Love at the Sea

Twenty-three: Leilani

"Can you walk me to the office?" I ask Dean. He smiled and bowed like I was a princess like we used to act before and escorted me to the office. "Hello Miss Brenda, I have brought my friend to come see you." Miss Brenda looks up from her desk rolls her eyes at Dean and says, "How can I help you?" I look at Dean and he says, "Go ahead, she doesn't bite." 

I nod, "Good morning, I'm Leilani Kalea Noa Kaleialoha, I'm the new transfer student." She looks at me and smiles, "I've been expecting you and good thing you found Dean because he has automatically volunteered to tour you around campus and take you to all your classes," I look at Dean and mouth is that okay? He smiled and mouthed back It's fine. "Lucky for you two, you have almost all the same classes." "Except?" Dean asks, "Except for math," she hands Dean my schedule. 

He looks it over and says, "What are you doing in AP Calc?" I look at my schedule and say, "Why aren't you in AP Calc?" We both laugh and then he says, "Not as smart as you." I smile and ask, "So we have everything else together?" He looked up and said, "Yup, even homeroom, speaking of that we should start getting to class. Bye Ma'am." 

Miss Brenda rolls her eyes and waves to me and then mouths 'You have a good friend there.' I mouth back, 'I know, I'm lucky.' With that we walk out of the office to my first class.

AP English to homeroom to AP Gov to break for one hour. Then AP Physics to AP Calc. After that class I walk out and Dean is waiting there for me and we walk to our last class Advanced Japanese. "First day of school done, how was it?" I was smiling, "Easier than Kamehameha." "I know right! I swear when I moved here I was like damn, why so easy?" "No idea, but that's what I noticed." 

I felt my phone was vibrating, it was my mom, "Hello?" "Lei, how was your day?" 'Who's that?' Dean mouthed to me. "Hi mom, my first day was good. Are you coming to pick me up?" "Yeah," she says, "I'll be there soon. See you." "You still get picked up by your mom?" Dean asks, I laugh, "Just this once cause my mom is coming to talk to someone at the office, but tomorrow I'll be driving here unless Kalei drops me off and doesn't have practice so he can pick my up." 

He nods, "What car do you have?" "Lexus LFA." "Damn girl!" We continue to walk to the parking lot and then I see my mom. We walk to her, "Mom, you remember Dean?" My mom gets out of the car. "Dean, may have you grown, how tall are you know?" Dean smiled and said, "5"8'" My mom nodded. "Well, that's my cue to leave," Dean starts to walk away and then he turns and says, "See you tomorrow Lei and let Kalei know about our plan." "Okay! Bye-bye." 

"What plan?" My mother asks, "He wants us all to hangout to catch up." My mom nods, we walk to the office in silence. Once we get there my mom mouths 'stay here' I nod and then my phone rings. 

"Hello?" "Leilani!!! I miss you! School felt so lonely without you here. Also Kalei said 'Dean goes to Punahou. Did something happen with Lei and Dean cause it was weird when I said he and Lei didn't talk and when he left you were talking to him.' Did you not tell him about Dean?" "He saw us talk..." "Lei? You didn't tell Kalei?" I found a bench outside the office. 

"Chelsea, I didn't know how am I supposed to tell Kalei, that I used to like Dean and he took my first kiss?!" There was a long pause then, "Lei, you have to tell him. He was asking Derek and I all day and since we didn't help him figure out why you acted weird..he's going to ask Makana." *beep* "Chelsea, Kalei is on the other line." "Answer it and tell me what happens later okay, I'm going to watch Derek practice. Just text me! Love you girl." "Love you too!" 

*beep* "Kalei?" "Hey, how was your first day?" For some reason no matter how I'm feeling he always makes me smile. "Not as bad. I missed you today, you and Chelsea and Derek." "I missed you today too. Makana came and cleaned out your locker. I saw so much things. How can you use a locker that's filled with so much stuff?" "It's not just stuff, it's memories of good days." "I guess that makes sense. I need to talk to you in person where are you?" "At school still, my mom is inside the office. What do you need to talk to me about." "Just stuff." 

He's hiding something. "What kind of stuff?" "Boring stuff. When will you be home?" At that moment I see my mom walk out of the office. "Who are you talking to?" My mom asks, "Kalei," I answer. My mom holds out her hand for the phone. "Kalei, my mom wants to talk to...." "Kaleikoa," my mom says, "I know you have practice starting soon." 

There was a pause then, "It's sweet of you to call and check on her but you should get going. If you're not too tired and if you finish your homework you can come over and talk to her, ask your mom first." 

Another pause, "See you later then." My mom then hangs up and hands me back the phone. We walk back to the car in silence when we get inside I hear the dreaded words, "We need to talk." I don't know why those four words scare so much out of me but they do. "Lei, I know about you and Kalei but please be safe." I nod and she continues, "Also be sure about this okay." I look at my mom and say, "I am sure." My mom nods and we are off.

When I get home, I go directly to my room. I change into house clothes and fall on my bed.

"Don't let go! I can pull you up." I begin to lose grip in the person's hand. "Don't let go! Please!" "I have too," the person says, "I want you to be safe and live." "I can't live without you. Don't go..." The person lets go. I hear the body hit the ground. I know the person is gone, but I don't want to believe it. The fog begins to clear. I look down the cliff. I look around to find a safe way down. I spot a rope. I tie the rope around the tree and make my way down.

I finally get down. I walk up to the body. "You weren't supposed to leave me," I say as tears begin to stream.

"Lei, wake up." I hear Kalei I open my eyes and he's there in front of me. "Hey," he wipes a falling tear, "what's wrong." I hug him. "Please don't leave me." "I won't," he says. He holds me tight.