Just One Night (The Story)

I have a poem about this night, titled Just One Night. I want to submit either this story or my story What A Life for a class. Which should be submitted? All opinions on everything please! :)

Just One Night

 

Hope hops out of the Chevy into the cold December wind. As soon as her boots hit the pavement, her blonde hair is whisked into her face. She looks at Jessey through the golden screen of hair and can see that he is fighting angrily to keep the hood of his jacket out of his own face, making quite a scene in the empty parking lot. She doesn’t care that it’s cold, especially for Texas, that it’s ridiculously windy, or that it’s after midnight. This is the best time she’d had since the break up.

 

 

Jessey finally manages to get his hood under control, heatedly flinging it over his shoulder, and he looks over at Hope. She’s zipping up her jacket, blonde hair blowing wildly in the wind. His chest swells and his heart races. He’s been crazy about this girl since the 7^th grade, when they were twelve years old. And now here they are, him 20, her a month away from it, on their first date. She is in college and he is in the army, and he leaves to return to Germany first thing in the morning. They have just one night.

 

 

She runs around the truck to the driver’s side, where he has already opened the kite they just bought and is struggling to assemble it. How exactly they ended up buying a large, plastic Batman kite she isn’t sure, but she’s excited to see how this is going to work out. He’s so close, and she can feel his breath on her cheek as they finally get the kite completed. Just an hour before, he kissed her just once in the theatre as the movie ended. All those years of chemistry in middle and high school had finally led to that one soft, quick, amazing kiss. She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled.

 

 

She thinks back to middle school, sitting in Ms. Wenecke’s 8^th grade science class. She had been friends with Jessey for a year already, and despite Ms. Wernecke’s obvious insanity, this was her favorite class because Jessey was in it.

“Look at the little creeper now.”

Jessey says this with an amused tone in his voice, and they both look across the classroom where the hamster cage sat. Spanky. The little furball had to be the spawn of Satan, much like Ms. Wernecke herself. Yesterday when Hope and Jessey had tried to feed him and clean up his cage a little, the little monster had bitten them both and peed in Jessey’s hand. Spanky bit everyone and everyone hated him. But the balance of power was about to change.

“You got em?” she asks.

Jessey smiles and nods, pulling a blue pack of Shock Tarts out of his pocket. The sour candy ought to give the little b*****d a pretty good stomach ache. Maybe he would learn a lesson. When Ms. Wernecke left the room, as she frequently did, Hope and Jessey crept over to the cage and looked down at the little spotted hairball.

“Here, Spanky, you want some candy boy?” Jessey says this and holds a blue Shock Tart down for the little rodent.

They watch as he took the candy, sniffed it suspiciously, then began to gobble it down. He ate two before the couple rushed to their seats upon hearing Ms. Wernecke’s return. They giggled quietly in their seats as they watched Spanky lick his lips. The next day they walked into class together, shoulder to shoulder, and took their seats. Hope looked over at Jessey, and wished he would just ask her out. They had been friends for a year, and she thought he liked her back, but she wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to look silly if he only liked her as a friend. Her thoughts were interrupted my Ms. Wernecke’s shrieking,

“SPANKY!!!!”

The class turned their attention to Spanky’s cage and Hope and Jessey both gasped and looked to each other when they realized the late Spanky was laying in his cage, little feet in the air. The Shock Tarts had done him in. despite the morbidness of it all, Jessey snickered to himself, promting Hope to do the same. Victory.

 

 

He steps back from the truck and proudly holds out the correctly assembled kite for her inspection.

 “Success!” she says. “Now let’s hop the fence.”

He watches in awe as she swings one foot up, and in one quick motion flings her slender frame over the five foot fence. She looks up and, noticing his shocked expression, just laughs and shrugs her shoulders. He hands her the kite, puts his own boots in the chain link fence, and scrambles clumsily over. Now both inside the fence, they walk toward the playground of the local elementary school.

 

 

“Okay,” he says, “How do we do this?”

“Well, kite virgin,” she says, “First we have to get it up in the air.”

After twenty minutes of running, much trial and error, and several profanities, the kite finally stays up in the sky as Jessey holds the string.

“I’m no good at this,” he grumbles.

He looks over at her, so beautiful without even trying, and reaches out and wraps his free arm around her waist. In one quick motion he pulls her to him and kisses her. This is exactly where he’s wanted to be for the past eight years, and as he sees fireworks, shooting stars, and volcanoes erupting behind closed eyelids, all he can manage to clearly think is,

“Finally.”

 

 

He pulls back for a moment and the kite falls. They fly it for a while longer, her more successfully than him. They argue about the skills required to fly a kite until it gets too windy to get the kite off of the ground. They wrap it up and she takes his hand, pulling him with her to the swings. They run over and swing for a while, but quickly tire of it and walk towards the jungle gym. They talk along the way about the days when they themselves attended school here, and the many recesses spent playing tag and jumping rope.

