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Thursday, September 09, 2004

Thu, 09 Sep 2004 06:28:45 GMT

ECHO: Episode 3 // Chapter II

Gavin found himself lying in bed awake. He didn’t realize how long he was staring at the ceiling until a fly buzzed in his ear. He sat upright and shook his head. ‘What time is it?’ he thought. He looked at the alarm clock on the dresser next to his bed. “10:06.” Gavin had been lying awake motionless in his bed for almost three hours. He had been like this since the last time he saw Lindsey, and it was getting worse with each passing day. It had been weeks since the last time he talked to her, since the day of the encounter with Juno. Gavin got up from bed and looked at himself through a mirror. His arm was no longer bandaged, but it still hurt every time he moved it and it brought back flashbacks from the fight.

Gavin looked back at the clock. “10:31.” He had been dozing off again. Something just didn’t feel right with him. He didn’t feel at ease anymore. Flashes of Juno haunted his thoughts and dreams. Gavin quickly gathered his thoughts and got ready for school. When he was about to step out the door, he threw his backpack down. He wasn’t going to school.

Gavin didn’t feel like being just a part of the crowd at school again, walking around campus unnoticed. He didn’t even want to be at school with the expectation of talking to, or even seeing Lindsey. He needed a break just to gather his thoughts because he was hurt and broken.

For a while, Gavin walked aimlessly around town. He let his feet guide him to places while his mind wandered around elsewhere. He came to his senses after a car honked at him and found himself downtown in the middle of an intersection facing a red light. He scurried over to the sidewalk wide awake now, and saw a crowd huddled around a post. They looked like other high school kids that were cutting. Gavin was curious what they were looking at. He walked up to the crowd and saw that they were looking at a flyer. “Carnival this weekend! Hosted by the local high school’s Activities Team.” Gavin suddenly felt a rush of warmth flow through him. Lindsey runs the Activities Team.

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Wed, 03 Mar 2004 06:31:31 GMT

ECHO: Episode 3 // Chapter I

Gavin opened his eyes. He was lying on his bed - awake from the patches of sunlight that scattered his room. A herd of clouds drifted in front of the sun..only allowing it to shine through at certain moments. He didn't remember coming back home from the park last night. Gavin sat up and scratched his head. It didn't itch...but he scratched anyways. Just a habit...one of those things...like wet socks.

He needed to shower. Gavin preferred showering at night - to wash and be cleansed before sleeping. But today, the thought of a morning shower was pretty appealing. He needed to be refreshed. His arm was still wrapped. It didn't hurt anymore. He would need to change the bandage soon.

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Tue, 24 Feb 2004 04:52:33 GMT

ECHO: Episode 2 // Chapter V

“Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I think I’ll be okay,” Gavin repeated. Lindsey was hysterical now. Gavin wondered if it was because he was hurt or if it was because Juno was the one who hurt him. “I’m just confused about why he came for me- hey, maybe I should be asking you if you’re okay. Are you cold? Do you need a jacket or something?” Lindsey was getting paler by the minute. Gavin knew something was really bothering her, something more important than an unexpected visit.

“Huh? Oh…” Lindsey zoned out for a few seconds. “Hey… uhmm…” She looked at the floor and kicked her foot at some confetti left from the meet.

Gavin tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look up. “Yeah?”

”There’s something I need to tell you… but it’s not really easy to say…” She continued to look down but stopped kicking the confetti.

Gavin stood there scratching his head, “What about?”

“Juno… is my boyfriend. Well … was my boyfriend.”

The news hit Gavin so hard that his heart stopped and his tongue was tied. ‘Since when?!’ he thought. ‘No, this can’t be true!’ Juno's knee in his chest had been, and still was, painful, but this was a completely different feeling. A different pain; it felt heavy.

Lindsey looked up at Gavin to say something, but it was now his head that had lowered. “Ahh, I knew shouldn’t have said anything… Sorry, I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t think it would have affected you… until now… I’m really sorry, but I didn’t think he’d take it this far.”

Gavin regained his breath and the news seemed to have finally sunk in, “Take it this far? What do you mean?”

