Dreaming 24/7 [Karalie]

[Lucas Blacke]

Backdated to the 3rd of august

Luke took out his earbuds for a second and took in his surroundings. It had been a few hours since he had taken off from near his dorm to clear his mind. He found himself near the lake everyone had talked about, and grinned as he looked up to the sky under the feint sound of cello ridden music from his earbuds, it had been a turbulent year, one in which he vowed to change his ways. And here he was, a place he'd never thought he'd find himself.

He took a seat on a nearby bench and looked out over the lake and some trees. It was quite the calming picture. He put in a single earbud again as he rested a bit by putting his arms on his legs and hunching over. He had thought about a lot of things lately. Marnie. Adaryn. Axelle. None of them had he been particularly nice to in the past, or so he thought, but at least one of those girls had driven him to change. But soon his mind drifted to pretty much the girl that dominated his mind.

Karalie. Luke liked her, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. In fact, he had already done so, but he didn't know if Karalie knew exactly what he meant. Thinking about it gave rise to the simple question if he knew what he meant. He liked her, that much was sure. But did he love-like her of just friend-like her? What would thinking of someone 24/7 be categorized as?

The more he thought about it, her, the more he was certain of the fact he was in love. Though he could only really compare it to the way he felt around Marnie he was certain of it. Love was something he wouldn't admit to, not this fast. Not without knowing how she felt. Maybe Luke was seeing things that weren't there, she was just a friend, right? But the boy couldn't help but desperately hope there was more to it, even if it would end up breaking him. He knew they hadn't been hanging out for all that long, but his feelings were not going to be denied and not due to lack of trying.

He lowered his head as a particularly emotional song was played on his Ipod, it suited the moment as he got to his feet and smiled. It was going to be a good year for him, he just knew it.

[Karalie Heise]

It had been quite the summer so far, and with Fall looming ever nearer, Karalie was hoping that it would end on a good note.  Her parents had come up for a visit and though it had been awkward at times, it had also been really nice.  Her mother took her on a shopping spree, spending an exorbitant amount of money on clothes, shoes, accessories and some school supplies.  She got some new running gear too which was good since most of her stuff had gotten really worn out the past year.  She finally allowed her mother to push schools on her too, not that she'd had all that much choice.  But she was patient and even filled out a few applications that her mother intended to mail for her so she knew it would get done.

The topic of boys came up, as usual, and Karalie felt her cheeks grow warm as she denied there being any boys in her life.  It wasn't a lie exactly.  Luke was her friend.. just her friend.. but not even she could deny the fact that she was enjoying his company as of late.  More than she had been.  Not only enjoying, but starting to trust him more, too.  Even with, the guy was annoying and got under her skin, but that wasn't hard to do.  It was never hard for someone to irk her, but fortunately for Lucas and everyone else, Karalie wasn't a grudge holder and usually by the time she saw someone again she'd all but forgotten why she was angry, unless it was a big deal.  In that case there needed to be a lot of ass kissing, something Luke wasn't entirely bad at. Not great at, but not bad at.

She found herself thinking of him more and more.  Hell, she oddly found herself thinking of him more when she found herself in Marnie's company.  It was so hard not to brush up against her and try to steal some sort of memory from her, or at least ask her what happened between she and Luke.  Luke wasn't budging on the matter, and she'd asked a handful of times, and only one of the memories she'd nabbed from him had her in it, and it was when they were walking somewhere, probably, class, and talking about a teacher.  There was nothing interesting about it at all.  In fact, it looked more like something she would have done with Luke, or Marnie for that matter.  The memory was lodged somewhere in her brain now, and she would forever remember having that conversation with Marnie, which was odd since she didn't talk to the girl all that much.  Especially now.

The sky was clear and it was a nice cool day, or at least cool in comparison to the prior week.  There was a gentle breeze and zero humidity, the perfect day for a nice long run.  Karalie put on some of her brand new gear; a black and hot pink sports bra, and matching running pants.  Her sneakers matched the ensemble, though they had streaks of neon green and yellow in them.  Her hair was up in a high ponytail and her ipod was plugged into her ears!  

