"What a strange thing!633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4WJibAuiZ
to be alive633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrptc7OdHf
beneath cherry blossoms." Kobayashi Issa633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAj1qC1LRB0
633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22wkfzjpFH
Now633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT8OKeNYl9
By the time the light retreated and the darkness took over the shift, I've been pampered and all dressed up for the night; and as Miles and I arrived at the party I actually felt giddy. The party was at full swing when we arrived and I was amazed by the rainbow of fluorescent colors spreading over the darkness of vast space it was being held in. The DJ was blasting music, and it seemed that with every beat of the tune the colors seemed brighter, more vibrant.
I had never known that the darkness could be so alive.
As soon as we arrived, Miles and I found the bar and we were well on our third tequila shot when Miles proclaimed he wanted to make a painting over my back. At first I was excited, but after more than half an hour of standing in unmoving position I had become agitated.
"Just a little more," Miles informed me after the nth time of me asking when will he be done. I wanted to dance, my alcohol induced mind couldn't stand being still in the midst of all dancing people. So when Miles finally announced the end of his masterpiece with an exciting "ta-da" I actually jumped in my place. Rushing towards the nearest mirror, I turned my back and strained my neck in order to see his painting.
I was blown away.
The jumpsuit I was wearing was backless, and my entire back was covered in beautiful fluorescent paint. From the small of my back, light brown color painted long, thin branches all the way to my neck. On the branches, countless pink flowers were dabbed in soft shades of pink; and it was flawless. Perhaps it was a trick of the shadows; the liveliness of the place we were in, but for a glimpse of the moment, the flowers seemed real.
"It's beautiful!"
"It is a cherry blossom," Miles said, standing in behind me, and peared over at me from the glas. His face was painted in every color of the spectrum, making his blue eyes glitter. "In some cultures, it represents new beginnings."
For a second I just stood there, gazing up at my best friend with a smile on my mouth. Never in my life had I imagined that I was worthy of the person in front of me, that I would dare call someone as amazing as Miles a friend. His soul was beautiful; evergreen and sparkling in a glory of goodness. And in that moment, as he smiled wholeheartedly back at me, the only way of showing gratitude that I could think of was giving him a hug.
Not just any hug; but that bone-crushing, soul-warming hug that connected two human beings into something no word could do. And as Miles wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed, I felt nothing short of happiness.
~~~~~¤~~~~~
The night stretched well after the midnight and was speeding towards the end of its shift, yet the party showed no signs of appeasement. Miles and I drank and danced like there was no tomorrow; forgetting about everything. He was right, the party definitely air my mind and dispersed all the gloomy thoughts. The place jumped as the people danced the night away; colors more lambent with their every move. However, after several songs my body gave up and demanded some liquid that held no alcohol in it, so I left half-drunk Miles on the dance floor, and swerved through the crowd towards the bar. I was sure Miles wouldn't even notice my absence, for as soon as I reached the bar and looked back, a girl was already in his arms swaying to the beat. Chuckling to myself, I turned to the bartender.
"Can I get a bottle of water?"
The kind man provided me with the wholly liquid water was, and I hungrily devoured it when a voice from my right made me almost choke.
"It a crime!" It shouted and I quickly detached the bottle from my mouth and observed it carefully, checking of any sings that would support his accusation.
"What?"
My eyes kept glancing from the guy on my right to the bottle; panic already forming in the pit of my stomach waiting to be unleashed.
"It's a crime that a girl so beautiful is alone," the guy said and my face instantly dropped the apprehensive expression and contorted into one that clearly stated "wtf".
"Seriously?" I inquired, swirling the cap on the bottle and giving him a pointed look. He had the biggest smile on his lips as if he had rendered something that made him the king of the world, and the glazed look in his eyes made me realize he probably felt that way too. "That's your ice breaker? Choke the girl to death and if she by any chances survives, sweep her off of her feet with that awesome pick up line?"
"Well," he started, that grin never leaving his lips. His smile itself was funny, his expression hilarious and I couldn't help but chuckle at his delusion. "beside the choking thing - you hit the nail on the head."
The only reply I could give was a slight shake of my head in the midst if the sudden laughter that overwhelmed me. It was probably the doing of the alcohol that was racing through my blood, but I couldn't control myself.
"Seeing as your legs haven't been swept yet, I'm guessing it failed."
"Terribly so," I whezed in between my giggled, that subsided a little, and heaved a sigh as a form of ending it further. "But brownie points for trying."
"Can brownie points be exchanged for a kiss?" The guy asked eagerly, but showed no disappointment when I shook my head. "A phone number? Your name?"
At his last question, his face contorted into nothing short of a that one of a puppy, and I had no other choice but to conform.
"Lexi!"
Both his and my head snapped towards the voice that shouted my name and something twisted in my gut when I realized to whom it belonged. It was probably that panic that was still smoldering from before, only this time it took only few small steps and a wickedly smiled face for it to errupt.
