The plane didn't have a smooth flight. A swoop to the left, a swoop to the right, and a few disconcerting spins before the nose went too high up and stalled, causing it to nose-dive for the lush grass.
Matthew watches on as the paper plane fell from the starless sky down the horizon. The tall grass meant he would miss the moment of impact, and along with it any trace of its location as it disappeared into the dark of the night. We have a bird down, Matt says in his head, plopping onto the soft greens, clearing his lungs.
Matt's watch ticks midnight. The moon was still going strong, lighting up the obsolete sky and he could feel his pulse slowing as he relaxed. This was his little utopia, a getaway place where he would retreat to for a catharsis of the mind. No friends, no music, just a frenzied mind and blank acres of land to dispose of it all. He was suddenly snapped back into reality when he hears the rustling of paper.
Still prone on the ground, he turns to his left and picks up the same paper plane that he had just thrown, eyeing it curiously. That's not supposed to happen, he thought. He fingers the makeshift flaps on the wing of the plane, two straight cuts separated by a minute gap, where the bit of paper in between is then deftly sloped downward or upward, according to the pilot, of course.
"Your flaps are good, but you should take more care in folding the paper. It's not gonna glide smoothly if it's all unbalanced, you know."
Matthew flipped onto his back in reply. The flaps were adjusted to counter the imbalance. Unsuccessfully it seems, thought Matt. He wasn't expecting another person to be around, not at this time of night, and certainly not of the opposite gender. He holds the paper plane up above his face, and imitated its gliding motion against the backdrop of the night sky.
"Thanks, I guess."
Matt could hear the shuffling of feet against the grass as she comes up beside him stoops down.
"Is this seat taken? I'll just leave if you wanna be alone, I mean, no one goes here expecting company anyway."
"Nah, stick around if you want to. I just wanted to get away from all that." Matt points toward the city skyline, a brilliant mosaic of light and noise, now a distant glow from the fields.
He sits up, propping his back on two arms as the girl settles down an awkward distance away beside him, hugging her two legs and resting her head on her knees.
"So what brought you here?"
It was only now that Matt had the chance to see her, or what he could see of her, for she had her dark hair resting on her right, Matt's left, concealing all but pale skin as she stared on into the distance.
It was only when she turned to answer that he could see a pair of earnest eyes that could've been any shade of dark, accompanied with little wrinkles around them that Matt assumed were from years of spectacle use. Matt took to great heights trying not to stare for too long.
"I erm, had a bit of argument back home and wanted to walk it off."
Even now, against the scarce moonlight, she radiated a certain air about herself, one of discreet beauty and perennial insecurity. And Matt knew.
"I'm Natalie, by the way."
Matt's watch disrupts the silent air, beeping out an alarm. The analog face showed 12:10, the tritium on the hands glowing bright.
"Matt. I'd love to stay but I've got to go. It's nice meeting you, Natalie, or Nat, if I can call you that."
"Sure, Matt." Natalie could only offer a weak smile as Matt replies with a taut grin.
Matt picks himself up and walks away due south. Natalie was doleful as she is, again, left in seclusion. She has always been reluctant to embrace company although she was desperate for it. She hugs her legs tighter, ruing her insecurity.
Her attention then turns to a small projectile that had hit her in the back, which didn't hurt in itself but was surprising enough to jolt her out of her overthinking.
Picking up the paper plane Matt had brought with him earlier, she could make out the faint scribble of a note on the paper wings and let out a stifled giggle. Written on it was, "I'll be back here tomorrow. Take care Nat."
Natalie let out a sigh, relieved that she had herself a second chance, and stretched her long legs out, glancing up at the moon. I've gotta be here tomorrow, she thought.
Still prone on the ground, he turns to his left and picks up the same paper plane that he had just thrown, eyeing it curiously. That's not supposed to happen, he thought. He fingers the makeshift flaps on the wing of the plane, two straight cuts separated by a minute gap, where the bit of paper in between is then deftly sloped downward or upward, according to the pilot, of course.
"Your flaps are good, but you should take more care in folding the paper. It's not gonna glide smoothly if it's all unbalanced, you know."
Matthew flipped onto his back in reply. The flaps were adjusted to counter the imbalance. Unsuccessfully it seems, thought Matt. He wasn't expecting another person to be around, not at this time of night, and certainly not of the opposite gender. He holds the paper plane up above his face, and imitated its gliding motion against the backdrop of the night sky.
"Thanks, I guess."
Matt could hear the shuffling of feet against the grass as she comes up beside him stoops down.
"Is this seat taken? I'll just leave if you wanna be alone, I mean, no one goes here expecting company anyway."
"Nah, stick around if you want to. I just wanted to get away from all that." Matt points toward the city skyline, a brilliant mosaic of light and noise, now a distant glow from the fields.
He sits up, propping his back on two arms as the girl settles down an awkward distance away beside him, hugging her two legs and resting her head on her knees.
"So what brought you here?"
It was only now that Matt had the chance to see her, or what he could see of her, for she had her dark hair resting on her right, Matt's left, concealing all but pale skin as she stared on into the distance.
It was only when she turned to answer that he could see a pair of earnest eyes that could've been any shade of dark, accompanied with little wrinkles around them that Matt assumed were from years of spectacle use. Matt took to great heights trying not to stare for too long.
"I erm, had a bit of argument back home and wanted to walk it off."
Even now, against the scarce moonlight, she radiated a certain air about herself, one of discreet beauty and perennial insecurity. And Matt knew.
"I'm Natalie, by the way."
Matt's watch disrupts the silent air, beeping out an alarm. The analog face showed 12:10, the tritium on the hands glowing bright.
"Matt. I'd love to stay but I've got to go. It's nice meeting you, Natalie, or Nat, if I can call you that."
"Sure, Matt." Natalie could only offer a weak smile as Matt replies with a taut grin.
Matt picks himself up and walks away due south. Natalie was doleful as she is, again, left in seclusion. She has always been reluctant to embrace company although she was desperate for it. She hugs her legs tighter, ruing her insecurity.
Her attention then turns to a small projectile that had hit her in the back, which didn't hurt in itself but was surprising enough to jolt her out of her overthinking.
Picking up the paper plane Matt had brought with him earlier, she could make out the faint scribble of a note on the paper wings and let out a stifled giggle. Written on it was, "I'll be back here tomorrow. Take care Nat."
Natalie let out a sigh, relieved that she had herself a second chance, and stretched her long legs out, glancing up at the moon. I've gotta be here tomorrow, she thought.
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