18. A Dream

Chase.

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"Wait, you skipped school?!"

"I didn't. I skipped class."

"Chase!" Sky hits my arm. "Your parents are gonna kill me!"

"They won't! I'll just say you knew nothing about it!"

"Like they'll buy that!"

"Look, can we just not talk about that? This is supposed to be our getaway. Good vibes only!"

Sky sighs and grabs his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Texting your dad. He's probably worried sick."

"You're always on his side." I pout.

"Because he's always right." Sky laughs as he continues typing on his phone.

I stare out the window of the plane. I'm so excited. I'm happy to be away from everyone and finally spend some time alone with Sky.

"So what are we gonna do when we get there? Shopping? Clubbing? Ooh, we have to go to time square!"

Sky laughs. "Sure, we'll do whatever you want. You choose." He settles in his seat.

I grab my phone and start researching all the good places we can go.

After about twenty minutes I've compiled a list.

"Definitely time square and then we'll go to this restaurant, look it has five stars—"

I stop talking as Sky's head touches my shoulder. He's fallen asleep. On my shoulder.

I get butterflies in my stomach from that simple touch.

I lean in and smell his hair. I settle in my seat and lean against his head.

× × ×

It's nighttime when we arrive.

"It's so cold!" Sky says, a little cloud coming from his mouth into the air.

"Well, what did you expect, it's New York!" I laugh.

We walk through the snow covered airport.

"Why didn't you bring a coat?"

"I wanted to, except I was rushed!" Sky gives me a look. "We need to find a store ASAP."

I take off my coat. "Here, take mine. I'm not that cold anyway."

"No, Chase, it's freezing."

"Exactly." I put my coat on him.

He sighs and calls a cab.

The whole cab ride we stare out the window at the lively city we're in. A lot of people romanticize LA but.. I like New York way better. Being here just makes me feel hopeful and alive for some reason.

A while later we've made it to the center of it all: Time Square.

"Wow." We say simultaneously as we step out of the cab.

We look around at the crowded street. Tall buildings surround us and lights flash from every direction. It's stunning.

I look at Sky and he's just as amazed as I am. I watch the lights of the billboards flash on his face.

"It never ceases to amaze me how stunning this place is."

"Yeah, it's unreal." I wanna grab his hand. I know I shouldn't.

Sky surprises me when he grabs mine. "Come on, let's find a clothing store."

He drags me through the buzzing streets filled with people. If we hadn't been holding hands I would've lost him, that's how crazy busy it is. My heart's racing with excitement as Sky leads me through the crowd.

He lets go of my hand when we finally make it into a store. It's nice and warm inside. I hadn't realized how cold I was.

"Here." He drapes my coat over my shoulders and walks towards the ones on the rack.

"Good evening gentlemen. How may I help you today?" The lady from the store asks.

"We're just looking, thanks." I answer.

She smiles politely and continues counting clothes. The store is surprisingly empty. Guess it's just not very popular.

I join Sky as he looks through a rack of clothes.

He pulls out a bright pink one and gives me a look.

I laugh. "Oh that's totally your style."

Sky shakes his head and and keeps going through the rack.

I look in a different rack and pull out a lilac coat. "You have to try this on! This is so you!" I joke.

"I wouldn't try that on if you paid me!"

"Please! Humor me!" I hold it out to him.

He shakes his head and grabs the long purple coat. He picks out a deep navy one to try on as well.

I wait on the bench in front of the fitting room while Sky changes.

He opens the curtain. He's wearing the lilac coat and.. surprisingly it looks good.

"Not bad.."

Sky comes out and looks in the mirror. "Are you kidding? I look like a cupcake!" He laughs.

"... I'd say a flower would be more accurate." I tease.

"Much better." Sky says sarcastically as he takes off the coat and throws it at my head.

He chuckles as he closes the curtain again.

I'm surprised by how happy I am. It kind of feels like Sky and I are in an alternate universe where we're the only people alive. There are no problems, no overthinking. Everything is easy and peaceful.

"Shit!"

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Come help me!"

I walk into the fitting room.

Sky looks embarrassed as he holds out the zipper of the blue coat he has on. It's stuck in his sweater.

"How did you do that?" I laugh.

"I didn't mean to, okay? Just help me get it out!" He laughs.

