By Nicki Chapelway
Standing atop a hill at least half a mile from the amphitheater, the distant 80’s classics thrum through my head. The band isn’t overly popular, but they’re free, so the place is packed. The outskirts are the perfect place for an introvert like me. This is shaping up to be an extraordinary evening. Just one kiss from a certain girl, and I can die happy.
I turn to Clair and spread my arms out. “What do you think?”
“This is nice,” Clair says with a grin.
She’s beautiful in her floral shorts, pink shirt, and crown of fake daisies on her head. Not for the first time, I consider how lucky I am to have a girl like Clair. I’m built like a horse jockey, and I can’t do a proper cartwheel, but Clair says she likes being able to lift me off my feet.
Of course, she’s always been agile and strong. She’s the one who works out in this relationship. Obsessively.
Despite our non-traditional matchup, I try to be a gentleman. I set up the blanket and settle down on it, depositing the bags of popcorn I bought from a vendor nearby.
The lead guitarist breaks out in an overdone solo, and excitement swells in the crowd. Clair, of course, knows all the songs.
We start to dance. Clair kicks off her shoes, singing along and placing her hand over her heart for the emotional parts. By the time the next song starts, she’s laughing so hard that she stumbles.
There are other stragglers to witness us goofing off. Late comers and fellow introverts. But I don’t care what they think of us. I just want to have a good time with my girl.
She almost didn’t show up this evening, calling me an hour before the concert started and saying how she didn’t want to do it. Those were her words exactly. I managed to convince her to come, knowing how much she loves 80s songs. As wide as her smile is, there is something almost reserved and distant about her eyes. I hope she doesn’t regret coming.
I know that I wouldn’t miss this moment for the world.
I lean forward to press a quick kiss to her lips, but she pulls away. For a second, I’m hurt, but she laughs easily and pulls off the flower headband that she almost lost a bunch of times dancing anyway. With a sly grin, she places it on my head and pulls me into a twirl. When I’m done twirling, I place the crown back on her head.
It’s the culmination of the dream I’ve lived in since she transferred to Lincoln High at the end of the year. Despite going to a huge school, I’ve never been a notable person with a large friend group, but she singled me out right away. And despite it being the middle of summer, we’re still going strong.
During the intermission, we recline on the grass as they shoot balled t-shirts to the early comers and extroverts. I pull out popcorn and grab a handful before passing Clair the bag, then I lean back on my elbows and glance around as I munch.
“Hey look,” I say, nodding to a middle-aged couple throwing popcorn at each other. “It’s us when we’re older.”
Clair glances up from applying some lipstick and follows my gaze. She studies the couple for a long moment, but instead of imitating the woman and throwing popcorn at me, she shudders, looking like she might be sick.
I lean toward her. “Hey, you all right?”
As the words leave my mouth, the lead singer breaks the intermission, and a piano starts the intro to a song.
Clair turns to me, her smile back. She hops to her feet and holds out her hands. “Oh, I just love this song, Davey. Dance with me?”
It shouldn’t even be a question. I spring to my feet and grasp her hands, sending her twirling. Clair then spins me around, and we engage in a dizzying war of whirling until I lose all sense of which way is up, down, left, and right.
Finally, I stumble to a stop and blink against the spinning world. We’ve ended up behind the trees, which is fine with me, as Clair steps toward me and drapes her arms over my shoulders. She leans in and presses a quick kiss on my lips. It’s so fast. One second she’s there; the next she’s pulling away. I’ve been looking forward to a kiss all evening, and I’m disappointed with just a peck. I hope I get a redo later tonight.
I expect her to grab my hand and drag me back up the hill so we don’t miss any of the concert, but no. Instead, she has tears in her eyes.
“What’s the—” A coughing fit takes over my body. “Sorry,” I rasp out. “Allergies.” I roll my eyes. “They’re the worst.”
Instead of laughing, Clair cries harder. I reach toward her, but my legs give out, and I end up on my back staring up at dark clouds.
Clair drops to her knees beside me and wraps her arms around me. Her whole body shakes. My limbs are numb, and I’m powerless to move.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she says over and over. “They made me. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. All my life the Immortal Order has primed me for this one thing—” A sob cuts off her words. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I need you to know that, Davey.”
My lips tingle, and my eyebrows furrow. That must have been some kiss.
Clair bows her head, her shoulders trembling. The last thing I see is her fake flower headband as it falls from her hair toward me.
Can you guess which song from the 1980's inspired this story? Share in the comments!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Why. Why are you so cruel. Why.
Whoa, I was NOT expecting that. I loved it! :D
I could tell something was off, but I didn’t expect this! Poor guy! I wonder why he was the target.
That was great – I had a feeling all along that it wasn’t going to end happily but you timed the twist very well!
I’m going to take a guess at the song being “Poison” by Alice Cooper.
Good guess but try again!
This, like your previous Havok story, has worldbuilding that strains against the bonds of flash fiction. I like how much you leave unsaid. It’s an interesting take on a mystery– a story that ends with a mystery instead of solving one.
Nice set up to the twist at the end.
This is AMAZINGLY written! Great twist on the mystery genre, fren. You are so, so cruel and I’m sad. 😭
Ahhh but why did they make her do it? :) I thought it was Died In Your Arms by Cutting Crew. “It must have been some kind of kiss”!
You’re correct! If you’re a member of the Havok Horde, you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card at the end of the month.