"You….hate that creepy thing too?” I asked softly.
“Oh yes!” mumbled the boy. He was in the shadows,I couldn’t make out who he was. “Creepiest thing I’ve ever seen,why does nobody else see it? I mean..ewww.”
“I know!” I answered back. “its odd.”
There was no more talking for at least 20 minutes after that. Me and him,Me and the stranger,sat on the beach basking in the moonlight on a pair of playground swings. We didn’t even have a clue about each other. We were just enjoying God’s lullaby.
This boy must’ve been horribly shy because eventually he said something but it came out in a rather quiet mumble.
I have sharp ears and could hear him perfectly though.
“So um…what are you doing here…so late?” he asked me.
“Insomnia.” I replied. “well…not chronic insomia…just…my sheets are filthy and I can’t sleep anyway so I strolled out to see the moon and get some air.”
“The Moon looks like a princess.” Stated the boy. “Draped in a gown of light beams,her sleeves trailing as stars and clouds.”
“How poetic.” I replied.
“Not trying to be.” Mumbled the boy. “I’m out here because of insomnia too.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
“Yes.” He answered,drawing a long gusty sigh. “I haven’t been able to sleep since I was little…well..at the appropriate time.”
“you an Owl or something?” I asked smiling.
“You could say that.” He replied with a hint of laughter in his voice.
Suddenly,the clouds passed over from the moon and the shadows over his swing lifted. I was elated and rather shocked by what I saw.
There he was,the cause of my insomnia,sitting right next to me.
“Thank you!” I silently uttered as I stared at the cosmos overhead. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!”
I wanted to ask the boy a million questions,but I knew better and kept quiet. Letting the moment settle in. I sat watching the dark blue sky for another twenty minutes humming to myself. He sat staring at his bare feet. It was all so odd,I wondered if I never actually left the house,but was asleep in my room dreaming it all.
The boy suddenly caught view of my glasses.
“Were you at H&M the other day?” he asked quietly.
“Uhhh…..yeah.” I said sheepishly.
“Why were you pacing the store?” he asked.
“None of your bees wax.” I said quickly and stupidly. “I was just…nothing,none of your bees wax.”
“Okay,” said the shy boy. “What’s your name?”
“Don’t like it,its ugly.” I replied. “Friends call me Dusty.”
“I’m Adam.” He replied. “and I bet your name is NOT ugly,I bet its beautiful.”
“Just call me dusty alright!” I said snappishly. Even though the thought he thought my unknown name was beautiful made me melt inside.
“okay…dusty.” He said softly,his brown eyes once again returned to his toes.
I would’ve sat forever drowned in the bliss of the oh so wanted moment. I wanted to enjoy it so much more,I wanted to bear hug him and sit quietly beside him for the rest of the night.
I’m a loud mouth and talk a lot,but something about this boy…about this Adam gave me the will power to hush up and enjoy the moment.
And as I said before,I WOULD’VE sat for the rest of the night on the beach,hadn’t my cell phone rang.
I should’ve left my purse at home.
“excuse me,” I said,and I went to answer it.
It was my sister of course.
“WHERE ARE YOU?!” She exclaimed. “You have work tomorrow,and I have school! You’d better not be at the beach!”
“Shush up!” I whispered hoarsely.
“Don’t you DARE tell me to shut up.” Barked my sister. “all throughout our childhood I’ve taken your shut up shut up. WELL I am a grown nineteen year old woman and I will not take this from you anymore!”
“And I had to take YOUR bad attitude all throughout our childhood.” I retorted. “I’ll come home when I’m ready! When did I ask you to be my alarm clock?”
“Uhhh…yesterday!” argued my sister. “you told me to be harsh,now get your butt back here and get back in bed!”
“OH!” I wanted to say shut up,but that would only result in her sass. “Just…I’ll be home in half an hour how’s that?”
“Fine.” Said my sister.
“no more alarm calls okay!” I said. “I repeal that…what was I drinking when I asked you to do that?”
“Mountain Dew.” She replied.
“figures.” I said,and I hung up the phone.
“Sorry…” I said softly as I returned to my swing.
“Sure it pretty out tonight.” Said Adam. “the sand looks like powdered silver.”
“Yeah,” I said. “you have an eye for detail.”
“My mom says that.” He replied,yawning. “Tonight reminds me of blonde princesses for some reason. Must be me thinking of a cinderella story or something.”
“You like blonde?” I asked,hoping he’d say no.
“Yes,Blonde hair and blue eyes.” He replied eagerly. “most beautiful combination ever created.”
My heart sank. I am a green eyed,brown haired girl who sometimes went Manic Panic hot pink on the weekends. No way he’d be interested in me.
“Had a girlfriend once.” He said slowly. “she had Blonde hair and blue eyes. She left…” he took a deep sorrowful breath and let it out with a long sigh. “Cinderella didn’t even leave her slipper.”
I smirked sneakily when he wasn’t looking. A small butterly in my heart took wing and traveled down to my stomach.
About a half hour later,a half hour of silent bliss later,I had to go.
I put on my shoes and grabbed my purse. I walked through the green geese grounds towards my car. I thought that Adam had stayed behind,lost in thought,but I was wrong. He came running up behind me and walked with me to my car.
Even now I couldn’t bring myself to talk. What a awestriking silence he cast over me. It was amazing.
“You didn’t say goodbye.” He said softly as he ducked low hanging tree branches.
“You were lost in thought.” I said smiling. “I didn’t want to disturb.”
“Its fine,I need to be disturbed sometimes.” He replied,again with the hint of laughter.
I stepped into my car and as I was about to drive away he asked.
“What’s your real name…Dusty?”
It took me so much power to break my own rule. I hated my name,I hated using it. It sounded like a Vegatable,not at all dreamy like Briella or Sophia or anything! But for him,I’d spill.
“Reagan.” I answered. “Reagan Elizabeth.”
I flinched again as if something was about to get thrown at me.
He stared again…longer than the time at the store.
“I told you it was beautiful.” He said smiling. “stop hiding it.”
I blushed pinker than last weekends Manic Panic hair dye.
“You have no clue what that means to me.” I said gleefully.
“I think I do.” He said,and I drove away smiling.
I’m still surprised I didn’t wreck my car on the way home. Because I’m pretty sure I had a heart attack.
“I AM beautiful…” I said to myself as I looked in the mirror the next morning. I looked up at the sky again,which was conceiled by the bathroom ceiling of course,and screamed all the way to high heaven: “THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!”