“Well, we broke up two weeks before the dance… I mean, I broke up with him. We were fighting again, and I couldn’t handle it. He was always telling me what to do, and what not to do. So, I just told him that I was going to meet up with another guy at the dance just to piss him off. He said he'd be watching me, and I told him to go right ahead… because I never thought he really would watch me. Gavin. He was at the dance. And I think he saw you help me out with the dance tickets, so he might think we’re-“

“But,” interrupted Gavin, “I don’t get how he could get so defensive about a little friendly help. I mean, anyone could have done that for you… and I’m sure many people would have.” Gavin was confused, and he started to feel nervous. Being on the bad side of Juno is not a good place to be.

“I know… but he gets really jealous, almost too jealous at times. Especially when he sees me with other guys. He was following me around the whole dance, trying to get me alone. I was scared, so I had to stay with my friends the whole night… I didn’t want to see him or anything, but I could still feel him near me. By the time the last dance came around, all my friends started pairing up with guys, and I was the last one without standing… well, until I found you.”

“Oh, hey, what can I say? I’m always here for you, ha ha.”

“Ha ha, but, I don’t know … I feel really bad.”

“Bad? For dancing with me?”

“No, no, I dragged you into this mess… I know it must feel awkward for you. I mean, we haven’t really talked much since grade school, and all of a sudden, here we are. Ahh, I’m really sorry, I just thought it would be best for you to know… especially after he hurt you…”

“No apologies. You don’t need to be worrying about me… he hurt you, and that’s what I’m concerned about.”

“Ha ha, you don’t need to worry about me,” Lindsey replied, “but you should be worried when Juno comes again. He will come again… looking for me… I know it. And if he sees you with me, something bad will happen- I can feel it.” Lindsey still seemed a little uneasy, but she calmed down a little, which made Gavin feel better. “Oh, there’s something more I have to tell you,” Lindsey said, “While we were dancing, I saw him watching us. He was- hey did you hear something?”

“Huh? No…”

“Are you sure? I swear I heard something…” Lindsey began to look distressed again. She started to glance all around her. “Hey Gavin, I don’t think this is such a good time to talk… maybe some other time…?”

Gavin got the message. He knew this wasn’t exactly the best time. He too, was still feeling a little dazed from his encounter with Juno and the information Lindsey just told him wasn’t helping either. “All right. I guess I’ll talk to you later then.”

Gavin and Lindsey walked out the door leading to a hallway. Lindsey was still glancing around her. When they opened the door to the hallway, the door at the opposite end of the hall closed. Gavin turned back quickly. And then saw her eyes. Lindsey looked even more scared than before. ‘Could it have been Juno?’ Gavin thought. He knew Juno was a possessive guy, but he didn’t think Juno would be eavesdropping. Or was it even Juno?

They continued to walk down the hall. This time in silence. Lindsey seemed to be thinking about something. When they got outside, Lindsey said, “I’m really sorry I got you into this mess. She looked at his messy hair and wrapped arm. "Please....please try to avoid me for the next few days, there could be trouble and I don’t want you to be more involved than you already are, okay?”

Lindsey’s request hit Gavin unexpectedly. “Huh… why? Tell me… what’s wrong?”

“Please Gavin, promise me…” Lindsey’s face was red and her eyes were puffy- she was about to cry. “Okay? I’m really sorry. I got to go… I’ll talk to you later, some other time…” She turned to leave.

While Lindsey took a step away from Gavin exclaimed, “No, wait Lindsey! Tell me what’s wrong! Let me-"

“Sorry, I can’t talk anymore right now… I really have to go… we'll talk later.” She walked away from him.

"... help you," Gavin finished.

He didn’t say anything anymore; he had nothing to say. He was so confused. He stood at the exact same spot spellbound for a while until he heard a sparrow calling from a tall tree. He regained his senses, and turned to go home, the opposite way in which Lindsey walked. Gavin sighed deeply and looked up. The sky was gray, and dark clouds began to roll in. “Great,” Gavin said to himself, “looks like it’s about to rain.” He grabbed his arm where it was covered by a bandage and winced, then began his journey home.