With Iggy going in her ears, she started at a nice job, her eyes focused on the area as she made her way away from the campus.  About twenty minutes in, while Katy Perry was purring in her ear, a familiar face passed her on the opposite side of the street.  A smile spread over her lips as she came to an almost halt, turning around and jogging across the street after checking to make sure there was no traffic coming.  She had to speed up a little, but found herself next to Luke in no time.  Sweat was beading all over him and she hated how attractive it made him look.  What was it about sweaty boys that was so sexy? What a stupid think to like.  "Hey!" She called out, tugging one of his ear buds out as she pulled up right next to him.  "Ya'll shoulda told me you was goin' runnin'! I coulda joined yah.  'Less yah wanted tuh be by y'self, in which case I best be on my way." She offered a kind smile, oddly glad to see him.  She usually liked running alone..

[Lucas Blacke]

''My music!'' Luke roared. Music was his escape and anyone who touched it was instantly frowned upon. But that feeling quickly subsided as he glanced at the one yanking out one of his ear buds, Karalie. He smiled instantly and came to a halt. It took effort not to hug her due to the way she looked, how in the name of all hell did she manage to make even a running outfit look good?

He grabbed one of her earbuds and took it to his own ear and grinned. ''So this is what you like. Can't say it is what I like, but we can work on that.'' Did he just use the word 'we'? He wondered if Kara had picked up on that, she probably didn't, he figured.

Luke coughed silently to continue his train of thought. ''I actually thought of telling ya, but I don't have yer number and didn't exactly feel like going around looking for you.'' Which, deeming the way she looked, he should have. ''Truth is, I've been thinking about you an awful lot lately.'' Now why did he say that, he wondered. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't something you'd say from out of nowhere. All he could do right now boiled down to three options.

One, he could try and change the subject by talking over it and hoping Karalie didn't react to what he just said.

Two, he could wait for an answer to it, hoping for the best possible one. And three, he could run away and force the girl to keep up, keeping her from replying. While all the options sounded like they could work he decided to go for number one, and he knew just what to talk about, as wrong as it sounded.

''So, remember the first time we met? About the shower?'' Luke said with a sly grin. ''Running is one of those things that requires one, y'know? Also, two birds with one stone.''

''Oh and,'' He started. ''it was my birthday 2 days ago. You owe me a present.'' He stretched out his index finger at her and found it was difficult not to touch her at this moment. Gods why did she need to have a touch based ability? Would she ever give the okay to him touching her?

He certainly hoped so.

[Karalie Heise]

She grinned when he mentioned not having her number.  It felt weird asking for his and he'd never asked for hers, so they had never swapped.  Karalie felt it was the guys job to ask for a number, even if they were just friends.  But then he mentioned that he'd been thinking about her lately.  A lot.  Karalie blushed a little and was unsure exactly how to feel; terrified was a good first reaction, as was honored and maybe a little giddy. Luke really liked her.. She liked that he liked her even if she had no idea what to do with that like.

Then he started talking about showering together again, or rather heavily implying it, and any adoration that had begun to build fell all over the pavement, splattering like spilled paint.  Did he have to be like that? She wasn't going to shower with him! Or anyone.  Not ever. At least that's how she felt about it at the moment.  "Get real, Luke." She chastised, an air of playfulness in her tone as she folded her arms over her chest and shook her head at him, letting him down nice and firmly.  

Luke then dropped the bomb it had been his birthday.  How hadn't she known? Why hadn't he told her sooner?  "I don't owe you diddly squat." She explained, that hint of amusement in her voice again, not yet having forgotten his confession from only a moment earlier, or the stupid attempt to see her naked either. "Ya'll didn't tell me it was yer birthday an' now it ain't yer birthday anymore, so.. ya'll missed yer opportunity." She chided, smirking semi mischievously at him.  "But.. yah happened tuh catch me in a decent mood, so.. here's what I'm gonna do for yuh."  She licked her lips and leaned in, pecking his cheek briefly before pulling away again, relieved that she didn't nab a memory in the process.  Truth was she had no clue if her lips could grab memories or not.  Her hands seemed to, but her feet never did.  Maybe..

