Jeremy and the Moon Dancer

The Date

(Song to get in the mood- Young by the National Parks)

"Come, I want to show you something Jeremy" she had said one night out of the blue.

Without waiting for my response she took me by the hand, and as she walked me closer to the waters edge all I could focus on was how our hand seemed to fit perfectly together; her soft, delicate one in mine.

"Jeremy, look."  She managed to peel her hand away from my tight grip and pointed to a small white disc in the sand.  It was almost glowing in the dark, damp sand. Bending down, she gently picked up and placed a chipped, cold, wet sand dollar in my palm.

"It's chipped," I announced.

"I know, that's why we are going to bury it," she said simply as if I understood.

"What?"

"MmHmm...that's what I do when they are chipped and broken," she peered sadly down at the broken skeleton in my hand.

"No one's going to pick them up and treasure them so I give them a proper burial, and tonight you'll help me."

"I've never heard of such a thing"

"No," she smiled thoughtfully at me, her eyes shining "I am pretty sure I'm the only one who digs graves for sand dollars." She paused and took a breath,"First you find a piece of seaglass, which I've got right here," she explained, taking a blue oval out of her jean pocket.

"Place it on the underside of the sand dollar and then you wrap the sand dollar in wire so the glass stays attached." she demonstrated this for me.

"You dig a hole in the jellyfish sand. Dig it quick or it doesn't work. Next you place it in the small grave and gently and cover it back up. This the jellyfish sand kind of takes care of that on it's own."   The sand looked like it had absorbed the sand dollar.

"Lastly you trace a heart over the grave." She said, smiling excitedly. I needed a good thing in my life and if I thought about it, sand dollar burying aside, I already had one.

"So that's how you bury a sand dollar? I've always wondered..." I joked.

She pushed me aside, laughing. The rest of the night we spent burying sand dollars until our jeans were so soaked and we were so sandy and cold that we couldn't bare it.

"Laila,"
"Hmmm?" she asked
Tomorrow night dress nice, we're going out."
She giggled shyly. "Ok"

I pretended to walk home as she did, but when I was sure she was gone I returned to that spot and dug up the sand dollar we had buried together. I had decided earlier to keep it as a memory; a little half-broken, fragile, sweet and pure memory just for me and her to share as long as we can.

I smiled all the way home, my waterlogged shoes squishing with every step, the sand dollar clenched tightly under my thick-sleeved hoodie.

The next night I met her there in a blue plaid shirt, with coral red jeans and my favorite navy Sperrys. I even took extra time to spike the front of my hair like I'd seen some celebrities like Dylan O'Brien do.

She was wearing the same dress that she wore the first night I saw her, only this time she was wearing sandals. I could tell she was nervous because she was fiddling with the fringe on her dress and she wouldn't make eye contact with me. She was adorable.

"Hey relax, don't worry. Its not a date." I said smiling, hoping to calm her nerves.

Surprisingly she looked a little disappointed by this, but caught herself and smiled back.

"I'm not worried about that, its just, well... I don't really get out much, you could say," she admitted shyly.

"Hey, it's fine. We're not going anywhere really public like the movies, just a small hole in the wall restaurant that no one really goes to anymore."

"Hmmm..." she said.
"Hmmmm...OK I made that sound really unappealing, didn't I?" I laughed.

She nodded, also laughing freely.

I felt naturally more relaxed now that I knew she was relaxed. "Come on, I promise you it'll be great" I said and reached for her hand which she grabbed onto like she would never let go. I hoped she wouldn't.

When we got to the restaurant, which was a bit of a walk, it was almost closed. So, like I had predicted, we were the only ones there. Zia is a quaint little Italian restaurant quietly tucked behind the library. Not many people know of it because most of its humble front is covered in wisteria and jasmine.

To be straight the place smelled like Eden.

When we walked inside we were seated at the window, well, what was left of the mostly flowers and leaf covered window. The table was set like as if we were in Italy in a villa. Red checkered tablecloth, staunch white cloth napkins and a little red candle in the middle. It even had a single red rose in a dainty white vase. Laila took one look around, raised her eyebrows and looked back at me with a smirk.

"And this isn't a date?"

"Well," Now I was the one blushing.

"Call it what you will, but were having dinner" I said trying to brush off the question modestly.

"Ok, I think I can do that." she said clearly disappointed again. The food was delectable, as always. When the server came to take away our plates he asked "And any desserts for you tonight miss?"

"No thank you" I said as I watched Laila's face fall. I laughed when the server had left.

"Don't worry, we're going to get ice cream, miss."
"Sandra's?"
"You know Sandra's?" I was stunned.
"It's only, like, the best ice cream place in the, in ever!"
"Ok then I take it you're a regular then."
"Ha-ha yup, always get the same flavor; Eskimo Kisses."
"Me too!"
"You're a regular too then, huh?"
"Well of course, but I meant Eskimo kisses is my favorite flavor too. Coconut ice cream, chocolate truffles and fudge. I mean, Come on! How could it not be everyone's favorite?"
"I don't know, everyone else must be weird." she teased.
"Must be." I confirmed. Right then the check came back and we left to go get Eskimo Kisses.

When we got to Sandra's, Jenny, a girl I only knew through my mom was the only one working there.

"Hey Jeremy, how's it going?" she asked.
"It's going." I said  casually, trying to act nonchalant.

"Is this your girlfriend?" she asked nodding at Laila. Laila and me blushed at the same time.
"No." I said doing that clear-the-throat-this-is-quite-awkward kind of thing. Jenny, clearly not sensing our discomfort asked,

"Why not? She's cute."
"Ummm," Laila stepped in.

"We're just friends." she clarified.

"Ohhh.." Jenny looked between the two of us and muttered to herself, "Yeah, Lets see how long that lasts."

"Ok! Well." I said loudly, clapped my hands together, and then cleared my throat again. "Im going to get one small Eskimo Kisses in a cup please."

"And what would you like sweetheart?' she asked, nodding at Laila.

"Same. A small Eskimo kisses too. Please."

"Oh my god," Jenny said as she rolled her eyes.

"You're kidding right?"
Laila shook her head slowly, confused.
"Oh, in a cup, cones are overrated" Laila added.
"Ok..."

Jenny ended up handing us one large Eskimo Kisses in a cup.

"Uhhh" Laila said looking at the ice cream then to me then to Jenny then back to the ice cream.

"That's not what we ordered."
"Well too bad, you're sharing."

I shrugged at Laila, indicating that I had nothing to do with this and then proceeded to grab spoons.

"So Jeremy," Laila inquired, as soon as were we seated in the cotton candy colored booth. "You have to help me here, I mean, is this a date?"

"Do you want it to be?" I pushed, even though I knew the answer.

"Kinda" she admitted, looking down, smiling, while fidgeting with her the fringe on her dress again.

"So help me god! It's a date then."

"Im glad!"

"Well this ice cream is melting very fast we better eat it. I mean it's the best flavor."

"It is!" she squealed as she loaded her spoon.