Summer Nights

[ksneeze]

Hey guys! I'm Kris, and this would be my second fic. The first is lost among the seas of stories is probably far back. But, I have this one for you! (: Trust me, the sneezes comes in later, it starts off slow.

The plot is basically my female, Arianna, goes to Tennessee whil on summer vacation from her art college. There, she rediscovers a friend she had made the last summer she was there, almost 9 years back. Something tells me it's going to be a long story. xD And, it also switched between Arianna and her friend, Ace.

Part one:

Arianna's POV:

"You've got to be kidding me, Mac." Arianna complained to her friend's uncle, running an impatient hand through russet waves. She had only been her two days and this damn old man was already bugging her about trying to get out there. Get out where exactly? All she had seen in Tennessee so far were cows, farms, and way too many open fields. The trip up was boring, hinting the state all together was drab. Ari had to admit; the sun rising was always beautiful in Tennessee. So were the sunsets. But now, she didn't think of any of that and instead glared at Uncle Mac from where she stood by her bed, taking clothes out her bag.

"I am not going to that bonfire," Arianna stated as she pulled out a long rose-colored skirt from her bag, folding it, and setting it on the bed's blue quilt.

Mac was a family friend from way long back. He was the reason Arianna was so close to her best friend, Rachel. After her mother died in a car accident and her father become the drunk cowboy that she hated so much, Ari really had nowhere to go, no one to watch her. That's where Uncle Mac came in, taking her in, giving her a home, a father, and a best friend.

"Come on, darlin'." Mac started and Arianna noticed his drawl, seemingly stronger than the others that lived her. "It'll be fun. You can actually bond with some of the people here! Make some friends, meet a boy, something?" Mac was losing a hopeless war. Arianna was like a cat. She did what she wanted, when she wanted. Feigning defeat, the old man sighed, causing a guilty Ari to look up sheepishly. "Alright. Fine. You don't have to go. But it would be nice." Mac left the room, head droopin'.

"Dammit Mac," Arianna hissed quietly and put a hand to her forehead. She lifted it and looked at the door, glaring. "Alright, fine!" she called, expecting him to be downstairs.

"Thanks, darlin'!" He appeared in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear then he left, his boots thudding down the stairs.

A few hours later, Arianna emerged from inside the house, stepping into a good ol' country bonfire. People were crowded around the fire, some where getting drinks, others were playing music. Listening, she could hear the beginning of 'Summer Nights', one of her favorite songs by Rascal Flatts. Mac had said only a few people were coming. Mac lied. There were at least 50 people at this party, known of whom Ari knew.

Ari was dressed to impress tonight. Well, as much as this country setting allowed. As a top, she wore a simple black fitted tee, with a plunging v-neckline that made something of her bust. Skinny jeans, worn down, hugged her hips and her legs all the way down to her her ankles, her feet in black flipflops. No jewelry except for a simple chain with a key charm that a boy had given her long, long ago. Her dark russet hair fell down her back and around her face almost seductively and made her green eyes stand out even more than they usually did. Slightly uptilted at the outer corners, with long dark lashes, her eyes were one of her best features, a brilliant shade of green, the color of grass at Easter. Her style was simply and sexy, perfectly pulled together.

Glancing around, she hummed the song as she looked for Mac or Rachel. She couldn't find either in the crowd. Wonderful.

---------

Ace's POV:

He didn’t really know why he was here. Going to parties, bonfires, just leaving his house had become a battle. It was a small town and there was no such thing as a secret. So naturally when his girlfriend, granted she wasn’t much of one, was found tumbling in the fields with some college dropout the news ran like wild fire. On Dianna’s (oh how the name felt bitter in his mouth) part there wasn’t much of a relationship, but for years Ace had wasted away trying to gain her affection. In the end it was all just a matter of vanity. He’d been the star athlete, heart throb of the down with a heart wrenching story to go with it. Yet he apparently had no value compared to a half wit red neck.

