Hi, my name's Gab. I am not a boy, that's just my name. The reason behind that is, well, my dad originally wanted a boy for a child but here I am, obviously a girl. That didn't stop my dad though, despite the protests of my mom, he still gave me a boy's name. But who cares. A little name fiasco doesn't bother me, much less bother my affection for the most wonderful boy I've ever known, Gale.
I know, the irony is strong with this one.
The boy that I like and pine for to marry someday has a girl's name and I on the other hand have a boy's name. But again, who cares? They're just stupid names. Though I won't mind having his name tattooed on my arm or wherever on my body. I like him that much. Or maybe this is love? I don't know. How should I know?
It's summer and being the the thoughtful kid that I am, I decided to find a summer job to earn some bucks and to fill in the boring days that are to come. Not to mention they're like, a hundred. I can't be bored for a hundred days, that's lethal. Fortunately my mom is the darling of this little town since she was a baby, being her dad was the mayor, my grandpa, that she helped me land a job in a diner just a few meters away from the port. We live near the beach, and the port is just a few minutes away from our house. It wasn't a dream summer job but it would suffice.
We're not struggling, though, because you might think that we are, but I told you my grandpa was mayor so we were sorta well off, and we own some pieces of land from the nearby island. I just really wanted to have some cold cash in my hands, ones that I actually earned and not begged from my generous of a mom, or dad. They would always say that I should earn stuff with effort and work, instead of doing nothing and expect the goods to rain on me.
Right now I'm heading over to the diner for my morning shift. The sea sparkled from the distance, and the seagulls hovered above a yacht's sail. I was so busy walking while looking at the distant view when somebody bumped on me. No, I bumped on someone.
I looked up and I guess you could say I have tough luck, or the stars are just not aligned for me today because it was Gale.
I know you're saying that I'm lucky because I just bumped into the love of my life, yes, but not now, no. Isn't timing everything? Because right now the timing is pretty bad.
The thing is, he caught me last week. He caught me looking at him while he's just got out of the local gym's shower. Let me correct it, I was staring, gawking at him. Who can blame me? I was there to burn fat but then he was also there with all his naked glory. I mean half-naked glory which almost melted my guts faster than I can burn them.
He seemed so oblivious to the stares he was getting from the girls in the gym, including me of course, but I think life really has a way to make my life more interesting, because he looked up and met my eyes. I almost dropped the small dumbbells I was clutching and broke out in a sweat as if I've ran a marathon. I immediately looked down and did not bother check his reaction.
Now I'm here right in front of him, sweating like a horse under the hot California sun. My thighs went sticky and my hands felt clammy. Suddenly the smoothie shack just a few yards from us felt like light years away. Everything felt a million light years away.
I blinked fast. Do I say something? Of course you say something, idiot! You just bumped into him and he is clearly annoyed.
"Hey, uh," Way to go, Gab. "I'm sorry, I was not paying attention. Are you, um, hurt?" I do not know what to do with my hands so I sort of flailed them wildly and hovered them over his body.
Silence.
I raised my head, my hands in midair towards him, and saw his face, looking undeterred. My heart did somersaults as I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his neck and on the curve of his collar bone down to his chest. His dirty blonde hair danced as the breeze picked up its pace.
He seized me up and down which make me suddenly conscious of what I am wearing. I basically just threw on a pedal shorts and tank top this morning. My hands flew over my head and I tried to smooth down my messy braid and wipe the thin sheen of sweat on my forehead. I flushed as I felt his gaze on me.
I am not used to this. And I'm not sure if I could take any more of this whole Gale-is-weirdly-staring-at-me thing. I opened my mouth and was about to speak when he opened his and beat me to it.
"Watch where you're going next time, miss. I am no gentleman."
I stood there with my mouth agape. I can hear my heart thump loudly in my ears as my breathing quickened.
I never knew this day would come. The day that Gale actually talked to me. Any more words from him and I swear I'll melt right this instant.
"And oh," He said as he was about to walk away, "staring is rather rude, especially when the one you're staring at is half-naked, don't you think?"
He then sauntered slowly away from me, leaving me there smiling like a kid and at the same time melting like a scoop of sorbet under the hot Cali sun.
