let's go surfing//the drums
starry eyed//ellie goulding
everything is new//jack penate
***
Saturday;
Woods Party
The water hit the rocks with such force that I could feel the sea foam splashing onto my lips. With my boots in hand, I walked along the beach thinking of what I could sketch next.
There was a figure sitting in the sand, hunched over preoccupied with something. I walked closer to see who it was, being the naturally curious person I am.
"Jackson?" I asked once I was able to recognize him.
He looked up and quickly folded away whatever he was intently focused on. "Oh, hey Maddie."
I sat down next to him, looking out onto the sea. "What were you doing earlier? I can't help but ask."
His hand grazed his neck and moved through his hair, "It was nothing."
"Well, I want to see it," I laughed sticking my hand into his pocket, pulling out a piece of hard white paper.
I unfolded the paper to see an image beautifully sketched onto it. Words weren't able to leave my lips. I just stared and stared at it, dumbfounded really.
"Jackson," I said, "This is brilliant." I looked at him at smiled, "Why haven't you ever said anything about your art?"
"It's just not something I really like to talk about," he said weakly.
"But when you're this bloody good, Jackson, you should be talking about it," I said reassuringly.
"Thanks, Maddie. It means loads, really. Hailey's the only one who knows about it," I smiled.
I laced my fingers with his, "If I was Hailey, I would be showing you and your art off all around town, Jackson."
He smiled at me, without saying a word.
A few cars sped by and one jet black bimmer came to a halt right behind us.
"Mads!" I heard the guy from the bimmer yell.
I turned around to see Adrian leaning out of the car. "What do want, Adrian?" I yelled back to him.
Jackson swallowed hard and pulled his hand away from mine. "I've gotta get going, Maddie. I'll see you tonight, right?"
I bit my lip and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be there."
He stood up and walked in the opposite direction from Adrian.
I walked over to Adrian's car and stood there looking at him. "What do you want?"
He put that coy little smile across his face, thinking it would seduce me or something. "I just wanted to know if you wanted a ride back to Edgington."
I smirked. "It's okay. I'll get there eventually."
He opened the door and looked at me. "No seriously, get in Mads."
I rolled my so high I felt as though they might get stuck like that. "Fine," I said slipping in.
He sped off on his way to David's party. We sat in silence, well I did anyway as Adrian sang away to his rap songs. His hand inched closer to mine the longer we sat, and he then took mine in his. Did he think we were some sort of couple? I slipped my hand out from his to pretend to push my hair from my face. I really did have time for him anymore.
---
"Do you have any skins?" I drunkly asked random strangers.
"I do," a voice said behind me.
I turned around and saw Jackson searching his pockets from some much needed skins. "Here 'ya go," he said passing one to me.
"Oh Jesus, thanks," I said pleasingly, quickly rolling my spliff and lighting it.
As I smoked, Jackson watched me intently. And I stared straight back at him. His face looked worried about something, as if he was worried someone would see him with me. Hailey? Adrian?
I gestured to him if would like a smoke and he accepted, taking the spliff ever so carefully from my fingers, trying to make sure we had no contact. He inhaled deeply, obviously trying to get as much as he could from one intake.
As he passed it back to me, I grazed my fingers along his before inhaling once more. My eyes locked with his, before he looked away.
"I've got t--" he said.
"Come with me," I interrupted, taking his hand.
I walked through the trees, leading him away from the noise of the party that was going on behind us. "Jackson," I breathed against his ear.
He said nothing as my lips ran along his jawline, lingering near his lips. "Maddie," he breathed.
I looked at him, biting my lip. I wanted so badly for him to kiss me, to keep me locked against a tree. As if he could hear my thoughts aloud, his hands slid down to my waist and pressed me up against the closest tree. His lips brushed mine before locking with mine. I've haven't felt a kiss like this in such a long time. This didn't compare to anything I've experienced with Adrian. It was like being in a whole different world.
He broke from our kiss when he heard the screams of girls and the sound of crunching leaves getting closer to us. "Maddie, I've got to go," he said rushed.
My expression turned upset as I spoke. "Alright."
He looked at me with apologetic eyes, reaching down to hold my hand in his. "Sorry, Maddie. I'll see 'ya round, okay?"
"Yeah," I said while watching him walk away.
In the next moment, someone came up rom behind and grabbed my waist. "Holy f.ck!" I screamed so loudly the party might have heard me.
I turned around to Adrian laughing at me. "What the f.ck, Adrian! You can't just scare the sh.t out of someone!" I was yelling and yelling as I watched him laugh at me. "My Jesus, you're being the biggest bloke ever right now."
I began to walk off when he grabbed my hand. "Oh, come on Mads. It's just a part of the game."
My eyebrows furrowed together, "Game?"
"Yeah, manhunt. Remember? Or are you too high off your spliff?," he laughed.
"Oh, yeah... manhunt, sorry," I said dazed.
He wrapped his arm around my waist, leading back to the clearing. I said nothing, simply because I didn't feel like talking. As we walked together, my feeling for Adrian began to slowly shrink once more. I felt no connection between us, well on my end maybe.
"Do you have anymore spliff?"
xx, maddie
***
haha, not a great story. ART if you read it.