My Fallen Angel

I laid in my bunk, facing the wall, listening to the guys chatter up front. Andy was still happy from seeing Juliet for a little while, and CC and Jake couldn't resist telling Andy about walking in on me and Ashlandil.
I was so glad they had.
I shouldn't have let that happen, I shouldve walked out, or something. I chewed my lip, and rolled onto my back, remembering the touch of his lips on mine.
Ugh.
I covered my face, embarrassed. I couldn't even face him now. I'd been avoiding him for the past two days every chance I got, and mostly I was just staying in my bunk.
Out of sight, out of mind, right?
I hoped it was working.
I felt the bus roll to a stop, and heard the driver say he needed a break; they were ahead of schedule anyway. I could hear everyone piling off the bus, and Iet my breath go in relief. "Kenna? You back there?"
"Yeah?"
"Come on, we stopped for a while. It's actually sunny here." Andy called, and I hesitated, rolling out of the bunk.
Sunny?
I stood, and Andy sent me a crooked smile as I walked toward him.
"Come on. It's kind of like you guys home town out here, all country and cornfields," he teased, and I rolled my eyes.
He had no idea.
I followed him off the bus, and paused on the last step, raising my eyes up. We'd been in the cities, where it rained and had only smog and awful clouds; I hadn't seen any sun the entire time I'd been on this forsaken earth.
Until now.
I raised a hand, feeling warmth slowly steal over my skin, and I blinked as I looked up, the yellow orb burning my eyes, the sky so blue and cloudless it almost looked like home.
It was beautiful. "Kenna?" I glanced down, seeing Andy looking at me.
"Are you coming?"
"Yeah," I murmured, following him the rest of the way where the guys stood.
We were at some kind of bus stop, eighteen wheelers and the like parked here. There looked to be a small diner amongst the gas station and mechanical shop. Fields of wild grass surrounded the rest of us on both sides, looking like it went on for miles. It was so pretty, so different from the choking cities.
I gazed around, seeing all the different colors.
"I'm starved. You guys wanna grab something to eat?" Jinxx asked, stretching. "See how much grease we can stomach?" ugh.
"Yeah, let's go." CC agreed. "Kenna?"
I looked over, seeing all of them had started forward, and I was still standing where I'd started.
"Um, you guys go on," I waved them off. "I'm gonna enjoy the sun."
"You sure?" CC glanced around. "There's some sketchy dudes around here."
"I'm fine," I assured him, amused. He'd been overly attentive ever since I'd glimpsed at his soul.
I turned my gaze from them, and took off for the field. I wanted to feel the grass.
The guys started to leave after a moment, and I knelt in relief as I got to the field. I wanted to be alone for the first time in days.
My fingers brushed the grass.
Huh.
I straightened, and walked through it, some of it as high as my waist. I'd pulled on shorts this morning to try to fight the heat, so I could feel the sharpness against my shins as I walked forward.
I closed my eyes, letting the suns rays slip over my skin.
This felt so nice! I smiled, and twirled around, feeling the breeze.
This place was wonderful.
I could almost imagine it being home, it being somewhere safe again. Why would anyone want to leave places like this? I wasn't sure how long I stood there, or how long I walked around aimlessly.
If I made it through this, the country was where I would go, I decided, flailing back into the poof of grass, inhaling its scent.
I loved this place.
I closed my eyes and laid there, enjoying the solitude.

Notes