"H-hey Finn," the words stumbled out of my mouth in a stutter and I inwardly kicked myself. The alcohol had stripped me off of the ability to control my body or mouth, and I knew I needed to get as far away from him as possible.
Finn flashed me one of his famous devil-may-care smiles, before his eyes swept towards my companion to whom he gave a firm nod. Mine, however, refused to peal themselves off of him. He was glowing, literally glowing, as if the whole diapasom of colours had been spread all over him. His hair, clothes, skin everything was covered in fluorescent rainbow making him look otherworldly.
My staring couldn't have gone unnoticed, for when I finally came to my senses and snapped out of my reverie, realization flashed in the eyes of the guy whose name I didn't even know.
"Mason," he provided, standing up. "I think I'm going to head out and think of a better pick up line."
He smiled with that easygoing, charming smile of his and before I could comment any further he disappeared in the crowd, leaving me staring after him. Disappointment washed over me upon his departure, but I was ashamed to admit that deep down, it was for my own selfish reasons. I didn't want to be alone with Finn.
When I returned my gaze at the devil in front of me, I found that he was staring back to me with a smug expression on his infuriatingly beautiful face.
"I've been looking all over for you," he shouted, his voice getting lost in the beat of the music. Saying nothing, I whirled around and signaled the bartender for another tequila shot. Somewhere in the corner of my mind sat a fact that I had already lost the count of the shots I had, tough it was dimmed. I was standing in an overcrowded space, tired and painted all over; and Finn was so close and so attractive.
And I needed some help to defend myself from him.
"Nice painting," concluded Finn.
"Thanks," I retorted dryly, drowning the alcohol and turning back to him. Something came over me suddenly, something that my mind connected with the power Miles shared with me through the symbolic meaning of that painting, but I felt the need to inform Finn of it, "It's a cherry blossom. It means new beginning."
"I know," he said in a beat, his smile unwavering. "It also represents new hope."
My provocation ricocheted back to me; the effect I wanted to generate from Finn reflected on my face. Left speechless, I tried to digest the underlining of his statement and a hidden promise it held. However, it seemed more like a threat when he stuck me with his eyes that never looked so alive.
"I've been looking all over for you," he repeated, his voice calmer and his gaze set on my own. In a whiff of a wind his shirt came off and a neon white paint appeared in his head. Stunned, I could only observe in silence as he took my hand up and smeared some paint over my finger. "I'd like a painting too."
I was immobile, staring at his torso as he raised my finger towards the left side of his chest and began to trace letters. The way he glided my finger over his chest held a sensual, somewhat erotic tone and the crumb of control I had over my body was used not to gape as he sculptured torso. With deliberate easiness he wrote the letters, underlining them upon finish, and I could feel the steady beat of his heart underneath my finger. Glowing in the darkness, across off his heart, in a messy handwriting now proudly stood "Lexter".
"There," said Finn in a hushed tone, and only then did I realize exactly how close to each other we were. "Now it's perfect."
He lowered my hand but refused to release it, and gazed calmly at me while I tried to pick myself up. Everything transpired in slow motion, the party disappeared leaving just a faraway sound of music; the world slipped away and Finn and I were alone. My heart raced like an enraged horse, my eyes set on Finn's approaching face. It was only when a voice cut through the sudden silence that I flinched back, my head snapping to find the source of it. A girl stood few metres away, her hands crossed at her chest as she stared at Finn; and in the darkness she seemed familiair. And when her gaze glided from him to me, the change in his intensity finally allowed me to think clear.
"No," I said suddenly, taking a step back. "No! You can't do this again. I'm drunk and you have newly acquired abbs, and this is wrong."
Finn laughed out loud at my mumbling, the sound rolling out of his mouth with ease. Crow feet appeared on the end of his sparkling eyes, those same lines I used to memorize and love and I took a step back. The girl called his name again, this time more impatiently and it was as if her voice sobered me up.
"Go to her," I ushered. "Go to her and leave me be. Can't you see I'm not a part of the race anymore, that I've pulled out already? The prize is no longer what I want."
"Oh, silly girl," he chuckled, his hand slowly brushed the outline of my hair; gliding down to cares my cheek. His touch was familiar; warm and tender, and I almost gave in. "When will you understand that there's no race to participate anymore. Not when the winner have always been you."
Hyperventilating, I kept shaking my head no, refusing to let those words settle. Pushing him out of my way I ran away. He called after me, several times but I dared not look back. And perhaps it was twist of fate to stumble upon Mason while I tried to distance myself from Finn, but it was entirely my decision to throw myself into his arms.
Poisoned by something I couldn't explain, I set off down the road of destruction and was pulling Mason down with me, the guy whose only fault was to stumble upon me in the wrong time.
There was one thing I knew Finn despised above all: games. He loathed lies and tricks with passion and I made my decision to do exactly that thing in hope that he would finally understand that history was meant to stay where it belonged, in the past.
But why was there bone-crushing, heart-squeezing sorrow in my chest that threatened to shatter my system all over again?
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