author's note: hi! it will be a short, light and pleasant story about two teenagers in love. hope you like it <3
I will never forget the moment when I first met him.
I was not well disposed to this vacation.
It was my first time to fly alone to the United States, specifically California. My mother decided that I could use two months of respite away from home. I know she also wanted to get some rest on her own. The last period was not the lightest for us.
I didn't know California very well. I had only been there once as a small child to visit my aunt. It was there that I was to spend this vacation. On the California beaches in the company of my older cousin - Jane.
But my earlier indecision and uncertainty passed as the plane with me on board soared into the clouds. With bated breath, I watched the receding land through the window and welcomed the sky. I was the type of dreamer rocking in the clouds.
My attention was caught by a couple sitting in front of me. The girl was apparently overcome by panic, causing her to cling to the man's arm. She probably had a fear of heights. The boy calmed her down, drew her to his chest and soothingly played with her hair.
It was a real nightmare. Watching all the couples in love while I never held hands with the other person. Not in a romantic way, anyway. In truth, I kept telling myself that I was only 16 and my whole life was ahead of me, but.... Almost every friend of mine was in a relationship or had already ended one. Why didn't anyone pay attention to me? Was I too ugly, insufficient, stupid? After all, guys like stupid girls. Then they can feel smarter, right?
The truth was that I wanted love. Passion. Adventure. Excitement. I wanted to lose myself in someone as much as possible, to feel the butterflies in my stomach even if it had to end in a broken heart and weeping nights. I wanted to feel loved. Wanted.
However, when I left the plane and felt the Californian wind in my hair a wide smile dawned on my face. I couldn't just think about my failures. It was vacation time, and I was going to make the most of it.
To get to my aunt's house, I had to take another hour by bus. I can't count the number of times I cursed Google Maps for almost not finding the bus stop and consequently almost missing the bus. When I ran onto the bus loaded with people I was sweaty and probably red in the face. All the seats were occupied except one, next to a black-haired boy who was leaning his head against the window. He had headphones in his ears due to which he didn't hear my question if I could sit down. I took that as a 'yes.'
He was wearing a black T-shirt and blue loose jeans. When I took a seat next to him he raised his head and looked in my direction. His eyes were like ice: cold and relentless. Despite this, I sent him a slight smile, but the expression on his face did not change one bit. He was looking into the window again, watching the sights beyond.
To my surprise, he got off at the same stop as me. I didn't have time to register anything when I felt strong arms pull me toward them and suffocate me with their embrace.
–MC! It's been so long since we've seen each other. – Jane said loudly, excitedly – How you have grown!
From behind my cousin's back I saw a black-haired boy walking straight ahead. Only now I could look how tall he was.
– Why are you silent? – Jane moved away from me and looked in the direction I was looking. – Ooh, I already know. My little cousin is growing up. – she said with a mean smile to which I answered her with a firm punch on the shoulder
– Yeah, I missed you too Jane.
In the evening of that day, at my aunt's request, I went to the store to buy ice cream while she and Jane were preparing dinner. The navigation, by the way, completely sucked. Or it was me with crappy field orientation.
No, it was definitely the navigation's fault.
After hitting several dead ends, I finally arrived at the store. I looked with undisguised fascination at all the sweets and snacks familiar from American movies that I had dreamed so much about as a child. The place seemed to be a paradise for preschoolers. And well, for me too.
After a good ten minutes or so, I reached the freezers, which contained dozens of different ice creams. At the moment when I wanted to open one of them someone preceded me, and I completely not hearing someone standing next to me, almost jumped up in fear. I immediately took my hand away and raised my gaze encountering the blue irises of the bus boy.
The boy raised an eyebrow, then selected a chocolate ice cream and was already about to pass me by when some kind of frenzied energy took over my body.
– You again. – I spoke up, and my tone was friendly
The boy turned around and sent me a confused gaze.
