CHAPTER 2-2: ORNAMENTATION

Marina sat alone on the highest point of a small coastal headland, staring out across the ocean. She always felt at peace there. Always had.

Any time she was feeling down, all it would take was a few hours atop this grassy lookout, with the cool sea breeze caressing her face and hair, and all her worries would simply dissolve away.

Today was not one of those days, however. Today was a day of happiness; excitement.

Marina had always considered her crooked teeth as a taint on her appearance, and with her newfound social circle’s fixation on looks, this perceived flaw—minor as it truly was—became all the more distressing. As such, when her mother agreed to a request for braces, Marina was over the moon.

The subsequent wait for her appointment was filled with anxiety and anticipation, which proved to be infectious, she noticed, as Charlie, who was at first impassive, became more and more enthusiastic. This was how she knew he would follow her to the headland; the power of curiosity.

Marina heard Charlie’s breathless panting as he made his way up the incline behind her, well before she heard his grass-padded footsteps. The slope wasn’t excessive, so she knew he must have hurried there from work, proving her prediction.

The thought brought a smile to her face.

With a final huff, Charlie dropped down next to Marina.

“Ok,” he said. “So show me.”

Marina turned to Charlie, grinning. She had planned on drawing the moment out as long as she could, teasing the reveal she knew he was expecting, but at the last second her eagerness got the better of her. She couldn’t help but bare her teeth in an exaggerated smile, exhibiting their new metal ornamentations.

“Ooo, shiny,” Charlie said facetiously.

He leaned in for a closer look as Marina held her pose. It occurred to him that he had never actually seen braces this close before, and was surprised that they appeared different than he expected.

“What do they feel like?” he asked with a child-like fascination.

Marina relaxed her fake smile, snapping Charlie from his gaze. It was only when she began stretching her lips open and closed, that he realized how uncomfortable it must have been for her to maintain that pose for his sake.

“Tight,” Marina answered. “And my teeth are aching like you wouldn’t believe.”

Marina ran her tongue over the braces, as she had been doing since they were put on, and winced a little, as if to illustrate her point.

“They look sharp,” Charlie said, staring, transfixed on her mouth.

“Yeah, they kind of are,” Marina said. “He said it won’t take long to get used to them though.”

“That’s good,” Charlie said.

Marina noticed Charlie’s continued fixation, and smiled at the realization that it reflected her own, only a few hours prior, as she inspected the Orthodontist’s handiwork in the mirror he provided.

“What?” Charlie said, noticing her smirk.

“You’re hypnotized,” Marina said, smiling even more.

“What?” Charlie said, knowing she was right, yet feigning ignorance out of embarrassment.

Marina laughed.

“Do they look ok?” she asked.

“Yeah, they look good,” Charlie said.

“Serious?” Marina said.

Charlie smiled and nodded. He wasn’t merely aiming to alleviate any insecurities she might have, he actually meant it. Marina was a pretty girl—Charlie considered her the prettiest in the school—and against all his preconceptions, Charlie was just now realizing that braces hadn’t altered that.

“Serious,” he said. “They look like jewelry for your teeth.”

“Cool,” Marina said, smiling with pride. She was happy with that analogy.

“Hey,” Charlie said. “Do you remember when we used to straighten paper-clips and put them up to our teeth and pretend we had retainers?”

“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that,” Marina said. “That was so dumb.”

She smiled at the memory, laid back onto the grass, and found other fond childhood memories coming back to her.

As she did, Charlie grunted, squinting at a bright light shining in his eyes. It was off in the distance, previously obscured by Marina. He held his hand up to block it.

“What’s wrong?” Marina asked.

“The sun’s reflecting off that stupid church,” Charlie said.

Marina turned to see for herself.

Several miles down the beach, atop a hill a little back from the sand, sat a small white church. The lowering sun was reflecting off one of its windows. Marina turned away quickly to avoid it.

Despite her speed, it still managed to leave a spot burned on her retina, and she held her eyes shut tight until it vanished. When she opened them again, she saw that Charlie was still holding his hand up to shield himself.

Whether it was the recent bout of nostalgia, or simply a burst of spontaneity, Marina had an idea.

“Hey,” she started eagerly, sitting back up. “Do you want to go for a walk up there?”

“What? Now?” Charlie said.

“Yeah, why not?” Marina said. “We haven’t been there since we were kids.”

“But the sun’s going down.”

“So?”

“Dad’s leaving tomorrow morning and he wanted me to be there for dinner.”

Marina glanced at the sun’s position.

“It won’t be dark for at least an hour,” she said. “That’s plenty of time.”

Marina stood, holding her hand out to Charlie.

“Come on,” she said, smiling. “It’ll be fun.”

Charlie could tell she wasn’t going to let up; she was too excited. He considered the times involved and realized she was right. They could easily make it there and back before dinner.

He looked up at Marina and took her hand. He never could resist that smile.