With This Heart(23)

“ Don’t look at my ass.”

“ Wouldn’t dream of it,” he answered with a smug grin as I pushed off the ground and grabbed the top of the fence.

“ Oh, please,” I called as I hopped over and landed with bent knees in the mulch.

Holy crap. I was officially breaking the law. Right? Wasn’t this trespassing or something?

“ Move, Abby. You look like a deer caught in headlights.”

I flipped him the bird, then crouched low and ran toward the dinosaur. I didn’t want to be out in the open when I attempted to mount the damn thing, so I ran around to the other side. A couple of thumps on the dino told me that it was made of thick plaster; at least the thing would hold my weight while I was up there.

“ Hurry!” Beck called.

I wiped my hands on my jeans shorts and tried to get a good hold on the back of its skull where there was that giant frilly curve. I stepped up onto the back of its bent knee. Then, with a giant grunt, I pushed off the knee and pulled myself up.

“ Woohooo!” Beck called as I repositioned myself on top.

I knew I had less than a minute before the pimply kid looked up from his Nintendo DS, but I couldn’t move. My heart was pounding a mile a minute. Adrenaline was shooting through every vein and I sat there reveling in the feeling of being wholeheartedly alive .

I looked over to Beck and saw him holding up his phone, ready to snap a picture. “Do something!”

I threw my arms in the air and squealed louder than I ever had in my life.

“ Get down! Get down! Why did you just scream? The kid’s coming over!”

I didn’t want to get down. I threw my hands back into the air and pretended to ride the dinosaur like I was trying to rope cattle. Beck just stood there laughing hysterically and snapping photos. I leaned back and laid down, then bent my knee up like I was posing seductively. I looked right at Beck and bit my lip.

“ Oh my God, Abby.” He wasn’t snapping photos anymore. He was looking at me like he wanted to devour me.


“ HEY! GET DOWN!” The kid had finally arrived. I screamed and scrambled into action. My survival instincts kicked in and I jumped down and hopped the chain link fence with unusual dexterity. Once I was on the other side, Beck and I took off like we were sprinting for our lives. I’m not even sure if the kid chased after us, but we had a mission. We were the law-breakers, delinquents, and rebels without a cause trying to fight the man and get away with it. We kept sprinting through the exhibits, out of the park, and toward our car before Beck pulled my arm and stopped me.

I was at the passenger door, leaning against the glass. He was supposed to go to his side so we could finish our getaway, but he wasn’t following protocol. He pushed me against the passenger door and pressed his lips to mine. It was a soul-stealing kiss, the kind that lifts you off your heels and makes your spine curl. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned into him. Our hearts were already beating rapidly from our run, but they blended together as Beck gave me the best second-first kiss anyone has ever had.

And that, future kids, is why in an old brown box tucked deep within my closet, you’ll find a photo of me attempting to mount a Triceratops.





[page]CHAPTER NINE





Abby : Hey C. We just arrived in Corpus Christi. We’re staying in a hotel on the beach for the next two days. Kiss number 1: horribly awkward, I’ll give details later. Kiss number 2: best experience of my life, details also to follow. PS. I sort of broke the law today!



Abby : Hey Mom! Sorry I haven’t answered your calls. I wasn’t at my apartment this morning because I was visiting Caroline. Don’t worry. Love you and I’ll call you later.



Caroline : What?! First & second kiss already AND breaking the law? I’m so proud. If I don’t answer later, I’m probably napping-don’t worry.



Mom : Oh, alright. Well that makes me feel better. I know we’ve been hounding you lately, but it’s hard not to worry. I love you.



“ Earth to Abby,” Beck called as we parked the car in a spot outside of the beachfront hotel. We were splurging for the next two days; after camping last night, we felt like we deserved a shower and a real bed.

“ Sorry, I was texting my friend Caroline,” I replied, slipping my phone back into my purse.

“ Is she a healthy friend or a sick friend?”

I wondered how he would even know to ask something like that. I guess being sick for so long meant that most of the people in my life would have also been sick.

“ Very sick friend,” I answered quietly. “She needs a liver transplant.”

“ I thought those were one of the easier organs to get?”

I looked out toward where I knew the ocean was. I could barely make out a thin layer of blue waves beyond the horizon. “Not if you still have cancer.”

I couldn’t see his reaction, but I could feel his gaze on me. He never said anything, because really what was there to say?

“ Do you think we have time to go swimming?” I asked, narrowing my eyes and trying to fight the feelings of sadness looming just a few blinks away.

“ Probably not tonight,” he answered wistfully. “What if we went first thing in the morning?”

I glanced back toward him. “Sounds good. Can we order pizza and eat it on the bed while we watch a movie?”