– Do I know you? – He asked sounding completely uninterested
– You're so nice. – I snorted, however, I didn't lose the slight smile from my face – I'm MC. You already know me. And hey are you angry or something for sitting down with you on the bus?
– Angry? Why? – he furrowed his eyebrows
– Your face says more than your mouth.
– This is my every-day face. – he replied and tried to walk away, but I followed him
Christ, why didn't I give that asshole a break?
– I'm not grumpy. Not everyone can smile all the time. Except you.
– I don't smile all the time! – I stated indignantly to which he finally sent me a doubtful look
– You smiled at the jellybeans and then at the ice cream.
– So you already saw me when I entered the store? – my smile widened which only proved his thesis. He rolled his eyes, but I could have sworn that a soft blush appeared on his cheeks. – You didn't tell me what your name is.
– Mother didn't tell you that you shouldn't introduce yourself to strangers?
– Oh come on. Look at me, and look at you. – I said in a sour tone, since he was probably able to do a lot more harm to me than I to him – Okay, you figured me out. My van is behind the store where there are no cameras.
– It's obvious you're not from here. – he sighed – Behind there are cameras.
I waved my hand at that, and my attention was caught by the dessert he chose.
– So you are team chocolate? – I asked subconsciously slapping myself in the face.
If he wasn't he wouldn't have taken such ice cream, idiot.
– Where did you get such an idea, Sherlock? – he replied, and his question rubbed with irony
I smiled inwardly. The mysterious stranger, however, possessed a sense of humor.
I ignored the phrase that came to my lips that I prefer vanilla ice cream, and opposites supposedly attract. And so I made a fool of myself enough times.
– Why do you need so many energy drinks? You have leaks and a war is coming, so are you stocking up? – I asked, pointing my finger at the five drinks he had in his basket
– Sometimes they come in handy when you don't want to fall asleep, you know? – he replied, and when he saw that I had already opened my mouth to question him he added – Do you know just how annoying you are?
– Not annoying enough to have you ignore me, apparently. – I replied to which he rolled his eyes again – Okay, I know how to make you feel better. I'll tell you a joke I heard on the bus while you were listening to music.
He started to protest that he didn't need a humor upgrade at all, but the joke was really funny.
– What do you call a dog that can do magic?
– Well what? - he sighed and I clenched my lips tightly to keep from laughing
I started giggling which made an old lady passing by look at me strangely. I probably looked like a mentally ill person in front of the boy who stared at me as if I were lunatic. This joke was so stupid that it was laughable. I looked at the black-haired boy with a doubtful look to see if he really understood it.
– Not a bad jokes fan. – he replied and this time I rolled my eyes
– Well I have another one. What did the sushi say to the bee?
– Enlighten me. – he replied with resignation in his voice
– Wasabi? – I made a strange gesture with my hands that I saw somewhere on the Internet along with this joke
The boy looked at me for a moment, then quickly turned his head away. However, he did not manage to hide from me the small smile that appeared on his face.
– You smiled back! Don't even try to deny it. – he turned to me again, and this time a wry smile was painted on his face. I raised an eyebrow. – So you're a sushi fan?
– You got me. – He replied, then stood in the checkout line. Damn, I didn't realize we had gone through the whole store. – And you seem to have forgotten something.
I looked at him with incomprehension, and when he happily took out his chocolate ice cream from the cart I became dumbfounded. Damn, I forgot what I came here for.
I corrected the chain I was wearing and started walking away from the cash register walking backwards causing me to almost bump into an older man. I patted myself on the forehead and turned around to walk like a normal, sane person. Then I heard his voice.
– Jake. That's my name. – he said. A smile uncontrollably affected my face, and I bit my lip almost clapping and jumping up. I felt so light and happy, because already on my first day here I met someone new and... interesting? Yes, I think that's the right term.
I didn't expect that, no-longer-a-stranger-Jake would be waiting for me outside the store and would walk me all the way to the house.
And I definitely didn't expect that this was just the beginning of our summer.
