Looking back at sunsets on the east side,
we lost track of the time,
dreams aren't what they used to be,
some things slide by so carelessly.

Tally Hall - Smile Like You Mean It

And there they stood on the brink of destruction at the edge of their lives, standing amidst the aftermath of what could've been the end to everything. Jessie's auburn hair was stained with the sticky mist of smoke while Jonny's face was covered in dirt. They stood beside each other on the edge of the barren cliff, their arms crossed in muted silence. Neither could say much as they looked down into the horrifying pit of fire, metal and ashes. The flames stormed high into the sky as it left its ashy waste behind.

If it weren't for their last-minute attempts at fighting back and finding an escape route, they could've been a part of that pit. They didn't have to survive the crash that Jeremiah Surd had planned so long ago. This was just another attempt on their lives by a known enemy and yet for reasons unexplained, it seemed so much more fatal than everything they had ever experienced. It was a wave of shock that crept up on both of them as they stood there and starred aimlessly into swaying blaze.

Their lives were so fragile in this moment, putting everything into perspective. This was a day that neither of them would ever forget.

She stood on the biggest balcony of the estate, the one that housed the Quest library and overlooked what seemed like all of Rockport's coastal waters. The view was so mesmerizing that it sometimes hypnotized her into daydreaming, just as the wind wisped through her hair and brushed her face, rejuvenating her senses and making her feel complete for the hundredth time. As she sighed in contentment, she felt an arm swing around her shoulder and immediately caught it, knowing who it was.

"It's hard to get tired of the view, isn't it?" Jonny asked, smiling as he looked out at the water. He pulled Jessie in just a bit closer and she was in such a good mood that she had no intention of fighting him off.

"Do you even have to ask?" She replied, throwing an arm around his waist, complimenting his closeness. They looked at each other and grinned.

"It's been a year to the day, you know," Jonny said after a moment, a little sullen. He somehow picked up the same thought as Jessie, sure that she had been thinking about that day too.

"Yeah, I know," she said quietly. "And I just can't believe it." After thinking about what had happened that day, she took a moment to let her thoughts sink in. "Jonny," she began again, "why was that day so different from all the other times we've had near-death experiences? What was it about that day?" She turned and looked at him like an elementary kid who had no idea why logic was the way it was. It was so unlike Jessie Bannon to look at anyone the way she was looking at him now. She reverted back to her inner child, the girl who gave into her fears and believed every word her father told her. Jonny looked at her curiously, trying best to hide his surprise with a smile.

"I don't know, Jess," he said. "I think it might've been the closure of it all. You know, what we saw in that pit. It was like… looking at hell." His hand trembled on her shoulder and his grip loosened unconsciously as he wiped the smile off his face and now stood silent. As his eyes trailed the sun's reflection over the blue water, she tuned into her thoughts while still hanging onto his every word. After a moment of silence, she turned back to face the water and sighed, bending over the balcony's edge to rest her elbows. Jonny followed suit.

"You're probably right," she concluded. "But it's just… it's still so crazy to think about it. It's as if I don't want to try and think about it but I want to let it go so I have to think about it. It's as if that's the only way of letting go. You know?"

"Yeah, I do," he said. "And maybe that's what we need to do. We need to let this go. We need to be grateful for what we have. I know we are but we have to somehow mean it this time around."

"I hear ya," she said, feeling a bit lighter. "We do need to mean it."

"One heck of a view, isn't it?" The familiar voice of Race Bannon came from behind as he made his way onto the massive balcony and threw his arms around his little girl from behind. She loved it when he did that, being the size that he was. It was like having a fluffy blanket wrap itself around you and hug you just the right way. It was her old man, her favorite man.

"I thought you kids would be up in the tower," Race said. "I've been looking for you to tell you that dinner's in half an hour." He looked down at Jessie, concern erasing his grin altogether. Race could detect a change of emotions within seconds and his family was no exception. Especially not Jessie. "Everything okay, sweetheart?"

"We're alright, Dad," she replied calmly.

"Just enjoying the view because we never do this sort of thing," Jonny added.

"Oh, alright then," Race said. "I'm going to get Benton. If you two need anything, you know where to find me." He squeezed Jessie from behind and planted a kiss in her hair before heading out. As he left, the two stood silent again, still thoughtful.

It was the end of summer and the start to another semester of college. They were third-year juniors, both majoring in the sciences. They saw each other every day and loved coming home as often as they could and maybe that was why they felt the way they did. Every person in their lives meant the world to them and they couldn't lose that. Not now.

Notes:

I wrote this weirdness in the perspective of Real Adventures. Centered it on how many times they've escaped the narrow side of fate and was just diving into their emotions and getting around their environment a bit.