prying ears of the other students.
“Tomorrow’s my birthday,” he stated.
“I know,” I told him. “I already got you a
present.”
“You… you got me a present?” he asked,
obviously surprised.
“Of course I did.”
“I… wasn’t expecting that.”
“Max, what’s wrong?”
“My father wants me to leave town with him
tomorrow to begin training.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt an
enormous weight bearing down on my body, and
it felt like it was crushing the wind out of my
lungs. My stomach lurched. He was leaving. Not
only was he leaving, but he was leaving to
become a hunter. He was going to kill my kind.
“Do you have to go?” I asked, my voice
quivering.
“You know I do,” he answered softly. “It’s in
my blood. I have to go.”
I knew the day was coming, but I hadn’t
realized it would be so soon. I thought maybe his
father would at least wait until the end of the
school year.
“Can’t you wait until you graduate?” I
begged.
“It doesn’t work that way,” he explained. “We
all have to go on our eighteenth birthday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” I
demanded.
“I didn’t want to ruin what little time we had
left,” he admitted.
“Tomorrow…” I whimpered, hanging my
head.
“We still have today,” he told me, his finger
lifting my chin so I would look at him.
As I stared into his dark eyes, I was breathless.
I didn’t want him to go. I couldn’t stand it. He
was my friend, my protector. He couldn’t leave.
“Let’s get out of here,” he suggested. “Let’s
just spend this last day together.”
“One last day,” I agreed.
We got into his car and he pulled out of the
school parking lot. I thought of calling Kai to let
him know where I would be, but I didn’t think
there was any need to worry him. After all, if
Max was leaving the next day to start training to
be a hunter, I might not see him again for a very
long time – perhaps not ever.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Where do you want to go?” he questioned.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “Why don’t you
choose?”
“I know just the place,” he said quickly.
A few minutes later, we pulled into a large
parking lot that was completely deserted. The
pavement was cracked large chunks were
missing. Tufts of grass grew up through the
cracks. It was obvious the lot hadn’t been used in
years.
We got out of his car, and I noticed a
dilapidated movie screen looming above us. I
recognized where we were.
“This is the old drive-in movie theater, isn’t
it?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said.
“But it’s closed,” I argued.
“Yep,” he said again.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he said with a wink and a grin.
I followed him across the parking lot, and he
stepped over a chain into a grassy area. He helped
me step over the chain, and we walked under the
hulking screen. I could see boards hanging
haphazardly from it. It was literally crumbling to
pieces.
He took my hand and helped me down a
grassy embankment behind the movie screen, and
we walked into the woods. At the bottom of the
hill, there was a small creek. It bubbled and
sputtered invitingly.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” I gushed.
“Wait until you see the lake,” he smiled.
We followed the creek for about a mile, and
up ahead I could see a clearing opening up in the
trees. We walked out into the clearing and we
stood by a crystal clear lake sparkling in the
sunlight where the creek spilled out of the forest.
The grass was high in the meadow that
surrounded the lake, and it waved in the breeze
like sheets of pure silk rippling. The grass was
color of the rainbow even though it was only the
middle of February.
“It’s so… incredible…” I whispered. “How
are there flowers growing here in February?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “There are
always flowers growing here.”
I shook my head in amazement.
“How did you find this place?”
“When I was a kid, my dad used to bring me
here to go fishing,” Max told me. “It was our
special place.”
“I can’t believe it’s real,” I uttered.
“I can’t believe you’re real,” he said softly.
“Max…” I started to admonish him.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ruin the
moment by making you slap me again,” he joked.
“Very funny,” I groaned.
“Come on, there’s something I want you to
see,” he said, taking my hand.
I followed him nearly to the opposite end of
the lake, and we came upon a set of low, flat
rocks. They were carpeted in thick moss, and they
looked almost like big, mossy beds.
“This is where my dad and I used to have a
picnic every time we came here,” he explained.
The moss is so thick it makes the rocks really
comfortable.”
He motioned for me to sit down and try it. I
sank down into the billowy softness, and he was
right. It felt like sleeping on a downy-soft bed,
and it was perfectly dry, despite the dew that
soaked the grass in the meadow.
