No Other Place I Could Be, Prose by Braden Kane
“No but I really shouldn’t,” I said, looking out towards the window with a wince. It was bright, radiant, out and the Sun’s beams were beating on my retinas like they owed the Sun money. In other words, going outside at this moment would be acutely miserable.
Of course, that would be the kind of weather someone like Lucian enjoys.
“I have a paper to do.” In reality it was due a few days away, but I should do it earlier rather than later. Or, at least, get some rest so that maybe I could do it tomorrow. Maybe.
“C’mon Connor, do you even know how often we get perfect days like these around here? Or how little, I should say,” Lucian said, his smirk dripping with the usual charm that got eyes to look his way. His perfect teeth and warm, brown eyes were trying their best to put up a competition with the light outside. It was all exhausting for me. I should have got more sleep last night, but it’s also the fact that I knew standing next to him would mean I would be seen. We weren’t a match. Even he could tell, eyes wandering down to my pale skin. “Actually, don’t answer that. But opportunities like these don’t pop up as much as your papers do! C’mon, there’s even a nice breeze out today. Please?”
I blink away my disorientation as he stood up and turned the lights on, the image of my messy apartment flashing into existence. There were some more things to do: some of my work socks crumpled in a pile by my work shoes, a few wrappers littered across the carpet, and what appeared to be a small hill of crushed beer cans from my roommate. Even Lucian winced a bit at that sight.
I shook my head though when he gave me his usual look. I can barely handle the conflict Zack and I have. I…I don’t know if I could handle putting the weight of living with me onto someone like Lucian. Can’t even bare to think about what’s bound to happen when I do.
I sigh, “Lucian, honestly work took a toll on me last night. I just don’t want to do anything.” I looked away from him and the window, away from the light and towards the hallway to my room. “I think I need some me time.”
“Yeah?” Lucian said, his hands shocking my own as he gripped them. His hands were warm, olive skin slightly rougher than my own. “What does your schedule look like today?”
Guilt gnaws at my chest a little bit. Today was one of my more free days, if you didn’t count the assignments looming overhead. I should be doing something. Some of my hair falls across my vision as I force myself to meet his gaze.
“Pfft.”
He blinks, “Wha? What are you laughing at?”
“You got a ring for me?”
He looks down at himself as if just noticing how he was on one knee, with my hand in his. This somehow only feeds his smirk. “Oh yeah, whatchu want? Diamond, sapphire, emerald? We can nab one while we’re out, you’ll just have to cough up some cash.”
Lucian stood up, cracking his back with one arm, his other hand pinching imaginary dough. I look down.
I run one thumb over the other, “I need rest too, y’know?” I could certainly fall asleep right now, but I even I know that won’t stop me from being tired like I was.
“I get that, I truly do but trust me. We can stop at any time, and,” he winks, “Where we’re going there’s no people to interrupt one’s alone time.”
Okay, putting aside whatever the hell that meant, maybe I should go outside. I could have a reason to not do my paper then, and something, something vitamin D.
“…fine. Let me brush my teeth though, before I forget.”
Lucian opened his mouth wide, no doubt about to mention the time. Then he slowly shut it and put a finger to his lower lip, looking down. “Oh yeah, you should, like, totally do that.”
It was loud here, out among the grass and nature-stuff. I made sure to tell Lucian that when we first got here but he just rolled his eyes. It was late August, what were the cicadas doing here?
It was nice out though. I will admit that. It’s warm but not hot and the breeze hit the skin nicely from atop of Lucian’s car, though my hair did fall into my face whenever I moved my head from where I specifically had it. The grass danced around us before giving way to lumbering oak and tree and a stream hidden by steep banks.
He was also wrong on the no people thing. I’ve counted three cars and a truck to have driven on the gravel road behind us, with the truck slowing down and the man inside giving us a skeptical look. Lucian hollered something at him, causing the man to holler back something a little more unkind.
The old man’s voice hurt my ears and the metal of the car hood below really wasn’t as comfy as my bed back home, as old as that thing may be. And the weight of my paper, assignments, and responsibilities still pressed against my chest, as always. But as I watched the old man drive away and saw the way Lucian’s jaw let some tension ease under his beard and let the chorus of cicadas, crickets, and the occasional bird wash over him I felt something weird in my chest.
Wind whipped my own hair into my face and something tickled my hand and drew my attention. A butterfly with beautiful blue wings. I’d normally squeal and jump off the vehicle if I had a bug on me, but this time I had an epiphany and closed my eyes, letting the world wash over my face as well.
“I have nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Braden Kane is a Creative Writing/English major. He loves to write fiction with human characters and to experiment with poetry. He would also love to read, but with his school work he has built up quite the backlog.