The warm June night sent Jodi outside in high spirits. She settled herself on the garden wall with a small piece of paper and a pen. What she was about to write, she didn’t know. She knew though, something would pop up quickly and with a matter of minutes she would have a poem. Most likely about Sean.
The loud laughter of small children echoed through the city blocks yet Jodi was lost in her own thoughts not to hear footsteps approaching behind her.
‘What you got there?’ The question sent her flying off the wall onto the soft grass below. She jumped to her feet startled at the shadowy figure in front of her. Sean took one more step into the light, revealing himself to her. Jodi’s face turned from startled to pure joy. She walked up to him, getting as close as he permitted her to.
‘You came!’ She choked up the words.
‘Not for long’ He explained. ‘I have to get enough sleep. My flight is early tomorrow.’
‘I understand’ Jodi nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. Sean strained a smile, how glad he was to leave. His mother sent him here to say goodbye in person to her. ‘She loves you’ She told him with a compassionate look. ‘You might as well leave her happy.’ Sean groaned at his persuasive mother.
‘Will you visit me as soon as you get back?’ Jodi asked hopefully.
Sean looked away from her, he decided not to say anything about the flat with the band mates. So what was he to tell her now?
‘Of course’ He lied.
‘Oh Sean!’ She stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling her face in his chest. ‘I’ll miss you so much.’
How glad he was that none of his friends were here to see a child show so much affection to him.
‘I’ll see you soon’ He tried to assure her, but the words came out flat and fake. Jodi looked up at him, tearfully. She dreaded this night, where he would leave her…maybe forever.
‘I will wait for you’ She quoted the popular line of her romance novels.
Sean looked at her amused.
‘Then I will know where to find you’ He replied cheekily.
‘Sean!’ She cried out. ‘Why can’t you see that I love you!’
Her words were so forward it made him blush. Why was he blushing? A grown man doesn’t blush! A 16-year-old man doesn’t blush!
‘You don’t love me’ He said quietly. ‘It’s just your imagination, Jaba.’
Jodi stared at him with so much hope in her eyes, he pitied her. Silence fell between them, only making way for her opportunity. Impulsively, she leaned up on her toes and planted an urgent kiss on the side of Sean’s mouth. Swearing under his breath, he pulled her arms of him and stepped back.
‘I’m sorry’ She said quickly, realizing what a mistake she just made. ‘I-I shouldn’t have…’
‘You’re right’ He agreed. ‘You shouldn’t.’
For the first time, she looked away from him, feeling ashamed of herself.
‘I have to go’ He said finally. He stepped closer to her and brought her chin up to look at him. ‘Friends?’
‘But I don’t want to be just your friend!’ She burst out again and once again felt ashamed. ‘But I have to’ She added after meeting his silence. ‘For now’
‘A kiss good bye?’ He proposed, feeling confident with himself at the sight of Jodi’s shameful glances. Her head jerked up with a smile. With her eyes tightly closed and lips puckered, she leaned forward. Sean brushed his lips softly on her cheek. When her eyes opened he was already halfway down the block, disappearing into the night for a long time.
‘Sean Conlon’ She said to herself in a whisper. ‘You’re going to be mine.’
