Oceans Away

Sweet Nothings (Roy's POV)

    After some persuasion, I finally got Alana to walk off the dock with me. I could tell she was amused by me at least a little bit, even though she was putting up a front. But the cracks always showed when she would laugh at something I said.

    Her laugh made me smile more than anything had before, and I wanted to make sure I kept doing what I could to make it happen.

I knew I wanted to take her to Auntie Jane's Ice Cream Shop, easily the best ice cream in all of Conch Harbor, but I also knew that I would have to pass my dad's office, which wasn't ideal. He never missed an opportunity to embarrass me. Sure enough, as we were walking off of the dock, he came out of the small four walled office on the shore of the beach, a large smile plastered on his face.

    "A new friend Roy?"

"Yes this is-"

"Alana." She answers before I can even get a word out.

"Well very nice to meet you Alana." My dad holds out his hand and she shakes it with a newfound confidence I have not seen.

His eyes glance down to the fishing pole in my hand, and smirks.

"Did you actually catch anything this time son?"

     "No, nothing yet," I mumble.

     "Except me," Alana chimes in.

     "Well at least he got something out of it this time. Would you believe that his whole family are fisherman, that I own the most successful fishing company in all of Conch Harbor, and he can't catch a fish."

     "I'm trying. Isn't that all that matters?"

     "No," he responded curtly, suddenly changing is cheery tone.

      "He'll be back shortly," Alana said abruptly, as she took my arm and escorted me away, leaving my dad all alone on the dock.

      "What was that all about?", Alana asked, a twinge of sincerity in her voice.

      "That's just my dad," I chuckle weakly, trying to bring back up the mood.

      "He seems really hard on you. I'm sorry about that." She keeps her arm interlocked with mine, almost as a way to comfort. And I can't lie, it's working. 

      "He's right though." I finally respond. "I can't fish for the life of me. I don't know if it's because I don't have the skill, or if it's because-"

      I stop, unable to get the next words out. I know how weak I must sound to her. I was trying to impress her, not air out all of my dirty laundry. But the look in her eyes is that of sympathy, as if she understands exactly what I'm thinking.

     "You don't want to hurt anything." She finishes my sentence, just what I was thinking.

     "Yeah. Even a fish," I respond back.

      "That's actually very sweet. You're definitely not the kind of guy I took you for." She smiles, and looks back towards the road ahead of us, her arms still interlocked with mine. This time, not as tense. I can tell she's let her guard down. Finally.

      "Have you ever been to Auntie Jane's?," I question, trying to lighten the mood.

      "No. I've never been to Conch Harbor at all actually. This is my first summer here. My parents are always moving us around every season."

     "Do you like it so far?"

      "I'm liking it a little more now, yeah." She looks up at me and grins, but quickly looks away and giggles slightly. Was she blushing?

      "I usually am never able to make friends wherever I go. I'm just gone too quick. I don't want to make any connections with someone and then just leave them. Not that anyone tries to befriend me anyway. They're already too established with their own friends, why would they want another?"

      "Cause they don't know what they're missing."

      We continue the rest of the walk to Auntie Jane's talking about whatever we pleased. I had never felt so comfortable with anyone in my entire life. I had only met her that day, but I could already tell we had a bond that couldn't be explained. And I didn't want it to be. Because some things simply shouldn't be questioned, but taken as they are. I was appreciating every moment, every laugh and stupid conversation, every sweet nothing.