Young Writers Society

This is just a little something I was working on today... I was just playing around with trying to write Romance... I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to make it better...

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I opened my eyes sleepily as something hit my window and rattled the glass again. Slowly, I sat up in bed and looked out. Down below, Leo was standing, tossing another rock up in readiness to try to wake me again. He smiled as he saw me in the window.

Opening the window, I leaned out. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Coming to see you,” he answered simply, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

I glanced over at the clock in my room and then back down at him. “At one in the morning?”

His smile widened. “Is there a problem with that?”

“Leo…”

“Come on down… we can go for a walk…”

I blinked. He had to be kidding. This was something that happened in movies and fairy tales, not real life. But then, this was Leo, the guy that turned my waking world into a dream.

“Okay,” I told him, starting to smile myself. “But not for very long.”

I closed the window and hurried to pull on some jeans and a t-shirt. I crept down the stairs, glancing into my parents and younger sister’s bedrooms as I passed to make sure that they were all still asleep. Leo met me at the front door and led me down the walk and away from the house.

He glanced over at me through the corner of his eye and smiled. “You said that you’d see me first thing in the morning.”

I laughed quietly. “Leo… I meant first thing after I woke up.”

“And are you awake?”

I smiled. “Well… yes…”

“So what’s the problem?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

Leo looked up at the dark cloudy sky and then back at me. “Not exactly the traditional romantic evening,” he said. “I’m afraid that there aren’t any stars out.”

I looked up. “No… I guess not… No moon either…”

He looked around at the sky. “Wait…” he took hold of my arm to make me stop and pointed upwards. “There.”

I looked up where he was pointing. The moon just barely peeked out from the clouds, showing up more as a bright point in the grayness. The clouds moved swiftly in the breeze, revealing more of the moon before covering it completely.

I smiled and turned back to face him. He was standing a little closer than he had been before, looking straight into my eyes. Leo started to lean in a bit closer and I looked away nervously.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “We should…” I took another deep breath. “We should keep going.”

He paused. “Of course.” He backed away a few steps and we started walking again.

I looked down at my feet, thinking. I liked Leo. I honestly did. And I couldn’t even begin to try to count the times that I’d imagined what it would be like to have him standing that close to me, the number of times I’d imagined him kissing me. But, right then, when it had looked like it actually might happen... Why hadn’t I let him?

“Tara?”

I looked up at Leo.

“Is something wrong?”

I took a deep breath. “No… nothing’s wrong…”

“You’re sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah…”

He looked at me closely for a moment longer and then returned his attention to the things around us.

We walked along for a few more minutes in silence. Leo kept glancing over at me, trying to meet my eyes, but for the first time in a long time, I couldn't meet his gaze.

He stopped and gestured towards the woods that lined the right-hand side of the path that we were on.

"Come on," he said. "I want to show you something."

I looked back towards my house.

"Come on, Tara." He slipped his hand into mine. "I promise it will only take a minute." I hesitated for a moment longer and then allowed him to lead me into the cover of the trees.

He walked ahead of me, never letting go of my hand, threading his way through the tree trunks. The breeze wafted gently through, lifting my hair back away from my face. The night was calm, beautiful. The darkness simplified the entire landscape, making all the edges seem a little softer and all the features a little more welcoming. I smiled as I looked around. In all honesty, this was more beautiful to me than the imagined night filled with stars and moonlight.

Suddenly, my foot caught on a tree root sticking up out of the ground. I fell forward directly into his arms. I froze. How in the world had that just happened?

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Slowly, I lifted my head to look him in the eye. I quickly looked away again. "I'm fine," I whispered, righting myself.

He smiled at me and took my hand again. "Come on. It's just a little further."

He led me on. The trees quickly fell away to reveal a small clearing and he brought me out into the center of it. All around was bright, green grass, broken every once in a while by some sort of blue flower. The trees leaned in overhead, barely leaving space between them to see the clouds shifting overhead.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"It's beautiful..." I breathed. "It seems like it should be in story or something..."

He turned me to face him. "And what would happen here in this story?"

"I don't know..." I looked at the trees over his shoulder, before meeting his eyes again. "Something important... Like a party, or..." I paused to think. "Maybe this could be a special meeting place for someone, a place that no one else can find."

"A meeting place for who?"

I paused, thinking, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Who, Tara?" he asked again.

I said that first thing that entered my head. "For us?"

He laughed a little. "Are we talking about real life or a story?"

"Both?"

He laughed again. "There ya go..." He put a hand up and brushed it through my hair, pulling it back much the way the wind had done earlier. "Tara..."

Something wet hit the top of head and I looked up suddenly. Leo followed my gaze as another drop fell and another. Soon it was pouring down, pounding the earth and washing over us.

I started to laugh. "It's raining!"

"Yes, it is..." he agreed.

I started to pull away and go back the way we'd come.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

I looked at him. "Home."

"Why? It's only rain..."

I laughed. "We'll get soaked!"

"So?" He pulled me closer again. "Haven't you ever danced in the rain before?"

I shook my head a little, unable to look away from him. "I don't know how to dance, remember?"

"Anyone can dance in the rain..."

I shook my head and started to pull away again. "Leo..."

"Stay..." he whispered. "Please..."

I stopped and just stood there with him, letting the rain pour over me. He gently cupped my cheek in his hand and searched my eyes. I laid my hand over his, leaning into his touch and closing my eyes. I just stood there for a few seconds, memorizing every detail of this moment. The coolness of the rain and ran over my shoulders and head... The sound of Leo's gentle voice... The feel of his fingers as they lingered over my skin... The closeness between us...

"Tara..." I opened my eyes again, smiling.

Leo looked back at me, smiling also, but there was a hint of nervousness in his eye also. He swallowed and moved just a bit closer. "Do I have your permission?"

I took me a moment to realize what he was asking for. My heart began to beat just a little faster. "Of course," I whispered.

One of his hands slipped around to the back of my head while the other pressed at the small of my back, pulling me the rest of the way in to meet him. Gently, he pressed his lips against mine, sending shivers up my spine. I closed my eyes, surrendering to his touch.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds more and then we broke away. I stood there, eyes still closed, clinging to him.

"Tara?" He was running a hand down my neck and back, holding me tighter.

"Yes?" I whispered, not opening my eyes.

"I love you." His voice held so much sincerity, so much care...

I smiled, half wanting to jump for joy, half wanting to cry and completely wanting to stay in his arms forever.

"I love you too..."