The Waters of Florida

8 - Hello Again

Nick POV.

The next morning I woke up early making sure I didn't wake anyone else up, I hurried to the back shed grabbing my body board and my surf board putting them into the back of my truck, I got into the car starting it up, I started tapping the steering wheel nervously I was headed to talk to my boy in the rock. Except I don't know if he'll be there, I'm hoping so since he's been there everytime I've been practicing.

But, who is he? Why does he only watch from that spot? Why not on the beach? So many questions I want to ask, but he didn't even speak when I first met him I'm gonna have to help him warm up to me. I reached down sliding my hand into my pocket feeling around to make sure the small shell he gave me was still there, if he didn't give me that I'd assume I made up the entire thing in my head. I parked my car once I got to the beach, small waves rolled across the surface of the water lightly splashing on the beach having a sparkling effect from the sun. I looked over to where I saw that boy in the rock and saw what looked to be a shadow on the inside of it, I run into the water jumping onto my board. I paddled over to the rock grabbing the side of it "Hi, I don't know of you're there but I came back, like I promised."

I heard a little splash and someone cleared their throat "Um hello."

"Oh so you can talk?" I rolled onto my back keeping hand on the rock so I wouldn't drift away

"Of course I can, you just caught me off guard the other day. I saw you competing yesterday, you did really good."

"You were there? Why didn't you say hi to me?"

"Complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Very complicated....anyway um my names Karl."

"Karl, that's cute."

"Thanks handsome wait I-"

"Woah handsome?!"

"Well you're rather handsome- oh my god I need to stop talking." I heard something smack

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just face palmed myself a little too hard. And I'm just finding this so surreal that I'm actually talking to you, and not just admiring you from a far."

"Can I see you?"

"No, I'm not prepared for that. I'm nervous enough already just talking to you."

"Aww sounds like you've got a crush on me."

"A crush? And did you win yesterday?"

"Yeah it sounds like you like me, and I did win so did my friend Clay in the surf portion."

"Oh thats smiley face right?"

"Smiley face?"

"Yeah the bottom of the thing he stands on has a big smiley face on the bottom right?"

I laughed sitting up on my board looking at the hole "Yeah thats true, my turn to ask a question. Why don't you come out?"

"Well my friends and family already know I'm bi so no need to come out."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Yeah I know. This has always been my little safe space, and I'm just scared of you seeing me, I'm not conventionally attractive for your standards."

"My standards?"

"No no no, that sounded bad. I meant the human standards of attractive."

"Okay, I won't pry." I placed my hand down by my swim shorts pocket feeling the shell he gave me just the other day "The shell you gave me, I've never seen one like it. Where'd you get it?"

"A few miles off shore I was swimming with a friend. We like to search for lost things in our free time."

I listened to him as he talked about his adventures swimming around with his friend, finding all of his lost things. Hearing the excitement and joy in his voice made me smile, he sounds so innocent and carefree, the way he talks so passionately about what he likes does something to me, it makes me feel warm in the cold ocean. Karl, if only you knew what you just started.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

746 Words

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, sorry that this is a short chapter, not gonna lie really I'm struggling with writing right now, there is so much lore I want to write but thats not for a while and I just wanna skip to it, BUT character development is needed so thats what I'm gonna do!