"I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep,
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams."
-Fireflies by Owl City

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

| KENZIE |

I never would've thought finding Lancelot's ticklish spots was so hard. I'd slid my hands over his body repeatedly to find them, but the freak still hadn't laughed out loud, so I thought, "Why not ask him in a seductive tone, Kenzie?"

Luck had been on my side--he'd answered my "innocent" question in a daze! A daze *ahem* I put him in! Truth be told, I'd been surprised I'd "charmed" him so effectively. Maybe he wasn't asexual like I'd thought. He was like putty in my hands. Because of this, I was very proud of myself.

Tee-hee.

Back to the present, Lance and I were walking to "the unknown." He'd told me we'd go to a place where my breath would be taken away. Was Lance talking about a bookstore with many fantasy novels on the shelves?

After a few moments of walking in silence (I'd given up trying to pry out of him on where he was taking me, because he just kept shushing me in return), Lance and I ended up at the Right Pegasus Park; we were the only ones there. Sure, there were tons of lighted street lanterns in the park, but the place was still giving me the creeps. And I should add it was a full moon tonight.

I couldn't help hugging myself.

To make things worse, Lance continued walking to the forest, getting his phone from his pocket to illuminate his way.

What on earth...?

"Nuh-uh, Lance!" I protested. "I am so not following you there!"

"Are you scared?" he simply asked.

"Duh, you freak!" I gazed warily at the tall dark trees. "I'm so scared that I think I'm gonna pee in my panty."

"Please have mercy on the innocent white panty." With the light of the full moon and the street lanterns near us, I could see he was smirking at me. I shot him a scowl of disapproval. "I assure you, Mackenzie, that there are no ghosts in this forest."

Even with Lance's assurance, I couldn't help remembering what Spencer had shared with me the other day: that there was a headless priest lurking at the Left Pegasus Park every full moon. I knew we were at the opposite park, but what if said priest liked to walk around in all of the forest of Weyral like he was window shopping? But I wasn't sure if what Spencer had told me was real anyway.

I gulped nervously while staring at the full moon in the cloudless sky and tried another tactic so that we wouldn't continue where we were going. "But what about elemental beings?"

"I am surprised you believe in fairies and elves and such. Hmm, come to think of it, they say that green eyes are associated with fairies."

"Not really. And I didn't know about the green-eye thingy. But, you know, just to be safe..."

"We could just say 'pardon us' while we're walking in the forest."

LOL, Kenzie, you failed.

I was still rooted in my spot, having second thoughts. "What're you gonna show me, anyway? You can just tell me now." I seriously had no idea what he wanted to show me in the forest at this kind of hour. It was seriously eerie.

Lance frowned. "But I want to show it to you. It's grander if you see it with your own two eyes."

I was silent. He sighed, went back to me, and his left hand gently held my right wrist, making me almost gasp in shock.

"Please don't be scared, Mackenzie," he said, giving me a comforting smile. "I am with you, and I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Whatevs, Lance..." I conceded minutes later, hoping he was unaware of my burning face.

He gave me another smile as I got my phone from my skirt pocket. Then the two of us entered the dark and creepy forest. We directed our phones' flashlights to the ground, so that the chances of us tripping would be slim.

A few steps later, the noise coming from the insects was getting louder. I looked back behind me, not seeing the light from the street lanterns anymore; only darkness.

Lance knew the path by heart. I remembered when he'd emerged from this very forest when Rachel and I had been sitting on a bench on the second day of school.

Right. This forest was his sleeping area.

I cautiously scanned the woods around us. "Lance, if you're going to do something to me here--"

"Eww, yuck, gross!" he exclaimed, cutting me off, then faced me with a frown on his face. "I have told you before that I am a gentleman and that you are not my type, have I not?"

I brushed some stray hair from my eyes. "Just making sure."

"But if you want me to do that to you--"

I slapped Lance on the arm, hard, making him wince.

Moments passed by, and I suddenly realized our hands were now intertwined together; I have no idea how it happened. I suddenly felt butterflies swarming in my stomach. Maybe he didn't realize the current status of our hands. I hoped he wouldn't.

I could hear water streaming ahead of us. Then we emerged on a small clearing, and my jaw dropped to the ground because of what I was currently seeing: fireflies!

Lance turned around with a grin on his face, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Well?"

It took me a few moments to say something. "Why...why are there fireflies here?" I was baffled. "I thought they avoided Colorado because of its dry climate."

"Wrong. Fireflies can be found in natural water areas, like this small stream here, that are not populated with too many people." He paused. "And if you look in the right places, I suppose. Fireflies need humidity, areas where there is lots of water and moistured woods."

The fireflies were putting on a spectacular light show. Because of this, it looked like every tree and bush was strung with thousands of Christmas lights. I couldn't help but stare in awe. Lance was right--where we were took my breath away.

