early in the morning

We spent some time
together walking
Spent some time just talking
about who we were
You held my hand so
very tightly
And told me what we
could be dreaming of

There’s nothing like you and I -the perishers

Emily heard a tap on her window. It was after two in the morning, but she hadn't gone to bed yet. She was on her computer surfing the net. She stopped what she was doing for a moment, and listened. It was probably the wind, but the tap came again. She pulled back her curtain then and saw Roscoe waiting in the yard.

Honestly, she was shocked. He hadn't spoken to her since he'd been to her room. She wasn't sure if she wanted him back in her room, either. She grabbed her sweater and put on her flip flops along with her handbag and went outside to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" She stared at him under the street light, thinking she must be an idiot to come out here in the middle of the night.

"I couldn't sleep." He shoved his hands in his jeans. "I was wondering, have you heard from your sister."

Naturally, thats what this would be about, she was a little let down and she chewed at the inside of her cheek.

"And..and I wanted to see you." She could barely hear his words.

"Obviously, it must pain you to admit it." She stood there hugging her hand bag.

"We just can't stand here." he shrugged. "Come on, we'll go somewhere."

She didn't say anything but followed him to his little car which was much more economical than she imagined. They got in and he drove away down the street as if they did this at two or so in the morning everyday.

"I haven't heard from Kal." He kept his eyes on the road.

"I'm sure they're fine. I've talked to my sister. They're OK." Emily nodded. She certainly wasn't going to call at two in the morning. They were probably at a party and if she did call, she was sure Bella would never hear her over the noise.

"I hope so." He sighed driving particularly nowhere. Emily sensed this would be short and final and could see herself walking home alone. After all. "Nothing has felt right since he left."

Kal parked near the school. Emily wasn't sure what to say. She felt sad. She didn't want this to be sad. She wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn't.

He got out of the car then. "Come on, let go for a walk."

"A walk?" She hugged herself in her sweater.

"I always wanted to do this." He went to the trunk.

"Like what? Trash the school?" She couldn't imagine what he might be getting out of the trunk. An axe perhaps. She was thinking the worst. He'd been far to quiet. All this time.

He grabbed a sleeping bag.

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Usually." They hiked up to the football field. She kept quiet, thinking what if they got caught. Then what?

He took her hand. It was a good grip. The kind of grip that she knew meant he wanted to be here with her.

"I hate football." He told her.

"But-"

"I use to play trombone in band. Only made it one year on this field. Hated it. Hated every damn moment of it. Band director might as well have been Hitler. Screaming and yelling. All that time I just wanted to be in drum corp. It didn't happen," Rosco said as if he was reliving it in his mind as he spoke.

They went down on the field then, and he put down the sleeping bag there in the dark, far from the street lights and the campus lights.

"Always heard I had flute lips, but I never could play the flute that well." Emily told him.

He unzipped the bag.

"You first," he said.

She didn't hesitate but took off her flip flops and left her handbag by the blanket and crawled in.

"We've had this sleeping bag for years. A sleeping bag for two people," he laughed crawling in next to her. "No one ever used it. Mom puts it in my trunk every winter thinking I'll need it. She probably should have given it to Kal, but I'm glad she didn't." He zipped up his side and then they laid there next to each other just staring at the stars.

"Feels kind of like a spaceship." She hoped he didn't think she was stupid for saying it.

His laugh was soft. "I like the way you are." He then told her. Emily couldn't help but smile. "And I'm never listening to my brother again." He promised.

"Why?"

"He says you're a bad idea." He told her.

"Really."

"Yeah, like he wouldn't know a good idea from a bad one." He sighed.

The warmth between them was spreading. Emily took her sweater off and tossed it. Rosco struggled to peel off his shirt, but he did it.

She decided to take off more. Maybe everything would come off, but really she was quite all right the way things were. Especially when his lips touched hers.