• I took a drink of soda and ate a deliciously good tasting candy. Ryder laughed at me not really paying attention to the movie. We sat side by side on the big bed.

    “Now since you can eat, you’re going to eat all the time aren’t you?” I nodded.

    “I love eating.” He leaned forward and looked like he was about to kiss my forehead but stopped. He frowned just slightly and pulled back. I ignored it, feeling sleepy. I yawned and stood up. I put my candy wrappers in a pile and smiled at Ryder.

    “Walk me back?” I asked sweetly. He pressed his lips together and nodded. We walked back not touching. I wish he would put his arm around me. Thunder rumble and I looked up at the ceiling. It was starting again? The lights flickered above. Ryder didn’t seem like he saw. I frowned. We got to my couch and I turned toward Ryder. Without really thinking I hugged him. He was a little surprised but put his arms around me. I smelled his neck and squeezed him tighter.

    “Thanks Ryder,” I whispered.

    He nodded. I pulled back and Ryder kissed me lightly on the lips. He lingered there a moment then put his hand on my hip and brought me forward. Our middles hit and I let out a gasp. He kissed me harder. I put my hands on his chest, feeling the thin fabric and what was under it. I pulled back a little for some air and he opened his eyes and looked into mine.

    “I-I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered. I smiled.

    “It’s fine.” I yawned. He let go of me and I frowned slightly. He smiled gently at me.

    “Um, goodnight, I guess.”

    I nodded. He left but kept looking back. I got changed quickly into sweat pants and a tank and hopped onto my couch. It was pretty comfortable. I stared up at the ceiling and watched as Ryder turned the lights off. They slowly flickered off. Thunder rumbled louder. I groaned. I hated this. I pulled the blanket up close to me and curled into a ball. It rumbled again, getting louder. I heard a noise and started to get a cold sweat.

    Thoughts and images of monsters that hid under my bed or in my closets formed in my head. My breath was short as I covered my head up. Monsters with demon yellow eyes kept flashing across my closed eyes. No! Why can’t I be back in my own bed? There was a noise that made me jump and I squeezed my eyes tighter wishing Ryder would turn the lights back on.

    I didn’t know how many hours later it was, if it was even more then a few minutes. It felt like forever. I kept hearing things. Strange and weird sounding things. Like howling, or screaming of something. I was still shaking and scared. I heard a crash of something not to far away and jumped. Oh no, it was getting closer! I peeked out from under my blanket and regretted it. It was just dark, with a eerie looking red cast from the exit sign. The glow covered a few feet in front of me but nothing beyond that.

    There was another noise and I slid back. My back hit the end of the couch and I pulled my legs to my chest. My heart thudded, my pulse racing as I saw a dark shadow looming toward me! I swear I heard it whisper my name! I had chicken skin all over my arms and legs. Then a light shinned on and blinded me. “Trinity!” Ryder said from behind the bright light. I looked away from the light with a relieved smile.

    “Ryder!” I said. He ran over to me and sat down.

    “Are you okay?” he asked with a frown. I guess I looked that horrible.

    “Y-yeah, I’m fine. I-It’s just you scared me and I thought I heard someone.”

    Ryder put his hand up and was about to touch my face when he thought better and just took my hand.

    “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you. I was coming to see if you were alright. I kept hearing something too,” he frowned thinking about it. “I think the storm is getting closer and worse.” He looked up and around. The ceiling was still there but you could hear just a slight howl. Wind? We don’t get wind! Only up in the clouds. That’s how they slowly moved but we never get wind on land. Ryder looked just as worried as me.

    “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” I reassured him. He didn’t look like it. He looked down at his hands. Thinking?

    “Just come back with me,” He said quietly, then he looked. His purple gray eyes held longing and hope. I smiled and nodded.

    “Okay,” He stood up and brought me with him. We walked back to the big comfy bed.

    “I’m just going to put on some music,” he said. “Go get into bed.” I nodded and got under the covers. I slid down and felt like I was lying on a cloud. I never knew why people used that expression. Clouds were made of water vapor, or mist. You would fall right through if you tried to lay on it. Then you’d fall to Earth. And die. Not a very good saying.

    Ryder turned on sweet, smooth sounding music. It sounded like the old famous Thomas Newman albums. Ryder came over to the bed and got in the other side. He propped his pillow up and sat on top of the covers. I smiled. He was a gentleman. I turned on my side to look up at him.

    “Aren’t you going to sleep?” I asked.

    He shrugged. “I will.”

    The soft music was making me sleepy and drowning out the rest of the noise. There were a lot of things going on in my head. I wanted to know why Ryder pulled away, or thought better of touching me a certain way. Was it just me? Or did it really have to do with something with him? Without really thinking I started to open my mouth.

    “Why do you always pull away when you want to touch me?” Ryder made a weird noise in his throat. Like a choke or a gasp of some sorts.

    I opened my eyes, wanting to know.

    “Um…I don’t,” He said lamely. I sat up a little and raised an eyebrow. He avoided my eyes.

    “Ryder?” I said. He looked at me there was sadness in them. I took his hand and put it on my cheek. He looked at his hand there and his eyes….tear? I pulled it from my cheek to my lips and kissed his palm. Miserable and agony showed on his face. I was so stunned by it. He closed his eyes and looked away.

    “Not now Trinity,” he whispered. I didn’t object. What was that? What happened to him? Still thinking, I didn’t realize what he was doing until I felt him beside me. He had pulled me to, him putting his arms around me and leaning his head on the top of mine. I instantly wrapped my arms around his middle. His breath tickled my hair on my head. His breathing was calm and his grip firm. For 5 minutes we sat like that. Not saying anything. I was soon falling asleep when he started to talk.

    “My girlfriend left me last year.” Was all he said.

    I turned my head up a little to look at him. “How long were you together?” I asked.

    “We had grown up together as neighbors. Our parents were good friends. They would invite our family, when it was just Meeka and me. We would hang out with her. We started to like each other in middle school and by high school we were a couple. But we had always been close.” I felt just a hint of jealously toward the girl. Why would she leave him?

    “And you loved her,” it wasn’t a question. It was a fact.

    “Yes,” he whispered.

    “And she broke up with you?” He was quiet, then nodded.

    “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely.

    “It’s been hard to get over her,” he said quietly. I nodded.

    “I can’t fully understand but I do a little,” I said trying to make him feel like I was on his side. He looked down at me for the first time since he told me. His purple eyes held emotions of all kinds. He wasn’t one to hide them. I liked him all the more because of that. I could and would always hide my emotions. Why show them when people looked down at you or pitied you? No one pities an Adams, my dad would say, we pity other people. He leaned close to me.

    “That means a lot…to me.” I put my hand on his cheek and lightly kissed him. He gave in and leaned into me, pulling me tighter. I felt warm and happy, for the first time in a long time.