by Cat Mann
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When we arrived at school on Sunday, I hung around with Emily until we joined the rest of the girls for movies and popcorn. When we said our goodnights, I headed straight for Ari’s room, not wanting to be alone. He was already in bed asleep but the sound of his door closing woke him up. He rolled over, making room for me, and pulled up his blanket, allowing me to crawl in next to him. I had known for some time that I was in love with Ari. I was more than in love with him; I was intensely and forever consumed with my adoration for him. We were fated to be together. The love I had for him eclipsed all other emotions and senses. I had not known it before, but there was a hole in my soul. A piece of me had been missing, and for the first time in my life I was an integrated being. I was whole. I was happy. I lay there and listened to his quiet breathing and the soft murmur of his heartbeat and I slept, wrapped up tight and safe in his arms, all night long.