He sat down beside me and I saw him reach
toward me as if he wanted to take my hand, but
he paused, and then pulled his hand back.
“This place is indescribably beautiful,” I said.
“It’s not half as beautiful as you,” he said,
scanning my face as if he were trying to
memorize every detail.
I felt my face grow hot as I blushed. He
chuckled.
I watched a flock of birds cross the clearing
and settle into the trees on the other side of the
lake.
“It must be nice to be a bird,” I said.
“Why do you say that?” Max asked.
“They’re so free,” I answered. “They have no
worries, no pain. They just fly away to the next
beautiful place before anything bad can happen.
“Fly away with me,” Max said suddenly.
Startled, I glared at him. “What are you talking
about?”
“Let’s go,” he pleaded. “Let’s run away
together. My father’s never met you, so he won’t
be able to track you. Let’s just run away
together.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I reminded him.
“Your family can come with us,” he said.
Then, gritting his teeth, he added, “Kai, too.”
“Your f
ather has met Kai,” I mentioned.
“What if he gets suspicious and tries to track
him?”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
Max was silent for a moment, and then he
sighed.
“I don’t,” he admitted.
“Then how can you ask me to do that?”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t really
mean it, I guess. I just… I can’t stand the thought
of leaving you.”
“I don’t like the thought of you leaving either,
Max.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Max, I like being around you.” I
wanted to say more, but I couldn’t find the
words.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“No,” I admitted. “But I can’t say it.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” he reminded me.
“We may never see each other again. Please say
it.”
“I…” I tried to say, but I couldn’t.
“Fine, I’ll say it,” he said. “I love you.”
I was overwhelmed with emotion. I don’t
know if it was because I was losing my friend or
because I really felt more for him than I realized,
but I began to cry. All I knew was that I didn’t
want him to go.
“Please don’t go!” I sobbed, and I felt his
strong arms close around me.
“Don’t cry,” he muttered in my ear. “I can’t
stand it.”
“I don’t want you to go!” I blubbered. “I want
you to stay here… with me!”
“Why?” he asked. “You have Kai. You don’t
need me.”
“But I… you’re…” I stammered, unable to
find the words.
“Say it!” he urged.
“I… I care about you,” I managed to spit out.
“Is that all?” he mused, disappointed.
“Isn’t that enough?” I asked, looking up into
his eyes.
He brushed a tear away from my cheek and
nodded.
“Yes, I suppose that’s enough... for now. But,
Alice, can I ask you for one thing before I go?”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Promise me you’ll give me this one thing,”
he pleaded.
“How can I do that if I don’t know what…” I
began.
“Promise me,” he begged.
He was leaving the next day, and I didn’t know
if I would ever see him again. I couldn’t deny
him one request.
“Fine. I promise,” I agreed.
“Kiss me goodbye,” he asked.
“Max, I…” I started to say, but he placed on
finger on my lips.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” he reminded me.
“We might never see each other again. Kai never
has to know. Please, just give me this one last
gift. Tomorrow is my birthday, after all.”
I shook my head, but it was a weak protest. I
felt I could hardly deny him the one request. I
closed my eyes and surrendered to him. All of my
will to fight him had disappeared, and I felt his
lips press against mine softly. Normally, Max’s
kisses were crushing and powerful. Today, his
kiss was gentle and forlorn. This kiss was
goodbye.
For a moment, just one fleeting moment, I
forgot about everything and everyone but him.
No one else existed. We were just like Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. There, surrounded by
the exquisite beauty of nature, it was only him
and me. Nothing else mattered.
His hand found its way to the back of my
head, and his fingers tangled through my hair,
pressing my face to his. I felt his warm lips soft
against mine, and the love he felt for me coursed
through every kiss. I slipped my hands inside his
shirt and felt his smooth skin with my cold
hands, but he did not flinch when my winter
wind-nipped fingers met his hot skin.
I parted my lips to allow his tongue to explore
mine, and I tasted his sweet breath. It was like
ambrosia, and the sweet nectar lingered around
me like perfume from Heaven.
One of his hands slipped under my sweater
and pressed into the small of my back. His hands
were warm, despite the frosty air, and they felt
intensely comforting against my skin.
