"Oh wow..." My eyes widened when we stepped through the trees. It was the meadow. The same meadow I'd visited with Croy nearly a month ago, but it looked different. The moon bathed everything in its pale glow, giving it a dream-like feel.
"Watch this" The Prince said as he picked up a rock and tossed it into the center of the clearing. My heart skipped as a horde of fireflies flew up into the air, startled by the movement. Awe-stricken, I made my way towards the center where they swirled the most.
"It's beautiful..." I managed to whisper, still entranced by their dancing light.
"I thought you'd like it" he mused with a smile as he followed behind. I was about to reach the center of the clearing when my boots became tangled with my dress. My eyes widened as I lost my balance. "Look out!" The Prince shouted as he lunged for me. I reached my hand out but missed his hand and grabbed a hold of his sash instead, causing him to lose his balance and fall with me.
"Ow..." I muttered when we landed with a thud.
"Are you okay?" He asked, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. My face turned red when I realized he had landed on top of me.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about your sash though" I apologized as I held up the torn piece of cloth.
"Don't worry about it. It's just a costume." he said with a smile before rolling off me. "So, I guess this means you're accident prone?" He asked, amused.
"Extremely." I affirmed. I pouted when he doubled over and started laughing. "What's so funny!?" I asked in a whiny voice. He shook his head.
"It's just, you remind me of someone I know!" he admitted before gasping for air. I crossed my arms, embarrassment overtaking me. "Aw come on, don't pout." he said as he fought to contain his laughter.
"You must think I'm an idiot..." I trailed off self-consciously. He shook his head.
"Honestly, I think it's kind of cute." He confessed, making my heart flutter. After that, a comfortable silence settled between us as we admired the landscape. After a while, a weary sigh escaped his lips.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I studied him. He nodded.
"Yeah, just a little distracted, that's all..." he muttered as he played with the grass.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He shook his head.
"It wouldn't be right to talk to you about another girl..." he trailed off.
"Another girl?" I asked cautiously. He nodded, his expression distant.
"We can talk if you want, I really don't mind." I assured him. He began with a sigh.
"There's this girl I'm friends with and lately, I started developing feelings for her..." he trailed off. "The problem is we're really good friends and I don't want to risk losing her." he muttered as he stared at the ground.
"Have you told her how you feel?" He shook his head.
"No, I haven't but I kind of made a move the other day." He admitted, his cheeks pink.
"How'd she take it?" I asked curiously.
"That's the thing, she bolted. I admit the moment wasn't planned, it kind of took us by surprise, but she's been avoiding me ever since..." He trailed off sadly.
"I'm sure things will get better. You're an amazing guy, any girl would be lucky to have you." I said sincerely as I placed my hand over his.
"Thanks." he whispered.
"Truth is, I've also been having trouble in the love department." I admitted as I gazed up at the sky.
"Really? You? How's that even possible?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"I'm not always this eloquent." I chuckled. "I tend to get nervous and stutter a lot. I'm also super clumsy and I don't always know what to say..." I trailed off. "The guy that I like, he's out of this world...." I paused. "He's talented, funny, physically and mentally strong. He's intelligent and he's not afraid to call me on my shit."
"But?" He asked as I pulled my knees to my chest.
"He's been through a lot, so he doesn't trust people very much. It's taken him a while to get comfortable with me and I don't want to ruin it by confessing. My best friend is already suspecting I like him, but I can't possibly admit it to her..."
"Why not?" he asked curiously.
"Because if I say it out-loud, it'll become real." He furrowed his brows.
"You just said it to me, didn't you? Doesn't that make it real?" He asked. My face turned red when I realized he was right. I had just admitted to a stranger that I had feelings for Croy, yet it felt good. I felt liberated, like I didn't have to lie to myself anymore.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked, noticing the shift in my mood.
"I do actually." I chuckled, which made him smile back.
"Good, I feel a bit better as well." he admitted as he stroked my hand with his thumb.
"We should probably get going." I began when I noticed the crickets had started to hum.
"Yeah, you're probably right." he said before turning back to me. At that moment, a light breeze blew past us, making me shiver.
"Here." he said as he began taking off his jacket.
"Oh no, you don't have to. I don't want you to get cold!" I protested.
"I insist." He replied before leaning in and draping the blazer carefully around my shoulders. My cheeks flared red when I realized it smelled like him. It was a sweet yet familiar scent. "Better?" he asked without moving from his position.
"Y-Yes, thank you." I managed to stammer. Without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his cheek. His eyes widened.
"Thank you for this wonderful night." He smiled and hesitated before placing his hand gently on my chin, his touch was warm and familiar. My breathing hitched and my pulse accelerated as he leaned in slowly.
"No. Thank you Princess..." he whispered before closing the distance between us and pressing his lips against mine. My heart nearly jumped out of my throat. My mouth watered as his minty breath engulfed me. My mind went blank as I closed my eyes and reciprocated. His lips were soft and tasted sweeter than anything I'd ever tasted.
Time seemed to halt as he raised his other hand and cupped my face, deepening the kiss. Fireflies swirled around us as the breeze picked up. Eventually, we pulled away. My face burned with emotion as he rested his forehead against mine. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself..." he apologized. I shook my head.
"Please don't apologize..." I whispered back as I leaned in and kissed him again. This time with more fervor. I could feel his breathing accelerate as our kiss intensified. Unconsciously, I entangled my fingers in his shaggy hair. It was then that the image of a certain boy, flashed through my mind. I gasped and pulled away when I realized I was thinking about Croy while I kissed the Prince.
"Are you okay?" he asked just before a loud gunshot echoed through the meadow.
"Please tell me that was a firework." I muttered as I glanced up at the sky.
"I seriously doubt it." he retorted just as two more echoed around us.
"Let's go!" he urged as he jumped to his feet. I took his hand and let him lead me back to the camp. When we got there, cadets were screaming and running out of the auditorium.
"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" A familiar voice screamed. We turned to see Jason in the distance, restrained by Croy.
"Shit!" The Prince hissed when he laid eyes on them.
"Bring it on tough guy!" That superman guy from before screamed as he tossed the gun on the floor and took out his knife.
"Jason no!" Croy screamed as his friend elbowed him and slipped out of his grasp.
"Run Princess!" The Prince shouted as he took off at full speed towards Jason, knife in hand.
"Hazel!" Allison shouted as she hooked her arm around mine and dragged me towards the cabins. Half-way there, we met up with Myra. Her mascara was running, her hair was a mess and one of her dress straps was broken.
"Mai what happened!?" I shouted when I took in her appearance.
"I'll tell you later!" She screamed just as the camp sirens went off.
When we finally made it to the cabin, I shuffledout of my dress, then washed off my make-up in the restroom. When I finished, Icrawled into my cot and laid down. I fell asleep within minutes, the exhaustionof the day weighing me down. Memories of my first kiss circled my thoughts forthe rest of the night.