Karalie didn't want to think about her lips pulling memories.  It was something she'd need to work on, but not yet..  Even though she was seriously thinking about it.  Silently she scolded herself for thinking about her lips landing on his.  How could she not? They were moist and pink and curved in the prettiest way she'd ever seen on a boy..  She flushed again and smiled to hide her inner awkwardness.  "There's that, an' I'll treat yuh to a nice lunch off campus after you've gone an' washed up.  Alone.  In yer own shower."

[Lucas Blacke]

That was the last time he'd ever use his birthday as a reason to see a girl naked.. But he did get a kiss on the cheek out of it, and one he wouldn't soon forget. He had to restrain himself from leaning in and kiss Karalie back. Instead he just extended his hand and made a 'hnng' noise. He had grown really tired of not acting on his intentions, but he knew that this girl was worth every second of self-restraint.

''Best. Present. Yet.'' He finally whispered under his breath as he withdrew his hand. It was both not a lie as well as a lie at the same time. Schrödinger would be proud. It was the best present up until that point, but it was also a lie because if things were going to go where he thought they were going to go there would be many more presents in his future.

''Lunch? On you?'' Luke asked. He obviously meant that Karalie was going to pay for it, but part of his mind instantly imagined his food actually being on top of her and him getting to eat that. He gargled at the thought and finally snapped back into reality as a fly flew against his forehead. ''I might be up for that, but I was actually planning on running for a bit more, maybe take a dip in the lake if I feel like it.''

He winked at Karalie. ''You're more than welcome to join me. And after that, when we're back on campus, it'll be evening. There'd be no lunch, we'll have dinner.''

''And we would be calling it a date.''

[Karalie Heise]

She didn't mean for the run to be over just yet.  She'd only just begun anyway and could go at least another hour before needing anything resembling a break.  She loved to run, but taking a dip in the lake sounded.. well after a run it sounded nice, but with Luke? She didn't have any other clothes and would have preferred to have a bathing suit.  She already knew he would suggest skinny dipping, a thought that amused her, not because she intended to go, but because she knew he would probably ask.

The words kept garbling out of his mouth until he finally insisted that they would have supper together instead, and that it would be a date.  Her heart fluttered at the word, never having been asked out on a date like this.  She'd been asked out before but had shot so many guys down that it had become second nature to.  She barely thought about it now, but Lucas was different.  Mostly because she'd developed her crush over the last month, even with his obnoxious playful advances.  "Well if I'm takin' yer sorry ass out on uh birthday date, then it'd be proper for yah to ask for my number, dontcha think?"  He went ahead and asked for her number, causing a smile to quirk up the corners of her lips a little as she rambled off the digits to her cell phone, and in return she took his number.  "Now there's no excuse the next time ya'll plan on runnin'." She said softly, still not sure exactly how to feel about all of this.

"Alright.  Runnin' an' hangin' by the lake first, separate showers, then we reconvene for our date, which, so you know, is yer present for real. A date."  Karalie made it clear that it was just his present, no more no less, mostly so she would have an out if things didn't go as she wanted.  Actually, she had no idea how she wanted things to go, so for her this was the safest bet.  "C'mon!"  She started off again, grinning behind her and feeling giddy again as they started running.

Once Luke was beside her again she looked over at him, pretending that she didn't notice him checking her out.  "I didn't realize ya'll liked runnin' so much.  Why aren't you on track?" She asked, genuinely interested, then it hit her.  "Or, is it cause Marnie's on track?" She raised a brow.  "Ya'll never filled me in on what happened between yah's.  Inquiring minds would like tuh know."  It was about time she got some real dirt on what happened there!

