LOGAN

The park was empty when we got there, of course it would be at that hour, but I wasn't expecting the fine mist of fog that blanketed the grounds. It draped everything in an eerie aura and made it feel as if Maisy and I were the only two people in the world. I remember wishing for a moment that we actually were, that time would stand still and I'd be stuck forever here in this moment with her.

We walked together in complete silence across the dew covered grass as I let her lead the way over towards a playground set in a large circle of mulch. Maisy went straight towards the swings but I hung back a bit and just watched her, wobbling in her high heeled sandals as she grabbed hold of the metal chains and plopped herself down.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and let out a resigned sigh. Drunk or not, Maisy was tipsy enough for me to know that nothing would be happening between us tonight. It was actually kind of a relief. I wasn't sure what was going on between the two of us, and with Maisy drunk, there was no way I'd be finding out tonight.

"You coming?" she called out over to me, and that was all it took. I ducked my head and jogged over to join her.

When I got there she'd already thrown off her sandals and was sitting on the plastic seat, swaying back and forth, digging her toes into the damp mulch. I sat down on the swing next to hers and adjusted myself, trying to get comfortable. Maisy curled her hands around the metal chains by her face and slowly rocked herself back and forth on her toes.

"What are your plans after graduation Logan?" she asked, staring down at her bare feet.

"I'm gonna work for my dad."

She swept her green eyes up to me and they were wide with surprise. "You're not going to college?"

I shrugged my shoulders, hating that look that everyone seemed to give me when I told them my plans. She wore it then. "I can't afford it just yet. I need to save up for another year and then hopefully I'll be able to go."

She nodded like she understood, but I didn't think a girl like Maisy really could. She had everything at her fingertips and the means to possess it; that wasn't my slot in life. "Where do you wanna go?" she asked and I shrugged again, not really sure.

"I don't know. It depends on what I can afford I guess." I wanted to change the subject; I hated talking about next year because I wasn't looking forward to it like everyone else around me was. I was staying here and had a ways to go before I could get out of this town like the rest of my graduating class.

"What about you?" I asked. "I heard you were going to Berkley."

I didn't mention the fact that I knew Justin went there too; it all seemed complicated now that she told me they'd broken up. And shit, if they were still going to the same college together next year odds are they'd probably end up working things out at some point. I imagined it'd be hard to throw someone away after being together for that long. Honestly though, I didn't know.

But the thought that Maisy would allow herself to get back together with him, kind of sickened me because, frankly, the girl deserved so much more. Just being around her; you could feel it.

Leaning her head up against her hand, she let her hair spill down in front of her face and mumbled again. "That was the plan."

"You don't think you're gonna go to Berkley anymore?"

She tipped her chin up and gazed over at me with a wistful smile. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore," she admitted.

Breaking the moment, she pushed herself back off the ground and let the swing go. As she rose up to the sky, she pointed her toes straight into the air and tipped her head all the way back; I couldn't help but watch her in amazement. The confidence and grace of her movements were mesmerizing, calling my gaze in as she tore through the air.

Everything about this girl was a contradiction. She put on this perfect act at school like she was completely unfazed by things, but that didn't seem to be the case at all. The Maisy before me seemed unsure of herself, cynical, detached even. She seemed broken.

I remember feeling determined to find out why.

"You're not going to swing?" she hollered as she went zooming past me. I shook my head and laughed. I was more interested in watching her.

She'd be leaving soon, probably going off to Berkley, and my chances with Maisy Jacobs were just about up. We'd always had bad timing, and now wouldn't be any different. So I sat on my swing with my feet planted firmly on the ground and took her in as she flew through the sky, memorizing every detail about the moment. The buzzing of the cicadas in the trees around us. The smell of mulch and pine. The large grin that stretched out across her face. And her short denim skirt that kept riding up those perfect thighs as she extended her body back. Her chocolate brown, hair flew out behind her as she went rushing past me; it was a beautiful sight.

She finally dragged her feet on the ground, pulling herself to a jerky stop and laughing as she tried to gain control of her swing. Her chest rose and fell underneath the thin fabric of her tank top and I almost found myself getting sucked into its rhythm as I continued to study her.

"I haven't done that for a long time," she giggled, her laughter tapering off as she stretched an arm up one of the metal chains. "It was fun."

"It looked like it."

