Fiau tugged at the frilly scarf. It was atrocious. Why did she give it to him? He swung his legs off the hood of the car and was amused by the way the car bounced. Looking up, he saw Water laying on the roof of the car. Her eyes were wide. She smiled--a little coyly--and rolled onto her back, acting much like a cat.
    Something about that girl gave him the chills, but in a good way. The way her hands caressed the television made Fiau wish his head were fully exposed. He longed to feel those fingertips brush against his cheeks. That feeling he hadn't felt since the vague memoris of a time when he lived in a house. But he wanted it more now.
    "What's a kiss?" he would ponder while staring up at the stars on many a lonely night.
    "What does it feel like?" And he'd push his lips against the inside of the screen, trying to imagine it. There wasn't a thing that would give him even the slightest hint.
    "Would you like to come back to reality now or are you going to stare at me forever?" Water asked, snapping him out of his fantasies.
    Loosening the ridiculous scarf a bit, Fiau retorted, "I wasn't looking at you."
    "Yes you were. Don't think that just because I can't see your eyes I don't know what you're looking at. I know you better than that."
    "You've known me for three days."
    "Bravo, you can count." Her eyes seemed to penetrate the screen, and Fiau could now see just how well Water could read him.
    "Water..." He trailed off, not knowing quite how to say what he wanted to.
    She rolled over and crept along the roof of the car toward Fiau until her face was inches away from his.
    "You have to help me get this TV off my head."
    Water's catlike expressions disappeared and were replaced with a furrowed brow, a more concerned look. "What are you talking about? Yesterday you said that you were glad you had it. You told me about all the benefits. It was really convincing. I was about to go out and shove my own head inside a random televion set."
    "Yesterday I--" Fiau stopped himself and sighed. Yesterday I didn't know that I was in love with you. "I changed my mind. This is the most confining piece of equipment. I feel like I'm in jail. I mean, really Water. I keep wondering how many other things I could experience. Eating larger portions of food, swimming with my head under the water, playing a brass instrument, making real eye contact, kissing, chewing on my fingernails--"
    "What was that?" Water's concerned expression disappeared and a smile began to emerge. "Did you say kissing?"
    Fiau's face got hot. He silently cursed his big mouth and braced himself for teasing.
    "Who's the lucky sap decided to steal your first post-TV kiss?" Her grin grew, and he catlike actions returned. Cheshire Cat.
    "Forget it," Fiau mumbled. "I'll keep the TV on for the rest of my life. I don't even know what I look like. I'm probably ugly. Who would kiss me then? I'd never be in the marching band either. I'd scare the judges."
    Water sat up so she could throw her head back and howl and laugh. "You crack me up, kid!" She leaned over Fiau. "Put your lips up to the screen and point to where they are."
    Fiau obeyed.
    "Now close your eyes."
    And she pressed her lips against the screen too.
    Just far enough away to not feel anything.
    A tear escaped his eye, even while it was closed. His lips trembled as he pulled them away from the screen. Opening his eyes to see Water only made him cry more. He backed away from Water, who instinctively leaned forward more and had to pull herself back quickly when Fiau backed up more.
    "Okay, you're saving your kisses for someone else. I understand," Water spun and slid off the car.
    Fiau didn't speak in fear of his voice wavering, giving away the fact that he was crying. He slouched and hung his big TV head.
    "I'm gonna go in the house," Water said, not turning around as she walked away.
    Fiau swore to himself. Swore because he was being such an idiot, because he couldn't wipe his nose, because he didn't know how to say it, and because he was indeed in love.
    He hopped to the ground and slipped his flipflops on and pulled his shorts down an inch. Then he trudged and crunched along the road that was still damp from the last rain. Destination unknown, he scuffed his feet and took his time. The clouds began to part. The streets began to dry.