'This feels really...' Sandy whispered with her eyes closed, feeling the cool breeze brushing her face, making her blonde hair fly. '...Nice.' Of all words, she picked that one. She'd somehow lost her SAT words sitting next to him--and she didn't even know him, not even his name. She turned to ask him that, but she paused the moment she saw the position he was in.

 

He had already lain down on his back, with his arms stretched and bent over his head, and his head lying on his hands. Sandy thought he seemed carefree, so insouciant, unlike anyone in her daily life--unlike Hunter. To come to think about it, she was so out of herself. In normal circumstances, she wouldn't even be talking to a guy like him--not that she'd avoid him, it's just that they were worlds apart: she was the high achiever, the goody-goody; he was just a geek. But in normal circumstances, Hunter wouldn't fight with her either. So in this abnormal circumstance, he'd come for her rescue.

 

Okay, fine, so maybe he didn't, she thought. She was the one that started all that: she had been on the verge of breaking down, and he had been doing his part-time job getting a car towed to his dad's mechanic shop. She wasn't going to cry in public, and she'd wanted to do it in her car. Then she'd remembered: Hunter drove her to the diner. The parking lot had been empty except for Hunter's car, and a few other cars, which for sure were locked. There had been no place to hide, and then the noise of the tow truck's engines being started had caught her attention. She'd decided to just hop into the passenger seat, ignoring the grease stains for once.

 

'Just leave me alone and drive,' she'd said the moment she slammed the door. Then she'd folded up her legs with her skirt slipped in the fold between her thighs and her calves, and sunk her face between her chest and her knees, and wrapped her arms around her face. She didn't want him to see her cry.

 

And he'd driven, without saying anything. She wasn't sure if he'd even looked when she'd got into the truck, and she couldn't care more. She had been too busy crying. And after a long while of driving--longer than it would normally take to go to the mechanic's from the diner--he still hadn't said anything. She couldn't take it anymore.

 

She'd looked up. 'Aren't you gonna say some--'

 

'Are you okay now?' he'd simply said, without even taking a glimpse at her. She had just stared at him.

 

'Are you okay now?' he had repeated.

 

'No!' she had cried and stuck her head back between her arms and knees. And not long after that, they had arrived at where they were now, a beautiful cliff with an open ground and breezy air. He'd turned off the engine and sat on the ground hugging his knees.

 

At first she didn't want to get off the truck, but it seemed like he was going to sit there for a long time, and she had wanted to go home.  So she'd gotten down, intending to tell him her wish. But the moment she'd set foot on the ground, her question had been swept away by the cooling wind. Instead, she'd sat down beside him with her legs splayed out. Then she'd leaned backwards, supported her torso with her arms, welcoming the wind to her face, and talked to him sporadically.

 

Now she was looking at him; how his wild curls were twined in a tousle and how a strand was covering his eye. How his overworn shirt outlined his slim but muscled body. How his face actually looked different ,and good, unlike the times she'd seen him in school by chance and never talked to him. She watched the rise and fall of his chest while he breathed.

 

Is he asleep? she told herself. Without second thoughts, she reached out her hand to touch him, not caring about the dirt and grease marks on his shirt.

 

'Hey, watch it,' he suddenly said, making her retrieve her hand in surprise before she even touched him. Holding her hand at her chest, she smiled in spite of herself. She felt that her face was getting hot. She stole a glaze at him, and felt relieved that his eyes were still closed.

 

'So, are you okay now?' he said, slowly opening his eyes.

 

'Can you stop asking that?' Sitting up, she said firmly, though she was secretly happy that he cared. 'I'm fine, by the way.'

 

'Oh. Sorry. And great.' And he sat up without the use of his arms, and she could vaguely make out his abdominal muscles contracting. 'I should probably get back to work. C'mon, let's go home.'

 

Her heart sank when she heard that. 'I don't need your lift. I can walk home.'

 

He sighed. 'Yeah, like you know this place at all.' He got up and walked back to his truck.

 

He was right. She couldn't walk home. She didn't even know how she got here. She lived in this town since she was born, but she never knew a place like this existed.

 

When he noticed she didn't move, he turned back. 'Clearly, you're not fine.' And he began to scuffle to her.

 

'Wait,' she said. 'I'm okay. Let's get home.'

 

In the truck, the both of them were silent after he asked for her address and she told him. She was conscious of the grease stains again, and was trying to have as little contact with her seat as possible without looking weird and awkward. He was just driving, and occasionally combing away the strand of hair that always flopped back down.

 

She figured she should say something to him even though she was a little distressed by the fact that he'd asked her if she was okay just so that he could get back to work soon. It's not like I'm somebody to him, anyway, she thought.

 

'Thanks,' she said. He raised his eyebrows, and had a quick look at her before looking back at the road. 'For making me feel better.' Even though you did that just so you can get back to work, she added silently.

 

'Yeah,' he simply grunted. 'It's getting a little late. That's why I wanted to get you home,' he then said, as if he read her mind. 'My job is whatever. I mean, it's okay for me to slack for a day. But your parents might be worried about you.'

 

'Why do you say that?' She asked, looking at him, who was tanned by the colour of the sky.

 

'Well, you don't look like you stay out late a lot.'

 

She smiled. But in spite of that, she said, 'You don't know me.' She watched him drive. He tucked the stubborn strand of hair away from his face again. He blinked, and she was captivated by his lashes, which was long; the top and bottom lashes curved away from each other, as if to widen his slumberous eyes.

 

He didn't say anything to her last line. She looked out the window at the sky. The orange colour was added with bold strokes of red. She had no idea how long they had been at the cliff, and she didn't bother to check her phone for the time. 'Sunset looks lovely.'

 

'Huh?' he replied.

 

'Sunset looks lovely, with all the streaks of colours. But it lasts so short. The colours shed faster than you think they do.'

 

He grunted something in agreement.

 

'I like red the most, out of the many colours of sunset. It's so bright, so striking. And it's so warm.' Sha paused. Then, before she knew it, 'It reminds me of Hunter,' she blurted out. She gasped. 'Sorry.' She looked down at her hands, which were resting together on her lap. She realised she wasn't avoiding contact with the grease stains on the seat anymore.  

 

He didn't say anything to her apology. They had a left turn, during which she looked ahead the street. Blue began to stain the sky. 'What colour do you like the most?' she suddenly asked, turning so quickly to look at him that she flung her hair.

 

'Er, I don't know.'

 

'Oh c'mon, there must be a colour that you like.'

 

He looked awkward. 'Erm, I've never thought about it. I don't really care. But, it's, erm, red...I guess...if you want me to pick one.'

 

'Oh,' she said, slightly enthused. 'Why?' She was expecting the reason to be related to her choice in the colour she liked. But he didn't answer.

 

'Here's it. You're home,' he said, turning to her. He puckered his lips into thin line and smiled. He looked so cute.

 

'Oh. Thanks, again, for everything.' She turned and opened the truck door, then paused, holding the door and not pushing it wide open. She looked back at him. His eyes caught hers, and he didn't shy away. 'Why do you like red?' She asked, anticipating the answer, and beyond...

 

'I'm colourblind. Red's the only colour I can see.' And he blinked and looked away.