by Xavier Neal
I watch as he walks out of my balcony door and straight into the air, headed only God knows where. Staring at the balcony for a minute, I feel a tugging inside of my heart like Peter meant to stir up those feelings, like he had already talked to Justin and was just making sure we didn’t get close again. Feeling slightly nauseous and overwhelmed, I decide a trip to my sanctuary would probably do me some good.
After I change into a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top with a thin, light pink, long sleeve shirt on top, I walk over to For the Love of Art, finding the sound of traffic and honking horns relieving.
Bertha smiles sweetly at me as I walk through the door. “There’s my favorite girl. I was beginning to wonder why I haven’t you seen you so much.”
Strolling over to the counter, I pull on my sleeves while sighing. “Been busy. Homework got out of control, and I’ve been painting a little more.”
“Oh,” she hums, leaning back slowly. “I thought it might have something to do with your boyfriend.”
Uncomfortable, I scratch the back of my neck. “He’s barely a boyfriend. More like a good friend that I get to kiss every now and again.”
“Is that so?” Bertha adjusts a crooked flower vase on her desk. “Because, to me, he looked like a boyfriend.”
“I…”
“Peyton baby, we all go through ups and downs in relationships. It’s how you know you still have one. Don’t focus on the words he misuses in anger or frustration. Focus on the actions he takes.” Bertha smiles sweetly before handing me a small envelope.
“Thanks.” I pat the counter and head off in the direction of Sous Clef.
On entering the room, I head over to the painting that’s been bringing so much trouble into my life. Lingering in front of it, I lean forward and stare. I run my fingers through the hair laying on my shoulders and get lost in the painting like I used to.
After a few more thoughts to myself, I open the envelope and stare at the familiar handwriting.
There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.
—Bryant H. McGill
“You’re implying something pretty big in this quote.” I lift my head slowly back to the painting.
“I know,” Justin’s voice softly croons.
After tapping my thumb on the note several times, I sigh. “Why the quotes?”
“I used to have a problem saying the wrong thing at the right time, so I studied others and learned how to say the right thing at the right time.” His body moves closer to mine. Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “Except when it comes to my feelings for you.”
Slowly, I turn my body around so that my back leans against the railing but in between his arms. “Why’s that?”
A heavy sigh leaves Justin before he tilts his fedora down. “I don’t know. When I first met you, everything was clear and perfect. The world made sense.”
“And now?”
His hands make a motion in the air before he places his arms back on both sides of me. “I have something I want to show you.”
As usual, I’m swept away by Justin’s offer and allow him to lead the two of us out to his car, where there’s a teddy bear with a paintbrush attached to its paw. Smiling, I climb in, place him in my lap, and permit Justin to drive me away blindly like he always has. Curious, I look around while making small talk in hopes that I can figure out where we’re going before we get there. Noticing a box of paints, I relax, disappointed that this night probably has less to do with us and more to do with the mission.
The sight of the setting sun brings a warm flood over my body, causing me to let out a heavy sigh, which forces Justin to ask, “What?”
“I love the sunset. In fact, the only thing I love more than the sun setting is a view of all the stars on a clear night.” I give the teddy a squeeze.
His hand lands on top of mine, instantly folding them together. “Glad to hear that.”
The road is now curvy and far away from the highways as well as any other forms of civilization I recognize. Trying my best to hide my anxiety as the road gets windier, I give my seat belt an extra pull.
“Nervous?”
“Around you? Always.”
The chuckle between us calms my nerves momentarily as the cool breeze does the rest. Justin eventually stops the car on the side of the road by an enormous cliff. I glance in terror over the side at the lifeless abyss.
Quickly grabbing the backpack full of paint and a canvas, he insists, “Come on.”
“Come on where?” I squeak at the top of my lungs, dreading leaving the safety of the vehicle.
“This way,” he insists, pointing over the edge of the cliff.
“Are you joking?” I hear my voice say as I exit the car, still clutching the bear. “Please tell me you’re kidding! Why would I just jump off a cliff ? Into nothing? That’s not particularly the way I want to die, though I never imagined being shot to death either, but—”
“Peyton,” Justin interrupts, grabbing my hand, “you’ve been dating me this long and still don’t trust me?” After having to nod in agreement, but knowing I trust him more than I trust most others, I wrap my arms around his neck as he carries me over the edge. How is it I keep forgetting he has the ability to fly? Carefully, Justin lands the two of us on a very sturdy surface.
Knowing it’s too dark for me to see what it is, he informs me, “Just have a seat right where you are and hold on tight.”
Anxious to know what’s going on, I do as I’m told while clutching the bear to hide my concern.
Moments later, I feel my body jerked upward. My eyes dart back and forth as we slowly become level with the parked car at the top of the cliff. Totally baffled, my jaw lowers as we continue upward past it, straight for the clouds. Looking around, I notice we’re on a ship, similar to the one I saw that day at Jimmy’s.
“Oh my gosh, are we flying?” I whimper as the ship continues to increase in speed and height. Curious as to where Justin is, I peek around the central deck, which I can only assume leads to some sort of downstairs weapon setup like the other ship, to see him slowly turning the wheel at the helm.