That night, Gavin was unable to sleep. He kept shifting around in bed, covering his face with his pillow at times, sometimes hanging over the side of the bed, but he couldn’t get comfortable. His encounter with Juno and his talk with Lindsey seemed to have shaken him up more than expected. Gavin got out of bed, and decided to take a walk. ‘Walks always help on nights like these,’ he thought. He walked to the swings in the park, his favorite spot. He sat on the swings and looked up and was surprised to see a full moon hidden in clouds. A raindrop fell on his face. One. Soon followed by another. Two. Two more… three, four. Eventually they started coming down so fast, Gavin couldn't count them all. The wind picked up and began to rock him back and forth on the swing. He didn’t feel like going home tonight. He put his hands in his pockets and hunched over to keep warm. His hands felt something inside his pocket and discovered the LINDSEY IS NUMBER ONE banner. Gavin held it up close to his face and read the words over and over, but the wind picked it up out of his hands and it landed in a puddle not far from him.

On the other side of town, Lindsey was unable to sleep as well. She thought her troubles would pull her to slumber quickly. But Lindsey was awake. She looked outside her window to also find the same moon hidden in clouds. She sighed deeply.

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Tue, 10 Feb 2004 05:16:32 GMT

ECHO: Episode 2 // Chapter IV

The person in black took a step toward Gavin. “Stay away from Lindsey. Losers like you should know better.” Afraid, nervous, confused- Gavin was all these things at that moment, but he was also not one to easily reveal his emotions. He simply took a deep breath and looked into this person’s eyes.

His name was Juno. Like most students, Gavin knew of him. He was a popular guy at school – known for his bad attitude. Juno hung around a shady crowd that was involved in some less-than-academic activities. Maybe that was what led him to be expelled from their school, or maybe he was just an asshole. Juno now attended their rival school but he still had strong ties with his old friends. “You understand me, you little shit?” He wasn’t much bigger than Gavin but intimidating nonetheless. Black jacket, black shirt, black pants; he was like a menacing shadow, the kind that threatened you by swallowing all the light on a fair day. Gavin honestly answered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” and continued to pack up his belongings. With that, Juno smirked and pushed Gavin hard against the lockers. “You know what…I hate fuckheads like you.” In the next instant, Juno’s fist was flying at Gavin. Functioning completely on adrenaline, Gavin dodged Juno’s punch and replied, “I could say the same.” But still pinned against the lockers, he couldnt avoid Juno's knee. It slammed him full force in the chest. Gavin collapsed in pain. One hand clutching his chest the other supporting his weight on the ground. He gasped for breath. On one knee, Gavin looked up and tried to recover from the blow. He wouldn't be able to face this guy...not in this shape. Footsteps approached. It was Mr. Marron one of the swimming coaches. Juno quickly kneeled down to Gavin and roughly patted him on the shoulder, "This isn't over." With that, he left the locker room. Gavin slowly got up from the ground, realizing how fortunate he had been. Ever since the dance, Gavin had seen a lot more excitement...including this last incident. "What does Juno want from me? Why's he talking about Lindsey," Gavin thought to himself. So many questions. He needed to talk to Lindsey. Gavin tried to take a deep breath but he felt pain when he inhaled.

The race had ended and Lindsey won. She would have preferred to stay in the water. In the water she could move freely; nothing got in her way. But, she eventually did climb out of the pool. She wanted to greet her friends and all the people that had been cheering for her. Normally, she would have been ecstatic to have won another race, but this time she held back. Lindsey couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed that Gavin didnt show up. "Maybe he didn't see the message on the picture," she thought. "Or maybe he didn't get the picture at all." What was it about that boy that made her feel so good? She had known him since elementary school, but they never talked. Ever since the dance, she felt a stronger connection to him. In actuality she did know why. There was a reason why she had been so thankful to Gavin that night and it wasn't merely for a dance ticket. Lindsey would have to tell him. She dried herself and walked to the locker room.