We fell silent and Maisy looked up at the stars as I looked at her. It wasn't uncomfortable; in fact it was quite the opposite. It felt good, peaceful even.

"I've been thinking about getting out of here my whole life." She sighed as she looked back over at me, resting her head on the metal chain of her swing. "It's funny how now that it's time, I feel weird about it."

"Weird, how?"

I could see her cheeks color, even in the dim light, as she tipped her head down and her hair fell over her face. "I don't know... Sad, I guess. Or maybe I'm just worried. I may hate this place, but who's to say anything out there will be any better." She tossed her hand out in front of her addressing the world outside of our small town.

"Why do you hate it here so much? That surprises me."

And it did. Maisy was one of the most popular girls at school; she was smart, athletic, and beautiful. High school was a breeze for her. And our town, although lacking a lot, wasn't all that bad either. We had a beach nearby, that was something. There were definitely far worse places to grow up.

Maisy didn't answer my question though. Instead she shot up off the swing, bounced on her toes and reached her hand out to me. "Come on." She smiled, encouraging me to take it.

And what else could I do? I took her hand.

I was surprised at how small it was, almost as if I could wrap my fingers around the entire thing and cradle it there in mine. It felt right and I didn't want to ever let it go. She pulled me away from the swings and over towards the jungle gym, looking back at me over her shoulder smiling. I think I burned that moment into the recesses of my brain-- the sound of her laughter right then. I can recall it every time I shut my eyes.

We ran over to the jungle gym and she let go of me. I didn't want her to, but she did. Curling her fingers around the metal bars in front of her, she hauled herself up the structure, encouraging me to follow her as she nimbly began climbing her way to the top. I tried not to look up her skirt, I really did, but Maisy was just a few feet above me and that damn denim skirt was so short that it was like it was taunting me. At one point I got a flash of her pale, lace panties and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remove the image from my brain before it ruined me for good. An image of Maisy Jacob's ass in lace was like the Holy Grail and I was now a converted believer for life.

She settled herself down on the top bars, swinging her legs over the side of the structure, and balancing herself with her hands. "It's perfect up here, isn't it?" She gazed out over our dark town at the few lights that we could make out from our vantage point, as I tried to get myself comfortable. Then she turned and faced me, flashing that damn disarming smile of hers, and I almost lost my balance there for a second.

"It's peaceful, you know?" I nodded my head in agreement. It was peaceful out here, even with my heart thundering in my chest I could still feel it and knew I'd never look at a jungle gym the same way again because right then it felt as if it were just Maisy and me with the rest of the world beneath us.

"I used to come here all the time when I was a kid." She took in a breath and closed her eyes like she was remembering. "I'd sneak out at night and lie in the grass and get lost in the stars. I loved it here. It was the one place that felt like was all my own."

I was fascinated by this new little of information. The idea of Maisy sneaking out of her house as a kid kind of surprised me; I imagined she had the type of parents who tucked her in at night and checked on her a million times. I wondered why no one ever put a stop to it. But I also loved what it showed me about her, how independent and fearless she was in some ways. It was just another side that I was learning there was to Maisy.

"Why'd you stop coming?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and stared down at her bare feet as they swung below the bars. "I didn't have to sneak out anymore to get here; as I got older I could come any time I wanted." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I guess that sort of took some of the fun out of it."

"And why were you sneaking out in the first place?"

She shrugged again, only this time her shoulders were heavier. "I didn't like being in my house."

I didn't expect that honest of an answer and wasn't really sure what to say. There could be a million reasons why Maisy didn't like being in her house and they all flashed through my head in that moment.

"Why not?"

She hesitated and bit down on her bottom lip, like she was figuring out how to phrase things. Finally she looked up at me from underneath her lashes. "My parents. Things with them aren't good."

It was a vague answer at best and still left more than half my theories standing, but I knew I shouldn't push it. Part of me felt like Maisy would tell me, eventually, in her own time; I could be patient.

"I'm sorry," I told her. "Parents can suck. They can really screw with your head."

She stared over at me and then smiled, nodding her head as she adjusted her hands so she could lean back on the rails. "What about your parents?" she asked. "Have they screwed you up?"

I laughed and nodded my head at the same time. "Most definitely. My parents got divorced when I was thirteen. My mom cheated on my dad with her old high school boyfriend, and then decided to run off with him rather than stick around and be a parent. The last time I saw her was four years ago."

