in your dreams ⇒ JJ Maybank

NINE

F L A S H B A C K
one year ago (june 2019)

Caroline Brecklin and Sarah Cameron held hands, jumping off the side of the Cameron's yacht into the ocean, over, and over, and over again. They never got tired of it, and even enjoyed when Ward would claim to see a shark chasing after them as they swam back to the ladder. These were the days they lived for. Just sun, swimming, and each other.

Rafe would sit inside the boat the whole time whenever the Camerons would invite the Brecklins over for a boat day— or vise versa. He always sulked, as though he were being dragged along against his will. In fact, Caroline hardly noticed him, until one day when Sarah asked her to go grab popsicles from the freezer for them both.

Caroline happily made her way inside, and didn't even acknowledge Rafe's existence, as he sat on the couch with a drink in hand, watching TV. But he noticed her, as she opened the freezer and took out two popsicles, an orange one for Sarah, and a blue one for herself.

"Pass me one?" Rafe caught the girl's attention.

She looked at him unknowing how to react, as he had never really said a word directly to her. "What color?" she asked.

"Grape." he took a sip of his beer, "Please."

"That isn't a color." Caroline teased, cocking an eyebrow as she grabbed a purple popsicle and tossed it to the boy.

"Everyone knows grape is purple." He waved it around.

Caroline smiled in amusement and started out to the boat deck again, but stopped before reaching the doors. "Aren't you too young to be drinking?" She asked, eyeing the beer bottle in Rafe's hand. She knew he had just graduated, and was no where near twenty one.

"Aren't you too young to be wearing a swimsuit that revealing?"

Caroline looked down at her body, instinctively covering her stomach with her arms. "I'm almost seventeen." she said, smile gone. "Plus Sarah's wearing the same one, but in yellow."

"I don't care about Sarah." He leaned back on the couch.

Not sure what he meant by this, Caroline stood speechless, hand still on the doorknob leading to the deck.

"What?" Rafe spoke again, "You really think I don't notice you, Caroline? If I'm honest you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met."

Caroline let her arms fall away, the corners of her lips tweaking upwards as she tried to suppress a smile. It wasn't working. "Thanks." Her heart fluttered, looking at the boy two years older than her who she couldn't deny was good looking.

An ounce of nervousness arising in the girl, she opened the door to leave the conversation at that, "Talk to you later Caroline." Were the final words the girl heard come out of Rafe's mouth before she shut the door and walked back over to where Tanner and Sarah were laying out in the sun.

"Ugh, you are the best, you know that?" Sarah smiled at her best friend taking the orange popsicle from her hand, "But what took you so long?"

"Uh, Rafe." Caroline said, raising her eyebrows and avoiding Sarah's eyes.

"I'm sorry about whatever he said." Sarah rolled her eyes, sucking on the popsicle.