Forgotten Questions

A red cooler...

I went to the beach that day with the hopes of enjoying the sun with my friends.

 Jeremy, Charlie, Alisha and I grabbed the towels out of Charlie's truck. The sun was glistening down on the water, it was a nice surprise considering the forecast was cloudy. I looked over to make sure Jeremy had grabbed the towels and gear. 

"Did you need help with that?" I yelled to Jeremy and Alisha. Charlie was walking alongside me, he wasn't much taller than me. He had brown hair lightened with streaks from spending so much time outside. Him and I had gone hiking frequently. Even summiting on of the local mountains, our summer fling had lasted for a couple months at this point. Although we'd been friend for much longer than that. 

"Nah, it's alright we've got it!" Jeremy yelled in response. I knew he would say this but I figured I should at least offer my help. Jeremy and Alisha had been dating for much longer than Charlie and I. They were each other's freshman year crushes, somehow managing to retain their feelings for each other past their gross years. I could vaguely hear them giggling behind us. 

"Charlie, what'd you think it will be like?" I asked.

"What do you mean, like in the future?" He said a questioning influx in his voice.

"Yeah, like when summer is over and we're back in school." I said. We both attended a small high school, with roughly 600 people. Both of us were rising juniors, Charlie was already 17 but I was still 16. 

"Well, it'll be different for sure. I mean I'll be working part-time so we won't be able to hangout as much. But if that's what you're worried about, don't be. We'll make this work." He said, trying to maintain an air of optimism. 

"I care about you a lot, Charlie. And I don't want to lose you." I said. 

"You won't, don't be silly." He said, wrapping an arm around me. We walked a bit further in a comfortable silence. We started looking for a place to set our towels, I hear Jeremy and Alisha's lively chatter behind us. Charlie and I sat down in the warm sand. 

"Hey, we got the blankets and stuff." Alisha almost sang with enthusiasm. 

"Thanks, Alisha. I think we set up here. Sound alright to you all?" Charlie said. There was a murmur of agreement between everyone. Charlie always had a habit of leading the group, making himself a confident and bubbly person when around others. But when it was just him and I, he was always able to open up about his feelings and thoughts. 

"Come on, Charlie lets hit the water!" Jeremy called, rushing towards the crashing waves. 

"Rude!" Alisha yelled as Jeremy's shirt hit her in the face. Charlie rushed after him, also throwing his shirt but kindly not hitting me in the face. We set up the blankets on the ground and opened up the cooler. Alisha and I sat there laughing, feeling so happy. Both of us with boys that we were certain we were falling in love with.

 "How's life lately?" I asked softly, laying back to feel the sun hit my face. 

"Honestly, almost perfect." Alisha sighed in response, leaning back to lay in the sun too. 

"What's keeping it from perfection?" I asked curiously. Alisha was a beautiful girl, always kind regardless of the situation. She managed to make everyone feel wanted in a room. It was like some sort of super power. 

"If we're keeping it real, there's been this strange thing happening lately. Like I don't know how to explain it without sounding crazy." She said sounding exhausted. 

"I know you're not crazy. I'm always there for you, Alisha." I said. 

"Well lately, things of mine have been going missing. Like you know that green necklace? It's gone. It's not just that though, a bunch of stuff. Most of it is so insignificant you wouldn't even know it's missing." At this point she sound so exasperated.

"Jeez, what do you thinks going on?" I asked worriedly. 

"I don't know, but it's freaking me out big-time. I feel like I'm being watched or something." She said. 

That was the big turning point, that conversation. Just her and I on the beach with the red cooler.