Sweet Summer Kiss

Staring out the window, she couldn't seem to understand. Three days until deadline, and the Author-having been hunched over an ancient typewriter in her Aunt's rustic back parlor for days without rest- was stumped.

         "When's the last time you took a break, Ella dear?" It was true. She had practically locked herself in the dust invaded room without any real rest since Morrison High let out, and that was well over a month ago. She had barely eaten anything, hadn't even stopped to sleep in the past week alone.

         "I took a break last week," Yeah right- that break barely topped an hour she thought to herself, frowning. "But my deadline is three days from now, I'm four chapters short," More like seven the corners of her mouth turned down a little more. "And to top it off, I am now absolutely positive we are out of coffee." Ella tried not to growl, but turning back to face a mirror made that attempt impossible.

         A teenage girl with a ribbon blue as the sky holding a mane of glossy black curls away from her face. Dark rings-from lack of sleep or leftover makeup, she couldn't quite tell- wrapped around her dark brown eyes, giving the impression of a raccoon’s mask. As far as clothes went, she was still wearing her school blazer over her tank top. With her short frame, however, the blazer fell to her knees, hiding her shorts as well.

         "Then why not go down the street and actually eat something?" Ella shrugged, pulling at the sleeve of the blazer. Her grandmother's tabby, Bicky-short for Bickerly Scat- pawed at the parlor door, begging to be let out. Other than Ella's mom scurrying around in the kitchen, the house was silent.

         Ella sighed in acceptance and shoved the door open with one sharpie covered high top and waited as Bickerly Scat padded past her, ginger tail flicking with anger.

         "Ella baby?" Ella flinched and stepped into the kitchen. Her mother leaned against the sink, wiping suds from her hands. Ella stood up a bit straighter as her mother came forward to grab her by the shoulder, not at all playfully. "Ella Baby, where're you going? Why're you leaving the parlor so late? Are you finally going to bed? Because you know, I real-"

         "Relax, mom. Let me breathe, okay? I'm just going down the street," Ella shot down her mother's worried glance. "I promise I won't be long, I won't get in strange cars, and I won't talk to strange people." Shaking off her mother's hand, Ella bolted out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the summer heat before her mother could stop her.

         "Welcome to Harlist subs, what can I get for you?" Ella put up a mental block against the boy eyeing her behind the counter as she snatched a Danish from a shelf near the door. The boy cleared his throat. "Can I help you Miss?" Ella smirked and grabbed a bottle of strawberry fizz from the fridge next to the counter, continuing to ignore the lanky figure. "Oh, C'mon, Ella! It's been over a week! please, won't you just talk to m-"

         Ella, setting both items on the counter and keeping her eyes elsewhere, retorted "Y' know, Ty, my mom always said not to talk to strange people." Tyris nodded in mock acceptance.

         "I myself, am and strange and unusual." Tyris replied, stroking an imaginary goatee. Ella couldn't help but laugh as Tyris' s sea-foam eyes darted back and forth, examining the shop. "So are we still cool, Ella?"

         "Tyris, since when have we ever been cool? C'mon on now, snap out of it." Ella growled, leaning over the counter to make a playful tug at his dreads.
         
         Tyris frowned. "I didn't mean it like that- yeah I know. We are the rulers of all Freakies right now. But what I meant was-" Ella slid under the counter to stand next to him, grabbing at his arm to pull herself up.

         "You really want to know if were cool? Ty-back room. Now." Tyris paused, as if weighing his options before following her to the storage room. Ella sat down on a stool, grinning as Ty kneeled on the floor next to her.

         "So what's up, Ella?" Tyris asked her, his voice just above a whisper. Ella smiled and made the subconscious gesture of lacing her fingers the best she could into his dreads.

         "I am very short on chapters. Running low on time completely. And if I don't get these chapters finished before Marty comes to get them, I could very possibly lose this book. So," At this point she paused to catch her breathe. "I need your help.

         Tyris gazed up at her, causing Ella to blush on command. "Why my help? I couldn't write to save my life!" The corner's of Ella's mouth turned down as she continued the stare down with Tyris.

           "Food. I need food. and what do you serve here? Oh, now I remember- FOOD! " By the end of Ella's rant Tyris had turned away from the irritated expression on Ella's face.  Good Boy- turn away and ignore me. Ella thought to herself, pulling Tyris's head around by his dreads to get him to look up at her.

         "And what would you like to eat?" came Tyris's soft reply. Ella found herself lost in his eyes, a color she couldn't decipher. For moments all that dared to make a sound was the ancient freezer, which occasionally belched out a low groan.

