I feel dizzy in the euphoria that is the lake's water. The cool waves lap over my shoulders as the sunlight catches in my blonde locks, its heat pressing kisses all over my skin, as if it were my frenzied lover that hadn't seen me in weeks. And I feel something inside me, as I watch the wavering foliage of the trees scattered around the lake with another gust of wind, something that I've never felt before. Something that tugs my cheeks and forces me to smile. Something that has my stomach bubbling and my heart skittering. Something that makes me . . . whole.

"Bliss, are you even listening?"

I glance up. I see Ana, a few feet away from me in the water. With her blue hair, it looks as if the water is gaining its color by draining it from her luscious locks. There's a smile on her lips, her teeth glimmering between the flush creatures, and I notice the swell of her flush skin that is revealed in the warm weather. I flash her a smile. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Tuning me out?" She suggests. there isn't an accusation in her voice, she's just stating a fact.

I nod, sheepishly. "I'm . .. happy here. Sometimes I get a little distracted because of it."

She smiles. "You're such a little fuck, I swear."

"Ladies and gentleman: Anastasia R-"

"Oh, shut up," she tells me, but her tone is rich in affection and I wonder if she can buy happiness with her words. "I'm worthy of your awe."

"Sure," I say sarcastically.

And that is how we are: flirting and tumbling into something I can't quite yet describe. And I can't help but notice how beautiful she is. But not because of her mesmerizing skin and lavish hair and enchanting eyes; but when she laughs, I feel something in my stomach burn like the moths (because nothing as pretty as a butterfly could reside within me) had caught fire by the mere sound of her voice. She makes me realize that beauty is not how someone looks or seems or is, beauty is a reaction. And I think the way she makes me feel is more gorgeous than any fucking thing I had ever encountered. Ana was beauty.

That's how I found myself, staring at those plush lips stretched into a grin, that I found myself stepping forward slightly. I listen to her breath catch. "Whatg are you doin-"

I kiss her.