Chapter 19 #2
I wait for Will for so long. Really, really long.
Hours, probably. He doesn’t come back. “I’m going to find him,” I tell the fairies, but they are gone now too.
Where did they go? There are people everywhere.
They are laughing. Everyone is having so much fun!
I love them all. I should talk to them more.
“I love your costume,” I say as I pass people. I stroke their arms. So beautiful.
I find the door and step outside. It’s a magical night.
There are stars and they are so bright. Why am I out here?
I have to find someone. I look around. The lake is lovely, but there is no one in the lake.
There’s a path. I will follow it. I’m in the woods now.
It is dark, but I can see the water on the other side of the trees and the moon on the water is so bright and so beautiful.
I look around. I forget why I’m here. I forget where I am.
I walk for a long time. Everything is sort of shimmery and lovely.
“Ohhhhh,” I breathe. I touch the branches as I pass through them. They tickle. I laugh. “Hello!” I say to no one, but the sound feels nice in my mouth. “Hello! Helllllllllloooo.”
“Oh, hello.” It is a voice. It is a man. I know him. He’s very nice. He looks very beautiful.
“It’s you,” I say. I step toward him. It’s the Shakespeare man.
“What are you doing out here?” He laughs.
“Looking for you?” I think? Someone . . . “But you found me!” I giggle.
“You’re having a good time?” he asks.
“I’m having a beautiful time!” I spread my arms wide over my head and I twirl. He catches me in his arms. “Oh, hi,” I say, surprised. “I remember when you were touching me before,” I say. “That was lovely.”
“Yeah?” he says. He pulls me closer. He kisses me softly on the lips. Oh. It’s not my favorite. “Mira.”
I feel all spinny. “I want to spin!” I break free and start to twirl. He laughs and catches me, and we fall to the ground. He pulls me close again.
“I like you like this,” he says. “You’re delightful.”
“It’s because I’m so re-laxed,” I murmur as he nuzzles me. He kisses me again. He moves his hands on my body and up my dress, the satin slippery on my skin. I push him away, but he laughs and kisses me again, shoving his tongue in my mouth.
“No,” I murmur. I’m not supposed to be here.
“I missed you, babe,” he says. “I want you so bad.”
“But I’m right here,” I say. I feel confused. He has so many hands. “No . . . no, thank you, sir . . .” I don’t know how to stop him. “I don’t like it.” There are hands everywhere. Then there are hands coming out of the air, and—
“What the fuck, dude!” There is another man! Or is it two of the same man? I wonder if maybe I’m drunk. One of the men pulls one of the men off my body and throws him to the ground. “She’s off her tree, she’s blotto.”
“Blotto!” I say. “I forgot I love that word!” I spread my arms overhead. “I’m in the trees!”
The kissing man is standing up and pushing the new man. I know them. They are Will. Are they both Will? I like Will.
“I found her out here alone.”
“You sure took advantage.”
“Back off, man. We’re together.”
“Mira, are you together?”
I look between them. I look so closely. Oh, no.
Nick is here. I do not like Nick. “I do not like Nick,” I say, but I am not sure if my sounds are coming out of my face.
I shake my head. I feel very tired. I look at them again.
One of them is bad. One of them is good. I let the good one take my hand.
“Let’s get you out of here.” We start to walk away, but the bad one grabs the good one and hits his face with a loud smack.
He stumbles back. Now he is bleeding. I don’t like this.
I watch the good one hit the bad one back, and I start to run.
They are fighting and I’m scared now, so I run along the path.
The branches aren’t tickly, they are scratchy, I fall down, and now my arm is bleeding.
I get up and I run and I run. I see light ahead.
Am I dying? I keep running toward the light.
I am not dead, it is a cottage, there is a beautiful moon over the lake.
I need to wash my arm, there is blood running down my arm.
I walk into the moon, it is the lake, my dress floats around me.
I am an angel in the watery moonlight. I am night magic.
I turn around slowly. My arms are clean, the water is lovely.
I am a mermaid! I am a tired water fairy.
I will rest in the water. I will just float for a minute, I will . . .
I feel arms around me, pulling me up. “Jesus, Mira!”
“I’m sleeping.” I’m all mumbly. “I’m the Lady of Shalott in the watery webs.”
“You’re going to drown yourself.” It is the good one.
“I am Juliet,” I say. “Not Ophelia.”
“You’re high and drowning, and you’re still schooling me on Shakespeare.” He laughs a little. He pulls me up and his hair falls off. Now he looks even nicer.
“Your hair fell off,” I mutter. He throws it toward the shore.
“It’s a wig. Not my real hair.” He pulls me to standing.
“Oh, yes.” I put my hands up to his head. “Your real hair is lovely.” I twist it in my fingers. “I like your . . . head . . . and your face . . . and your body . . .”
“Okay, lady, let’s get you out of here.”
“You promised to kiss me,” I say, leaning in and falling against him.
“I did kiss you.”
“I know! I loved it. We should do it again.”
“Not tonight, my friend.”
“Oh.” I sigh. “Another time.”
“We’ll see.”
“I want to,” I murmur. “Promise you will.”
“Uh. You said we shouldn’t . . .”
“Promise!”
“I promise to discuss it when you’re sober.”
“I’m so tired.” I slump forward. He scoops me up in his arms and carries me. “Oh,” I say. “Romeo.”
“I’m Will,” he says. “Not Romeo.”
“No, where is my Romeo?”
“Wherefore . . . art thou Romeo?” He sounds like he’s talking to a child. I’m not a child.
“I came with Romeo. I lost him.” Will smiles. He has a lovely mouth. I reach out a finger to touch it.
“Oh.” He gently pushes my finger aside. “Theo, he’s inside.”
“You’re very strong.” I lay my head against his chest. “I like it.” I close my eyes.
“Okay. Go to sleep.”
“I like you.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Don’t you like me?”
“At this moment?”
“Yeah.” I reach up and touch his face. It feels so nice. It feels familiar.
“I guess I do.”