[Lucas Blacke]

Luke tied up his earbuds and put his Ipod in his pocket, he didn't need it if he was going to be running with Karalie. She had taken the lead unknowing, or fully in the know, of the fact that she was giving the boy a good look of her fluffy part. He took a moment and tried not to 'hnng' out loud and just began running next to Karalie. What was behind her couldn't distract him if he didn't see it, right?

Unfortunately Luke forgot to account for the frontal weapons of mass distraction girls had. He scratched his hand and smiled painfully as he averted his eyes quickly. ''I actually don't like it.'' He replied with a cough as Karalie provided him with an out of the awkward conversation. ''It just requires no effort on my part.'' He pointed at his legs. ''Muscle memory, remember?''

Then she mentioned Marnie being on track. Was she? Why didn't Luke know that? He should have known, right? Luke's footing began to sync up with that of the girl beside him as she mentioned wanting to know what had gone on between them.

Luke, being on auto-pilot, went silent but kept on running. He wondered if he should tell her, she deserved to know. Maybe he was being paranoid in the fact that he thought his past influenced his future with Karalie. He coughed and looked at her.

''Some guy called her a bitch. I snapped and beat the living crap out of him.'' Exaggerating never got anyone killed, did it? ''I got into trouble and Marnie hated me for it, that's pretty much the gist of it.''

''It's why I decided to throw everything around. And the start,'' He pointed at Karalie. ''is right here.''

[Karalie Heise]

Even with his muscle memory, Karalie was still a little surprised that he didn't like running.  It was such a high for her to go out and job around; got her endorphins pumping and afterwards she felt like she could move mountains.  After a hot shower and a nap of course.

Finally, Luke started telling her what happened with Marnie.  She knew already that they had dated, though for how long was still uncertain, but he explained some guy called her a bitch and then he beat the guy up.  Karalie turned away, surprised with this new found information and not knowing how to accept it.  All the pieces didn't add up, though.  Why would he immediately beat the guy up over that? Why did he call Marnie a bitch? Why was she so angry with Luke after that she would end things? Or did he end them?  His story was lacking every major detail and she was annoyed by this.

Before she could even ask him to elaborate, he was pointing at her, Karalie's dark eyes landing back on Lucas as they ran together.  She had no idea what he meant about throwing everything around and how it started right there with her.  Did he mean he was changing? For her? Why would he do that, what was he changing? It wasn't his filter he was changing because he still managed to stay stupid things about showering together.  Did he want..

Karalie felt her face grow hot as she looked away.  Lucas intended for things to go further between them.  He wouldn't make the same mistakes with her that he did with Marnie and somehow this all bothered her.  She wasn't ready! She didn't want to date! Well, she did, of course she did, and she certainly wouldn't mind it being with Lucas, even if he did beat some kid up for calling his ex a bitch, but that was neither here nor there.  She didn't need the drama that was inevitable! She didn't want it!  But she'd agreed to a date!

"Don't go changin' yerself for me." She insisted, "First rule is tuh stay true tuh yerself no matter what.  That bein' said, we might have words if ya'll ever beat someone up on my behalf.  That's just rude."  Beating someone up in general was rude, but he probably knew that, especially now.  "But, uhh... what exactly do yah mean it starts here.. like.. like with me or, like, at this time in yer live?"  She wanted some clarity, and believed she sort of deserved it.  Ugh! Boys!

[Lucas Blacke]

''Oh, I'm not changing for you.'' Luke replied. ''I'm changing for me. And while it did not exactly start with you, you did help me, whether you know that or not.'' Because, he wasn't sure how to say it, or if he would, the truth was that the thought of Karalie was enough to distract him from anything bad he could have been wanting to do at the time.

''Truth is, I'm changing, or I want to change because of what happened.'' He felt like he somehow owed the girl some kind of explanation. And maybe he did, and maybe it was just time for him to come clean.

''So, it all took place in the library. I had met up with Marnie and she was happy about her art, but didn't really remember to lower the volume of her voice as she began telling me about it. And this was back when I was a..'' He paused and hesitated. It was still a sore spot, he realized.