With a sigh he sloshed his cup of beer into the roaring flames watching as they flickered blue for a moment. He wasn’t a drinker, no matter the circumstance. As soon as the music started up Ace knew it was time to put on his game face. Though everyone was walking on eggshells around him they still expected him to party at the start of summer fling, he had revived the tradition after all. That was the thing about small towns, no matter how hard you tried or willed the people all around friend or foe would not allow you to change who you are. And for three years Ace had never just been Ace, he’d been Ace and Dianna.

Putting on a smile he mingled through the crowd catching falling drinks, giving out manly handshake/one arm hug things, and singing a long to the tune with a surprisingly pleasant voice. He knew everybody and everybody knew him, he also knew what they expected. With two worn down cowboy boots he hopped atop an Igloo cooler, one of a massive train seeming to serve as a seventy person bench. Confidently with friends following suit the whole crowd seemed to sing a long with him as his worn down cowboy boots treaded down across the matted grass. They sang, drank, and danced through the final lyrics as they always did to kick start the party. Summer time was their theme song, the whole bloody town.

It was after belting out the last tune that Ace stopped short. A flash of brilliant fiery hair catching his eye. Vaguely a memory flickered to life of chasing a redhead down to the creek and showing her how to catch fireflies by dozen. “Arianna?” He wasn’t even aware that he had called out to her until the name was past his lips and beyond his reach. How he had remembered was a mystery, all he was certain of was that he knew that girl from somewhere.

Crossing through the crowd with ease that only came from experience Ace reached out to tap lightly on Arianna’s shoulder. “Pardon me, but do you happen to remember me?” He didn’t know what he was expecting the answer to be, after all nine years was a long time and a lot had changed. His hair was still a sun bleached golden blonde, skin lightly freckled but tan, eyes two puddles of blue. That much was the same but all things considered he’d filled out a lot since the ripe age of ten. Modest abs, a lean strong build clothed in a cowboy hat, worn boots, permanently dirt stained jeans, and a flannel hanging open over a white t-shirt that hugged every muscle. Hanging around his neck on a leather cord was a time worn lock, missing a key.

Next part maybe later tonight? (: Comments, etc. would be loved! Sneezes to come.

[curliecatlover]

This is a good start! I can't wait for the sneezing!

[obsessed]

ohhh I remember you!

This is such an interesting set-up! I cannot wait to see where it goes

[Emily]

I liiike! -waits for next part eagerly- Ace sounds like a hottie. And the forum girls like hot sneezers.

[ksneeze]

Part 2! Still no sneezes, wait for it! This one's kinda long, but I'll add the good part tomorrow! ;D

Arianna's POV:

She thought she heard her name. Ignored it. Know one could possibly know her at this party. A tap on the shoulder, and she turned around to face the definition of cowboy, asking her if she remembered him.

At first, she didn't. "I'm sorry I-," and then she stopped, her dark green eyes locked on to his endless blue puddles. She did know him. 9 years ago, she had made a best friend, a boy about a year older than her named Ace. She felt some memories find their way back into her mind: Ace and her catching lightning bugs, Ace and her camping out in Mac's back yard, Ace and her doing everything together. Best friends, never to be separated. That very first day, just moments after she arrived in Tennessee, Ace became her best friend. And he was still here 9 years later.

Except, boy, did he change. Those deep blue eyes were still the same. But now, they were attached to a handsome face, freckles dancing lightly across his nose. His body was, well, he certainly wasn't a kid anymore. But, neither was Ari. She had left her lanky childhood body and traded it for a more feminine physique, healthy through the bust and bottom, but slim through the waist and thighs. Her red frizzy hair had become long and russet, growing darker over the years but she noticed his beautiful blonde mane was the same. Under the very attractive Ace she saw, she noticed the boy who had been so kind to her.

"Ace," she said, his name rolling over her tongue. It had been so long. Ace, Ace, Ace.