 

 

As they reach the jungle gym, she climbs up and sits herself on the platform. Her feet dangle off of the edge, and she watches in amusement as he swings himself effortlessly across the monkey bars. She notices that since joining the army, he was definitely more muscular, and she watches the veins in his arms. Suddenly he swings forwards off the monkey bars and lands next to her on the jungle gym, his boots making a loud thud on the weathered wood. He seats himself next to her and leans back on his hands.

 

 

“So, eight years later and here we are.”

 Hope says this with a laugh, and her laughter warms his heart. It always has. She was always the one, the dangerous one. She was dangerous because he could never work up the nerve to ask her out. Though he hated to admit it, he was intimidated by her. She was a star athlete, made straight A’s, was friends with everyone, and had a gorgeous smile. That smile…it made him weak. She was the kindest girl he knew, and when she smiled it lit up her face, her light brown eyes, and the entire room. Yet he could never ask her to a movie.

 

 

“Jessey?”

 She was looking up at him with one eyebrow raised. He’d zoned out for a moment.

 “Sorry!” he says. “Yeah, eight years. Can you believe we’ve even known each other that long?”

 “No,” she said. “Consequences of a small town I guess.”

She looked over at him, watching his feet as he swung them back and forth in the cool night air. He made her smile. He let her feel more alive than she had since the break up, and that was saying something. She knew he was flying back to Germany in the morning, and that being together wasn't sensible right now, but for tonight, she didn’t feel dead inside. And she was going to enjoy it.

 

 

Just a month before, she’d been the happiest girl in the world. She was going to a wonderful Christian college and working, and she had the perfect relationship with the perfect boyfriend, Matt. They had been together and broken up in high school, but two years later he had come back to her and apologized for everything, and after much reluctance, they were reunited. They were so perfect together, and she fell for him just as hard as she had the first time. Then out of nowhere, a text message. He shattered her world in a damned text message. She hadn’t been the same since. But being here with Jessey felt right. She didn’t think about how Matt had hurt her or how she had discovered how unfaithful he had been all along. All she thought about was how happy she was to be near Jessey. She felt normal again.

 

 

They had maintained contact as friends since graduation, talking on Facebook frequently. They had, after all, been friends since they were just kids. Once the break up with Matt happened, Jessey had listened patiently as Hope told what he had done. She had told him how he felt and he offered words of kindness and understanding. Once she seemed to be cheerier on a daily basis, Jessey decided that he wasn’t waiting another minute and confessed how he felt. He told her he had always liked her but was afraid to ask her out. She had told him that was silly, and they decided that when he came home on leave they should go on a date together. And now here they sat on the jungle gym together.

 

 

She looks up and found his blue eyes on her and she smiled at him. He smiled back. He had such a nice smile, and he looked so handsome sitting there. The way the moonbeams hit his cheekbones made him look so alive. He leaned towards her a little bit and they talked about life.

“Do you like the Army?” she asked.

He thought carefully before answering.

“Yeah,” he said. “I do. I like my work and what I do. I just hate being so far from home for such a long time. I grew up in Joshua, it’s strange to be away from it and everyone in it.”

He talked about his duties with the Army in Germany, and she talked about school and work and the crazy customers that she had to deal with every day. And they talk about his tattoos and looked at them all. He then rolled up his sleeve to reveal jet black ink on his forearm, in intricate twists and swirls that spelled out TEXAS. He talked about it as she traced her fingers lightly over the lines of ink, feeling the muscles under his skin.

 

 

She had no idea what she was doing to him. They had somehow gotten on the subject of his tattoos, and he tried to focus on making his tongue correctly form the words and force them out of his mouth as her fingers traced over his arm. Her touch was airy and light and electric. It sent hot chills throughout his body, and he knew that she must be able to hear his blood pumping violently through his veins. He never wanted to go back to Germany. He would be completely content staying right here on the playground late at night with this girl forever.

She was tired but she hadn’t felt so awake in ages. She laid back and looked at the stars. There were no lights out here, and they glittered brightly in the black velvet sky. She closed her eyes and stretched her hands out over her head, and before she could move again everything behind her eyelids exploded. When he kissed her, there was no one else. There never had been and there never would be again. There was no Matt, there was no heartache. There was only Jessey. It was 25 degrees but she was warm in his arms. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and pulled her as close to him as he could. He was never letting go. He finally had her and there was no way he would ever lose her again. With every kiss he knew he was losing seconds, and that in just a few hours he would be on a plane. But this was now.

 

 

Sitting in Mrs. Nichol’s English class senior year, he stared at the way her blonde hair fell down her back. She sat directly in front of him, and liked to twirl her pen by her ear when she was daydreaming. When she turned around to talk to him, he could smell her perfume. God, why’d she have to have a boyfriend? She never seemed to be without one. When she was, it was only for a few weeks and he could never work up the courage to make a move. He didn’t know if he could handle being rejected by the girl who he considered to be the prettiest in Joshua. Suddenly she turned to him.