''insensitive dick.'' He finally said in a whisper. ''So I replied in a way louder register than she had, and there just happened to be someone that took offense to that. He came over and told me to quiet down, and as soon as Marnie said I would he told me to 'keep my bitch in line' what was I supposed to do? Let it go?'' He ended with a question he didn't really need an answer to. He was certain it was something best left for what it was, but getting it out there did help.

And Karalie not really minding his past helped lots also. it made it easier to open up. ''So I hit him. And after that whole ordeal had ended Marnie avoided me for a few days, and I realized something had to change.'' And that something was himself. ''So I confronted her, and told her I would change. So I ended it then and there. I think the feeling was mutual.''

He tried to turn the slit that was his mouth into a smile again and looked at Karalie. ''So, you ready for a swim yet?'' He asked, and then fake-gasped. ''What in the world made you think not having a swimsuit would slow things down?'' He leaned in with a wink.

''Don't need clothes to swim, y'know?''

[Karalie Heise]

Karalie was relieved that Luke wasn't going to change for her but because of whatever happened with Marnie.  She was enraptured as he relived the story, paying more attention to him than to the road she was jogging on, occasionally looking to make sure she wasn't going to step on something and trip.  That would be bad.  Just the thought of people's hands all over her helping her up made her feel anxious.  

She was a little amused when he mentioned having been an insensitive dick, but also sad by the comment.  Who had told him that? Or did he simply assume it? Marnie surely told him that was what he was, and chances are he probably was.  She could see traces of that in him; insensitivity and he could definitely be a bit of a dick, but it was usually playful.  At least around her.  Karalie knew there was a side to Luke she wasn't privy to, as was the truth with all people.  Lucas didn't get to see all her sides.  It was human nature to hide parts of yourself, and truth was she was trying to make a decent impression in front of the boy, even from the beginning, because he was a guy and she was a girl and that was simply how it was.

In a sense it was sort of noble that he stood up for Marnie the way he had, defending her honor so to speak.  What did surprise her was that he was the one to end things.  That didn't make sense.  Karalie wondered how much truth was behind that statement, but before she could question him on it he was changing the topic to swimming at the lake, and sure enough insisting they didn't need clothes.  She rolled her eyes, knowing it wouldn't take him all that long to bring up being naked again.

"For cryin' out loud, my bits are for my eyes only, thank you kindly.  So I would appreciate if yah quit askin' tuh take a peek, 'cause it ain't happenin'."  Her voice was firm but not unkind, simply letting him know she was tired of him pressing to see her in the buff, whether he was serious or not.  "But forget 'bout swimmin' uh minute."  She slowed down a little, her breathing starting to get a little heavier now that she'd been running for a while.  "Why on earth would ya'll break up with Marnie for that? You needed tuh change, so yah dumped her? That doesn't make no sense at all." Her voice was curious more than accusatory.  She shook her head and looked away as they headed in the direction of the lake.  She could see the sun glimmering off the waters surface out of the corner of her eye and knew they'd be there soon.  She could figure out her lack of a bathing suit option there.

"What would ya'll do if yah needed tuh change again?" She asked maybe a little less assured now, making sure to keep her dark orbs off his deep blue ones.  "Break up with yer next girlfriend, too?  Doesn't seem right.. or fair tuh her."  She was already stupidly putting herself in line for that possibility; being his next girlfriend.  No matter how many times she scolded herself, truth was she wanted it, dumb as it was. Even with wanting it, there was a part of her that felt it was unfair to Marnie and her cheeks felt hot again.  "What if Marnie ain't over you yet?  Don't ya'll wanna give it another try? You said yah changed.."  She finally looked back at him, attempting to hide her own disappointment at the thought of him going back with Marnie.  It would be better for everyone if he did.  He'd be happy, Marnie would be happy, and she could buy herself more time to figure out how she would go about handling a boyfriend were she ever to get one.

