Tension invades the interior of the car as we drive to our destination.

I'm not even worried where we are going, the tension is all I can feel.

I sneak a glance at Andrew as we drive, he seems fine, which is good, but how come I feel like I'm going to explode.
It can't only be me... I mean, we almost kissed... Or something, we definitely hugged, that couldn't have only been on me.

I sneak another glance at him.

I look away quickly.

I decided to ignore the feeling, looking forward instead.

Watching the dashboard, and taking the view of the road, I noticed we're on the highway.

How did we get on the highway?!?

I turn my head fully towards Andrew now, no longer hesitating as I speak without a second thought.

"Where are we going?" I ask, my voice high.

He doesn't answer.

I decide his silence is that he doesn't want to tell me the surprise.

I look back at the road, to the left are just other lanes and then the right are trees and grass. It's like a little wood that takes place beside the rush of the highway, but it's really big, I can't even see where it ends.

The trees get closer and closer, looking bigger as we drive, and I feel like an ant compared to them.

Focusing on the trees, amazed by them yet feeling crushed by the overwhelming size of them, hovering over the car lanes, looking up at them, the closed window makes a division between us and I feel somewhat safer.

The engine stops and I realize we are no longer on the road, the car has stopped and Andrew opens his car door, the sound zapping me out of my recent faze and as I look at Andrew's closed door everything settles in.

I'm puzzled, confused... Any word that means...huh.... Is how I feel right now.

I watch as Andrew walks across to the other side and then opens my car door.

I make a face, in shock, confusion... Anything to make him see I need explaining.

"What? I'm just opening the door for you,"

"Uh hu," I reply and cautiously stand up.

"I can close the door," I tell him, protectively, eyeing him before he could decide to.

"Okay, here we are," he announces to the trees as I shut the car door, the slam sound following, I look over to what he's so proud to show me.

Looking up, I observe the trees protecting this little gravel side area that sits by the road, circling around us with brown bark.

"Well, this would be a sad place to die,"

"What are you talking about, it's a very nice place,"

"Well maybe, but not to die in," I counter.

I look behind me, watching the rest of the cars drive past on the highway.

"Are we going into those woods?"

He nods.

"What, why?"

"Oh, come on,"

"Noo!" I pout, sticking my feet harder into the ground to prove my point.

"Come on," he encourages, grabbing my hand. I stay put but he manages to pull me, dragging me into the forest, while my complaints follow.

The road quickly disappears from behind me and all I see are the green trees and branches of the wood.

I let Andrew drag me as I marvel at my surroundings, my recent anger demolishing quickly as I take notice of this wood. Who knew that the forest always near the highway is actually peaceful?

I mean ... I can't even hear the cars anymore.

I look down, where the rock path is, my feet making marks and footsteps.

I realize the fact that Andrew is still dragging me and it must be tiring him. Looking down at the gravel path underneath my feet, noticing they are making way more of a mark than Andrew's feet, I let go of Andrew's hand. No longer acting the fool I am and letting him drag me, I stable myself as I stand up properly.

I begin walking close behind him now until he stops.

"Here we are," he announces.

I still can't see what he's excited about or looking at so I move away from behind him, adjusting my position as I stand beside him to see what's so special.

"Wow," I awe immediately once I take in my surroundings. Looking ahead is a small pond or maybe it's a lake, it glistens with the sparkling from the sun, the tide moving at a steady pace, all this beauty in just a small lake is overwhelming, feeling peaceful yet ungrateful for not having noticed the nature around me more... What have I been doing this whole time?

I gasp as my hand automatically gets a hold of Andrew's.

I don't let go, though, instead I keep them coiled together not acting like it's just an accidental touch.

I need to stop taking my life for granted and do what I truly want to do.

I don't know, but this water has said something to me. It's peaceful music as it runs by the sand, the way it coordinates with the sound and air of the trees, it's truly magical.

I turn my head towards Andrew, as if he can feel my eyes on him, he turns his head too.

My heart beats fast as I suddenly feel something will happen, something igniting in me, the urge to kiss him, looking at his lips continuously, then up at his eyes.

He looks at me too, he seems calm yet has that excited feeling in him, or maybe I'm imagining it, but I can feel it.

I stop overthinking whether I'm crazy or stupid and just close the space between us with two steps. Now standing right in front of each other, nothing can stop me as I slowly look back up his eyes, everything in slow motion, it doesn't make sense to me.

My breath hitches in the bottom of my stomach, I only hear my heart beating and watch as his chest rises. I breathe and look him in his eyes as everything disappears, the doubts, responsibilities, it doesn't matter, it's only us.

Feeling the surrounding of this forest indulging us with solitude, only us, truly only us, the words of only chanting in my head as I feel the sparkles of the lake glistening around us, the leaves falling slightly too, I look up at his beautiful eyes, wonder and question in our gazes.

I close the space completely, no more hesitation... And I kiss him.

Everything comes back alive, no longer slow-moe, the sound of my heart beating is gone, the excitement traveling in me instead and I only feel his lips.

What's going on?

I feel calm as he kisses me back.

Fire boiling in my belly but not truly exploding.

I'm so confused, what's going on, but I'm liking it. I don't think, and my body immediately shifts to come closer to him. On my tippy toes, I wrap my arms around his neck. It's like how every first kiss is in the movies, but it's happening to me.

He holds me with his strong arms, not completely cupping me that I can't breathe, but enough to know that he's holding onto me, soft and tender.

Everything has disappeared and just when I thought it couldn't get better; I feel like I've had enough and I part my lips to leave but instead, his tongue slides its way towards mine.

Leaving our small gap to nothing and all the space between us vanishes and it's finally, truly, now, only our lips.

I lose breath, grabbing him tighter and my toes tip higher.

My recent form of escape was an invitation for him to explore me more and I don't mind at all.... It's odd for me to not mind.

I'm kissing Andrew and I don't mind....

I'm kissing Andrew and I don't mind...

My heart beats louder and faster and I finally can't take it anymore, I'm kissing Andrew.

I let go of him.

My eyes open and I wait to see his reaction, feeling the rise and fall of my chest.

It's as if everything is in slow-motion once more. The dust of the air slowly puffing through the air as I look at him. His eyes closed, his eyelashes seem longer, and I can hear his breathing echoing through me and I don't know if it's my breath or his anymore. His head still tilted in the position we were just in together, he opened his eyes and looked at me.

I'm afraid of his reaction when he looks at me, but there's no sign of anger or regret in them.

He gazes into my eyes, and I feel like he sees right through me. I'm nervous yet calm, I can hear my heart beating, but I also don't hear it.

I stand there, trying to look away but his eyes are too hypnotizing and I'm too curious to find out what he'll do next.

Just when I thought maybe I'm just crazy and he wasn't just kissing me, the corner of his eyes tilted up and he smiled. His smile grows and he begins to laugh under his breath, looking down as if he's embarrassed, the tension leaving.

I can't help but laugh too.