see the world, literally.”
I shrug it off. She’s my world, but of course, those words never leave my mouth.
“Here is just fine,” I say, instead.
She looks at me with a half-questioning look, and then she leans my way and rests her head on my chest.
I almost stop breathing. I wasn’t expecting that. I try to calm myself as she wraps her arm around me.
“I’m glad you always forgot your lunch,” she whispers.
I smile into the gentle breeze. “I’m glad you always brought yours.”
I hear her laugh softly, as she nuzzles more into my chest. And I pray that she doesn’t hear my wild heartbeat. And I pray, too, that that full moon has a hard time finding the sun on the other side of the world—because I’m okay with this night lasting a little while longer.
E ben: You awake?
Vannah: Yep
Eben: Did you get in trouble with your parents?
Vannah: No. They didn’t even notice.
Eben: How? It’s 3 a.m.!
Vannah: I said I was with you.
Eben: I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about that.
Vannah: Oh, don’t worry. They still think you’re sexy. They just trust you.
Eben: That’s weird.
Vannah: Lol!
Vannah: I had fun tonight.
Eben: Me too.
Vannah: I can’t sleep. Will you tell me a story??
Eben: About what?
Vannah: Anything
Eben: Okay
Eben: Once upon a time, there was this boy, and one day, he met this beautiful girl, with long blond hair and a pretty nice butt.
Vannah: :)
Eben: And turns out, this girl could grant one wish to the boy.
Vannah: A wish-granting girl? Like a genie?
Eben: Yeah. But just one wish. Not three.
Vannah: Eben??
Eben: To be continued...
Vannah: Okay, fine! Good night, E.
Eben: Sweet dreams, V.
Chapter Ten
Savannah
(Sixteen Years Old)
Day 4,028
“E ben.”
I tap on his window. The room is completely dark, and his blinds are closed. I can’t see anything.
“Eben,” I whisper. I tap some more.
All of a sudden, the blinds lift, and there’s a dark figure in the window.
“Vannah?”
“Shh.”
“What are you doing?” He acts as if he’s whispering this time, but I can’t really hear him. I can only read his lips.
“Hold on,” he mouths.
He leaves the window, and a few moments later, I hear his front door squeak open.
I shimmy out of the peony bushes and head to the front porch. But I stop when I see him.
He’s just standing there. He’s barefoot, shirtless. The only thing clinging to his skin is an old pair of black sweatpants.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
His laughter breaks my concentration on his shirtless self. And I must be giving him a funny look because now he’s wearing a playful smile.
“What?”
“You’re cute.” I just say it, matter-of-fact.
He smiles. It’s bashful, but I expected that.
“Okay...thanks?”
I nod and smile, too.
“Vannah, it’s midnight.”
“Yeah, but it’s Saturday.”
He seems to think about it and then nods. “Okay, yeah, you’ve got a point.”
We stand there for a moment, staring at each other. I think he’s waiting on me to tell him the plan for tonight. But I don’t really have a plan. And the longer we stand here, the more I think he realizes that.
“Come to the dock with me.”
He lowers his head. I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. “All right.”
He turns back and closes the door and then makes his way down the porch steps, still barefoot, still shirtless.
“Do you really think I’m cute?”
I nod. “Yeah. I think so.”
His soft chuckle fills the space between us.
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
I laugh, partially because he has this new air of confidence, all of a sudden.
“I mean, I see you every day, and I see...you,” I say. “I just think I rarely stop to see what body you’re in.”
“So, I’m in a good body?”
“Yeah. You’re in a good body.”
He smiles proudly.
We get to the dock and walk to the end of it, and then we both just stop and stare out into the water.
“You think
I shrug it off. She’s my world, but of course, those words never leave my mouth.
“Here is just fine,” I say, instead.
She looks at me with a half-questioning look, and then she leans my way and rests her head on my chest.
I almost stop breathing. I wasn’t expecting that. I try to calm myself as she wraps her arm around me.
“I’m glad you always forgot your lunch,” she whispers.
I smile into the gentle breeze. “I’m glad you always brought yours.”
I hear her laugh softly, as she nuzzles more into my chest. And I pray that she doesn’t hear my wild heartbeat. And I pray, too, that that full moon has a hard time finding the sun on the other side of the world—because I’m okay with this night lasting a little while longer.
E ben: You awake?
Vannah: Yep
Eben: Did you get in trouble with your parents?
Vannah: No. They didn’t even notice.
Eben: How? It’s 3 a.m.!
Vannah: I said I was with you.
Eben: I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about that.
Vannah: Oh, don’t worry. They still think you’re sexy. They just trust you.
Eben: That’s weird.
Vannah: Lol!
Vannah: I had fun tonight.
Eben: Me too.
Vannah: I can’t sleep. Will you tell me a story??
Eben: About what?
Vannah: Anything
Eben: Okay
Eben: Once upon a time, there was this boy, and one day, he met this beautiful girl, with long blond hair and a pretty nice butt.
Vannah: :)
Eben: And turns out, this girl could grant one wish to the boy.
Vannah: A wish-granting girl? Like a genie?
Eben: Yeah. But just one wish. Not three.
Vannah: Eben??
Eben: To be continued...
Vannah: Okay, fine! Good night, E.
Eben: Sweet dreams, V.
Chapter Ten
Savannah
(Sixteen Years Old)
Day 4,028
“E ben.”
I tap on his window. The room is completely dark, and his blinds are closed. I can’t see anything.
“Eben,” I whisper. I tap some more.
All of a sudden, the blinds lift, and there’s a dark figure in the window.
“Vannah?”
“Shh.”
“What are you doing?” He acts as if he’s whispering this time, but I can’t really hear him. I can only read his lips.
“Hold on,” he mouths.
He leaves the window, and a few moments later, I hear his front door squeak open.
I shimmy out of the peony bushes and head to the front porch. But I stop when I see him.
He’s just standing there. He’s barefoot, shirtless. The only thing clinging to his skin is an old pair of black sweatpants.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
His laughter breaks my concentration on his shirtless self. And I must be giving him a funny look because now he’s wearing a playful smile.
“What?”
“You’re cute.” I just say it, matter-of-fact.
He smiles. It’s bashful, but I expected that.
“Okay...thanks?”
I nod and smile, too.
“Vannah, it’s midnight.”
“Yeah, but it’s Saturday.”
He seems to think about it and then nods. “Okay, yeah, you’ve got a point.”
We stand there for a moment, staring at each other. I think he’s waiting on me to tell him the plan for tonight. But I don’t really have a plan. And the longer we stand here, the more I think he realizes that.
“Come to the dock with me.”
He lowers his head. I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. “All right.”
He turns back and closes the door and then makes his way down the porch steps, still barefoot, still shirtless.
“Do you really think I’m cute?”
I nod. “Yeah. I think so.”
His soft chuckle fills the space between us.
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
I laugh, partially because he has this new air of confidence, all of a sudden.
“I mean, I see you every day, and I see...you,” I say. “I just think I rarely stop to see what body you’re in.”
“So, I’m in a good body?”
“Yeah. You’re in a good body.”
He smiles proudly.
We get to the dock and walk to the end of it, and then we both just stop and stare out into the water.
“You think
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