Love at the Sea

Twenty: Kaleikoa

She's drinking alcohol and her parents are fine.

The food finally came and I looked up and see Lei taking a gulp then she saw me drink her drink and then she took another gulp.

I slammed my hand on the table and say, "I'll tell you what's wrong. Are you ready?" Everyone was quiet I continued, "For one you let Lei drink alcohol!" I pointed at Lei's drink and my mom reached of the drink, took a sip and gave it to her mom who also took a sip and passed to back to Lei.

I waited and then my mom says, "Kalei have a sip." I look at my mom and then at Lei's drink and she looked at me with wary eyes, the same eyes she gave me when she found out I wasn't going to Big Island with her, then she passed me the drink. I took a small sip and then looked up. "It's not alcohol. It's blue margarita mix with sprite instead of alcohol, like you're sister's Shirley Temple," my mom says and then Makana says, "Mom, I have the real Shirley Temple."

My mom looks at my sister and laughs.After the meal is over we all walk to the limo and get in.

Lei sits in the corner by the driver, Makana sits on the opposite corner, Kanoe sits next to her letting Makana lay her head on his lap.

My parents sit on the corner crossed the door and Lei's parents sit next to them. Both our moms are drunk and ready to sleep on the plane.

I go to sit with Lei. "Can I sit here with you?" She covered her mouth and nodded.

She whispered to me, "I feel sick Kalei." I tried to see her face but it was too dark. I let her lay on my lap. "Lei?" I hear her sniffle. "Kalei?" She say in a shaky voice. "Yeah," I say. "I'm not gonna be able to see you tomorrow...."

She starts to cry. "I'll see you after school," I say trying to reassure her. "No, you won't. You have practice on Mondays and you're always really tired after." She really knows my schedule. "I'll come to visit you anyways."

No matter how I say it, she continues to cry harder.

My whole world is going to change tomorrow. I can't pick her up for school. I can't call her for math homework help.

I can't hear her complain on how much I should be paying attention, I'll really miss that. I'll miss her coming over really late because she needs help with her homework.

"Lei, don't worry okay. I'm just five houses away." She gets up and wipes a tear then says, "Yeah, but I can't smile at you in the hall. I can't asked you.... I can't ask you if you...if you," she starts to cry again.

I hug her and look into her eyes and say 'I'll miss everything.' We get out to our rooms and change.

Makana comes into the room and says, "I know, I know you hate this but everything will be okay."

A tear slowly falls from her eye. "Well, one sure thing, the complaining about school won't stop." Lei smiles which makes Makana cry harder.

What's with us, saying the right things hoping to stop the tears but making it worse. Lei walks over to Makana and says, "If you continue to cry, I'll start crying and then I'll have red puffy eyes in my first day of school."

My sister gives a small laugh and say, "Okay, we should get ready to leave." Lei walks to her suitcase and pulls out her Minnie Mouse shirt and black tights, then walks into the bathroom.

After about ten minutes she comes out. I'm sitting on the bed with my dark blue surf shorts, that Lei brought for me for my birthday last year, and a regular dark gray shirt.

She comes out then immediately starts to braid her hair. "You look absolutely adorable you know that," I say and she looked up and smiled. "So does this mean you're my boyfriend now?" I smile and quietly walk up to her.

I put my hands over her eyes so she can't see. She finishes her hair and puts her hands against my hands and I go to her ear and whisper, "Leilani Kalea Noa Kaleialoha, will you be my girlfriend?" I put down my hands and she turns around.

She puts her arms around me and buries her face in my chest and says, "Yes, of course."

She looks up and tears are rolling down her face, "I've been waiting for this moment for forever." I smile and say, "So have I." I leaned down and she closed her eyes.