"Does this mean fireflies are more active after rainfall?" I asked.

"Yes, because they only lay eggs in the water."

Remembering something about wishes all of a sudden, I told Lance, "I read in a book before that when you catch a firefly in your hand and start counting to ten, and it flashes five times before you're finished counting, make a wish. After that, you let the firefly go."

His eyebrows arched. "Really? Should we try to catch fireflies? But we did not bring a net with us."

"No need for a net." I opened my palm, and one firefly landed on it, its light a soft yellow. I smiled smugly at him.

"But that is not catching," he protested.

I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you have a firefly in your hand."

"It must be a male firefly and it's attracted to your beauty," Lance mumbled.

I motioned for him to open his palm. He did so, and in a matter of seconds a firefly landed on his palm, too.

"It must be a female firefly and it's attracted to your beauty," I said, then we laughed.

We looked at our fireflies and started counting to ten. Before we could finish counting, they flashed five times but not at the same time.

Lance and I looked at each other, grinning. Lucky!

We were silent again as we made our wishes. I'm not sure if it's real, but it was rare to see fireflies in Colorado, so why not make the best of it, right?

Closing my eyes, I wished I'd be able to let my feelings for Brandon go and move on. I didn't want to live in the past anymore. I knew the journey to moving on would be hard, but I had to believe that I could reach the end of it.

And maybe find someone along the way who I'll fall in love with and he'll return the feeling mutually and honestly.

After making my wish, I opened my eyes and gasped. The fireflies were now circling around Lance and me. The firefly on his palm joined them.

Lance looked at the firefly on my palm with a small smile tugging his lips. "By the way, did you know that fireflies emit light to fall in love?"

Shocked at this fact, I shook my head.

He gazed around us. "Fireflies 'talk' to each other using light signals. What we are witnessing right now--it's not a light show to entertain us. Actually, we are eavesdropping on the firefly signal bar."

I wasn't following him. "Um, meaning...?"

"Fireflies emit light to attract mates," Lance explained. "Each of them has its own pattern of light flashing."

"So all of these fireflies are announcing that they're single and available?" I clarified.

He chuckled. "Something like that, yes." The firefly on my palm transferred to his. "Male fireflies flash a specific pattern to announce their availability to receptive females."

Another firefly (maybe it was a female firefly) landed on my opened palm. I smiled at it.

"Then an interested female will reply and help the male firefly locate her where she's perched." Lance took a step toward me. I gazed up at him, and then our eyes met. His chocolate-brown eyes were illuminated by the fireflies' lights. Mine, too, I'm sure.

I just noticed how close we were now.

The fireflies on our palms flew away together.

"I think we helped the soulmates find each other," I said softly, barely loud enough to hear, still staring in the direction where the two fireflies had flown away.

"I think so, too," Lance whispered back. I could feel his piercing gaze was still on me.

Suddenly, my heart started thumping almost wildly, and I became conscious with myself by his stare. I unconsciously rubbed my hands up and down my arms.

I heard a rustling of fabric before feeling an article of clothing drape over my shoulders. Huh?

Turning to Lance, he was in his long-sleeved polo shirt. "To make you warm a little," he said.

"Th-thanks," I said, blushing and smelling his foresty and fruity cologne from the blazer. He'd mistakenly thought I was feeling cold. I didn't correct him, though, because it did feel warm a little, and I liked the feeling.

Since we were all alone here, I felt it was the perfect time to ask him one of the questions that'd been on my mind for months. "Lance?"

"Yes, Mackenzie?" Most of the fireflies were starting to fly to nowhere now.

"W-what's a demiromantic?" I hesitantly started. Answer my question, Lance, please!

His face fell all of a sudden. "Who told you about that?"

"I heard Cindy saying it one time..." I looked away, back to the fireflies. Was he angry that I'd asked him that?

"Why don't you just Google it?"

"I always forget about it. There's no signal here, so I can't search it right now." Maybe I'd made him angry with my question. Or pissed off. Guilt was starting to get to me.

"Search it later, then."

My lips formed a thin line.

After minutes of uncomfortable silence, I was about to say sorry when Lance answered, causing me to stare at him again. "A demiromantic is a person who experiences romantic attraction after a strong emotional connection with the person is formed."

My mind processed this new information. "Like, you should get to know the person really well if you want to have a romantic relationship with her?"

"Yes."

I shouldn't have asked him, but I still prodded, "Do you sometimes think you're a demiromantic?"

"I do not know. All I know is that, like Mycroft Holmes, I see in my future I will never have children." From his stance, he was starting to get uncomfortable.

"What does that have to do with being an aromantic?" Oh, gods. Why can't you shut your mouth, Kenzie?

