Ashley Rowena Comments

"i haven't seen you in forever!" she exclaimed outloud, climbing into a car laced with a handful of memories& priceless moments. the air was thick due to the humid, august weather, but the windows stayed down. their hair became scattered& frizzy as a clammy breeze took it's damp fingers& glided through their sun-kissed hair, which was tied up in ponytails, but somehow managed to fall in front of their glowing faces. these glowing faces, so full of life& energy. it was an unattainable force that seemed to create its own vacuum, sucking up the positive, but discarding the negative. there was this strange comfort to know that the person that was sitting next to them just understood perfectly without muttering a single word. before the sun had decided to rest, the drive they took through the country seemed to magnify the world in such a way that the passenger didn't know whether to a) cry because she felt so elated to a degree of bliss, because finally! life just seemed throw itself together in her head, answering all these questions that dwelled in the depths of her subconscious for months, or b) just smile because the sky was painted with pinks& blues& purples and there wasn't another soul in the universe who could replicate the array of color& beauty it was layered in. it was a masterpiece, hanging above their heads. but she sat still, her eyes on the horizon& whatever else caught the corner of her eye. the other had her eyes glued to the road that seemed to stretch& stretch, until maybe distance could be another word for growth. they let the music drift through the car, up& above their heads, through the entire convex of the car, rattling through their ears, and floating up to pierce the sky with soft bass lines& delicate voices that became etched into their memories. the passenger graced the edge of the blue/gray car, her fingers gently flowing as the breeze sent them adrift. catching pockets full of air, tracing the outline of the sun as it dipped beyond the horizon. then they entered town& it was magical. she then reached for the city lights that made everything seem so full of energy, a marquee to remind the world to wake up, you're alive. breathe. the other girl kept her hands on the steering wheel, safely coasting around the outskirts of town, gliding in& out of the city at the most perfect times, it seems. the music pumped& pumped, their skin layered with sweat& laughter, their voices hoarse from screaming at the top of their lungs, their faces still glowing even with the awful yet comforting humidity that made their cheeks& foreheads shine, their eyes full& bright, lively& jubilant; it was all contained in this car. the streets they drifted in& out of seemed to welcome them, inviting them to spark some life into this neck of the woods, where the neighbors sat outside& listened, just wanting to hear something else that they've never heard before. half the time there was silence, but the other half was composed of chewing each other's ear off, confessing, spilling, talking, venting, wanting, needing, asking. they ended the night with life wrapped around their fingers, understanding this beautiful tragic thing we've all been given to make the most of. they thanked each other for an amazing day. it was priceless, all& all. she stepped out of the car& said, "i'll talk to you tonight probably." and closed the door. but oh, how she wanted to just get back in& spend another few hours driving around town with the music up, the windows down, to let the air just wrap around them like sheets, and to flirt with that incredible itch for life that seemed to be impossible to scratch. but somehow, they seemed to grab at it& it was so easy to hold in the palm of their hand; it wasn't like the horizon, where you just reach& reach but can never touch, yet you keep trying because you know once you do, maybe everything will be better, maybe things will look up, maybe life will be beautiful. but tonight, it was different. life just was, and that was enough. and that's all it ever should be.