott waited a few minutes before heading home. He thought about his first date with Briana which had been simple yet fascinating. His longtime question—would he kiss a girl on their first date—was a definite no. He shimmied down the embankment, telling himself that maybe next Thursday, they would kiss. While crossing the lower field with long quick strides, he plucked at the tips of the grass. He had always thought after his first date, he would know more about the girl than just her name.
6
June