“Yes.” He glances over his shoulder at me with a suspicious smirk. “I told you that’s what these things do, right?”
With a chuckle of disbelief, I lean back and begin viewing the skyline of our city in a completely different light. “Wow.”
“Beautiful, right?” his voice moves toward me as it seems we are suspended in the air.
“How is this possible?” I grip the edge and glance over the side at the busy cars.
“Magic.” He plops down next to me and wraps an arm around me sweetly. “But I didn’t bring you up here to see that.” My attention switches from down below to up above. “I brought you here to show you that.”
His finger points to a glowing area of interstellar clouds in the distance. It looks like it’s swirling of pinks, reds, and golds.
“What is that?”
“Neverland.” The answer floors me. Justin slides off his fedora and places it in his lap. “Now, believe me, if I could take you there, I would. But…”
“I know.” I place a hand on his thigh. For a moment, I allow our eyes to linger silently before asking, “Why did you bring me here?”
“To paint it.” He eyeballs the materials, causing me to giggle softly.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I can’t be a normal boyfriend, but…”
“I’m starting to think normal is way overrated.” I slip his hat out of his hands and onto my head. “Scoot over there. I want you in it, too.”
Nodding, he slides his body across from mine against the door and props his legs up. “Peyton, you do know I didn’t mean for things to blow up the way they did last night, right?”
“Of course,” I answer as I gently sketch the lines.
“I used to be damn near perfect when it came to speaking, especially to girls. Yet lately, when I try to say certain things to you, they come out
jumbled and…”
“Believe me, I’m glad at least it’s just me that it comes out that way to.” He smiles sympathetically at me before I ask, “So, how’d you convince the guys to let you take the ship out?”
“Convincing wasn’t necessary. Aiden has planted himself in front of the computer, messing around with that website where you upload pictures and videos of yourself, you know? The one where you chat with friends and post messages.”
“Why’s he on that?”
“Well, we wouldn’t be very good teens if we weren’t on it, now would we?” The answer causes me to toss my head back in laughter. “What? I’m just saying times are much different than when I was seventeen the first time.”
“And when was that?”
Justin shakes his head slowly. “That’s information I’m not giving up.”
“Ever?”
“At least not now.”
After a brief pause, I clarify, “Well, for the record, I don’t use it very often.”
“You do now.”
“What?”
“Yeah, Aiden gave your profile a makeover and constantly updates it.”
“But how does he…” I cut myself off, realizing he hacks for a living, so bypassing a few security measures probably makes him laugh. “Do I at least look good on the site?”
“Of course. He started it when we started dating, so it centers on that, you know, to keep questions to a minimum. He has entirely too much fun on that thing.”
“Where’d he get the pictures?”
“Me.” I shift as I begin opening the different paints.
“You…kept the pictures we took?”
“Of course.” He adjusts his loose, white tie. After a soft bite of his own bottom lip, he clears his throat. “Anyway, Eiden had a meeting with Jimmy, and Peter had a date.”
“With Belle?” The sarcastic look I receive causes me to nod slowly. “Silly question. Well, hopefully he’s not floating into her window like he did mine.”
Defensively, Justin snaps, “What?”
“Yeah, he floated in on me while I was sketching earlier. Wanted to talk about last night.”
“I told him everything went fine last night.”
“He said he hadn’t spoken to you.”
Frustrated, he rests his head back against the door, slowly shaking it. “Peter has this way about him. If he wants something, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”
With a soft smile, assuming he’s talking about me, I begin painting. “Justin, are you worried that he wants me? Or that I might want him? Come on, he’s not my type. I love tall, dark, and handsome guys who wear fedoras everywhere.”
Justin laughs. “Oh, do you?”
“Yeah, and those who can’t can leave their ties at home.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiles. “Good,” I hum out as I continue painting.
The two of us continue to engage in playful conversation until the painting is finished, which is when we have a romantic picnic dinner by candlelight.
Halfway through the meal or so is when I notice Justin staring at me in a way that I don’t recognize.
“What?” I feel compelled to ask as a piece of raspberry cheesecake lands in my mouth.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Always.” My fork clinks against the plate. “Would you ever consider going to Neverland?”
A piece of cheesecake gets wedged in my throat for a moment. I hurriedly try to swallow it and pat my chest to regain a clear airway.
“A no would’ve been okay.” Justin takes a bite of the cheesecake while laughing.
“Choking is no laughing matter.” I grab the wine glass containing sparkling water. After a long sip, I take a deep breath. “Was that a real question?” Once I receive a nod, I lean back, so my body is against the bench. “I mean, I love it here, you know? My parents, the gallery, and the museum. They are places that I feel comfortable and safe, but…”
Full of hope, Justin looks up. “But what?”
“But, with you, life is exciting! I’m always in the middle of some kind of battle or being rescued from danger. I’ve made friends and been to parties. Aiden and Eiden are like big brothers who watch out for me, and while being an only child is fun, I like the feeling of being a part of a bigger entity. Plus, I’m beginning to realize that, whenever I’m not with you, I’m wishing I was.”
