Chapter Two

The breeze came gently across, carrying with it the fresh scent of moist grass. It rustled the leaves of the huge red gum tree where Landon and I sat. My tour of Buckleberry College seemed to end abruptly when we came outside to the massive north gardens. We sat there talking about kind pleasantries until finally he asked the question I thought no one ever would.

“Are you okay?” he, paused waiting for my response. When none came he continued as the silence dragged on to awkwardness.

“I mean, when I first saw you, you looked like you were crying. And as we went on through the school, it became clear that you were hiding something,” he played with a strand of grass, curling it between his fingers.

“Well…you can say that,” my voice shook. Should I tell him?

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, it’s just…your very easy to read,” Landon turned his eyes on me, watching gently.

“So what am I thinking now?” I asked, attempting to lighten the conversation. I turned and watched a small white, fluffy cloud travelling across the endless blue ocean of the sharp blue sky. The sunshine made everything brighter, leaving all the storm clouds and rain of the past few weeks nothing more than memories. The small cloud looked as if it would never make it across the sky, allowing a piece of shade if it covered the bright sun. Come on, little cloud, you can make it, I thought. Something about that soft, white tuft of evaporated water gave me hope in knowing that eventually it will reach its goal, no matter how long it takes. Because that’s nature, constantly changing and constantly unpredictable.

This quiet and some may say wise thought caused a smile to spread across my face. If something as small as a cloud against an endless ocean can reach the other side, than so can I.

“You’re thinking about hope. About the will of one’s ability to achieve greatness even if it is only surviving your first day of school. And the way you look at the world! Nature is your sanctuary. You see the beauty in every day. You see hope…but you can’t understand why no one else sees things like you…” I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. He looked away, fiddling with the strand of grass, then turned back to me, with a broad smile on his lips.

How could he know that? And just by looking at me! How? Even though I had a million questions running through my mind, it didn’t matter. Because finally, finally someone had actually taken the time to talk to me!

Without thinking, I leaped forwards and into his arms, not realising that I had started crying. He chuckled, his chest vibrating against my forehead. Then he pulled me close and I felt the gentle solid thud of his heart beat.

 “Bu beep, bu beep, bu beep,” why wouldn’t it stop? Things were still dark and fading, but every now and then, I would hear strange noises coming at me all at once. I wasn’t fast enough to process all of them, but I kept getting a really bad feeling in my stomach. It was like that feeling you get before taking a risk but worse, much worse. And I knew why: it was because he wasn’t here, with me. He wasn’t here…

In that moment everything felt perfect, the sunshine between the tress, the soft breeze and his soft gentle voice reassuring all my aching worries.

“Hey, it’ll be alright.” He whispered.

“H-how did you know all that?” I stuttered, still feeling Landon’s heart beat.

“Let’s just say…I’m very experienced,” he took my hand, holding it between his, and then he slipped a hand-made bracelet with white flowers running along it onto my wrist.

“This is a friendship bracelet, keep it until my first day, ok?” he said as if these simple knotted flowers held the biggest secret in the world. Thinking how ironic it was that something so childish could hold so much meaning got me laughing as I said:

“Of course I’ll keep it” I looked up at him, watching those beautiful eyes as he smiled. Landon pulled me into a sitting position and as gentle as a feather, he wiped away my tears using his thumb. My smile faded while I wondered how long I have to wait till he comes to Buckleberry College.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered, holding my face in his hand, I leaned against it, feeling his smooth gentle hands.

“How long?” I whispered back, trying to swallow the growing lump in my throat. He was silent for a minute, thinking things through.

“Not long,” he answered, playing with my wavy brown hair.

“How long?” I asked again. He sighed, looking me in the eye.

“Are sure you want to know?”

“Yes” I persisted. He looked at the friendship bracelet, then back at me.

“Weeks, maybe months,” Landon whispered, looking away.

“Why?” it couldn’t be.

“I’ve got a few things to figure out first.” He continued in a rush of words, watching me.

“But I want you here,” I pleaded, almost in tears, again. I stared at the ground, hiding my face.

“I am here” said Landon, lifting my chin so we stared at each other. He looked me over, from my lips to my eyes. And then, very carefully, he leaned forward, closer, closer. I could feel his breath on my neck, and then his lips kissing mine. I kissed him back. My mind closed off from everything, except this strange yet beautiful sensation.

After a few moments, he leaned back, still holding me. I looked away, slightly embarrassed; this was the first time I had ever been kissed.

“I love you” Landon breathed, pulling me into a hug.

Leaning against his chest I replied “I love you too.”

***

Author's Note

Same as before, critical and honest.
thanks :)

Sunflower

Reviews

[Call Me Blu]

This seems a little fast for this type of event. i think you should maybe build it up more, have them be walking maybe. I do like how this is going and it is all very nice, however you need a little more story to back it up. All in all very nice.
READ, WRITE, REVIEW

[SuicidePact.]

I love love at first site,

[Coyote Poetry]

A very fast pace chapter. Love can come quickly. First site love is just a opening for a possibility of something good. I like the conversation and very strong ending to the chapter. A very good chapter.
Coyote

[Meat of Dog]

I really liked this line a lot: "I turned and watched a small white, fluffy cloud traveling across the endless blue ocean of the sharp blue sky." I feel like you had some really nice descriptions in this chapter. I was really surprised by Landon's spot on answer to what she was thinking! He seems very perceptive and astute.

The romanticism wasn't too fast for me because I remember this kind of thing happening a lot in high school, and even sometimes for young people in college (relationships developing quickly without interfering factors like responsibility and money). My only thing was the quick cut off and pick up between chapters. It was a little jarring. Perhaps show the rest of Landon's tour, or at the beginning of this chapter describe them ending it and sitting down. Make sense?

I really felt for her sadness and loneliness, to which she feels like Landon is the answer. If she considers him the first person ever to listen to her and consider how she is feeling, then naturally she would bond quickly. I like his cool, calmness despite, reassuring her that he is interested, and will be when he starts attending.

Now, despite all of that, the "I love you" bit was quick, at least for him. I could see her saying that she THINKS she might love him, or her bringing up liking him first, but for some reason it feels like he should be a little more reserved because he's the one in control here.

other suggestions:
- So, I just realized something while reading this. I didn't realize before that they were in college. As a college student myself I will shed some light for you. In college they don't send people the the principle's office for two reasons: There isn't a principle the way there is in high school (rather there's the dean who is really busy and you rarely ever see them) and you are paying large tuition to be there. If the professor finds you disruptive in class then he will literally tell you to just leave, and to where is not his concern. You might want to make some slight edits for this fact in chapter 1.

-"He looked away, fiddling with the strand of grass, then turned back to me, with a broad smile on his lips." and then

-"not realising that I had started" realizing