Stealing Snow

First kisses sometimes wake slumbering princesses, undo spells and spark happily ever afters. Mine broke Bale. Bale burned down a house when he was 6. He was a patient at whittaker psychiatric hospital like me, and he was also my only friend. But there was-- he was something more. i told him to meet me where we could be alone, at the one place where we couldn't see the iron gates holding us in. Our kissing would have a time limit though. The time it takes the white coats to notice we were gone. Bale met me in the darkest crook of the hall, just as i knew he would. Bale would meet me anywhere. We were clumsy at first. My eyes were open. He wasn't leaning down enough. Then we weren't clumsy at all, his lips were warm and the heat washed over me. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears. I leaned into him and felt his body against mine. When we finally broke apart, i rocked back on my heels and looked up at him. I felt myself smiling, and i rarely smile. "I'm sorry Snow" He said looking down at me I blinked up at him confused, he was kidding "It was perfect" I asserted. I am not the type to be mushy, but he was never allowed to joke about this. Not Ever This. I pushed his shoulder lightly "I see what you are now" He said, grabbing my wrist a little too tightly "Bale--" I felt something snap in my wrist, and a sharp pain ran up my arm. I cried out but Bale just looked at me with steady eyes, his grip and gaze suddenly cold and determined. Not like a prince at all. It took three orderlies to get him to let go of my wrist, which i later learned was broken in two places. As they pulled him away, i noticed through the double pane windows that it was snowing. It was two late for snow because it was may, but it was somewhere outside New York and weirder things have happened. The snow stuck to the window and melted, i put my hand on the glass. If things had turned out differently the snow would have been a perfect addition to a perfect moment. Instead it made me feel so much worse. Bale went on the cocktail after that, i went on it to after they wouldn't let me see him. That was the usual procedure for the Whittaker children that never outgrew their imaginary friends, the dream catchers and time travelers, the cutters and the the children that couldn't eat or sleep and me, the girl who tried to walk through a mirror when i was 5. I still have the scars on my face, neck and arms from the shards of glass. But they have now faded to faint white lines. I assume Becky, the girl who i dragged through the mirror with me, still and them too. Dr. Harris said that they found pills under Bales pillow, he hadn't been taking his meds. He couldn't help what he did to me. I wasn't sure that was the whole truth and i didn't care. The broken bones were temporary, what was stuck with me was that perfect kiss and the shock of what he had said. That was a year ago, Bale hasn't spoken since.