Moving slowly, Gavin headed towards the pool. He looked down and saw a few red drops fall to the ground. His right arm had a long cut along its length. "Damn." He must have scraped it against a sharp edge along a locker when Juno pushed him. Gavin didn't feel it now...but he knew that would change quickly. Two injuries. It could have been a lot worse. He walked to Mr. Marron's office and got some bandages to wrap his arm. "Cut it on a long branch." Yea..that was the story...lame..but the coach didn't ask any more of it. "Hey Gavin be more careful next time, alright?" Gavin nodded, "Yea...thanks." Just as he was leaving the door..the coach asked, "You still interested in being our photographer for the team? We need to get that arranged soon." It had been several weeks since he was offered the job. And it was the last thing on his mind right now. He just wanted to get to Lindsey. He simply nodded again and left. Speaking was still too much of an effort after his brawl with Juno.

Gavin walked out on to the pool deck. He found himself only to be greeted by a fresh breeze. He breathed it in with some effort. The air was reviving in his beat-up body. A banner on the ground blew past him. It danced across the pool deck and drifted onto the water. He walked to the pool's edge. LINDSEY IS NUMBER ONE it read. He picked it up, and put it in his pocket. He rubbed his wrapped arm and looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. She was veiled from vision like the breeze itself. Gavin began to think that they weren't meant to see each other that day at all; everything had been against them.

After a warm shower, Lindsey walked out of the girl's locker room while Gavin left the pool deck and walked through the door towards the exit. He saw a girl with wet hair and towel wrapped around her waist. They looked at each other, both surprised and pleased by the coincidence.

"Oh my god. Gavin, what happened to your arm!"
"Courtesy of Juno. I'll be alright."
"What...Juno was here?!"

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Wed, 04 Feb 2004 06:13:29 GMT

ECHO: Episode 2 // Chapter III

Gavin ran back to his stuff and got everything together quickly and hurried into the locker room to change. While he was on his way, he could faintly hear the pep band play and the students cheer. “A race must have started,” Gavin muttered to himself, “Great …” He looked at his watch. “3:45, okay, that’s cool, I shouldn’t be too late …”

He felt unusually anxious, and he began to rush. Gavin needed to know why she had looked so down ah hour ago. In his haste he dropped his water bottle and it sprayed all over the floor. He took his clothes out of his gym bag quickly, but he fumbled his pants. He bent over to pick it up and something fell out of the pocket and landed in the puddle of water. It was the picture Lindsey gave him earlier that afternoon. This time he wasn't quick enough to catch it before it fell.

He squatted down and picked it up, and looked at the picture again. The water didn’t seem to have ruined the picture, so he sighed with relief. He looked a little closer, and was shocked to see that the water managed only to warp Lindsey’s face. Now, she looks as if she were crying in the picture. Gavin swore under his breath and wiped the water off the picture on his shirt. He turned the picture around, and noticed a message on the back from Lindsey. It read: “Hey Gavin, thanks for helping me out, hehe. I owe you a picture, so here it is! Sorry I couldn’t give it to you though, I’ve been busy. There’s a swim meet today, hope you’ll be there. xoxo, Lindsey.” He felt happy that she actually remembered him. He looked at the message for a while and smiled. Then he heard over the microphone coming from the direction of the pool, “Varsity girls, your race will begin in five minutes.”

“Shit, I’m late,” Gavin thought. He stood up and was still looking down at the picture in his hands. He finally looked up and was startled to see someone wearing all black standing right in front of him. Gavin jumped back, and his blood suddenly turned cold.

“Hey, you little fuckhead.” An imposing figure greeted him. Gavin swallowed hard.