[Lucas Blacke]

Luke had more than half a mind set on stopping without warning as he saw the reflection of the sun on the water. And as much as he liked to think of a wet Karalie at the moment he just couldnt't, not after what she made him think instead. She questioned why he broke up with Marnie. What he'd do with his next girlfriend if the need to change arose again. What'd happen if Marnie wasn't over him, if he'd rush back to her, give it another shot..

He stopped running and pretty much assumed Karalie stopped running also. ''Let's start with Marnie and me giving it another go.'' He sighed as he slumped onto a nearby bench, tapping on the spot beside him for Karalie to sit. ''I should not have to explain you that certain memories do not fade. And thinking about them hurt. And reliving that memory would be just as painful. If Marnie and I got back together it'd be a question of when it'd happen again. I don't want that, it hurt too much the first time..''

He paused momentarily and his eyes started to inspect the round more and more, avoiding eye contact with Karalie, as much as he wanted to stare at her and wonder if everything was going to end up like it should. Like he knew it should. Without dreams of grandeur. Nothing but the one thing that he knew made him happy.

''And I never said I dumped her.'' He swallowed sadness. ''Truth is, I could never dump her. I just said I needed time.'' He blinked as his eyes started to.. sweat.. as he would say. ''Time to change into what she wanted.'' He tried to hold back but a soft sob escaped him as he forcefully kept his eyes closed for a minute. ''To change into what I thought she wanted..'' He corrected.

''So she broke up with me.'' The barrier had broken and a single tear fell down his face, creating single dark spot on the ground underneath him. ''She broke up with me, okay?!''

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and mustered a smile that even a blind person would know was fake. He was sad, but at the same time relieved that he finally told someone. ''And yes,'' He said with a small peek in the direction of Karalie. ''I have changed, so another reason to change will not come up.''

''But if it did..'' He raised his head and looked at Karalie, this time with a genuine smile. ''I wouldn't break up with you.''

[Karalie Heise]

Luke suddenly stopped and Karalie came to a halt with him.  He went to a bench and she followed, slumping down beside him, her breath coming in quick bursts as she tried to catch it.  She hadn't overexerted herself yet, but she was still a bit out of breath, just at that point where it was beginning to hurt so good.  She didn't normally like stopping there, but they were nearly at the lake anyway and she actually wanted to focus on what Luke was saying, something hard to do completely while they were running.  It may come naturally to him, but most people still had to work at it.

He made good points as he explained about how memories always hurt.  She understood that better than anyone, holding memories that were her own among many that were not.  Fights, abuse, tears, rejection and denial.. they always hurt, and she carried the burden of so many terrible things.  What he said made sense, especially when he clarified that it was Marnie who had ended things in the end, that he couldn't dump her.  Karalie wondered if he wished things were different, though.. if he wanted her still.  She could see the redness in his eyes and it made her suddenly feel uneasy.  Was he crying?  She looked away but she watched out of the corner of her eye.  She'd never seen a boy cry before, not since she was small and watched a boy get hurt while playing.  Little boys cried, but even then they were told to buck up.  There was something so uncomfortable about seeing him become emotional now, yet something oddly satisfying at his ability to become so vulnerable.  Karalie had very mixed feelings about it.  The things her daddy would say about a boy crying over a girl.. Well, her daddy wasn't there, and she thought it was sort of sweet.

He snapped at her a little and Karalie looked away frowning as Lucas wiped at his eyes.  Her brows furrowed as she sat awkwardly beside him, unsure what to say or how she could even begin to rectify this situation.  She was the one who had insisted on tugging at those skeletons in his closet, after all.  Finally he spoke up again, his tone softer once more as he assured her he wouldn't need to change anymore since he already had.  She knew that wasn't true; people changed again and again throughout their lives.  How could he be so certain he was just right now? She was always changing.  Then he assured her if he were to change, he wouldn't break up with her.  Her, Karalie, specifically.  

