Cass
They were out the door, and gone. Just like I had planned. At the right time too. Perfect. I peaked through the blinds keeping my eye on the car, my one way ticket out of this house.
Not that this house was necessarily bad. It was just confining. Weighing me down. But I was busting out, for one night. Perfectly planned. Right on track.
In 10 minutes he would be here. In his little, red nova and we’d be out in town. I could feel the exhilarating rush in my veins. The chill down my spine as I await for this night to really begin. This was unusual for me, I guess you could say. Crazy, deranged, young? Maybe I was all three. But something was driving me to this edge and there was no way I could take a step back.
That’s when I heard his wheels roll up on the driveway. I stole one last glance at my reflection, pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear and hurried to the door. He knew not to knock, he flashed the head lights as instructed. I opened the door, put one foot through the frame, knowing once it was done, it was done. But I didn’t feel an ounce of nerves or fear. All I had was a wild look in my eyes and freedom bursting in my chest.
May the night begin.

“Are you ready?” Noah’s first words as I sat down in the passengers seat.
“Depends, where are we going?” I turned to face him, flashing him the smirk I knew he couldn’t resist.
“Cass, put your seatbelt on will ya? It’s a surprise.” He did this all without even glancing at me, this better be worth the risks.

Noah
I couldn’t even so much as look at her. One look and I know I’d spill it all. Tonight would be ruined. So I kept headstrong, one hand on the wheel, the other steady on the shift. Though I achingly wished it was feeling the warmth of her hand pressed on mine. When she asked me to do this tonight, I knew this was my chance. My chance to show her who she should really be talking to late at night on the phone. I can almost picture her stifling her laugh when she’s supposed to be asleep or her groggy voice when she firsts wakes up in the morning. I wanted this, her. But I had to be realistic, I had to take it slow. Tonight was about Cass. And the way the moonlight is lighting her eyes right now is driving me crazy. Right on track. Perfectly planned.
May the night begin.

Cass
“Handcuffed at a mall? This was your brilliant idea?” I couldn’t believe I was standing in the middle of the bustling Greenfield mall, handcuffed to Noah.
“It’s a game, you have to find the key, all before your parents get home.”
“But it could be anywhere?”
“That’s the point.”
I hoped he couldn’t tell. But I was thrilled. Being with Noah was always exciting.

Noah
She seemed a bit disappointed at first, but I knew she wouldn’t be. I know Cass, she’s a sucker for this sort of thing. Before I could even look at her for more than 5 seconds she was dragging me into her favorite store. She loved making me look ridiculous. Placing the floppiest hat and nerdiest glasses she could find on me. Laughing the whole way through. All I could do was smile because this is exactly what I wanted. A chance to be completely insane with this wild girl I could never understand.

Cass
Three hours and a dozen stores, ice cream cones and tireless running later, I began to worry.
“Can I at least get a hint to where you hid this thing?” It was 10 and my parents would be home by midnight. The clock was ticking, but this was exactly what I wanted, wasn’t it? Surprise, thrill?
“No, no hints. It’s somewhere you love.”
“But I love plenty of things.”
“This one the most.”
Think Cass.

Noah
I smoothed out her furrowed brow with the thumb on my handcuffed hand and spun her around.
“Stop worrying.” This time I was doing the dragging. Pulling her into our favorite CD shop.
“Alright, now we’re talking.” Her voice was smooth as silk and sent ripples of electricity through my chest.

Cass
As we flipped through the endless rows of worn CDs, lost with no one who wanted them, I stole a gaze at his face. Those big brown eyes always searching for something more. The way he always bites his bottom lip in moments of concentration . We were handcuffed together, why we hadn’t held hands yet was beyond me. Just the thought gave me that heavy feeling in my stomach and sent my heart beating at the pace of a butterflies’ wings. And that’s why I did it.
Slowly, finger to finger. Lacing mine right between his, keeping heavy concentration on the Elvis Presley CD before me. My body was alive with our touch.

Noah
Our hands were touching. Our fingers were laced. We were holding hands. Yet she didn’t even look at me. I watched her intently and she was staring at some lame Elvis CD. But I wasn’t complaining. Her fingers felt so right between mine. I hoped she would never take them away. This is how it should be.

Cass
An hour later. Still no key. Still holding hands. We were in a book store now. The smell of the fresh, crisp pages filling our lungs, breath by breath. I didn’t want the key. I wanted time. I wanted this. I could stayed handcuffed to Noah for a lifetime. Right here in this mall, in this bookstore. I could say just forget the key, we can stay like this. Forget our relationships and our lives and our dreams. This is what I want. But I couldn’t because I had a house and a life and parents that would be home in 30 minutes. If I wasn’t home by then I’d be a goner. Yet here I was sitting cross legged next to Noah. Letting the key stay wherever it was because I never wanted to find it.

Noah
30 minutes left. This is all I got. I think it was time.
“So where’s that key Cass?”
“I don’t know, can we just stay here?”
“You know your parents Cass.”
“I know.”
“The place you love most here.”
“I don’t love this mall that much.”
“Maybe it’s not just in the mall. Maybe it’s not a place at all.”

Cass
That’s when I looked over at him. I loved the crinkles by his eyes when he smiled and the freckles that were dotted across his face that resembled art done by the finest Picasso, that was what I loved most. I love the way he holds my hand and his comfortable silence the most. I reached into his pocket and there it was, the key.
“Predictable.” I gave him that smirk I knew he couldn’t resist.

Noah
This time I was looking at her and that smile was driving me to the very edge. I tucked that strand of hair behind her ear like she always has a habit of doing. She didn’t pull away. I let my fingers linger by her cheek and felt the warmth of her lips press on mine.
“I like predictable.”

Cass
Wait how much time until 12? 5 minutes. We lost track of time and here we were in the back of that little red nova, scrambling to get in the front seat. I had busted out, but getting busted was definitely not part of the plan.

Noah
I was going 50 in a 20 zone. I’d do anything to have this night again. She needed to get home, if not I might not see her again.

Cass
I was barely sitting in the seat, still trying to cover any evidence of his presence. But absentmindedly running my fingers over my lips feeling the trace he left.

Noah
I looked over her. My hand wasn’t on the shift, it was in hers. She was thinking. She was tracing all the places I had left my touch.
I was looking at her.
I never saw it.
50 in a 20 zone.

Cass
It was happening so fast.

Noah
She was still holding my hand when it went limp.
I still had the key in my pocket.
Still handcuffed.
Still in love.
If only I had told her to put on that seat belt.
Cass, put on that seat belt will ya.
It was too late. The key burned a hole in my jeans, through my flesh, through my very soul.
That little, red nova. Tinted with all the memories and the key, all I would have left after that night.