Our Walk

I walk out soon after and sit down next to her. She doesn't notice me due to her headphones and I kiss her cheek, she jumps and screams a little. I laugh, "You're cute."

"I am a little jumpy."

"I noticed, what do you want to do today?"

"We could go for a walk, the forest is beautiful in the summer, and not too cold."

"Sure, we can do that."

"Okay, let me get my shoes."

"You look pretty without makeup, you know, and with your hair untied and your clothes a little off, you look beautiful."

"Are my clothes a little off?" I nod, "Oh, sorry, but I prefer my hair tied," She said as she tied her shoelaces, "Let's go," She takes my hand and we walk together.

She walks next to me, silently. I start to think about us, how we met, how we have developed, something tells me that I would be able to make it through hardships with her. I sigh and smile and she turns to look at me. I look down at her and smile, she giggles.

"You know, I am happy to have you as my first relationship, I really am, if I hadn't met you until now I probably wouldn't have the balls to ask you out, I guess I would've seen you as a popular girl, and I was, am, not really good with conversations."

"You aren't, but it makes you cute, I like it."

"This place is beautiful, almost as beautiful as you."

"You are great at complimenting me," She smiled at me and hugged me, "Are you flexing?" I shake my head, "Your arm feels bigger."

"Probably all that Atlas Stone stuff, I haven't really noticed the change at all."

"Have you ever done that stuff?" I shake my head, "How do you convince yourself that you can? Like I have only ever seen you dead-lift 300 pounds."

"It is completely different than dead-lift, it has barely anything similar, but I do have a good motivation," I smile at her and she blushes, "Do you like blushing or something?"

"No, but, but, but you make me blush, do you think I am actually pretty?"

"Of course, Cassandra, you are a man's dream, I just happen to be your boyfriend, you are perfect, at least, if not for you, for me."

"You are sweet, but I am far from perfect."

"If you say so, but know that for me, you are perfect."

Cassandra is standing in the gym, her father is there too. I have resin on my forearms and I am standing in front of the first stone, I have 5 to do. He has a stopwatch in his hand, "Go," I start lifting the stones. One by one, they get onto their stand, I can feel Cassandra motivating me even if she is saying nothing. I am already at the 4th stone, it goes up as if nothing, the 5th puts strain on me. I take a breather and then toss the stone onto the stand, her father says nothing as I move onto the next stone, the 6th one, I had never lifted it. I squat down and smile as I wrap my arms around it. I lift it from the floor, it weighs significantly more than the last 5. My arms feel like they are about to burst, with my muscles ripping off of my bones. My face goes red as I wheeze it onto my legs. I close my eyes and she softly speaks to me, except I am just imagining it.

"You can do it, do it for me," I open my eyes and lift the stone, nearly actually tossing it onto the stand. As the stone stops moving at the top of stand, my legs give out and I fall backwards, exhausted. She is instantly at my side, "Aristide! Are you okay?" I smile and sit up, "Don't scare me."

"We had a deal," Her father helps me up, holding out his hand, "And you did more," He is smiling, I hadn't seen him smile once, towards me, "You are more than worthy for me, it is all up to her now."

"So? Your answer, Cassandra?"

"Of course you are, dummy," She pulled my head down and kissed me. Her father laughed and placed the stones back on the ground. I move away from her, "Awww, why did you stop?"

"I need to take a shower, so, one second."

After dinner with her family, we are sitting in her room, doing nothing, she is hugging me and I am smiling, and exhausted, "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"What movie are you thinking about?"

"I don't know."

"I am actually really tired."

"Can I sleep with you?"

"WHAT?!" I begin blushing with wide eyes, looking down at her.

"I just, just, thought you would be as comfortable as, as, as, as you are when I hug you, can we?"

"Yeah, um, sure, but nothing else, okay?"

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Get you mind out of the gutter."