Maisy's smile disappeared. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

I shook my head. "Don't be. My dad's cool. We get along great. I don't have it so bad."

"Is your mom still with that guy-- the high school boyfriend?"

I nodded my head. Yep, they were still together, although I'd never met him. I didn't think I wanted to either. In my mind he was the reason my parents' marriage ended and I had a lot of unresolved issues when it came to him.

"See Logan," the corner of her mouth twitched up. "I told you that love didn't exist."

She was bringing up the conversation we had in my car so long ago, the one that made her ignore me for a year afterwards. I wanted to know why but I was also afraid that I'd scare her off again. "I really must've pissed you off that night."

"What do you mean?"

"After we spoke, things between us changed." I didn't know what possessed me to confront her like this, maybe it's because I knew I might not ever get another chance.

"There was no us to begin with Logan."

She didn't say it rudely; she just stated it like the fact that it was but that didn't lessen the blow. I turned my head away from her and looked out towards town, not wanting her to know how much she affected me.

"We hadn't ever really spoken before that night," she continued, sensing the need to explain herself. We actually had spoken, but I was right in thinking that Maisy didn't remember it. "Nothing changed."

For a second there she had me convinced that she was right, that it was all in my own head, but then I remembered the cold look in her eyes before she'd glance away from me whenever we passed in the halls, or the fact that after that night she'd never stay in the same room that I was in. Something had changed.

I turned back towards her and locked onto her green eyes. "Believe what you want," I whispered, keeping my voice steady. "But we both know that's not true."

She was quiet, staring right back at me as I held her gaze and didn't let it go. I was pushing her now and despite a small part that was urging me to back down, I was glad that I was doing it. I didn't want to back down. Not now.

She was the one who looked away first. Her cheeks colored and she moved her gaze up towards the sky. I watched as she swallowed, her throat tightening as she did. At that moment I was sure that I'd just added the final nail to the coffin of my nonexistent relationship with Maisy. I knew right then that I should've just kept my mouth shut and was already mentally kicking myself for the colossal mistake I had just made.

"I was embarrassed."

Her voice came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. I didn't expect her to respond. Shit, I thought i had permanently blown things by opening my mouth. But I studied her profile as she continued.

"I hadn't planned on saying those things to you that night in your car. I said things to you that I'd never said out loud before." She shook her head and let out a perplexed laugh, but there was an underlying sadness to it. "I don't know why. You must have caught me at a weird moment..." She blinked her eyes shut and gave her head another shake, like it was malfunctioning, before looking over at me again. "I'm sorry how I treated you after that. You were right. Things changed. It was me; I was embarrassed."

I forgave her instantly. There was no way I couldn't. And really, I was just happy she was finally admitting that something had changed that night. I was relieved to finally have it confirmed that I wasn't imagining things. That moment in my car had altered things between Maisy and me and she was finally acknowledging it.

"I wish they hadn't, changed that is," I admitted, catching her eyes and capturing her gaze in my own. "I thought I'd done or said something to piss you off..."

"It wasn't you," she reiterated, reaching out and touching my arm. The connection I felt as she laid her hand on my sleeve sent an undercurrent of longing through me. Maisy quickly pulled back and I couldn't figure out why. Did she feel it too?

Slapping her hand down on the bar next to her, she tucked her fingers around the rung. I could see her knuckles whiten as she squeezed down on the metal. "It's me Logan. I'm screwed up. I do screwed up things. Half the time I'm an emotional basket case." Part of her mouth rose in an attempt at a smile, but it didn't really work.

"It's funny," I told her, "I don't see you that way at all."

Maisy's hair fell in front of her face and her expression was veiled by a wall of chocolate locks. I wanted to know what it looked like, but I fought to hold back my hand, preventing it from reaching out and brushing back her hair to see what she was hiding.

"You don't really know me," she whispered.

"Everyone knows Maisy Jacobs." I let out a short laugh. She joined me but it sounded hollow and phony.

I knew I had to say something else. That last comment made me sound like a dick. So without putting too much thought into it, I said the first thing that came to my head. "But I don't think they do, am I right?"

She adjusted herself and some of her hair fell back, exposing part of her perfectly structured face. There was a sad smile playing at her mouth as she shook her head. "No, they don't."