That One Perfect Kiss

"They are going to take me away." She sobbed, looking up at the dark haired boy. "They won't let me stay." 1

He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders, whispering soothing words of comfort to the sobbing girl. And slowly her sobs turned to whimpers. 2

She pulled gently away and looked out over the shimmering lake, golden hair whipping in the wind. "They blame you." She says looking back at him. "They said you made me stop taking the pills. They said you were the own making me crazy." 3

He looked at her, tears filling his blue eyes. He reached for her and nearly died as she stepped back. "You know that's not true. I love you, I would never want to hurt you, I could never hurt you. I physically couldn't." 4

She looked at him, tears streaming from her own gray eyes. "They said I was fine until I met you. They said I had been improving." 5

"No, you weren't improving. You were frozen and the medication was killing you. I'm sorry I just always thought anti-depressants were supposed to make you better. Those weren't making you any better." 6

She took a step closer to him. "How could you possibly know that?" She asked choking back a sob. 7

"How could I know that? How? I spent almost every day with you. I saw what you were like on that medication. You were frozen, you didn't feel a thing, your smile never reached your eyes. But that day, remember that day, just after Christmas break when you stopped taking them, when you first played your guitar for me. Your smile did reach your eyes." She shut her eyes tightly against her tears, but he continued. "Yes, I do remember that you cried, and yes I remember that you almost relapsed, but I also remember your laugh, pure and unadulterated, unpolluted. For once there was no chemical in your body telling you what to feel. That was the day I fell in love with you." A sob escaped her throat as he stepped closer. "I don't care if you don't want to hear it. I fell in love with you that day. I fell in love with your strength, your laugh, your tears. I fell in love with you four months ago. And I have come to love you more and more with each passing day." 8

"You really love me?" She asked wiping the tears from her eyes. 9

"Yes, I do. I love you more than I ever thought possible." 10

"I love you too." She said trembling as she placed a small hand on his shoulder. "And I will never stop loving you." With that she wrapped her arms tightly around him. 11

"I know." he whispered, "I know." 12

She looked up at him, gray eyes locking with dark blue, tears pouring from both, "I'm not going back." She said. She turned from him and walked to the edge of the lake. Fumbling with the orange container she looked back at him. "This is for you." She said pouring every last so-called anti-depressant into the lake, throwing the bottle towards the middle of the lake for added effect. 13

He stepped up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not going back either,” he said. 14

"What? You can't do that. You have your whole life ahead of you. What about school, and your family, and your future. What about your grandmother? She's dying." 15

"You are my family and you are my future. Don't you get it, you are my life." 16

"But they need you." 17

"And I need you." 18

"What about your parents." 19

"This isn't about them. This is about you and me. I love you, and always will. I cannot and will not live without you." 20

"You can't give that up for me." she said trembling. 21

"It's not just for you. I'm not that selfless. It's for me too." 22

"Really." 23

"Really. When I look into your eyes I can't breath for fear of missing something. I never really knew myself before, but when I looked into your eyes that day I found myself. You saved me." 24

"I didn't do anything. You saved me. You taught me how to feel. You gave me the courage to throw those pills into the lake. You made me want to live again. When I look into your eyes, I feel like I've finally come home after years of terrified running." 25

He lifts his hand and gently cupped her cheek, "I know exactly what you mean, that's why I can't let you go without me, because living with you under a bridge eating garbage would be better than living in a mansion forever with anyone else." 26

She looked away from him, towards the setting sun, and whispered; "I think I would rather die with you, than live without you." 27

He meets her gaze and pulls her closer and as the golden sun slowly set he kissed her with everything he had in him. And though they were only seventeen years old, that one perfect kiss was love epitomized. 28

Love isn't about right or wrong, it's not about thinking ahead. Love doesn't have an age limit or height requirement. Love is about impulses and sunsets. Love is sacrifice and certainty. Love is running from the things that hurt you, it's hiding from the bogeymen and fighting nightmare stallions. Love is coming home, it's sleeping soundly in your own bed, it's snowball fights and Labor Day picnics. Love is fireworks and symphonies. Love is a deep breath and a arm shower. Love is laughing until the tears pour from your eyes. Love is a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold. Love is giving up everything for one person whose soul is practically your own. 29

Love is that one perfect kiss.30