Unforgettable Adventures

She Chose

As they sat out on the water, the four friends laughed just like they always had. Enjoying a lazy Saturday in May, the kids surfed and joked around for hours. Theo's camera was glued to his hand filming away once again. Theo felt the need to record everything since these were going to be the last months all together before Shane left for college. Little did the boys know, it would be their last few months with Reggie as well.

Reggie and Shane were finishing up their Senior year, while Miles and Theo prepared to start up their Senior year in the fall. Shane was heading off to Cal-Poly and as for Reggie, the boys had thought that she would pick UCLA for sure but they didn't realize that UCLA wasn't even in the top 5 on her list of favorites. Then, when Miles mentioned how they could all still meet up on the weekends for surfing sessions, Reggie, all of a sudden got really quite. Her eyes were glued on her board. Her hair was hanging in a way that covered her eyes and hid her gaze from the boys. She ran her fingers along the top of the water. Reggie had not changed in the past years, she had just developed into a woman and she was noticed for more than just her athleticism. Her hair fell down her back in love beachy waves, still the violet color that she wore as a kid, except for the fact that it had gotten slightly lighter. She had grown to a smaller height then the boys had expected at a short 5'2" she was towered over by her three best friends, and even best girl friend Maddy who was a 5'9" and was the most graceful girl she had ever met. The boys like her had all matured and grown into men. Theo still had the orange messy hair that he wore under his hat. Miles still rocked the long auburn dreads, and as for Shane, he had grown his hair out and wore it longer but still as the golden blond color it always had been. Shane was staring at Reggie, he had known her secret about the different colleges she was applying to and considering. She looked up and stared at the three boys, as they waited for what she was about to say. She sighed and said that she had something that she was wanting to tell them. Theo lowered his camera and just sat waiting to hear what she was going to say. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She then slowly backed up from the circle and paddled out to the next wave that came their way. Miles got annoyed and started yelling at her. She ignored him. Shane told Miles to calm down, but Miles did not want to hear it. Theo picked up his camera, and returned to filming, he was oblivious to his best girl friends emotions, but even more oblivious to his own.

Reggie came off of the wave, and then finally said exactly what Shane had thought she was going to say. "I chose..." she spoke in words that barely were heard.

"What do you mean you chose?" Theo asked confused, he tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, what do you mean chose?" Miles repeated in a harsh tone.

Reggie looked up from her board and quietly said, "I'm not going to UCLA." The boys expressions looked astonished. The sat there in silence, neither Miles nor Theo protested. Shane sat their waiting for someone to speak before he asked what was on his mind.

"So then if not UCLA, then where?"

"I chose University of Washington." She spoke under her breath. Reggie looked up at the boys and Miles smiled a devilish smile and started laughing hysterically.

"You can't be serious! Great joke Reg!"

"Miles, it's not a joke." Theo stared at Reggie, their eyes held contact as if they were talking to each other in their own conversation. "She picked this school for it's journalism program, it's one of the best in the country if I recall, right Reg?" Reggie looked at him and nodded, he looked at Miles and said "It's not that bad bro, and besides, Raymundo will have to let us road trip up to see her! Think of the mad adventures we will have!"

Miles scoffed, "How could you do this to us?" He then paddled to shore, not saying anything else to the friends as he left. Theo looked at him but decided to stay behind.

"So what scholarship did you end up taking?" Shane asked, while Reggie stared at the horizon.

"Women's Diving," She spoke quietly once again as if she were embarrassed by it, "I got offered full ride, and knowing that Raymundo wasn't able to pay much, I had to take it."

"Reg, that's awesome, I bet he is so proud!" Shane said enthusiastically.

Reggie started to tear up when she spoke, "He took it almost as well as Miles did." She looked at them, she felt hopeless, and lost. She thought about paddling to shore but he body wouldn't move. She then noticed a hand on her shoulder, it was Theo's.

"Hey, you're Regina! Nothing will get in your way! They are just sad that you are going to leave, I mean, I am, but I know you will be happier there. You just have to promise to come home."

She looked at him, her eyes were glossy and she smiled and spoke up finally, "Now who thinks that I am coming home?" She asked sarcastically, as she shoved Theo down into the water. Shane smiled at them and told them to knock it off.

"Hey, why don't we go get some fish tacos from the shack?" Theo exclaimed as they started to paddle back to the shore.

"Only you like those Theo!" Shane rolled his eyes and looked at Reggie, who was lost in her own thought. She made eye contact with him and smiled. He knew she was still nervous about how everything was turning out, but she was slowly accepting the idea that she was going to be leaving.

"Theo, there is no way I will be around you after those tacos!" Reggie finally said after a long pause between topics. "You can eat all you want when I leave, so I won't have to smell your stinky taco breath!"

Theo, Reggie and Shane started laughing as they walked up the path from the beach to the shack. The three friends knew that this was going to be a good summer and that they changes in the fall would just be a small challenge that they would face. They all hoped that Miles would calm down soon so that they could enjoy the summer, all four best friends together.

Author's Note: This is a draft of a story that I wrote in 2012, then started editing in 2020. I originally posted this story on FanFiction, but have changed the names due to copyright laws, so that I could post it on WattPad.