Guess what I saw today.

That carving you did in the desk.

Did you mean to write it like that? Like Sierra Irwin? Or were you just carving mindlessly? Either way, I like it. I took a picture of it 'cause it's fading fast, and I don't want it to go away all together. That was before you asked me out, so was it some kind of secret message? And I didn't pick up on it! Now who is the turd monkey? Haha

But my memory is still holding tight because the other day while I was sitting at the desk I could actually see you there, fidgeting in your seat just like that day. I closed my eyes to make it stop and ended up falling asleep. It was quite embarrassing, 'cause the librarian came and shook me awake to tell me the school was closing. Mom and Dad weren't convinced when I told them I was fine. As soon as I walked through the front door, they tackled me with questions. I escaped up to my room which is where I am now, scribbling under my little lamp while cuddling up in bed.

What was Miss. Jackson's very first name? I know you changed it with each new name in a song. Like when you found out that my favorite McFly song was That Girl you named her that for weeks! It was so adorably stupid.

            But now that I relived the moment which was probably the most nervous I have ever seen you, I guess I should write it down.

            "Sierra, do we have to do geometry today?" you whined as we pushed the library doors open.

            "Yes. I am not letting you fail."

            "I won't fail."

            I just glanced at you, and you lowered your head in resignation. You were barely passing as it was.

            Setting the books on the table, you leaned forward, pouting as you rested your head on the table, reaching out toward me. I poked your hand, and you smiled, grabbing my hand and entwining our fingers. You rolled your lip under your teeth in concentration, your tongue peeking out for a seconds like it does.

            "Are you hungry? Because I have some crackers. You don't have to eat your lip."

            You giggled, sitting up scooting your chair closer. "No, uh, the other day, when you called me your boyfriend..."

            "Oh! Is that still bugging you? It's been almost a year." I blushed lightly, hoping you couldn't tell. "I just said that so he would get off me."

            "Yeah, but, I-I uh." You ran your hand through your hair, making the straitened pieces fall from their perfectly placed position. Sitting on your hands, you rocked back and forth slightly before taking your hands back up and drumming your fingers on the table. "What if- what if I liked it?" you blurted out as one word. As you threw your head in your hands, I could see the blushed skin through your fingers. "Ignore me. I'm an idiot. I don't know what I'm saying."

            "What?" I asked. I'm not sure why, because I had understood you completely.

            "Forget it." You shook your head frantically. The chair falling out from behind you, you stood quickly and began pacing. Without a word, you started for the exit.

            "Wait! Ashton!" I darted after you, grabbing your wrist to make you stop. "Look at me."

            "No." You shook your head again, turned away from me.  

            "Fine then. I'll just talk to the back of your head. What if, hypothetically, I liked saying it?"

            My lips pulled into a tight smile which soon faded when you didn't respond. I was seriously ready to die because I thought I may have misunderstood you the first time. Maybe you said you licked it? Though I don't want to know what you licked.

            "Hypothetically?"

            "You know I don't lie, Ash."

            You spun around. "But he was all up in your face. You could have lied because-"

            "I don't lie," I said, looking up into your eyes. They held me as they changed from a chocolate to almost golden color.

            You stuffed your hands into your pockets and kicked at a piece of fuzz stuck on the carpet. "I, uh, don't want to ruin our friendship, though." You looked back up at me from under your brows, and I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around your waist. After a moment, you rested your head on my shoulder, your arms still hanging at your sides.

            "We'll still be friends. Just..."

            "Just I can kiss you when I want?" You giggled and pulled back, finally wrapping your arms around me.

            "Um, let's wait 'til we aren't in the school library." Later you told me my face reminded you of Christmas as it changed from green to white to red. I can actually explain that, because at the thought of kissing you I immediately grew noxious, then I freaked out realizing we were technically dating now and that's what people do, then I grew hot realizing that the idea actually didn't sound too bad. I was always a fan of Cheetos...

            I really had never thought of it before. I just knew I couldn't imagine life without you. But, hey, life never turns out how one imagines it, does it? I should know.

            As we walked out of school you were singing to yourself. It took me a few seconds to catch on, but when I did I cracked up causing a smile to lighten your face with those perfectly deep dimples carving into your cheeks. Do you remember what you were singing? "Ashton and Sierra sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G" haha what a dork. I actually told you that then.

