The park stretched out in front of Clip like a still photograph. The trees stood as silent witnesses to the passing of time, and empty benches remained frozen in their solitude. Everything felt muted, as if someone had turned down the colors of the world. It was the perfect representation of stagnation—of waiting for something that may never come.
Time, Clip thought, was a finite thing. Some people used it to change the world, accomplishing great deeds that left a mark on history. Others simply lived day by day, neither striving for more nor accepting less. And then there were people like him—caught in between. Frozen, suspended in time, waiting for something or someone to give his life meaning.
A soft sigh escaped his lips as his gaze fixed on a lone girl sitting on a park bench. Her expression mirrored his own longing, a silent reflection of the feelings he kept buried deep inside. His heart stirred slightly as the distance between them seemed to blur in the stillness of the park.
For you... The thought barely formed in his mind before the spell was broken by the sharp ring of a bicycle bell.
"Clip, watch out!" A voice shouted in the distance.
Startled, Clip snapped back to reality just as a cyclist sped past him, the wind leaving his hair disheveled. The girl on the bench was gone, vanished into thin air making him question if she'd ever been there to begin with.
"Moron!" the cyclist shouted as he pedaled away.
"Huh?" Clip muttered, looking around in confusion. His eyes darted back to the empty spot on the bench. Who was she? Was she even real, or had his mind played a cruel trick on him?
But reality, he reminded himself, wasn't a fairytale. The daydream shattered like glass, leaving behind the familiar emptiness he knew all too well.
Before he could dwell on the encounter any longer, a voice cut through his thoughts. "Are you even listening?"
He turned to see Kattie standing there, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face. Her striking silver hair glinted in the sunlight, and her red eyes bore into his with playful impatience.
"Yes!" Clip answered automatically.
"Liar," she shot back without missing a beat. He hadn't been listening. Not for the past few minutes, anyway, and she knew it. There was no point in pretending.
"Fuck."
"Yeah, fuck is right," Kattie said while rolling her eyes. "I was telling you about my new story. You know, the one you promised to give feedback on? How am I supposed to know if people will like it when you can't even pay attention for two seconds?"
"Fine, okay! You win!" Clip raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry, alright? Let's start over."
Kattie's expression softened, but only for a moment. "Thank you."
"But seriously, your story's so boring that I couldn't last two seconds. It's like watching paint dry." He smirked, leaning into the joke.
"Poor baby," Kattie cooed sarcastically. "Can't last for two seconds, huh? No wonder Ariana airs you out."
His smirk faltered at the mention of Ariana. Kattie was always bringing her up at the worst times, as if she could read the thoughts he tried so hard to suppress. "Who cares about her?"
"I do," Kattie teased, her voice dripping with mischief.
Clip shot back quickly, his words slipping out before he could stop them. "Two seconds is more than enough for your mom."
Kattie blinked, then burst out laughing, the sound loud and carefree. "Wow, didn't know you had the hots for my mom. And here I was ready to throw myself at you."
Clip's heart stopped as Kattie suddenly moved closer, her hands drifting toward the buttons on her shirt. His breath hitched as she undid the top button, her fingers moving slowly, deliberately. Her eyes locked onto his, an annoyingly playful sheen flashing in their crimson depths.
For a brief moment, everything stopped. Clip's mind began to race, thousands of thoughts swirled together in a chaotic cacophony of desire, guilt, and confusion.
Her lips parted as she leaned closer, her breath warm against his skin. It was like an electric charge held him in place. He could barely breathe, caught between the unspoken attraction and the guilt of that attraction.
Before he could think of something—anything—to say, Kattie slammed her hand against the tree behind him, pinning him in place and shattering his thoughts. Her other hand reached up, tilting his chin down so their faces were inches apart. Her lips hovered near his ear.
And then she whispered, her voice low and sultry. "Gotcha."
The spell shattered. Clip's face turned a deep shade of red as Kattie burst into laughter, her whole body shaking with amusement. "You should have seen your face!" she cackled. "As if you'd last two seconds with me. You'd be lucky to get one!"
Clip tried to compose himself, the embarrassment flooding through him. "Oh, please. I was just playing along. As if I'd fall for such a juvenile prank."
Kattie once again rolls her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Sure, whatever you say, Mr. 'Your Mom' Joke."
"There's an art to 'your mom' jokes that you just don't understand," Clip said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.
Kattie snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, hurry up. I think we're going to be late."
Clip glanced at his watch, his eyes widening in alarm. "What? It's already 10!?"
Kattie shrugged. "Why do you think I was rushing to tell you my story?"
Clip groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "My bad."
"It's okay," Kattie said cheerfully as she skipped ahead. At the end of the path, she turned to him with an impetuous sparkle in her eyes. "But you can make it up to me..."
Clip sighed. "Ice cream?"
"Ice cream!" she replied with a grin.