Karalie felt her throat go dry and her cheeks flush.  She could feel that itchy heat spread from her cheeks up to her ears and down her neck in shy embarrassment.  Who said they would be together!?  She was flattered and angry that he would assume that he could just have her like that, that saying it would make it real.  "Or whoever yer datin'." She clarified, her voice feeling scratchy in her throat.  The urge to run was suddenly there again, as was that queasy rising bile feeling.  He liked her! It was both amazing and terrifying.

"Last one to the lake's uh rotten egg!" She suddenly barked before getting to her feet and running as hard and fast as her legs could take her down the path towards the lake.  She tried letting her mind clear, but it was fogging up with all those stupid thoughts that she got, the ones about Lucas and how she wanted nothing more than to make out with him but couldn't because it would simply ruin everything!  Her heart hammered in her chest, pleading with herself to stop falling for him, that no good would come of it for either of them, but even as she thought it, she didn't believe it entirely.  Stupid hormones! Stupid, stupid hormones!

She got to the lake and came to a halt, pressing her back against a tree, her chest heaving as she gulped down air.  She'd been too tired to have started running like that and now her body burned all over; her lungs, her feet, her knees..  damp with perspiration and pink with exhaustion and embarrassment, she watched Luke follow behind her, slowing down and now looking nearly as spent as she felt.  "Beatcha.." She croaked in a raspy voice, her heart hammering as she watched him, though she knew that was only partially from the run.  She gulped and bit her bottom lip, looking down at her feet to stop herself from looking longingly at his handsome features; like those lips..  Her brows furrowed slightly.  What the heck was she supposed to swim in?!

[Lucas Blacke]

As sudden as Karalie jumped up and ran for the lake, exclaiming that the last one there was a rotten egg took Luke by surprise, yet not enough for him to use his automatic pilot. If he used that he'd most likely get sick, but he'd surely beat her there.

But luck had it that he didn't, or lacked the energy to do so as he finally joined up with Karalie at the location near the lake. She looked and sounded beat, just as Luke felt. He inhaled deeply and exhaled heavily as he tried to find a good balance between not tired and dying, and the fact Karalie was standing before him didn't help at all.

''Only..'' Luke replied at her mention of beating him. ''because I..'' He gulped in a good amount of air. ''let you beat me.'' While he had gotten his breathing under control, he still felt way too warm to function and decided to lose his shirt. And only slightly reasoning that he didn't need it for swimming anyway.

''It seems like I'm a rotten egg.'' He said with a tired smile as he looked up at Karalie. He got to a straight position and walked up to Karalie, looking into her eyes as she leaned against the tree. Suddenly he wasn't so sure about swimming.

He sighed. A happy sigh. ''I never thought I could drown without swimming..'' Her said cryptically as he looked right into the eyes of the girl and realized it took him no effort this time to just.. keep his eyes focused on hers. He couldn't help but feel his lips forming a smile as his hand reached for the area slightly above where Karalie was standing.

''I don't know about you,'' He started. ''But I think you and I both know 'whoever' I'm dating..''

He leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed the girl.

[Karalie Heise]

Karalie gulped as she watched Luke strip his shirt and then turned away bashfully.  She suddenly felt so trapped there against the tree, her exit back to the path blocked by his sweaty body.  She could continue on and hope it lead someplace not completely out of the way, or she could jump in the lake, but then she'd be sopping wet and she didn't need him making some vulgar comments about that.  Plus, running back wet would be really uncomfortable.  

He admitted to being the rotten egg, his lithe body practically swaggering closer to her.  It was hard not to look at him, hard to act casual as he got closer and closer.  Karalie gulped as he stopped in front of her, truly trapping her there against the tree, forcing her to look at only him.  She had no comments to make, her tongue frozen against the roof of her mouth, watching him with unblinking eyes.  He told her he never tough he could drown without swimming, his voice husky and smooth, raspy from his running.  It was raspy and sexy and incredibly sweet.  He was charming, she would give him that, and his compliment was perfect flattery for her young ears, her heart melting as she swooned.  Sure, if she'd heard it in a movie she would have rolled her eyes, insisting guys didn't say that kind of crud, but she supposed maybe they did..