"I need to concentrate on music. Love is a distraction anyway." He sighed wearily. "Look, Mackenzie, maybe I am a demiromantic. Maybe not. Or maybe I am currently having an identity crisis, which, according to the brilliant Erik Erikson who coined the term, is a turning point in one's life that may either weaken or strengthen personality."

"I-I'm sorry, Lance," I said truthfully. "For asking you those questions. Curiosity got the better of me. I'm sure many people have asked you those same questions before, and I'm sure you don't like it when people doubt your romantic orientation."

Lance cocked his head to the side a little, then said eventually, "Let me be honest with you, Mackenzie: what I told you is the truth. I always say I am an aromantic, but deep inside I am not sure. It's hard to...explain. I cannot even put it into words. It's a confused feeling. But I really do want to believe I'm an aromantic, because things will be easier that way. Romantic love has caused many problems in this world; on an external level, it has driven people to murder; it could even start wars; on an internal level, it can make a person depressed and commit suicide. It is a dangerous emotion to have."

My head told me I should've been agreeing with him, but I went with what I was feeling in my heart and asked, "Why are you concentrating on the negative things, Lance?"

The heck, Kenzie! You're being a hypocrite!

Lance was gazing at me intently when I asked him that last question. The expression on his face was unreadable. My heart was going thumpthumpthump again, only this time it was significantly faster. Why...why was I feeling this way? Was it from nervousness? Or was it from another reason? I honestly didn't know.

The erratic beating of my heart ended when Lance sighed again, his gaze on the ground, my question left unanswered. "We should head back now. It is almost seven-thirty. I do not want Rachel to worry."

Strangely relieved and disappointed at the same time, I said, "Sure..."

There was no holding hands when we made our way back to the music building.

I was strangely relieved and disappointed about that, too.

For some reason, while getting our things from the front desk, I couldn't help hoping that Lance was a demiromantic and not an aromantic.

And that, someday, he'd fall in love with a person who loved him back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonus Chapter: Karaokeing

[Inside a private karaoke room]

Rachel positioned the mic in front of Lance's mouth. "You're the last person left, Lance."

Suddenly, Spencer, Eunice and Cindy looked panicked.

"Rachel, I th-think it's best to l-leave Lance out of this," Spencer stammered.

Lance scowled at his best friend, but didn't say anything.

Dee nodded vigorously. "Spence's right, Chel. 'Sides, Lance doesn't do this kind of thing."

"I seconded!" Nis exclaimed, then paused. "Or thirded...?"

Lance snorted. "The three of you are being rude to me." He accepted the mic from Rachel's hand. "It's not like it is going to rain or something."

"Guys, let's just chill, 'kay?" Chel happily said.

"We're not gonna chill anymore after this," Spence said.

Chel was baffled. "What do you mean?"

Kenzie, on the other hand, was excited. "I can't wait to hear you sing, Lance!"

"Same!" Chel seconded.

"You'll regret it later," Nis mumbled.

"Huh?" Kenzie and Chel asked at the same time.

"Ignore them, please," Lance said, then grinned. "You will bow down to me after this."

Spence whimpered. "I wanna go home now. I didn't bring my earplugs or earphones!"

"Same here," Nis said dejectedly.

Dee calmly put her earphones in her ears. "Sorry, but for now I'm not gonna share my stuff." Then she beamed. "Well, good luck to you all."

"Traitor!" Nis and Spence shouted in unison.

Chel crossed her arms. "Seriously, why're you three..." Then something in her mind finally clicked. "Wait, don't tell me...?"

Meanwhile, Kenzie was busy attending the karaoke machine, so she didn't hear what the four were saying. "I want to be the one to pick what you're gonna sing, Lance." She pressed three buttons on it, then music started blasting from the speakers.

"Seriously, Mackenzie, of all songs?" Nis shrieked.

"Why, Nis? There's nothing wrong with this song."

"The song's not the problem," Spence murmured.

"Ah. I believe I've heard this song before," Lance said, still grinning like a kid. "And you three are just overreacting ." He stood up from the chair and then placed the mic in front of his mouth, preparing himself to sing the song.

~ After a moment ~

"I AM TITAAAANIIIIIUUUUMMMMM! I AM TITAAAANIIIIUUUUUMMMMMMM!" Lance was belting out the lyrics.

"LANCE, PLEASE STOP NOW!" Kenzie and Chel yelled, still covering their ears with their hands.

Spence, Nis and Dee cried, "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Hi, friends! I'm very sorry that this update has taken so long. College schist and writer's block haha. Though I hope this can still count as a Valentine's special. As you've noticed, I played around with the new multimedia feature of Wattpad hihi. And I really had to include that gif in the center of the chapter haha! Just imagine those "glowing butterflies" are fireflies. XD

If you're still reading this story even when the updates are infrequent, I just wanna say thank you so, so much for your patience and support! I love you all. <3