Ace's POV:

“Wow, I mean I thought I was seeing things. What’s it been Ari, ten years?” Man those ten years had been kind. She wasn’t the frizzy haired slim jim he still had a picture of tacked on his cork board. He’d seen the way girls around town bloomed so to speak but of the faint times he remembered Arianna over the years never did he imagine the girl standing in front of him. Still he could understand her surprise. When he was ten all he could talk about was how he couldn’t wait to get as far from Tennessee as possible. But times had changed and he’d changed right along with them. Roped into living the small town life with no future other than starry nights and racing horses.

“You here visiting Mac?” Ace mused tilting his hat back a bit to get a better look at her. A silver key looped around her neck brought a smile to his face. He wasn’t the only one who had kept that long ago summer alive through the memories. So many questions piled up in his mind and for the first time in a long while his thoughts managed to remain Dianna free.

Arianna's POV:

"Ten long years," she agreed and the smile on her face grew, looking perfect on her face. It had been forever since she'd last smiled, truly smiled. Now, she couldn't be happier. "I'm taking the summer off from college, Rachel dragged me down here," she added and rolled her eyes. Hell, she loved Rachel and of course Rachel knew she could drag her down. Arianna was definitely stubborn but she was a pushover to a few people. Mainly, Rachel and Mac. She only knew of one other person that could probably guilt her into anything. And she was looking at him.

Ace, Ace, Ace. His name echoed in her mind and she felt the urge to hug him, after so long. Next thing she knew, her body was pressed against his, arms around his neck in an embrace, standing on tiptoe. "God, I missed you," she said into his neck, into his blonde hair. Sure, they weren't kids anymore but he was still her best friend.

Ace's POV:

Ace squeezed her in a bear hug while spinning her around right off the ground. “I missed you too,” he replied with a light, genuine chuckle. “Thank Rachel the next time you see her, I’m mighty grateful she dragged you up here.” Glancing around Ace noticed a flurry of caramel colored hair. His broken heart held together with tape gave a painful throb. “This party’s a drag. Wanna go down to the creek, just us?” Ace’s idea was spur of the moment and delivered in a slightly pleading manner.

Arianna was the only person who didn’t give him some pitiful stare or offer blind dates with a third cousin twice removed. In only the few minutes he’d been with her he’d started to feel normal again, like Ace, just Ace. “Come on, I wanna see if I can get your hair to frizz up like old times.” His tone was light and teasing as he motioned slightly down hill where a thicket of trees had grown, obscuring the view of the rushing water.

Arianna's POV:

Hopefully, her hair really wouldn't frizz up. That was the last thing she needed. But she only gave a smile, trying not to pay attention to his almost pleading tone. "Alright, come on, cowboy," she said and grinned. "Let's hope you still aren't allergic to dandelions," she shot back and stuck her tongue out, something she had always done as a kid. Arianna bravely took his hand and started down to the creek, one that looked so familiar even though she hadn't been there in 9 years.

The sounds of the party left as the moon rose higher in the sky and soon, the sounds of people talking was traded with crickets chirping and the grass and flowers being moved by the wind. It was just like she remembered, the lightning bugs glowing through the scene. It was almost something from a dream. She brought him down to the creek and sure enough, her hair frizzed ever so slightly. Hopefully he wouldn't notice as the reached the sure and Ari plopped down in the grass and flowers, yellow dandelions dancing around in the light breeze. Ace plopped down ext to her and smile. But soon, Arianna watched, as his face grew distant, like he was thinking. After a moment, his eyes closed and his mouth opened slightly, a frozen expression. Arianna couldn't help the little bit of excitement that ran through her body as she watch him. "Ace?" she asked and he waved a hand, telling her to wait. Seconds passed, his breathing getting quicker, "hehh...Hah’isshhuh!," He quickly turned his head, directing the spray towards the other side of him, opposite Arianna.

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Alright, I lied, one sneeze. ;D

[Scion]

The suspense of waiting for the sneeze was like: Lol.

[sillystarsmoons]

Nice start to the story. I can't wait to read the next chapter?

[TheCakeIsAlive]

*stares at screen, waiting for more to appear*

Aww... sweet reunion and hmm... dandelions? Can't wait to read what happens next. Awesome story.

[obsessed]

Ohhh the element of suspense returns! Dandelions? Hm...