Moving On Happens To Be The Hardest Thing To Do

Chapter 2

I dragged Luke onto the shore, and started to panic. "Luke?!"

I press my first two forefingers to his neck, just under his jaw bone, feeling for a pulse.

His pulse was very faint, but it was there. I nearly sighed in relief.

I placed both my hand on his chest, and took a deep breath. I pressed hard down into his chest, and instantly, he started sputtering up water, and coughing.

I relaxed slightly, and helped him sit up so he could breathe. "Are you okay?"

He nodded slightly, and looked at me. "Thanks." He coughed again, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks," he repeated. "I just... I-"

I cut him off, shaking my head. "You protected me," I murmured, "I get it... Don't apologize."

He looked at me and nodded slowly.

"You should still go to the hospital, though," I added quietly. "I don't know if there's still water in your lungs."

He nodded again, and winced when he moved, but I hadn't noticed anything else wrong with him.

"What?"

"My back."

I got up and walked behind him, examining his back. There was blood on his shirt, so I lifted the back of it up, to look.

"Oh, my..." I trail off, looking at the wound on his back.

There is a big wound on his back, that you wouldn't be able to tell from the little blood stain on his shirt.

"Is it bad?" He asks, trying to look at me.

Yes, I think, don't give him false hope, say yes.

"No it isn't that bad. But I'm taking you to the hospital..." I mumble, putting his shirt back down.

"Okay," he mumbles standing up.

Without giving him time to question me too much, I grabbed his hand, and start walking to the hospital, about five minutes away.

Everything was close to everything, so I knew he wouldn't bleed out before I got him to the hospital.

After a few minutes of silent walking, We are at the door to the hospital.

"Think you got it from here?" I ask, quietly, letting go of his hand slowly.

He nods. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he murmurs, pulling me into a side hug.

I hug him back, careful not to make him wince, and when he lets go, I smile. "See you tomorrow?"

He nods. "I'll be brand new." He grins.

I nod. "I'm looking forward to surfing with you again." I laugh.

He laughs, and shakes his head. "How about we swim?" He asks, "I'm good at that."

I smile and nod. "Sounds like a plan, mister," I poke him in the chest before turning, and jogging off toward my house.

I look back to make sure he goes into the hospital, and then I slow down, walking up the front steps to my house, greeting my mother, with a big, wet hug.

"Who was that boy, Analicia?" My mother questions, as I walk into the big, and now empty house.

Boxes are everywhere, and almost everything is inside them.

"Lic'," my mother says, in a firmer tone, using a nickname she gave me.

"What do you want!? I hate you, just... Leave me alone!" I scream, getting in her face.

Realizing what I did, I bite my lower lip, attempting to hold in a rain of tears, that I know I can't hold back. I take off running up the stairs, and slam my door, throwing myself onto my bed, and crying into my pillow.

When I wake up, the dawn's light is pouring into the window of my bedroom.

My head is pounding, but I know I have to get up today. I promised Luke I'd go to the beach.

I push myself out of bed, and quickly pull off my sundress, and pull some shorts and a tank top on over my swimsuit. I rush downstairs, and take an aspirin, and slip my sandals on, and walk outside, heading to the beach.

I get to the beach, seeing Luke stand up as I walk onto the sand. "Ana!" He calls, smiling.

I smile slightly, and wave, running out to the lifeguards' podium. "Hey," I smile, once I'm up beside him.

He instantly hugs me, and I notice the white gauze wrapped around his abdomen.

"Can I see?" I murmur, pulling away.

He nods, and pulls up his shirt, slightly, so I can look at the bandage.

It was a little bloody, but not much, and I started feeling bad, because it was my fault.

You had to want to surf, I think.

"I'm sorry. That looks painful."

He shrugs slightly, and puts his shirt back down. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt like yesterday." He smiles.

I smile and nod. "Still."

"So, no more surfing for me?"

"Absolutely not. You're terrible at it." I smile.

He laughs slightly. "I'm actually better than that, I just wanted to see if you could tell." He smiles, crossing his arms.

I act shocked and cross my arms. "I knew it! I so...!" I grin and shake my head. "You're so mean!"

He shakes his head and hugs me around the waist, pulling me close to him. "I'm not mean, just shows how bright you are." He jokes, smiling.

I feel myself blush and I try not to make it obvious.

Come on, Ana, I think, you can't like him, you're leaving, and he knows that!

I clear my throat, and pull away slightly. "Can you still swim?"

He shrugs slightly. "I don't know, they didn't tell me not to get it wet." He mumbles.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Ami, and her gang walking down the shoreline.

Luke seems to notice them too, because he pulls me closer again, eyeing them out of the corner of his eye.

I smirk slightly, and lean on my tiptoes, for he is much taller than me. "Hey," I murmur, close to his ear. "Want to piss her off?"

He grins and nods. "I have just the plan." He smiles, and his eyes look from my eyes to my lips.

You've gotta be kidding me, I think, please don't kiss me, please don't kiss me...

He leans down closer to me, just inches from my face.

No, I think.

He seems to think for a second and then he presses his lips to mine, and I feel my face flush a bright red. The lifeguard I've seen, pretty much everyday of my life, is kissing me.