He stares me down and I keep my gaze steady. Trees sway in the distance and our calm breaths linger in the air before being swept away by an unpredictable yet soft wind. He is waiting for an answer but my lips can’t move fast enough to keep up with my racing thoughts. “Yes, I’m Proud. I’m Proud of my grades. Why shouldn’t I be? I work hard for them, and no one, not even you can make me feel bad about that.”
Steady is my gaze as the surroundings slip away slightly and all I care to see is that lopsided grin, which never leaves his face. I have to concentrate so I don’t give him a smile in return. We stand there behind the school completely cut off from the rest of the world. He’d tracked me down after the last class of the day to play our usual game of cat and mouse, but with us the chaser and the one being chased wasn’t always clear.
“Okay, true. I concede.” He says, throwing his hands up in submission and backing up slightly. I feel the wind change in my direction in accordance. It softly brushes against my cheek but I expect more. He is usually more forceful than that, ever since we were kids he’d never given me a break. I plan to return the courtesy.
“What about you?” I say going on the offensive, taking a few steps in his direction. “You’re probably the most selfish person I know.”
He shrugs in response, “Yeah, I’m Greedy. I want everything I get my hands on, but I call that ambition. And in ten years when all the other good-for-nothings at this school are still flipping burgers, I’ll be living large, chillin’ in my mansion. Don’t be jealous.” He finishes, walking closer, making me give up the ground I had gained. The reassuring breeze I felt before had now shift alliances. His smile is bright, brighter than ever, but I refuse to give in no matter how much I wanted to. And I want to. I really want to.
“I’m not Envious of you.” I say defiantly, hiding everything else I was feeling and the wind picked up, rubbing against my words. He makes a face to return what I said, something of his own on his mind.
“But you are Envious of someone” He says while looking into my eyes capturing me for a moment before I make myself look away. He knows me way too well. “It’s okay though. Envy helps us strive for more.” He says, forgetting our game of cat and mouse for a moment and really seeing me, trying to recapture my attention almost scared that he offended me, but he couldn’t. Not him.
I take comfort in his words and open my mouth to say more only he interrupts me. “Before you try and point out some more of my faults, I might as well confess that I am Lazy. I know that. If I wasn’t, I’d be too stressed from everything high school has to offer.” He says with a knowing look as if he just read my mind. “Don’t play like you’re not Lazy.” He says remembering all the times he’d caught me slacking off in the past.
I unconsciously smile from a memory but snap myself back to the present instantly. Reinstating our game, but switching positions. “What about last year? All those fights you started.” I say grasping at anything and everything I knew about him to throw his way. And trust me, I know everything about him.
Another nonchalant shrug moves his shoulders up and down, but his hands stay firmly in his pockets. “Those douche bags deserved what was coming to them. Yeah, I was Angry. Vengeful even, but like I said those bullies deserved it.”
He walks forward with his words, making me back up to the cold, unyielding brick wall. His presence has an effect on my body that I can’t control. Sometimes I don’t want to control it, but right now I have no idea what to think.
“What about you, little Miss Proud. You shove down food like there’s no tomorrow. Even when we were kids, you were like a vacuum cleaner.” He says smiling down on me, in an endearing yet teasing way.
“That’s called Gluttony, but I can’t help it. I haven’t gained a single pound though. It’s not a bad thing like you’re trying to make it out to be.” I say as he leans in closer to trap me. He lays his forearms against the wall on either side of me, encasing his body around me. There was no more sun, he’d blocked it out. All I could see was him. I look up into his eyes and he knows that he has me.
The breeze picks up, whipping my face into my hair and I finally stop fighting against it. I give in to the whim of the wind. His warm breath glances against my cheek as he moves closer. He wraps his strong, slender arm around my waist and it feels all too familiar. His other hand brushed through my hair as to keep it out of my face.
“I know. Honestly…. It’s one of the reasons I love you.” He says breathlessly so the sound only barely reaches my ears. I can’t believe what I’m hearing but his words ignite something inside of me. As I look up, I give into him. I reach up with my own hands and wrap them around his broad shoulders. I love him. I’ve always loved him, and everything that he is, was, and will be.
I closed my eyes and lightly brushed my lips against his, kissing him more passionately when he responded to my invitation. I don’t know how long we stood there immersed in each other, but I wanted the moment to last forever.