Meanwhile, Lindsey was standing in the sidelines. She had been looking for Gavin in the stands for a while, but he was nowhere in sight. All she could see was a bleacher full of people and banners reading, “Go Lindsey!” or the like. She gave up looking for Gavin because she figured he wouldn’t come. “Oh well,” she thought. She dove deep into the pool, away from the noise, the people, and the rest of the world. She glided across the bottom of the pool and touched her hands against it. She was in a whole new world, a world apart from the rest of the people, the only place she wants to be …

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 17:42:46 GMT

ECHO: Episode 2 // Chapter II

he was restless in his classes. it wasnt anything in particular. even if he hadnt danced with the girl of his dreams last week, he would still be just as restless. he wasnt a bad student or anything, in fact, he studied quite a bit and received pretty decent grades. but grades werent everything. unlike some people he knew, Gavin didnt get sucked into the fight for grades and test scores. some said Lindsey was like that. they said she did everything she did to impress others. but he saw past those rumors. at least he wanted to. there was always some joy and satisfaction in all that she did.

he sat at his desk...trying to make out the words in his books. the pages were still wrinkled and warped from being soaked by the rain. he smiled to himself. this wasnt too different from how he was feeling. he too had been warped by what had happened last week. and like his attempt to read the words...it was too unclear for Gavin to make any sense of it. but truthfully speaking, he didnt want to think about Lindsey. to him it seemed like a defeat. he was just another guy that had fallen for her. he was defeated by her beauty. her charm. her mystery. he needed to return from fantasy and set foot on reality once again. but deep inside he knew that was a journey he wasnt ready to make just yet.

classes ended and he was ready to go home. surprisingly no one had asked him about the dance. but that was probably because no one expected it was he who had danced with Lindsey. on the way to his locker he passed her. with a smile and wave he greeted her. but there was no such acknowledgment on her part. she just glided past him with worried eyes. it was the first time he had seen such a cheerless look on her face and it made him despair. what happened? did he do something wrong? is she okay? he was so confused. but she was gone before he could even address his concern. he just stood in that spot. in that moment. slowly after, Gavin made his way to his locker. he opened it and a something fell out. he caught it before it hit the ground. it was Lindsey's dance picture. she must have taken many pictures that night...but he knew this one was for him. in the picture she was looking at him and no one else. yet Gavin was still so confused. just moments ago she had passed him with the most distressed countenance. had that been the same girl that was in the photograph? Did the girl he liked so much only exist in this picture? was the happiness that he shared with her only caught on camera?

troubled by these questions. Gavin gathered his belongings and headed to the track to run a few laps. running always helped him think about things and relax. he was surprised to see no one on the track when he got there. after running a few miles he remembered why. there was a swim meet that day.

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:55:55 GMT

ECHO: Episode 2 // Chapter I

he started to swing back on forth. the feeling on his face was incredible. he felt so lightless and free. he felt like he could reach the stars and the clouds were clear that night. the wind blew softly and then he could see her.

"gavin! hey, what are you doing here?"

"lindsey?" he stopped swinging, but remained sitting. he couldn't move.

"hey, i was looking for you after the dance. where'd you go?" she moved over to the swing next to him and sat down.

"oh, you know .. stuff happened, and now i'm here." he couldn't find the right words to speak. "so," he continued looking up at the night's sky, "what brings you here?"

she looked at him, and looked up. "i usually come here to look at the stars. this is the best spot around. it just makes me think .."

".. about what?"

"i don't know .. i just feel like there's something more to life. it's just such a big space. it's hard to put into words .. just something more to what we have in this world, you know?"

"yeah .."

they didn't speak a word for awhile, but he felt so good.

"hey gavin," lindsey said. "i never got to officially thank you for tonight."

"oh, hey, it was no problem."

"well, i still want to say thanks .. i didn't know what i'd do .."

"hey, whatever i can do for you-"

he looked at her, and his heart stopped. her face was right next to his. she had her eyes closed. everything seemed to move in slow motion. was this real? she moved closer. she moved next to his cheek. he closed his eyes. then he felt like he was picked up by his feet and turned upside down.

he opened his eyes, and found himself on the ground. he looked around for lindsey, but she was nowhere to be seen. "shit," he thought. he was dreaming. he sat back up onto the swings and rocked back and forth with his head down. was the whole night a dream? no .. he could still smell her perfume on his clothes. but what just happened? it felt so real .. but yet it wasn't. he could swear she was right there with him. the wind blew, but it felt unusually warm and comforting. he looked up again, and started to swing back and forth ..

the weekend flew by. gavin couldn't think of anything except for the dance, lindsey, and the dream at the park. it was just so strange. he had dreamed of her before, but nothing ever like this .. he just couldn't get the dream out of his head.

monday swung by, and gavin was excited to go to school. he arrived to school early for the first time that year. he was interested in seeing the people walk around and talk amongst each other. he usually never took the time to look around. he took a deep breath. another day. a new start.