         Ella, shaking her head, replied, "The usual. Meatball, heavy on sauce, low on mushrooms," at that point Ella made a face to express her hatred of onions, which to her were vile, reeking weeds of nonsense. "And no, and do mean no, as in not a single, onion. Or so help me god...Tyris?" But by the end of her rant, Tyris was already back in the kitchen, having detached Ella's fingers from his scalp at first chance. Ella allowed herself a trivial grin, before heading back into the dining area. By the time she was settled and paid for, Tyris was waiting with her sandwich.

         “So Ella, what’s this new book about?” Tyris asked as Ella began her meal right then and there at the counter. She had almost forgotten how delicious a so-called ‘real meal’ tasted like, even if it came from a hole-in-the-wall sub shop.
         
         Ella, swallowing her mouthful, replied, “Guy likes girl. Girl is oblivious to guy. Guy is dating girl’s best friend. Bad hookup, then a spiraling chain of events. The usual teenage drama, all the good stuff, but absolutely, positively no vampires.” Ella shuddered at the thought of the last book she had to read for her summer assignments, a love story between an awkward teenage boy and an ancient vampiress posing as a seventeen year old girl. Still, it had been better than the first book, a group of teenaged girls, stranded on an island, where most of them had died off due to lack of cosmetics and cell phone service.

         “Sounds thrilling.” Tyris murmured, rolling his eyes. Ella glared at him over her sub, twisting an eyebrow into comical expression that Tyris couldn’t help but to laugh at.

         “You chuckle!” Ella gasped in mock amazement. Tyris’s face went red, his tan resembling sunburn. He shook his head  and stepped back in a whirl of movement, a scant smile on his lips.

         “Do not- just finish you meal!” Ella stuck her tongue out at Tyris before devouring another portion of her sandwich. For five minutes all that could be heard was Tyris’s steady breathing and Ella occasionally coming away from her sandwich for air as she finished it. Four more minutes passed in an another silence, more uncomfortable than the last.

         “So…any ideas for your story after I had to watch you kill a sandwich?” Tyris’s comment was meant to be a joke. Ella didn’t see the humor in his comment. Seeing the flame of anger spark up in Ella’s face, Tyris bit down on his next comment.

         “I have enough of Marty and my family bugging me over my story, Tyris. Isn’t there any idea possibly in your mind that maybe, just maybe, I come down to the shop to just see you?” As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, Ella wished she hadn’t said them. All that she could do was watch as Tyris’s face went from blank, to confused, and then, in a grand finale, to a giant grin of triumph.

         “YOU, Ella Jane Zimmerman, like me!” He guffawed, running around the counter to stand at her side. With a heavy sigh and a crimson blush, Ella turned to come face to shoulder with him. Still grinning, Tyris hoisted Ella up and set her on the counter so that they were face to face.

         “Tyris, c’mon now, lets be civil-” Tyris cut her off mid sentence, running his fingers across her cheeks. The empty room immediately fell silent. Ella closed her eyes, felt the air move as Tyris moved closer.

         And she felt it, the soft pressure of his lips against hers, the warmth of his body as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest as she pulled back, opened her eyes. He stared at her with anticipation, expecting to either be slapped or smiled at.


         “Well then,” Ella murmured, turning her head away from him. “I guess that was to be expected.” there was a strong hint of sorrow in her voice, but when she turned to look at him again, she was smiling. But when she saw the clock behind Tyris, her smiled faded. “Crap,” she hissed, pushing Tyris away from her and hopping off of the counter.

“What’s the matter?” Tyris asked, not bothering to hide the hurt in his voice. Ella stopped her flurry of movement for a second to look at him, wholly and completely. Unable to find her words, she motioned from herself to the clock. Tyris turned to see the time.  Ella had been there for two hours already.

         “I promised my mom I wouldn’t be long. Oh, god, she’s gonna have a cow!” Ella groaned before taking the last swig of her Strawberry fizz. Tyris nodded in understanding, a slight smile on his face as Ella made a beeline for the door.

         “Ella!” he called just before she opened the door. She whipped around just in time to catch her Danish, unopened and forgotten. “I love you.” Tyris said to the empty room as the door closed behind Ella. With a heavy sigh, Tyris cleaned the shop, his mind on her the whole time.

         Back at her desk that night, Ella stared at her finished work, a satisfied grin on her face. Seven chapters down in one night, and the final love scene conquered.  A deep blush crept across her face, remembering the events of the night. Glancing at the grandfather clock across the room, it was well past midnight. With a deep yawn, Ella got up from her desk and went to bed.