Chapter 12: The Floating Kiss
The day had finally come. After what felt like a never-ending saga of chasing, training, and bribing Spitfire the llama with carrots, the regional llama race had arrived. The small stadium buzzed with excitement, locals gathered to witness the annual spectacle of llamas sprinting across the track. Colorful banners flapped in the wind, and an announcer’s voice echoed across the field, describing each contestant in overly dramatic fashion.
Juniper stood by the fence, anxiously watching the track as Spitfire trotted up to the starting line. The other llamas in the race, sleek and athletic, looked every bit the part of race-ready animals, while Spitfire, though improved, still maintained his trademark lazy, unimpressed expression. 
Jace floated next to Juniper, his ghostly arms crossed over his chest. “You know, I can’t believe we’re about to witness this. I still think we have a 50/50 chance of Spitfire either winning or just sitting down in the middle of the track.”
Juniper giggled nervously.
“He’ll do great. I think he just needed a little push… and by push, I mean all the chasing we did yesterday.”
Jace smirked, watching as Spitfire bent his head down to munch on some grass right by the starting line.
“If he starts eating in the middle of the race, I’m floating away and never coming back.”
“Don’t you dare!” Juniper playfully swatted at him, though her hand passed through his ghostly form.
“You’ve got to see this through with me.”
The loud crack of a starter gun rang through the air, startling both Juniper and Jace. The llamas bolted from the starting line, hooves kicking up dust as they raced down the track. Every llama, except, of course, for Spitfire.
Juniper’s heart sank as she watched him glance lazily at the other runners before taking a slow, leisurely step forward.
“Oh no…” she groaned, gripping the fence.
“Spitfire, come on!”
Jace rubbed his face with his hands, trying to contain his laughter.
“I think he’s trying to savor the moment.”
Tomás, the ghostly llama whisperer, appeared beside them, floating with a serene expression on his face.
“Patience, my friends. Spitfire likes to build up the drama.”
Juniper looked from Tomás to the track, where the other llamas were already halfway through the first lap. “He’s going to lose if he doesn’t start moving!”
Tomás just smiled knowingly.
“Wait for it…”
And then, as if he’d heard their pleas, Spitfire suddenly perked up. His ears twitched, and his eyes locked on the finishing line. In an instant, he took off, galloping faster than anyone had ever seen him move.
Juniper’s jaw dropped.
“Oh my God, he’s actually doing it!”
Jace floated up a few feet higher for a better view.
“No way… he’s gaining on them!”
Spitfire, despite his late start, blazed down the track, his legs moving in a blur of motion. The crowd erupted into cheers as they saw him catching up to the other llamas. The other racers, so focused on their own sprint, didn’t seem to notice the dark horse—or dark llama—in the race until it was too late. Spitfire zoomed past them, his eyes focused and determined.
“He’s in second place!” Juniper shouted, bouncing on her toes. “Come on, Spitfire! You can do it!”
Jace laughed in disbelief. “I can’t believe it. The llama actually has a chance!”
As the finish line approached, Spitfire galloped faster, neck and neck with the lead llama. The crowd was on its feet now, cheering for what had turned into a thrilling race. Juniper was shouting at the top of her lungs, her fists clenched as she watched Spitfire inch forward.
And then, with one final burst of speed, Spitfire crossed the finish line—first.
The stadium erupted into applause and cheers, people chanting Spitfire’s name as if he were some sort of local hero. Juniper jumped up and down, screaming with joy. “He did it! He won! He actually won!”
Jace, floating beside her, couldn’t stop laughing. “I take back everything I said. That llama is a legend.”
Tomás floated proudly beside them, his ghostly chest puffed out. “I told you Spitfire had the heart of a champion.”
Juniper turned toward him, grinning. “You were right. He’s amazing!”
The officials hurried over to the winner's circle, presenting a trophy to Spitfire, who looked entirely uninterested in the fanfare, though he accepted the carrots they offered him with more enthusiasm. Juniper and Jace watched from the side, basking in the surreal moment.
As the excitement of the race began to die down, Tomás floated over to them, a glowing aura orb in his hands. “As promised, for helping me fulfill my unfinished business, I give you this.”
Jace looked at the orb, which shimmered with a soft light. “Another aura orb... that's one step closer to getting my life back.”
Tomás nodded, smiling warmly. “You’ve earned it. And if I may say so, you two make quite the team.”
Juniper blushed slightly, glancing at Jace. “Thanks, Tomás. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Tomás gave them a knowing wink before he faded into the air, his spirit finally at peace. The air around them felt lighter, and the sense of accomplishment hung in the air.
Jace held the orb in his hand, its soft glow reflecting in his ghostly eyes. “Another mission down.”
Juniper smiled at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We make a pretty good team, huh?”
Jace looked at her, a softness in his eyes that wasn’t there before. He floated closer to her, lowering his voice. “Yeah... we do.”
For a moment, the world around them seemed to disappear. The noise of the crowd, the llamas, the cheering—all of it faded as Jace and Juniper stood there, staring at each other. Jace floated a little closer, his eyes locking with hers.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” Jace said softly, his voice almost a whisper.
Juniper’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s that?”
Jace leaned in, clearly intending to kiss her, but there was one tiny problem—being a ghost meant he didn’t exactly have the best control over his height. Instead of a gentle, romantic kiss, Jace floated a few inches too high, completely missing her lips and aiming somewhere above her forehead.
Juniper burst into laughter, her cheeks turning pink. “Jace, you’re floating!”
Jace blinked in confusion, realizing what had happened. “Oh, for the love of—” He floated back down, awkwardly adjusting his position. “Ghost powers, huh?”
Juniper, still giggling, reached up and grabbed the collar of his ghostly shirt, pulling him down until his feet—or whatever passed for his ghostly feet—were firmly planted on the ground. “Come here, Mr. Floating Kiss. Let’s try that again.”
Jace grinned sheepishly as she pulled him closer, and this time, their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. For a moment, it didn’t matter that Jace was a ghost and that they were standing in the middle of a llama race stadium. All that mattered was the connection between them, the soft, glowing warmth of the moment.
When they finally pulled apart, Juniper smiled up at him, her heart racing. “There, much better.”
Jace chuckled, running a hand through his ghostly hair. “Well, I’ve learned one thing—kissing while floating is harder than it looks.”
Juniper laughed, giving him a playful nudge. “Guess you’ll just have to practice.”
“I plan to,” Jace said with a wink, his hand brushing against hers.
As they stood there, the world slowly came back into focus. The sounds of the crowd, the distant hum of conversation, and the lingering excitement of the race surrounded them. But for Jace and Juniper, the moment felt like it was just for them—bittersweet and perfect in its own way.
Juniper glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling.
“So... what’s next on our adventure?”
Jace smirked, holding up the aura orb.
“Well, we’ve still got a few more of these to collect, and I’m sure there’s a lot more unfinished business out there. Who knows what’s waiting for us?”
Juniper grinned.
“Whatever it is, I’m ready.”
Together, hand in ghostly hand, they left the stadium, the warmth of their kiss still lingering between them as they prepared for whatever challenges and floating kisses lay ahead.