She felt dizzy as he leaned in closer, her heart thundering in her chest, feeling more like that of a hummingbirds.  His hand slipped to the tree beside her head, his musky scent wafting closer.  He was sweaty and delicious, a heady masculine smell that intoxicated her, and she liked it.  God, did she like it.. she hated how much she liked it, how much she actually wanted him to lean in closer, all fears suddenly ceasing as her hormones went into overdrive.  She'd wanted someone to treat her like this, like a character in a seedy romance novel, and here it was.

Lucas made a comment about knowing who he was dating and her heart skipped a beat.  Were they dating now? If he kissed her, was she his girlfriend? Why were there no manuals about teen love?!  Lucas was closing in and the nerves shot back up, ringing loud in her ears as his lips pressed against hers.

It was everything and nothing like what she'd expected; her first kiss, pressed against a tree, the gentle sound of crickets and cicadas chirping and buzzing in the background with the occasional sound of water moving.  It was peaceful all around her, a gentle breeze cooling their damp skin as his tender lips moved gracefully across hers.  It was easier than she expected to follow his lead, and the best part was no memories came shooting through him.

Karalie got lost in the moment, in him, in the pure adrenaline of being kissed for the first time and how incredibly simple it all was, that she completely forgot about what she was doing.  Her body moved in towards his, her fingers gently coming to touch his firm, muscular torso, and just like that, the moment was ruined.

The memory shot at her hard and fierce, like electricity.  It was a strange sensation, a memory of kissing, just like what they were doing now, only the serene sounds of nature were replaced with music, the firm body under her fingertips swapping for something much softer.  Her eyes opened to see familiar feminine features.  Marnie.

It was over before she could fully react, her face jerking to the side to break her kiss with Lucas as bile rose into her throat.  "I'm sorry.." She croaked softly, reaching up and running her hand down her face as she tried to get herself calm enough to pretend for him.  She gulped, a sad, forced smile on her face as she looked back at him.  "Stupid memories." Karalie let out a fake little laugh while her eyes moved to the beautiful bare torso she would probably never get to really touch. It wasn't fair! "Are you, umm.. are you going to swim?" Karalie gulped and tilted her head up to look into those deep, soulful eyes.  He'd never want to be with her.. Who wanted to be with someone that couldn't touch you?

[Lucas Blacke]

It was everything Luke thought it would be, him and Karalie kissing, the world around them fading and the only thing Luke was able to feel were her lips on his. Her sweet and perfect lips. The boy never wanted this moment to end as Karalie moved closer to him, touching his chest. That was the second thing Luke felt. His hand slowly moved from the tree and ended up much closer to Karalie, trying his hardest to not be all mushy mushy and brush her cheek or something.

Then, in a matter of a few seconds the lips he was kissing turned away from him. Suddenly every other sensation returning to the boy. The sound of the water, however soft. The sounds that the crickets and cicadas made, it all returned to him as what he wanted to feel was no longer there.

He looked at Karalie mouth the words 'I'm sorry', but there was no sound. She then looked at him with the same forced smile he had used a dozen times before as she blamed the 'stupid memories'. Did she get a memory from him? Luke realized it could have been possible, she did touch him after all. But Luke didn't care, not really. He wanted to say he didn't care and go for another kiss, another moment of bliss, but he realized that whether he cared or not Karalie was the one getting the memory.

Luke threw his gaze to the ground as he realized Karalie wanted but couldn't, he slapped on a fake smile. And looked straight into her eyes, his smile turning from fake to genuine. ''It's okay, I'll wait.''

''And yes,'' He replied as he forcefuly inched his way back from the girl. As much as he hated doing it she seemed to be needing space for now. ''I am going to swim.''

He began taking off his pants and saw Karalie averting her gaze as a splashing sound occured. ''The water is nice, you should join me.'' He said, with a devious smile plastered across his face as his boxers were lying on top of his pants.

So he hadn't fully lost his joking side, so what?