“All because of you.” It took Henri a moment to realize he had said that last part out loud.
“What do you mean?” Maven asked.
“Ever since I met you I feel real again. I don’t feel like I am living in some nightmare. You brought me back to reality.”
Maven smiled. “I’m glad.”
They kissed.
“And now that we are clothed and looking halfway decent I have to break some more news to you,” Henri said, fidgeting with his bowtie. “I snuck out tonight so I could tell you the news and take you to the Hop. Nobody but Flynn knows that I’m gone.”
Maven gasped. “Henri!”
“I know, but it was worth it. Morning is still hours away.” He wrapped an arm around her. “But I’d much rather sleep under the stars with you.”
Maven sat up. “You have to be admitted tomorrow. What if you weren’t supposed to be doing any of this?”
“I wasn’t, but I did it for you.”
Maven dropped her gaze. “And it was sweet, but a little foolish. You need to go home and get rest. We have all the time in the world for more nights like this.”
Henri shook his head, but his eyes said something totally different. “I’m glad I met you.”
Maven touched Henri’s arm. “Me too.” She was alarmed.
“So, I will walk you home and then go home and get some sleep,” Henri said, they packed up the candles throwing them in the picnic basket. Henri folded the blanket and grabbed the radio.
“I am a big girl. I can walk myself home for one night. Just get home so I can stop worrying about you.” Henri pulled her close, his fingers gripping her waist as they kissed in the moonlight.
“Will you visit me?”
“Of course, as soon as I am able.” She crossed her heart, promising there was no place she would rather be. “Now go on, Henri. I’ll text you when I am home.”
Maven watched Henri reluctantly leave her by their willow. As soon as he disappeared over the hill she collected her shoes, walking barefoot, her shoes dangling from her hand as she headed back to her house.
She could still smell Henri. Still feel his lips against hers. The way he made her feel, it was all precisely how she imagined it being.
And as soon as she was home she would tell him just that before she slipped off to sleep.
TACTICS
A FLUTTER OF LEAVES raced across the ground. The wind howled in Henri’s ears. He swore he could hear the relentless hooting of an owl overhead every step he took to get home. The buzz of a motorbike swished past him, followed by another and another. Things were out of sorts tonight, making him jumpy.
Henri moved closer to the closed shops on the sidewalk. Besides the passing motorbikes the night was still—a little too still.
He concentrated on his footsteps, trying to keep his thoughts on that instead of the creepiness all around. He was exhausted and ready for a couple hours of sleep before the hospital in the morning.
He stopped walking, setting the picnic basket and radio at the door of the old second hand store. He removed the items inside of the picnic basket and tossed them in the garbage. He didn’t have the energy to lug it the rest of the way home.
***
Jake crunched the beer can in his grip and then sent it airborne toward the dumpster next to the yogurt hut. “Hand one over, come on.” He ordered his buddy. It was safe to say he was wasted. It was safe to say they all were wasted.
Jake leaned back against the picnic table, smiling at the stars. He spilled half the beer on his red shirt as he tried to take another drink. “Did you see that kid’s bowtie?”
Arnold tipped his head back, downing his beer. He shot Jason—Jake’s other friend since grade school—a look. “Can’t say that I did, Jake.”
Jake scoffed, ignoring the fact that his friends never wanted to entertain his rants about Maven and her new boyfriend. He sat up. “I can’t believe she would rather hang out with that guy instead of me.”
Jason scratched his head. He didn’t understand the fixation with one girl when there were so many willing to give Jake a chance. “I hear he’s a nice guy.”
Arnold jumped, dodging the half full beer that flew past his head and into the side of Jason’s. Jason shook his arms that were now soaked with beer and stared down at his shoes. “What the hell, Summit!”
“You were asking for it. Don’t hang out with us and talk about how nice her new boyfriend is. I don’t want to hear it.” Jake snapped. He jumped from the picnic table. Jason and Arnold watched him wrench another beer from the cooler and pitch it at the window of the yogurt hut. Glass shattered instantaneously, spilling onto the concrete.
Arnold raised a powerless eyebrow at Jason. Jason shook his head, refusing to offer any suggestion. He stood up. “I’m outta here. You’re going to get us arrested. Grow up, Jake, she’s moved on. And it’s pretty clear why…you’re an asshole.” Jason shook his head, and started walking down the cobbled path to his house. He only lived a couple blocks away.
***
Flynn threw his hands up in defeat at Tori as her red charger rolled backwards out of the driveway of his parent’s house. He gritted his teeth as the squealing tires and gravel rocketed against the side of the house sending the stray dogs in the neighborhood howling and barking.
He cursed under his breath all the way to the door.
The kitchen light came on just as he expected. It was his mother.
“How was the Hop? Where’s Tori?” His mother looked past him to the door. “Was that your girlfriend peeling out of here at such a late hour? Flynn that girl has the manners of a narrow-minded hog.”
Flynn kissed his mother on the cheek as a means of an apology. “That she does. Another reason I dumped her and told her to find someone else to drive crazy.”
His mother smiled. “Good for you.”
Before he could fill her in, Sandra came through the door, her hair was flat from the humidity, and her heels were dangling from her fingertips. She let them drop on the kitchen floor, pulling up a seat. “Hey momma. Hey Flynn.”
Flynn rounded the counter taking an apple from the fruit basket.
“How was the dance, Sandra?” Their mother asked.
“Fine. I danced with Clinton a couple times.” She started, plucking the bobby pins from her hair as she rattled on about the dance. “Jake Summit showed up. He didn’t even wear a dress shirt. Can you believe the nerve of that boy?” Sandra tossed the last pin on the tabletop and then let out a laugh. “And who let Henri wear a bowtie?”
Flynn inhaled the apple he was chewing, his eyes flew open and he clutched his throat, staring at Sandra. He waved a hand, but he knew it was too late. His mother’s dark hair whipped around just as fast as her body to look him in the eye.
“Henri?” She asked. Her eyebrows knitted together angrily. Sandra stood up, wishing she hadn’t said a thing about the bowtie.
“Henri said he was going to bed. Henri should be up in his room.” Their mother said, but her words only echoed through the room.
Flynn opened his mouth to say anything, anything at all. But his mother was already barreling up the stairs to confirm Henri was indeed gone.
“Why didn’t you tell me not to say anything?” Sandra hissed, horrified she had ratted Henri out. If she would have only thought a little harder it would have made sense, nobody knew Henri was there. But it was too late now.