All the Little Secrets

CHAPTER 4. OCEAN EYES

Chapter 4: Ocean Eyes

The sand is hot against our feet as Seth and I walk the beach. Surprisingly, it feels easy to share about our lives.

"I have an annoying, yet incredibly intelligent sister Zoey who's a freshman in college at NYU," Seth shares. "She's majoring in Film, gonna be the next Bong-Joon Ho."

"That's the director of Parasite, right?" Seth gapes at me for a moment. I shrug. "I love movies."

"Yeah." He smiles widely and continues. "I have a dad. His name is David, well, Jun is his actual name, but only our family calls him Jun."

"Where's your dad from?"

"Singapore. My grandparents brought him to California from Singapore when he was five. They're amazing, you'd love them. Built a life out of nothing. Strongest people I know." His pride for his family makes me smile. "I wish they lived closer. They're in San Francisco, which sucks, because it gets lonely a lot. My dad works all the time, so the house is empty. My only company is Butch, my Husky."

"Huskies are my favorite dogs!"

"You have a dog?"

"Sadly, no. Back home in New Jersey, we lived in a small apartment, could never fit a dog inside. Especially that size." I let the water run around my toes. The cold ocean bites at my feet, so different than the warm Atlantic. "It could only fit the three of us, my mom and my little brother, Parker. We were always forced to be with each other, since we didn't have space to escape."

"Sounds nice, actually," Seth smiles as he glances at me. "You ever miss it?"

"Yea, I miss it a lot." My Jersey: my friends and my school with my favorite teachers, the crisp temperature of the fall and how the leaves turned to different shades of red, thunder and lightning storms, fresh bagels, and the streets I ran that I knew by heart. My heart feels heavy. "I left behind everything I've ever known."

"It must be hard, adjusting here," he says, then quietly adds, "Especially after a day like today."

"At least I have a friend like you."

Another smile brightens his face.

We walk in silence for a bit, the tide circling our bare feet. I zone out as we stroll along, thinking of the terrible school day, but how some good came from it. When I realize that Seth is no longer walking with me, I turn to find him looking out to the ocean.

"You ok?"

"I wanna do something reckless."

"What? Like what?"

Seth smiles, then quickly rips off his long-sleeved shirt. I catch myself staring at his very chiseled body. His tattoo is fully exposed: a guitar that has musical notes climbing up his arm to his shoulder. It's gorgeous. He is...

His shirt hits me in the face as he runs towards the waves. Once his legs hit the water, he flips into the ocean, submerging below the surface. After a moment underwater, he stands and wipes his face, and I can't stop staring at how the salty droplets shimmer against his toned body.

What is in the water here in California? How do all the guys look this good?

I force myself to speak. "How's the water?"

"Perfect," he grins. "You should come in."

I motion to my body, fully clothed. "No bathing suit."

"Live a little," he splashes water at me, soaking my dress. I gasp. Seth laughs at me, crossing his arms as the waves crash around him. "What're you going to do about it?"