“Say it,” he implored, pressing his lips against
mine again.
I was weakening. My resolve was breaking. I
didn’t know how much longer I could keep
denying it. Did I? Was it possible that I…
“Say it,” he whispered beseechingly into my
ear, his hot breath sending pleasant shivers down
my spine.
I cracked. Every fiber of my being was
screaming his name, and every bit of strength I
had melted away in one moment.
“I love you,” I whimpered. “I love you! God
help me, I love you!”
“Alice…” he whispered, kissing me even
more deeply than before.
I was lost in him. In that moment, I had not
only admitted to him how I felt. I had also
admitted it to myself. I didn’t want to feel that
way, but I had no choice. It was as if Fate stepped
in and shouted, “It’s inevitable! You love him!
Just give up!” And it was true.
I felt his weight pressing against me, and I
gave in. He pushed me gently down into the
downy softness of the moss. I could smell the
sweet, earthy scent underneath us as his body
covered mine. His weight felt so comfortable on
top of me, and his head bent down to deliver
another intoxicating kiss. I desperately wanted to
feel his skin against mine, and I lifted his shirt
over his head. He responded my tugging at mine,
and I rose up to allow him to take off my
sweater.
The morning sun had slowly crept into the
shade, and we were bathed in golden sunlight.
Despite the frigid temperature, the sun combined
with our body heat and it was almost sweltering.
He lowered himself on top of me, and the
sensation of his skin against mine was
maddening.
I wanted him. I’d never really thought about it
before, but suddenly I wanted him more than I
had ever wanted anything in my life. I wanted
him to be my first… before it was too late. I had
decided. It was time.
My fingernails raked a path across his back
and I struggled not to tear his remaining clothing
into shreds. It was all I could do to keep from
begging for it as his passionate kisses melted into
me. I reached down and began to unfasten his
belt, and his dark eyes stared into mine, suddenly
understanding what I wanted.
At that moment, just as I was about to
abandon everything, a queer sound escaped from
his pants. It was the muffled sound of his phone
chirping inside his pocket. The two of us exhaled
a heaving breath, and he rolled off me and onto
his back beside me. We both panted furiously,
trying to regain our composure.
Finally, he took a deep breath and pulled the
phone from his pocket.
“Hello?”
“Max,” I heard Kai’s voice through the phone,
sounding edgy. “Have you seen Alice?”
Max sighed. “Yeah, she’s right here.”
He handed me the phone.
“Kai?” I answered.
“Alice! Where have you been? I’ve been
worried sick!” he shouted.
“What?” I mumbled. “Why, what happened?”
“The school called your mother,” Kai
explained. “They said you didn’t show up to
school today and they were calling to see if you
were sick.”
“Damn,” I muttered.
“Where are you?” Kai asked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I told him. “Max and I skipped
school, because he’s leaving town tomorrow. He
wanted one last day together.”
I heard Kai’s teeth grating together through
the phone.
Through clenched teeth, he said, “You’re
alone with him?”
“Kai, he’s leaving tomorrow,” I explained. “I
might not see him again for a long time, maybe
never. I just thought I should spend the day with
him.”
“What are you doing?” he demanded to know.
“We’re just hanging out,” I lied. “Talking.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “Some lake.”
“Oh, my God, you’re at a lake with him?
Seriously?”
“Calm down!” I insisted. “He’s leaving
tomorrow, anyway. So what’s the big deal?”
“You would say that,” Kai grumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” he muttered. “Have fun with him.”
With that, he hung up.
“He’s pretty mad, huh?” Max asked.
“Seems that way,” I agreed with a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” Max said sincerely.
“It’s not your fault,” I said. It was true. I knew
it was all my fault.
“It’s
not your fault,” Max insisted. “I
shouldn’t have brought you here. It was my idea,
and it was a mistake.”
“Do you really mean that?” I asked, hurt.
He was quiet for a moment, and then he said,
“No, I don’t mean it. It wasn’t a mistake. I’m
only sorry you’re being hurt by it.”
Neither of us said anything for a minute, and
then he spoke again, “Are you sorry you said it?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not sorry. I meant
it. I just… I didn’t realize it before.”
“I don’t want to lose you, Alice,” he
murmured.