"You Can't Hurry Love"

Five years, to the day, since I met Elliot. I knew this because it was the first day of the summer holidays, and five years ago, I was there, outside his house, playing with my friend Jess when he came home.

*

“It was brilliant, Mum! I made all the other new people laugh!”

“What did you do?!” Mrs Thomas had asked, trying not to show her happiness of his return until she knew she didn't have to tell him off first.

“What didn't I do?”

“Get in the house and change those clothes now, before you ruin them!” she scurried him into the house.

*

“Are you coming over this summer?” Jess asked, making me move my forehead from the glass of the bus window, to look at him.

“Of course! When do you want me?”

“Tomorrow?!” she laughed.

I giggled, “We'll see. When are you guys going?” I looked at our other friends, in the seats on the other side of the bus for some sort of answer, but before anyone could even think, we'd reached a stop, and Elliot and his friend crashed into the seats behind us.

“Bloody hell!”

*

“There's a person on my leg...” I looked at Jess, by the lake in our local park.

Jess looked up from her phone, to just smirk at me, and continue playing her game. “Throw them in the water then...” she replied, with no cares in the world.

“Elliot?”

“Yeah?” the person on my leg answered, without moving.

“Any reason you're lying there?”

“Need to catch my breath. You looked comfy.” He settled himself more securely on my lap.

“I was.”

Elliot laughed and pointed towards his friend, who was now running, in the same way he had been, towards me.

When his friend got closer, I ducked and he went straight over myself and Elliot, and toppled into a pile by our side.

“What have you two done now...?”

“Nothin', honest.”

“Yeah, right. Can I have my lap back now please?”

“Nope. I like it here.”

*

“What have you done this time?!” I asked the familiar question.

“One... of... the...” the friend breathed heavily.

“Okay, take a moment to breathe.”

As they sat there, breathing deeply, I fell once more into my daydream of the past five years.

*

“Hold my hand, Elliot!”

“I've got you. Trust me.”

I looked up at him, the branch beneath me wobbling under the movement. “Why would I trust you?” I laughed.

“Have I ever dropped you out of a tree before?”

“No...”

“So... what are you going to do?”

“Trust you.”

*

“Don't you trust us?” I said, after Elliot asked if we could keep a secret.

He gave me a knowing smile, “Well, after recent events in this town-” (The town had gone through a tough time with flooding lately).

“What on Earth have you done?!” Jess pressed them.

“Well we've been working on some things that we thought would brighten things up a bit.”

“You haven't made some more of your so-called 'art', have you?! I don't care what you say, I rabbit smoking a cigar, is not funny. Especially when it has to be explained because your drawing is so bad!”

“We wouldn't do that! ...Again.”

*

“Do you really think we're in danger?” I asked Jess, as we walked back to her and Elliot's house.

“I think some places are.”

I nodded, as I held the kitchen door open for her. She stepped in and we put our shopping away for Mrs Thomas.

As soon as I was done, I excused myself and ran up the stairs. I treated the house as my own home, now. I only lived a short distance away, but I spent most of my time here.

Jess followed me. I was crying. I didn't really know why, but I was scared that the floods were going to wipe us out. I'd heard that someone had died, and I was scared for the people I loved.

“Hey!” Jess called after me, but I didn't stop. I made it all the way up the stairs, before crumbling into a sobbing pile outside Jess' room.

“You okay?” Jess asked as she caught up to me.

“Yeah,” I sniffed, trying to hide the tears.

“What's wrong?”

“I'm just... it's stupid.”

“Floods?”

“How did you know?”

“Because we're all scared, silly.”

“None of you are showing it!”

“Mum and Dad have a duty not to show it. I'm too scared to think about the possibilities... You know I can't swim. And Elliot's too thick to care.”

I laugh at this.“That's true. I don't know how you all do it though.”

“Neither do I. Wanna go and find out?”

“Yeah.”

So, Jess and I went across to Elliot's room. I hugged her briefly before we knocked the door.

“Come in.”

So we did, and there on the floor, were hundreds of little paint pots.

“What the heck are they for?!” Jess asked, pointing.

As Elliot's friend started explaining the 'Smoking Bunny', Elliot looked at me, giving a look as though asking if I was okay. I nodded slowly, and he gave an understanding smile. He put his arm out and I sat next to him, leaning in for support. He stroked my shoulder, as his arm wrapped around me. I listened quietly as they explained their plans.

*

“So what did you do?” Jess pushed for an answer.

“Fireworks.” Elliot stated it so calmly, that we all stayed silent for a moment.

*

Each of us had a blanket. We were sat in the garden, looking up at the sky. It was freezing, so we huddled together. It was already dark when we got out there, but that was a good thing, because we didn't have to wait long for the fireworks to start. Music blared from somewhere near, and over the tree line in front of us, we could see a display we technically should have paid for.

I looked over at Elliot and wondered if he'd had a good night. He was definitely my favourite friend, that wasn't Jess. I know you're not supposed to feel like that, but there was a special quality to him. His eyes glittered in the light.

I fell asleep that night, thinking differently.

*

“Where?!” Jess asked, not trying very hard to hide her admiration.

“Well,” Elliot said, “to begin with, just in the park...”

“But?” Jess asked, enthusiastically.

Elliot laughed, “And then they kind of... strayed.”

“Where?” Jess sounded concerned now.

“Let's just say that if you've been thinking that the council needed to get off their arses and do something... the first part has definitely happened.”

Jess tutted, and turned to see out of the back of the bus. “Well you're lucky. No-one's chasing us.”

“For now...” Elliot smirked.

I watched him, as he and his friend went into detail about their plans, and how they'd hoped to make some people happy. I watched his eyes light up as he thought about what had happened, and I watched as his lip framed a perfect smile, even when he was talking. His enthusiasm and love are catching. He makes me smile in a way that no other person can, and as I watch him, I imagine a day when I can make him smile, the way his pranks and jokes do...

*

Elliot and I are in a shop – his shop. It's after hours, and the bell above the door is still ringing from when the last customer left, moments ago. I'm looking at Elliot's eyes glitter again, but this time, he's looking into my eyes. We're standing close together, so that I can feel his breath, his every movement.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a remote. Without a word, the lights go off, and little fairy lights dance light around the shop. There's nothing here, but the two of us. He puts his remote on the counted beside us, and puts his hands on my hips. We slide close together, because we know who we are, and we know what we're meant to be. His one hand slips up to my cheeks, caressing the skin slowly, before his gentle, smiling lips edge closer to mine. The softest brush of his lips on mine is enough to slow the world down, and make me want to stay here forever. He treats me so delicately, that even I'm scared I'll shatter into tiny pieces if he ever lets me go. He pushes his lips harder to mine, and our bodies are pressed against each other.

I'm in love with this feeling. I'm in love with this man...

*

“Hey, beautiful,” Elliot's voice wakes me slowly. “Time to go.”

I open my eyes, and I see that sparkle in his eyes again. I look slowly around, but this isn't the shop. I'm momentarily devastated, before he speaks again.

“You fell asleep. It's time to go home.”

I move a little, and realise the bus has stopped, and it's just the two of us. There's a hustle and bustle in the depot, and the bus drivers are changing over.

He leans in and kisses my forehead. “Want me to take you home?”

“Please.”

We stand, and he takes my hand. We reach the door of the bus and he stops. He just looks at me for a moment, and there it is. That perfect smile, and it's all for me. I squeeze his hand and smile back. He puts his arm around me and we walk off. I now know that it's only a matter of time before everything changes. I know he only smiles like that when he loves what's happening. And I love it too. I know you can't hurry love, but please don't take too long, eh?