I pull on the zipper. It won't budge.

"I can't get it out, it's stuck!"

"Get it out before someone comes in here!"

"I'm trying! How did you even do this so fast?" I try to pull on the zipper but instead of it moving my hand slips off knocking the 'don't steal' sign right off the wall. I pull Sky aside before it hits it head.

We're both laughing our asses off at his point.

"Is everything alright in there?" The sales clerk sounds annoyed as hell.

I give Sky a look. He just tries not to laugh.

"Yeah, fine!"

"Two people are not allowed in the same dressing room here." She warns.

I look back at Sky. Both our eyes widen.

"Wait, does she think we're...?"

We both try to keep it together.

"Uh, we're almost done." I say. I look back at Sky. "I mean we've almost finished." Sky bursts out laughing. And I can't stop myself from laughing too.

"The audacity.." The store clerk mumbles as she walks off.

× × ×

Sky and I laugh hysterically as we walk through the busy streets of New York. He's wearing his new navy coat and we're trying to figure out what to do next. It's strange. We haven't touched a drink but it's like the city air is making us high.

"I'm hungry." I conclude. It's been a while but for the first time in eternity I actually want to eat.

"Okay, let's get some food."

We make our way into a dimly lit restaurant. The interior is very fancy and sleek. Lots of whites, blacks and silvers.

We sit down at a table and order our food.

I can't help but feel overwhelmed with joy as I sit across Sky. I'm happy to be at a place like this with him. Way too happy.

It doesn't take long for our food to arrive.

We dig right in. It's so good! I haven't had food this good in ages.

"This is delicious!" Sky says after exactly one bite of his meal.

"I know, right!"

"It was definitely necessary, I'll have you know I just had a very exhausting shopping trip! I even got in some physical exercise in a fitting room." I joke.

Sky starts to laugh. "Oh did you, now? Sounds exciting."

"Oh, it definitely was."

We both chuckle.

After we've finished our meals and deserts, Sky lays his phone on the table and heads to the bathroom.

I can't help but stare after him and feel lucky to even spend a few days with him.

His phone starts to vibrate. I look at the screen. It's Aron.

It's like my bubble is burst. He's a reminder of reality when so far life felt like a dream.

I decide to pick up. "Hey Aron."

"Chase? Where's Sky?" He immediately sounds worried.

Is this the moment where I turn around and go 'He's in the shower'?

"Um, bathroom. We just finished eating.."

"So you both got there safe?" He asks.

"Yeah! But we really gotta hurry now.. to check in on time and stuff."

"Right. Just give Sky my love."

"Sure, sure. Bye"

"Bye."

I hang up and ask for a waiter.

"Hey, could I pay now? If I wait till he's back, he'll never let me pay." I chuckle.

She smiles joyfully upon hearing this. "How very romantic!" She beams. "I thought you guys were a couple. You look great together."

"Thank you." I can't tell her we're not together now. No, I don't want to. This is my getaway dream.

I quickly pay for the food just before Sky comes back.

"Ready to go?" I get up.

"I think you forgot something." Sky chuckles.

"I took care of it."

"Chase," He protests.

"What? It wasn't that much!"

"That's not the point, I'm like half a life older then you, this is so wrong."

"Okay, firstly: no you're not. Secondly, It's my money, I can do what I want with it." I grab his hand and we make our way outside.

"You're just like your dad. He won't even let me try to pay him for the therapy."

"That's because you guys made a deal so you wouldn't have to pay him back."

"Free dinners is hardly a deal."

"Why can't you just accept good things? This is totally a pattern in your life."

"It's not!"

"Oh no?  You can't take gifts, especially if they're surprises, you can't take compliments to save your life—"

"That's not true!"

"You're like my favorite person in the world." I say.

Sky averts eye contact while he turns red.

"That's what I mean."

"That's not fair! No one says that!"

"You're too humble for your own good." I conclude.

We're almost at the hotel at this point.

"I'm just not used to people saying stuff like that."

"Please. Maybe it's just hard to believe cause you don't see yourself that way. But trust me, you're wrong."

We finally arrive at the fancy looking hotel. We check in and make our way to our room.

And yes, we're going to share a room just like I hoped. I wonder if anything's gonna happen tonight. I hate myself for hoping it will. But then I remember, this is just a dream.