Chapter 18

I try not to think about the butterflies that Savannah's smile gave me. In that moment I felt like my knees were about to betray me and make me fall to her feet, let her make me do whatever she wanted me to. I really shouldn't think like this. I should concentrate more on not falling. I swear I'm trying really hard. I get to the top, open the trapdoor, peak inside and wow, it's not as I expected. If outside it's beautiful, inside it's outstandingly gorgeous. It looks all modern, a TV on the left, a turquoise couch with pink and orange pillows on the right. There's a table in front of the couch, and on the other side, between it and the TV, there are other pillows, similar to the ones on the couch, in a circle on the floor. The room is very spacious and around it there are fairy light.

I feel something poking my butt. "Speed up, princess, I don't want to stay on a ladder all day." I climb the two steps left, sit on the border and turn my legs around so that Savannah can come inside. Her head, soon enough, springs up. Happiness and bliss radiates out of her, it's almost infectious. Her head turns to me, her smile so wide, saying she grins like the Cheshire Cat would be an understatement. I beam back at her and we stay there a moment, looking into each other's eyes. It doesn't even feel weird. She then moves and climbs inside too. She closes the trapdoor and motions towards the couch. "Wanna watch a movie? Actually, you know what?" she switches on the fairy lights. They're multicolored but not in the Christmassy way, they're soft colors. She closes the curtains so that artificial light and little rays that filter from the textile are our only source of illumination. It looks beautiful, it's enchanting. There's no reason to watch a movie, I already feel like I'm in one, something like The Bridge To Terabithia. I look up, mouth open, staring at the room. It really is magical. Savannah moves closer to me and puts a hand on my waist. My head snaps to look at her and I see something I can't decipher in her eyes. I close my mouth then open it to object. She puts a finger on my lips and says "Shh, don't say anything. Just dance with me." so she pulls me closer and repositions her hand from my mouth to my other side. Like at the bowling alley, my body automatically obeys. Resisting would be futile. I really should start getting in control again, I try my hardest but it's as if my brain also wants this. I guess there's that little bit of hope, the one that says there might be a chance that my feelings might reciprocated, even though I know there isn't. It's like a fight between my emotional heart and my rational brain. I want to feel the magic that falling in love is, but I don't want it to be taken away by hurt. And I don't want to be hurt even if I get to keep those special feelings intact.

She starts to guide me, a slow dance with no music, just the one in our heads. My legs tremble, following her but weak. Again I get that feeling like I'm about to fall, both figuratively and literally. The peace lasts until she starts to sing Put Your Head On My Shoulder by Paul Anka. It's sweet but her acutes are too funny and I laugh like crazy, her glaring at me, trying not to show that she finds it amusing too, and keeps on singing. I try to contain myself but it's really hard. When she finishes we stay a few moments swinging from side to side. I stop laughing but keep a smile on my face, still looking into her eyes. They're so beautiful, they're dark brown but have specks of gold in them, like the stars, constellations trapped into her crystalline lens. I get flustered and I can certainly feel myself blush. The moment's too intense so I clear my throat and say "Wait, don't we have phones? We could spare our ears and hear music from one of them."

She clears her throat too and lets out a strangled laugh, answering "Yeah, that's probably better."

My body is tense, as if I didn't move it for a very long time. I walk towards the table, where we put down our phones before, and pick up mine. "What kind of music do you want to listen to?" I say, cursing my weak voice.

"Mh, whatever you'd like. Actually, put something you used to love when you were little."

I open my phone and put What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction, of course. Who didn't love them when they were kids?

"Eh, don't tell me you were one of those obsessed girls who always dreamt of marrying one."

"Excuse me?! You're saying that you never listened to them?"

"Never. Hated them. They were taking away my chances with the girls in the playground." I half laugh. "But if they help my chances with you..." she continues.

"You wouldn't force yourself to like them for me."

"Well." I hit her in the stomach, feigning hurt because she's supposed to like them because she likes them, not for me. "Was that supposed to hurt?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. Damn, I want to see how smug that smile can be once I give her a black eye. I'm getting nervous for nothing, I'm exaggerating. I should calm down. Rose, fucking calm down. But no, as I go for another punch she grabs my fist, pulls me close and swings me side by side as if I were a pendulum. My mind, once again, goes blank and I don't know what to do, so I follow her lead. She spins me and jumps and laugh, I do that too. We silly dance and for once I'm really happy with her, I don't worry if my hair is messy of if my makeup gets runny from the sweat. We dance like this, just her, me and the music, nothing else, for ages, one song after the other. We don't even notice the couch until we tumble onto it and I suddenly get thrown back in the room. Now it has to be dark outside, because only the LEDs are lighting up the tree house.