“Peyton, I…” Justin starts but is immediately cut off by the sound of something crashing.
Quickly, the two of us rise to our feet and look around for signs of the Dark Watchers. Justin protectively places a hand around on my lower back as we scan the boat deck for some sort of clue. Once we feel safe enough, we sit back down together on the blanket, this time side by side.
I pull my hair to one side and gently stroke his leg. “What were you going to say?”
“I was going to say,” he starts again but instantly stops as a huge gust of wind sweeps past us, knocking over the candles, which catch the corner of the picnic blanket on fire—and part of the ship.
Justin tosses a handful of fairy dust on top of it, while my attention focuses on the odd gust of wind that now seems to have a hold of my painting. As I reach for it, it lands on the taffrail, splitting the unfinished work down the middle, leaving the piece without his face shaking, while the other flies off into the distance toward the very nebula I painted.
With a defeated face, he sighs. “We should go.”
“Good idea.” I start cleaning up the destroyed dinner with him, discovering a small, neon green feather. With a soft smile, I show it to Justin. “Look at that. I wonder what kind of bird this came from?”
After staring at it for a moment, he slowly takes it from me. “The jealous kind.”
Baffled as to why it has him so captivated, I continue picking up the remains of another ruined romantic evening.
Chapter Nine
With three days left and all the pieces in place, a little relaxation seems well deserved. However, I’ve been hanging out with Justin long enough to know better than to believe life is ever that easy.
Exiting the restroom, I head back to the courtyard where the annual school carnival is bursting with activity. I’m confused as to why Justin isn’t waiting outside for me like he usually is. I look around only to spot him talking to a girl close to the dunking booth. Slightly tense any time he talks to another female, I cross my arms and watch the two engage in what appears to be a flirtatious conversation.
“No worries.” Eiden hops on the railing beside me.
Taken off guard by his appearance, I place a hand on my heart. “Don’t scare me!”
Eiden laughs. “Sorry. I forget how jumpy you are.”
“I’m not jumpy,” I mutter under my breath. “And how do you know there’s nothing to worry about? Do you see that girl? She’s gorgeous with her long, blond hair, perfect makeup, and stiletto heels.”
“I’m glad that’s what you see.” Eiden taps his tennis shoes against the railing. “Ten bucks says that’s not what he’s doing.”
“You’re on.” I give Justin a wave when he finally looks in our direction.
Justin hastily joins us, one hand in his pants pocket, the other adjusting the baby blue tie, the first colorful tie I’ve ever seen him wear. “There you are.”
“Oh, here I am,” I echo sarcastically, placing my hands behind my red sundress. “Where were you?”
Eiden chortles under his breath, as Justin tilts his hat to the side. “I was talking to Christy. She’s head of the yearbook and was wondering if we wanted to be voted this year’s Fall Couple.”
“Really?” My eyebrows rise suspiciously.
He nods, and Eiden invites himself into the conversation. “Hey Justin, when you see a girl like Christy, what do you notice? How hot her hair is? How tight that brown sweater is? Or, how great her legs look in that mini skirt?”
Justin pulls on the sleeves to his black button up shirt, not even bothering to look back. “You mean d
o I notice that she’s a six dollar, dyed out of the box blonde, that her sweater is a knock-off version of last year’s Chanel couture, or that her heels are beige, while her skirt is off white?”
“Wow,” my voice whispers, “that was harsh.”
“Girls like that are a dime a dozen, and all of them think a guy doesn’t know the difference between a cheap trend and a glowing classic.” His eyes meet mine before tipping his hat at me. My head slowly turns to Eiden, who has a painfully cocky sneer, which prompts Justin to ask, “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Peter sent me.” he grips the edge, his T-shirt catching my attention because it has two arrows on it pointing toward his arms with the words Gun Show, “about an hour and a half ago. But I didn’t want you two not to have any fun, so I waited. However, he’s sent me six texts the last two more than threatening so if we could please…”
“Yeah.” Justin nods, offering me his hand to hold.
The three of us stroll to the car, where we waste no time hopping in, and head to the apartment.
About halfway there, I glance over my shoulder. “Any idea what he wants?”
“No,” Eiden taps the side of the convertible, “but he looked less than pleased before he left.”
“Wait, you said he requested us.”
“Yeah, but he said he had something to do and to make sure you two were back before he was,” Eiden explains as Justin pulls his car into the garage.
The three of us hustle up the stairs and into the apartment where Aiden is happily typing away on the computer.
“Hey, guys.” He pulls out his earplugs and dusts the chip crumbs from his brown polo.
“Hey,” I respond while the others wave. “Justin, do you mind grabbing me some water?”
“Of course, babe.” He plants a kiss on my cheek.
Plopping down on the couch, I ask Aiden, “What are you doing?”
“Updating Justin’s profile with some recent pictures of you two and commenting on his friends’ photos.” I nod slowly.
“Hey, there’s juice in here!” Justin yells, expecting the other two to respond. When not receiving an answer, he repeats himself.