Free My Stupid Girl by Aurora Smith

didn't care what she looked like but beauty
still seeped from every pore. It was like she had a blessing or charm on her
that I couldn't see, but it was just there. She reached for my hand and caught
it before I could plunge it into my pocket. She was quick.
    "It’s dark; lead the way." She
gave me a nudge and we took off, me walking her through the quiet house. I could
have turned the lights on, I guess. As we got to the front door, we realized it
wasn't raining anymore, but now it was freezing.
    "Geez, let’s get in the car and put
the heater on!" She stepped in front of me and dragged me to my car. It
occurred to me that I should be opening the door for her; I’d never done this
before. I opened the door for the beautiful girl and waited until all limbs
were completely in the car before I shut it. Win.
    I walked slowly around to the driver’s
side, taking a few deep breaths to pull myself together. I saw her fingers
flipping up the lock and opening my door from the inside. Another win. I nodded
thanks at her, sat down, and turned the car on. She turned the heat up to the
highest possible setting the second the engine started.
    "We should let the car warm up for a
minute, first," I explained to her, turning down the dials.
    "That’s what my dad always says."
She frowned at the front dash like it wasn't doing its job fast enough. I
smiled at her; she was very impatient.
    The lighthouse was only ten miles away. The
interior of the car had just started warming up when we spotted the dark column
(which hadn’t been used in decades) jutting out of the landscape. We winded
down a long road in the middle of a big open field. I parked in front of the
giant pillar. We discussed a plan of action and, on the count of three, ran out
of the car and headed straight for the door at the base of the tower. Lucy
flung it open so we could rush inside. It was dark and dry and infested with cobwebs.
It smelled like dirt and mold.
    "Charming," I said into the
darkness.
    "Wow, look at those stairs.” We both
stood in silence for a minute, contemplating the spiraling staircase that rose
to a little pin of natural light at the top. “Are we supposed to walk up the
whole way?" She bent her head back, stepping back a few steps,
exaggerating the height. Her hair fell like a waterfall behind her, cascading
toward the ground. Be still my heart. I wasn’t even looking at the stairs. She
looked over at me and caught me staring at her. I looked down quickly and made
sure my hair was in the right place, firmly in front of my right eye. Speaking
was what I needed to break the mood. Speech with blistering sarcasm.
    "I'm assuming the stairs are the way
to go. But wait!”
    She looked at me expectantly.
    “Did we miss the elevator?!"
    She just smiled and I felt her hand go in
mine. I didn't even try to put it in my pockets this time, I just went with it.
She pulled me up seven flights of stairs.
    We didn't talk, just walked and walked and
walked up until we couldn't go up anymore. Blocking our way at the top was a
broken down door that would only open half way. We squeezed through it out into
a big sky with a million stars.
    "See! Stars!" She nudged my
elbow, bouncing excitedly. I nodded at her. I was excited too, but I just
patted my hair down again. I suddenly realized I was wearing my glasses. I’d
forgotten to put my contacts in before I left the house. She hadn’t said a
thing. I kind of liked that.
    We walked to the railing and she leaned up
against it, linking our arms together and forcing me to stand right next to
her. I didn't like her on this side of me, the right side, but I didn't want to
bring attention to it so I just let it go. She felt warm with her arm against
me. Her hand rested on top of mine and I felt her head settle on my shoulder.
We stood there in silence for a long time. It wasn’t awkward silence. I didn’t
feel like I had to be talking. I was perfectly at ease in this moment. I put
the side of my face down on top of her