Sunday, January 18, 2004

Sun, 18 Jan 2004 08:42:11 GMT

ECHO: Episode 1 // Chapter I

his socks were wet. he hated when his socks got wet. the rain was endless...there hadnt been a storm this bad in years. but it didnt matter to him. just a little water right? but wet socks always bothered him. just one of those things.

the school was empty. he had been in the library for hours. trying to study...but not much success. it was a long way home and he had to walk. he always walked home. the fact that it was raining made no difference. he took his hat off and squeezed the water out of it and put it back on. maybe an umbrella next time. the signal turned green and he crossed the intersection. it was a long way home.

ECHO: Episode 1 // Chapter II

on the way home, he tried to contemplate the day that was past him. but all he could feel was the squishing of his wet socks. with each step he took, it bothered him more and more. so he stopped and took off his shoes and socks and walked home the rest of the way home barefoot. after he started to walk barefoot, he noticed that the rest of his clothes seemed a little too wet from the rain. now the weight of his clothes bothered him.

he made it home. finally. he went upstairs to his room and turned on his comp. while it was warming up, he changed into a fresh set of clothes, but it was identical with what he was wearing before. all his clothes were identical. he sat down in front of his computer and went online. his friend messaged him and asked, "hey are you going to the dance tonight? i think she's going to be there."

ECHO: Episode 1 // Chapter III

thats right. there was a dance tonight. itd be a lie if he said hadnt been thinking about it. while dancing wasnt something he particularly loved...he did enjoy the social side of it. he was a drifter. not a complete loner in school...but no definite group of friends either. people noticed him as the guy that hung out with everybody and nobody at the same time. the kid that wore the same clothes everyday. yea he was weird. but he was proud of that fact. i think shes going to be there. that alone made it worth going. but who was he kidding. he knew hed end up sitting on the side or just walking around the moving bodies at most. dancing? unlikely.

"well maybe i'll see ya tonight. bye" his friend signed off. leaning back in his chair, he looked around his room. the rain-soaked books he was studying from caught his eye. he decided then: he would go to the dance. after quickly showering and dressing he looked out the window. the roads were wet but no sign of rain. the sky was clearing up. good to go. he turned off the lights and opened the door. the fresh air made him feel renewed. the thought of seeing her tonight felt even better. he started walking. with the rain clouds gone...the stars didnt have to fight for their place in the nights sky. he even saw their reflections in the puddles on the road. suddenly the journey back to the school seemed a lot shorter than his wet walk home.

ECHO: Episode 1 // Chapter IV

On his way to school, he made a deal with himself: to dance with her at least once. actually, that was aiming at a goal too high .. maybe .. he reconsidered and made his goal to talk to her at least once during the dance. he was too busy thinking about her, and he didn’t notice he walked right into a puddle. "great," he thought. "wet socks again." but this time it didn't bother him. he stopped and shook his foot and began on his way again. she was all that was on his mind.

she was probably the most popular girl in school. some say it’s her grip of cash, others say it’s her involvement in school. most agreed that she was also the hottest girl at school. it probably had to do with her being the varsity team captain of the swim team. all the girls wanted to be her, and all the guys wanted to date her. people deemed her perfect, and they believe she has everything.

anything and about everything in her life was constantly monitored by the rest of the school, and many rumors arose about her. guys would worship the ground she walked on. the desperate would flock around her, and form something like a human snake, with her being the head of it all. the less desperate would just stand and stare at her. however, she didn’t seem to care about any of them. she didn’t even seem to notice them. she always had some place to go, some deadline to meet; she was always on the move, and she never took a breath.

her constant occupancy with affairs and preoccupancy with affairs yet to come bothered him. he never saw her ever with a solid group of friends, much like himself, yet she was always with the same group of girlfriends whenever she found the time, which was seldom.

