"Penny had discovered that death was hard--harder, even, than life."
***
"Man," Huckleberry Stwar breathed as he wrapped his muscular arms around my thin pearly-white waist.
"Days like this will be hard to forget." he added. I smiled looking into his blue eyes.
"Who says we need to forget, Strawberry?" I whispered using Huck's favorite child hood nickname. The nick name I addressed him as when we were kids growing up. I've known Strawberry ever since 6th grade... that was 7 years ago. He was the athletic one... so was I... he was the brilliant one, I don't know if I was... but every time we talked we just felt, oh how do I say this... synced.
About 5 years ago, he finally musted up all of his courage to ask me out. From that point on our hearts beated as one. The two of us kept walking (barefoot) down the California docks, hand in hand. When we got to the edge we stopped and sat down at the edge, letting our feet soak in the crystal blue water. Huck cradled me into his arms. "So, hows your book coming?' I asked as I intertwined my hand with Huck's. Strawberry's writing was one of a kind. He seriously could be one of those best seller writers out there. He sighed a sigh I knew too well as he begun running his thin fingers through his sandy blonde hair. "Well," he started. "I've written the first couple parts... now all I need is a sexy heroine to save the day..." he said eyeing me with his speckled robin blue eyes. "Well, what needs saving?" I asked brushing my cheek against his shoulder. My head inched its way to his. "My lips." was all he said before his lips brushed against mine. Kissing Strawberry was always harder standing because he was exactly a foot taller than me, but as of right now, that wasn't an issue. "Penny," he said when he was finished. "Yeah?"
"Tomorrows the 11th of July right?" I smiled.... he hadn't forgotten.
" Yeah.." I said.
"So that makes tomorrow your birthday." he added. I nodded gleefully."Penny... do you like surprises?" Huck asked pulling me closer.
"Good ones... I suppose."
"Well your in luck." he smiled.
" I'll pick you up at your place at 6 tomorrow evening.." he said as he stood up.
"OOH, a date!" I laughed. He smiled as he pulled me up from the ground. "You betcha."
We walked off the docks and towards our bikes which were leaning on a small palm tree. "So what are we doing at 6?" I asked letting my curiosity get the best of me. Huck chuckled. "That's a surprise... what are you going to wear?" he said as he unlocked my bike from his. I smiled taking the red handle bars of my bike.
"Now that's a secret..."
***
The darker it got outside the header I pedaled. I finally got to our house. I smiled as I shut the door. "Hey mom!" I yelled upstairs.
"How did it go?" She shouted back. I walked up the stairs to see her folding up the laundry in the hallway.
"Pretty good... he asked me if I could go out to dinner with him tomorrow... he will pick me up at 6... is that alright with you?" I asked taking my flip flops off.
"I guess... but I want you back at home at 9:00 you hear me?" she said sternly. I nodded.
"I'll go call Beth." she asked. I walked into my room and opened my closet.
"To ask her what I should wear." I shouted back.'
Beth had been my friend ever since the 1st grade. She was short thin and awfully reminded me of a frail little bird. She was the one who predicted that Strawberry and I would be close, very close. I dialed her number and waited. On the third dial tone she picked up
