first arrived. I was just too
nervous to speak to you.”
“You should’ve,” I said, looking up at him. “I’m sorry
for how I treated you when you saved me the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, tucking a stray piece
of hair behind my ear.
He took a deep breath as though steeling himself and
then leant down to kiss me. His lips brushed mine, and I
closed my eyes, letting him take me into his arms.
Ok, here’s the truth. I’d never been kissed before.
I could smell his aftershave, and his upper lip was
rough with stubble. He had one hand on my neck, his
thumb caressing my jaw line.
When we broke apart, I desperately wanted to
continue. But then I thought about Phoenix and
something made me step back.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dustin said, and took my hand
in his. He brushed my knuckles with his lips. “Goodnight,
beautiful woman.”
“Night,” I said softly.
~
I woke the next morning, feeling light headed but not
too bad, considering. I remembered the night before and
groaned at the memory of Eleanora and Phoenix at the
bottom of the stairs. I found the memory of saying
goodnight to Dustin very interesting too. I realised that I
had quite enjoyed the Knight Ball, and it would be
interesting to see the aftermath.
I hauled myself from my bed and found more clothes in
my dresser. I dressed in brown breeches and a baggy green
shirt, enjoying the looseness of the shirt after the tight
school shirts. I rolled up my sleeves, pulled my boots on
and pulled my hair into a ponytail, determined to have
today off. After marching downstairs to find Jett, I found
the castle completely empty and realised everyone had the
day off anyway. I met Dena on the stairs going back up to
my room.
“How you holding up?” She asked with a grin.
I smiled back.
“Not too bad, considering how much I drank.” I replied.
She laughed.
“A few of us are heading down to a water hole that
Rain knows about,” she said, and I perked up my ears. “It’s
a nice enough day for swimming, do you want to come?”
I grinned widely at her.
“Of course,” I said eagerly. “Where should I meet you?”
We arranged to meet at the bottom of the stairs and I
barrelled back up to my room. I grabbed my bath towel
and changed into soft cotton shorts and singlet, then
almost fell down the stairs trying to run down them too
fast. Dena laughed when she saw how excited I was and
grabbed my arm.
We both ran out of the double doors, through the
grounds, and into the forest. We followed a trail a short
way, soon hearing shrieking and the splashing of water.
We came across a clear pool with a small waterfall
crashing into it, and several of our classmates paddling
around. Someone had found a rope and tied it to an
overhanging tree. People were swinging themselves into
the water, sometimes doubling up. I dropped my towel
next to Dena’s and we ran to the rock ledge that
surrounded the pool. There was no way of easing
ourselves into the cool water, so I grabbed Dena’s arm and
jumped. The water was cold, cold enough to make us gasp.
“Sky!” Dena yelled indignantly.
I laughed and swam away from her on my back,
splashing her. She raced after me and leapt on me, pushing
me under. We wrestled for a bit and then swam to the
sides and heaved ourselves out onto the warm stone. We
lay on our towels laughing as we watched Petre and Rain
swing out on the rope and fall into the water.
I was feeling a little lonely as I watched everyone with
their soul mates, and was therefore relieved when Theresa
pulled at my arm, asking me to swing on the rope with
her. I did so, and found that swinging on a rope into water
is more fun than it looks. After half a dozen of swings with
Theresa, I took to jumping in again.
As I balanced on the edge about to jump in, arms
picked me up from behind, and threw me in. I broke the
surface to see Dustin standing on the edge, roaring with
laughter at my expression.
“Jump in, you
nervous to speak to you.”
“You should’ve,” I said, looking up at him. “I’m sorry
for how I treated you when you saved me the other day.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, tucking a stray piece
of hair behind my ear.
He took a deep breath as though steeling himself and
then leant down to kiss me. His lips brushed mine, and I
closed my eyes, letting him take me into his arms.
Ok, here’s the truth. I’d never been kissed before.
I could smell his aftershave, and his upper lip was
rough with stubble. He had one hand on my neck, his
thumb caressing my jaw line.
When we broke apart, I desperately wanted to
continue. But then I thought about Phoenix and
something made me step back.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dustin said, and took my hand
in his. He brushed my knuckles with his lips. “Goodnight,
beautiful woman.”
“Night,” I said softly.
~
I woke the next morning, feeling light headed but not
too bad, considering. I remembered the night before and
groaned at the memory of Eleanora and Phoenix at the
bottom of the stairs. I found the memory of saying
goodnight to Dustin very interesting too. I realised that I
had quite enjoyed the Knight Ball, and it would be
interesting to see the aftermath.
I hauled myself from my bed and found more clothes in
my dresser. I dressed in brown breeches and a baggy green
shirt, enjoying the looseness of the shirt after the tight
school shirts. I rolled up my sleeves, pulled my boots on
and pulled my hair into a ponytail, determined to have
today off. After marching downstairs to find Jett, I found
the castle completely empty and realised everyone had the
day off anyway. I met Dena on the stairs going back up to
my room.
“How you holding up?” She asked with a grin.
I smiled back.
“Not too bad, considering how much I drank.” I replied.
She laughed.
“A few of us are heading down to a water hole that
Rain knows about,” she said, and I perked up my ears. “It’s
a nice enough day for swimming, do you want to come?”
I grinned widely at her.
“Of course,” I said eagerly. “Where should I meet you?”
We arranged to meet at the bottom of the stairs and I
barrelled back up to my room. I grabbed my bath towel
and changed into soft cotton shorts and singlet, then
almost fell down the stairs trying to run down them too
fast. Dena laughed when she saw how excited I was and
grabbed my arm.
We both ran out of the double doors, through the
grounds, and into the forest. We followed a trail a short
way, soon hearing shrieking and the splashing of water.
We came across a clear pool with a small waterfall
crashing into it, and several of our classmates paddling
around. Someone had found a rope and tied it to an
overhanging tree. People were swinging themselves into
the water, sometimes doubling up. I dropped my towel
next to Dena’s and we ran to the rock ledge that
surrounded the pool. There was no way of easing
ourselves into the cool water, so I grabbed Dena’s arm and
jumped. The water was cold, cold enough to make us gasp.
“Sky!” Dena yelled indignantly.
I laughed and swam away from her on my back,
splashing her. She raced after me and leapt on me, pushing
me under. We wrestled for a bit and then swam to the
sides and heaved ourselves out onto the warm stone. We
lay on our towels laughing as we watched Petre and Rain
swing out on the rope and fall into the water.
I was feeling a little lonely as I watched everyone with
their soul mates, and was therefore relieved when Theresa
pulled at my arm, asking me to swing on the rope with
her. I did so, and found that swinging on a rope into water
is more fun than it looks. After half a dozen of swings with
Theresa, I took to jumping in again.
As I balanced on the edge about to jump in, arms
picked me up from behind, and threw me in. I broke the
surface to see Dustin standing on the edge, roaring with
laughter at my expression.
“Jump in, you
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