there was something about her that fascinated him. there seemed like there was something more to her than people would talk to about. there was a certain side of her he believed she never revealed. that mystery attracted her to him, and he wanted to discover it for himself.

he was now a block away from school, and he stopped. he saw a huge crowd in the front entrance anxious to get in. he looked up at the stars. they were still shining brightly, so he felt good. he looked on the ground, not too wet. he could hear the music start playing, and the kids screaming, so he took a deep breath, and walked on in …

ECHO: Episode 1 // Chapter V

the dance was outdoors. despite the bite of the air...he thought it was better that way. the rain had washed away the dreary gloom that had smothered his day. he walked towards the dancing crowd and surrounding onlookers. some friends greeted him with smiles of surprise. they hadnt expected him to show up. in fact..he was just as surprised. loud music, flashing lights, and an ocean of bodies melted together in the crowd. 'i bet its not so cold in there' he thought to himself.

dances had always been a spectacle to him. some would show off their skills and attract rings of people to cheer them on. others escaped deep into the heart of the crowd for some closer contact. everyone had their place. so many faces. he recognized a few...but none of them were the one he was searching for. heh. he realized right then that there were probably plenty others looking for her too. but she was good at disappearing. always some place to go. always on the move. he wondered...what were the things she stopped for? when did she ever pause and truly enjoy the moment? he wanted to discover it for himself.

he felt a hand on his shoulder. "im getting people together for a group picture..are you in?" his friend asked. "its alright maybe next time" he replied. he wasnt used to having his picture taken. but he went anyway. before entering the room where pictures were being taken, he took one glance back towards the crowd. still no sign of her. he watched as his friends took the picture and chatted with them afterwards. they decided to get back to the dance and enjoy the rest of the night. he opened the door for them. but before he himself left, a group of girls approached so he held the door open. it was a large group but he had no trouble seeing her. she was in the center of the other girls. a smile like no other.

after they were all in, he let the door go and leaned against the wall. 'maybe ill stay inside a little longer.' he thought to himself. she didnt wear much makeup. she didnt have to. soon he noticed some commotion among the girls. it turned out that she misplaced the ticket that was not only needed to get into the dance but for pictures as well. without it, she wouldnt be able to join her friends in the picture. could this really be happening? in his hand was the ticket that he still had since he hadnt joined his own friends for their picture. yes it was his chance. his goal: to talk to her at least once during the dance. this was his ticket to her. he gathered his couarage and approached.

"here Lindsey..take mine." he handed it to her.
she looked at him with a sincere and thankful expression. "are you sure?"
"yea. really..its ok. i wont be using it"
"thanks so much Gavin. im so clumsy."

before any of them could say more...she was dragged away by her friends to take the picture. but her eyes werent looking at the camera. they stayed on him as he smiled and quickly walked out of the room. his heart was pounding faster than the beat of the dj's songs. it wasnt much of a conversation. but he talked to her nonetheless. and it felt great.

some time passed and he calmed down. he tried to look casual..leaning against a table with his hands in his pockets. the music died down and a slow instrumental came on. the dj announced the last song. still feeling quite proud..he decided to leave. there wasnt much left for him here. but a few steps before the exit..he stopped. there was a hand on his. "where do you think youre going?" he turned around and stood breathless. it was her. "cmon i owe you" she laughed and pulled him by the hand back towards the dance. they joined the pairs of the swaying bodies and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. they didnt speak. but in his mind it was almost too much. he couldnt believe it. she was sharing this moment with him. and there could have been no better moment than this. they slowly danced under nothing but a speckled sapphire canvas painted with moonlight. never had the night looked so vibrant and hopeful. the music faded away and he found her head resting upon his shoulder. she gave him a quick hug and whispered, "thanks Gavin... goodnight." all he could do was grin and wave as she walked away. she had disappeared again.

while walking home, he stopped at the park to sit on the swings and relive the few hours that had passed. he still had the stupid grin on his face. it was late but he wasnt tired...anyways..he couldnt think of a reason to sleep...since no dream could have been more perfect than this night.