“Hey Jess!”

“What’s up Hope?”

What’s up? What kind of greeting was that? He wasn’t sending her a text message. What an idiot. But she just smiled that bright white smile.

“Not much. You comin’ to the game tonight?”

He had forgotten all about the game. She was the star pitcher on the softball team, and was wearing her royal blue Joshua jersey and shorts.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Who are y’all playin?”

“Aledo,” she said. “Biggest game of the year! You had best be there cheerin’ for me!”

“Definitely, without a doubt.”

She was flirting with him. She wanted him at her game, and there was no way he would miss out on that. She was gorgeous, but on the softball field she was fierce, one of the best pitchers in the state. She was amazing to watch. He sat there in his desk, trying to work up the courage to ask her on a date, when his thoughts were interrupted by the bell’s shrill ring, dismissing class.

“Bye Jessey, see you at the game tonight.”

“Bye Hope, I’ll be there.”

He watched as she walked quickly across the room in her uniform and blue knee high socks, smiling once over her shoulder at him.

 

 

Somewhere a car horn blared, and he jolted awake. He looked around and realized he was still on the jungle gym, then looked down at the girl in his arms. They had fallen asleep on the jungle gym, and when he looked at his watch he realized it was almost 4 a.m. He pulled Hope tighter to him and she nestled further into his chest, still asleep. She was so sweet in sleep, her features soft and relaxed. He smiled down at her. The jungle gym was made of old, hard wood and steel, but he had never been as comfortable as he was now. He laid his head back down and closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of her perfume and shampoo. Maybe he wouldn’t get on the plane. Maybe he would stay here in Joshua with her and they could start a life together.

 

 

She breathed deeply, dreaming that he was still there. She opened her eyes and saw plaid, and when she blinked again she realized it was his flannel shirt. He was still there. She looked up at him and found his sleepy, blue gaze on her. She just smiled. She didn’t know why he stared, but she didn’t mind.

“Do you really have to leave tomorrow?”

He sighed loudly. He was thinking the same thing, willing it to be untrue.

“Yes,” he said. “Although technically I leave in….4 hours.”

She breathed a sigh into his shirt, and he tightened his arms around her, willing time to stop. After lying that way for another hour, they finally managed to make their way back to the truck so he could take her home.

 

 

The drive to her house was short, and in her driveway she couldn’t make herself let go. She loved him. As she thought the words in her head, she knew them to be true. She loved him, and she knew she had to say something. But the words wouldn’t come. Her voice failed her and she stood there silently in his arms in her driveway. He was leaving and she was powerless to stop him. He pulled back and kissed her one last time, but this kiss was different. This one tasted like goodbye, bittersweet on her lips. When they finally parted her eyes stung with tears but she fought them back and went inside and shut the door.

 

 

He watched her go. The icy breeze pulled at her hair and he had a thousand thoughts running through his mind at once. Maybe he should propose. Maybe she could come to Germany with him. Maybe she could study abroad in Germany and they could live together. He knew they were all absurd, but he was desperate. She was in the house, the door was shut, but he couldn’t leave her driveway. His old, brown cowboy boots didn’t move from their spot on the concrete. He couldn’t breathe thanks to the invisible hole in his chest. She was gone….. But then her front door opened.

 

 

She had almost expected him to be gone when she opened the door again. But there he stood, right where she’d left him. She left the door open and ran back outside, falling back into his arms for one last hug.

“Bye Jessey.”

Her words were muffled in his shirt, but she didn’t care. She clung tightly to him.

“Bye Hope.”

He said this into her golden hair and kissed the top of her head. He kissed her one more time before she went into the house, and he spun on his heels and headed for his truck. This wasn’t over. He knew she would be at that airport in a few hours. He knew that goodbye would be a thousand times harder than the one they had just endured. But this wasn’t over. He would marry that girl someday.

 

 

Author's Note

for those of you who think you've read it before, i did write a poem about this. i just turned it into a more detailed story.

Reviews

[Topaz]

What a warm happy story, thanks for sharing.

[Sherbs Dreaming Tree Of..]

I loved this :)

[Lucas Grasha]

this was truly beautiful

[Jim Parson]

Hmmm...I KNOW I've read this before! it's a good story and well written, Heather, but the other is by far my favorite of the two. The revolving points of view in this one are really hard to follow. That's the only real problem I have with it, but it's a big one. It actually feels like you wrote it that way intentionally, but if so, it isn't working for me at all. It's just confusing. But as always, your descriptions and your character development are fabulous and your command of the language and style are terrific!

[Coyote Poetry]

I like this story also. I swear I read this once before. The other story is my favorite. This is very good also. I was station in Germany when I was 18-21 years old. I know the feel of this story. Leaving for three years can make goodbyes and hellos very hard. A very strong ending. A outstanding story.
Coyote