The Summer He Saved Me

Chapter 2 - Meeting Ricky

 As I walked across the boardwalk, ice cream in my hand, I heard a familiar voice up ahead. I looked up and sure enough, there was Tyler playing volleyball on the beach with the same guys he left with yesterday. I thought about turning around and going back, and even about saying hi, but both sounded like bad ideas. As I tossed my ice cream into the nearest trash can I watched Tyler to see if he had seen me, or even recognized me. He  had, right as I looked up at him, he smiled and waved to me calling, "Hey! You're the girl from the other day! Come on over!" 

I looked around desperately, in need of an excuse or somewhere to go. But there was nowhere. So I sighed and walked towards him. He smiled, "What's up?"

I didn't respond, I just looked at him standing there with the volleyball under one arm. 

"Hey, Ty. Who's the chick?" Asked one guy.

The guy from the other day said, "Isn't that the girl you were with yesterday?"

Tyler turned to both of them and said, "Guys, this is the mystery girl. I haven't learned her name yet, but I will."

The other boys scoffed as I just stood there.

Another boy said, "When will you realize if a girl doesn't give you their name they don't want you to know who they are. They're hiding something from you. She's probably got a dark secret that will change her life forever, if anyone figure it out."

Then, I looked at the boy, I mean really looked at him. He was a scrawny boy, not much older than 15. All the other boys were silent as I glared this boy down. Then, I gave one last glance at Tyler, turned on my heel and walked back down the boardwalk. The farther I walked the faster I got, soon I was running, running away from those boys. The boys who didn't even know me, who wouldn't even care if they knew who I really was. As I ran I heard Tyler calling out, telling me to wait. But I didn't even turn back. Once I got out of sight from the boys, sure that Tyler wouldn't chase after me I stopped. As tears ran down my face I heard a familiar voice say gently, "Hey, are you alright?"

I turned around and saw Tyler looking down at me, worriedly. I looked up at him and nodded. He quietly wiped a tear that was rolling down my cheek and said, "Don't mind Ricky. He's an idiot. I know what he said isn't true, and even if it is..."

I cut him off by saying, "You do think it's true. You think he's right. Don't you?"

"What? N-no. I don't, honest."

I just looked up at him, into his dark eyes. I shook my head, knowing that he was lying. As I walked away I said, "Don't bother talking to me ever again." With that, I left, as he just stood there, watching me leave.