October Friday, 7th, 2016

Aquarius woke up around 2:00 in the morning. She sighed and went to finish the work she started.

15 minutes in and her phone buzzes, signalling a text message. She goes and gets her phone and sits back down in her chair at her desk.

It was Justin.

Justin
You up?

Aquarius
Yeah...

Justin
Oh shit! I didn't think you were up. Are you doing work? Or couldn't sleep?

Aquarius
Lol. Both.

Justin
You almost done?

Aquarius
I guess....Why?

Justin
Idk. I was wondering if you wanted to go out to the field again? If you want?

Aquarius
At 2 in the morning?

Justin
Sure, why not? Come on. You said you couldn't sleep.

Aquarius
Ok, ok. Give me 30-40 minutes.

Justin
See you then. 😁

Aquarius
😊

So, Aquarius finished her work and drank some water in the process.

30 minutes later she snuck downstairs. The lights were off and her mother was in bed. She quietly opened the door, and closed it. When she turned around she saw a truck and Justin leaning on it. He's wearing a jacket and what he was wearing earlier, a blue T-shirt and jeans.

She jogs over to him.

"You seem to be doing better."

"Are you sure you don't just want to watch over me? To see if I pass out again?" She asks with a smile.

He chuckles.

"No. I thought that you might not be able to sleep. After the ruff days you've had."

"Well....I was asleep. Then I couldn't sleep again. So I decided to work on some homework."

"Yeah. Me too." He pauses. "Should we go?"

"Y-Yeah."

"What? You haven't snuck out before?"

"No. I didn't have a reason too."

They laugh, and Justin opens her door. Aquarius hops in and she closes it as he walks around.

He drives just outside of town and parked in front of a gate, like last time. He brought a couple blankets and a sweater.

Justin climbs the gate and straddles it to help Aquarius over. When she's over he jumps down.

They walk up the hill some ways and Justin lays down a blanket and sits on it. Aquarius follows rubbing her arms.

"Are you cold?" He asks.

"A bit."

He hands her the sweater. She takes it and puts over her long sleeve shirt.

"Thanks." She said, bring her knees into her chest.

They're silent for a minute.

"Ju....Scorpio?"

He looks at her.

"Yeah."

"I think you're my best friend. Other then the girls. And James. And maybe your friends."

He smiles.

"I'm glad to hear."

He puts an arm around her, she lays her head on his shoulder.

"I hope I don't move."

"You won't. I know it."

"No you don't. My mom is going to make us move. I know it."

"Don't think like that."

"It's the only way I can think."

He holds her closer. Tears were in her eyes.

"I made so many friends here. More in the longest time ever. I don't want to leave them." She says through tears.

"I know. We don't want you to leave either." Justin rubs her arm. Aquarius closes her eyes.

They stay like that for a while. Justin lays his head on hers. He kept stroking her arm. But, he was a little fidgety.

He looks at Aquarius, who's eyes where closed. But, he wasn't sure if she was sleeping.

He lifts his hand up and moves some hair from Aquarius's face. Stroking her cheek in the process. After he's done, she repressions herself. Grabbing Justin's arm.

He let her get comfortable. She keeps her head on his shoulder. But she moved her body more side ways and closer to him. Still holding his arm.

"You okay?"

"Yeah.....And thanks for taking me out."

"Oh. So is this a date?" He teased. But she didn't know that.

She sits up. Justin moving his arm away.

"I....wasn't intending it to be one. Sorry."

"No. It's fine. I just wanted some company."

"You sure?" She looks up at him with worry.

"Yeah. I'm sure." He looks at her with an assuring look.

Their eyes lock. Green and blue. But Aquarius turns away and she starts playing with the sleeve of the sweater. Justin watches her. Then he turns away.

They stay like that for a while. Aquarius still playing with the sleeve of the sweater. Justin watching in the corner of his eye.

He reaches over and touches her wrist. She stops, and her gaze travels up his arm to his face. His eyes where filled with worry and kindness. Yet, a deep side. A passionate side. He leans towards her slowly. Slow enough that she doesn't notice. But she does. She starts to panic. Justin sees it in her eyes, and he stops. Instead he takes her hand.

"Come on. You should have a couple of hours to sleep." He tells her.

"You need sleep too."

"I'll live."

He gets up and helps Aquarius up. He picks up the blanket with his left hand, Aquarius's hand in his other. They walk back to the truck and head back home.

Justin parks in the driveway and turns off the car. Neither of them move, or look at each other.

Aquarius hesitantly goes to open the door. She opens it and gets out. Justin follows. He walks behind her to the house.

They walk up the stairs to the porch. Aquarius stands in front of the door. Justin beside her on her right. She turns to him.

"Thanks again for inviting me."

"Thank you for coming."

She smiles, and laughs a bit.

When she does, Justin brushes the back of his fingers against her cheek, and lifts her chin.

She's made to look up at him. Her smile fades.

She realized that Justin was closer to her then she thought. She could feel his body against hers.

Her heart started beating faster. She started panicking again.

Justin leans in. Aquarius sees this. But she stands there watching him. She leans in a bit. He's inches away now.

"I can't." She thought, panicked.

She looks down. He stops.

"I......have to go."

She steps backwards. He straightens up.

"Yeah, sure. I bet you still have work to finish."

"Y-Yeah. I got some to finish." She lied.

"Well, I'll see you later." He puts his hands in his jackets pockets.

"See you later." She turns to the door, but stops.

She turns back to Justin. He was slightly leaning on one of the pillars facing the other way. She walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder, stands on her tip toes, and kisses his cheek.

He turns surprised and sees her leaving. She turns her head and gives a small wave. He smiles. She opens the door, looks at Justin one last time, and then disappears.

She leans on the door and smiles.

Justin walks back to his car smiling.

"Aquarius! Where were you!" The lights turned on.

"Oh no. Mom."

Amelia was walking down the stairs.

"Where were you Missy!" Amelia yelled.

"Mom....I was just out."

"Out? With who!?"

"Just Justin."

"Justin. I don't think you're telling me the truth."

"I was."

"What were you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me the truth." Amelia insisted.

"It is!"

Amelia stared at her daughter.

"If you sneak out, in the middle of the night, there's a reason. So tell me what it is."

"Why do you care all of a sudden! You never cared before!" Aquarius yelled.

"You thought I didn't care? Who provides you with food to eat? Or a roof over your head?"

"You don't care about me, or what happens to me! I think you never care! Never! At least someone does!"

"Why would you think that I don't care about you?"

"Oh, I don't know. You always have to have a reason for something. You don't care that I have nightmares. You never say anything encouraging!"

Aquarius pushes past her mother and runs up the stairs.

She slams her door shut and lays down on her bed. She started to cry. She cried herself to sleep.