Presley

We ended up back at the big park, and walked through the area lined with trees to get through to where we had sat, that first day we met. I told her it was Our Spot now, and I think she liked that. It was a bit busy - some kids on scooters and skateboards, using the bowl and the half pipe - so we walked up to the side and sat on the bench, a few feet away. It was just starting to get dark and the huge flood lights were on now, lighting up the area. I liked everything about sitting there with her, seeing how she watched what was going on around us. Everything seemed new and exciting to her, and I hated that she'd been so sheltered. But I had been, too. At least for three years.

   "Will you play me a song, sometime?" she asked, surprising me, a few minutes after we sat down.

   "Yeah, I will. I'll play you a million songs," I told her, linking my hands with hers again.

   "Do you know a million songs?" she asked, then laughed, leaning in to put her head on my shoulder.

   I kissed the top of my head, because I could. Because she was my girl, even if we hadn't talked about it. I wanted to kiss her mouth and her neck and everywhere else, but I sighed, tilting my head against hers.

   "I know a lot of songs," I said. "And I will take requests."

   Suddenly I thought about the coffee shop gig that I would be playing, the following day. I didn't think - at all - before I asked her, "Can you come to see me play at the Starlite cafe tomorrow?"

   She hesitated and I quickly realized that I couldn't ask her things like that. I had to think first, and figure out if it was feasible before putting her in that position. She wasn't allowed to just casually go to a coffee shop to watch a boy play music.

   "Where's that?" she asked, instead of saying no.

   "Near the strip mall, where Trader Joe's is?"

   "Oh. Yeah, um, tomorrow?"

   I knew she was just avoiding telling me that she couldn't go. How was she going to come and see me play a gig when she wasn't allowed to go out? I wanted to know why was she even playing by her parents rules at all?

   "Yeah, it's at 2P.M.," I said, hating the tension between us now.

   "My parents are home then," she said, and it came out so calmly that I knew it was drilled into her head.

   She couldn't go out - unless she was with Yasmin - pretty much ever. The fact that she was sitting there with me on a bench at a skate park was probably terrifying for her. I had lost a lot of time being a teenager, because I was sick. But I had free reign of my life, now. I was even thinking about moving away for college. Magnolia had her life planned out for her and she was scared to falter from the plan, even a little.

   "Right. It's okay," I said quickly, so she knew I wasn't upset about it.

   She sighed, but didn't move. Her head was pressed against my shoulder and our hands were connected - everything about this moment was perfect to me. I wanted her to come and watch me play music, but it could wait. It had to. I heard a little boy crying, across the park. He was on the ground, and his mom - I presumed - was jogging towards him. A few more boys - his friends, maybe? - were crowding around. I watched until he was standing again, and it seemed okay.

   "I could tell my mom I'm studying at Yasmin's..." Magnolia spoke again, but she sounded unsure. I hated that she always sounded so hesitant.

   "If you don't want to lie to your parents, you shouldn't," I said without thinking. One of my flaws was that I said things before thinking it through.

   She lifted her head and looked at me. Her eyes were dark and her expression sad. "I don't want to be stuck in their prison of a house when there's a whole world out here for me," she said, totally serious. "With you."

   I kissed her, because it felt like exactly what I had to do. I felt obligated to make things better for her. Seeing her sad was breaking my heart. This girl was right there, with me. We had met for a reason and now we had to lie to be together? It wasn't fair.

   "Magnolia... I promise I want to be with you as often as I can. I want to make you feel special, and I want to give you the world," I whispered as I slowly pulled away from her lips.

   She had tears in her eyes when they met mine again. "Then I have to lie."

   "If you can't come, it's okay. I play twice a month. There will be other times," I said, again just to let her know she didn't have to do it if she wasn't comfortable.

   It was getting dark now, and because it was windy, it was a bit cold. I wished I had my car. I wished I didn't freak out and leave my house like I did. I knew what I had to do now but I didn't really want to do it.

   "I'll try," she whispered, and I nodded, because that was enough.

   "I'm going to call my mom," I told her a few minutes later. Her head popped up again, and she was looking at me skeptically. "I don't have my car and I don't really want to walk all the way home."

   Magnolia looked panicked and sat and straight up, suddenly, blinking a few times. Her lashes were so long. Her eyes were so pretty, even though she looked completed freaked out for some reason.

   "What?" I asked, confused, reaching for her hand again.

   She offered it, but sighed. "You want to go home?"

   "No. I don't want to go anywhere. I just meant... after I take you home." I didn't want to take her home, either. I wanted to stay wherever she was.

   "Oh."

   "We can stay here for hours, if you want to," I tried to reassure her.

   She shifted and bit and I noticed she sort of wrapped her arm around herself. "You're cold?"

   Magnolia sighed again. "I should have brought a sweater."

   I didn't have anything to offer her since I was in a t-shirt and I hadn't thought this through, at all. If I had my car, we would have been fine. I didn't know how to be a good boyfriend. I didn't know how to do any of this, especially since it was all new for her. But I knew that she wanted more time together and that was all I needed, for now.

   "We could go to my house," I said slowly. "And I can drive you home later?"

   Now, getting her to my house felt like the only important thing. Her house was off limits for us. Even if her parents weren't there, she was worried about neighbours and people seeing her with a boy. At my house, we would be safe and warm and together. No one would judge us there. There was no chance of her parents finding out.

   She was considering this but I could tell she was still unsure. It was after 9pm but I knew her parents would be gone all evening. I could get her home at midnight and no one would ever know. I wanted her to say yes, so badly. Please say yes.

   "Okay. Yeah," she finally said the words I wanted to hear.

   "Yeah? My mom's sort of over the top, but I promise she will love you." Was love too strong of a word? What was I thinking saying that?

   "You don't think we are moving too fast?" she asked, instead of saying anything about my mom. The expression on her face was too serious.

   My face must have scrunched up at the question because she giggled a moment later, which made me grin. Now it was my turn for a sigh.

   "I don't think we are moving fast enough," I said slowly, then leaned in close and pressed a kiss to her nose. "But what do I know?"

   "Presley... I'm serious." She was smiling, though. I loved that I could make her smile.

   "I am, too," I told her, totally serious. "But you're the one who calls the shots. You tell me. Too fast? We'll slow down."

   She gave me this real, true smile and then nodded. "You're so sweet."

   "So you tell me." I smiled at her and then pulled out my cell phone.

   "Okay. Your house," she agreed, once again.

   My mom answered her cell phone after two rings. I hadn't been expecting her to be worried about me, though.

   "You've been gone over three hours and your car is here," she snapped. "You didn't answer my text."

   "Thanks for the run down," I answered, then laughed. "I'm fine. Sorry. Um, can you come get us?"

   "Us? Who's us? And where are you?" Her voice didn't sound as worried now, but it was surely a bit annoyed.

   "Me and Magnolia. We are at High Park. But like you said, I don't have my car."

   "Presley, you walked to High Park?" She was so surprised that it was almost comical. I was surprised she didn't say anything about Magnolia.

   "Yes. Can you come, or-" I said, but she didn't let me finish.

   "I'll be there in five."