            "You're such a dork."

            "Yeah, well I'm your dork now." My heart fluttered. I never realized how much I wanted to hear those words. We were always possessive with each other - I called you mine even during our vow of silence -, but this was different.

            "Oh, dear, what have I gotten myself into?"

            "I don't know, but you're stuck for as long as I can help it." You winked at me, and I laughed.

            "Oh, really?"

            "You're stuck with me forever. Should have read the fine print."

            I stopped in my tracks. "Forever is a long time... Promise?"

            "Forever isn't long enough. Pinkie swear." You held out your hand, smallest finger stuck out, and I laughed at your childish actions.

            "Pinking swear."

           You hooked out fingers and brought mine up to your mouth, kissing it softly

            As soon as we were outside you dragged me to the tree that sat at the side of the building. It was probably the oldest thing on the planet 'til they cut it down. We locked ourselves to the tree when we found out their plans, then you got hungry and we went to get pizza, and by the time we came back it was gone. Haha we just laughed at out stupid failure. But back to where I was.

            You stopped at the foot of the tree and dropped my hand, gesturing for me to climb. Luckily, there were low enough branches, and I heaved myself into the tree climbing higher and higher with your goading. Frustrated, I stopped about half way up and declared I would climb no higher no matter how much you pouted. Crawling to the end of a steady branch, we sat. You pointed out the colors of the sunset, but I wasn't looking. Your profile really is the closest thing to perfection that exists. You never had braces, and only I knew that your slightly crooked teeth bothered you, but perfection is overrated. Even though I knew it was the farthest thing from the truth, you really just radiated innocence, like you had never heard a swear word in your life, and you didn't know there were bad people who only want to harm.

            You turned back to me, and thankfully you didn't ask anything about what you said, because I was totally not listening.

            "Irwin, why are we in a tree?"

            "Sitting in a tree," you giggled, watching as your feet swung below us, kicking into mine.

            When you looked back up your eyes caught mine, the sunset reflecting in them. They searched for an answer, and I found myself leaning closer. It was odd. It felt so wrong but so right as your breath fanned over my lips. We stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the comfort it offered as we waited, close but not touching. Without warning, your hand shot to the nape of my neck, and you pressed your lips firmly against mine. I can't say there were fireworks. No spark either, which I'm thankful for because, if the tree caught on fire, we would have been doomed. Instead, an immense wave of comfort fell over me like a blanket. It was like late nights cuddling under blankets near the fire, sipping on hot coco, or rainy days curled up with a good book, like sitting next to a rippling creek and just forgetting life. I said perfection is overrated, but if this is perfection, it is way underrated.

            I'm smiling like an idiot, just to let you know. You would be laughing at me. Gosh. I'm hitting my head to my desk now trying to knock some sense into myself. My heart should not still fly to Timbuktu at the memory.

            I just want to feel your arms around me again. No blanket made by man can provide that kind of warmth. Maybe one made by a Billy goat... I should check into that...

Forever is too far away,

I have fallen even more in love with you while writing this, turd monkey

~Sierra.

            I splashed water onto my face, and it stung against the heat in my cheeks. I dried my face with a towel, but a few drops still clung next to my eyes. I was smiling, though, for the first time in over a week. Plugging my ipod in, I set it to play a playlist I recently created.

            "Hey, Sierra..."

            "Hey, Ash," I responded over the rest of the words. "I always saved all of your messages, even the ones where all you did was call me names. People call it weird, but I call it sentimental. I never told you because I was afraid you'd find it creepy, but you really would find it adorable wouldn't you? I guess I was just embarrassed. I also didn't want you to start using that to your advantage, leaving me ridiculous messages. Not that you didn't already," I laughed at the strange inhuman sound now coming from my player.

                "Good night, Sierra."

                "Night, Ash," I said, clicking off the appliance and flipping over, pulling the blanket over my shoulder, shivering.

A/N

Hey, guys! Thanks for all the support! Almost to 100 reads already!? Please spread the word and vote and comment and stuff cause I adore feedback and it helps others find this story. :)

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Thanks sooooo much!

Gem x