Love at the Sea

Twenty-four: Kaleikoa

"Lei, I won't." I have to ask her, I hope she tells me the truth. Lei wipes her face on her pillow. "You called me earlier, what's up?" I take her other pillow and start playing with a lace. "What's up with you and Dean?"

Dean used to go to Kamehameha with us for our freshmen and sophomore year. The three of us took most of the same classes with us and I know Lei and Dean took Japanese together. He has is Dean Lucas Yamamoto, he is 3/4 Japanese, ¼ Hawaiian ¼ German and ¼ Scottish. He has black hair and blue-green eyes, his height is 5'7. He used to live on the same block as us and went to Kamehameha with us until freshman year then he moved to Punahou and we never got in touch until today.

"Kalei, did you have a girlfriend before me?" I look up, she isn't looking at me but her pillow tracing the designs. "Yes, you remember Jessica Stone, we called her Jess." She nodded, "Freshmen year Jess, she left before our sophomore year, right?" I date Jess for a year, I liked her but I guess not enough. 

Every time Jess would say, "we should hangout and go to the movies," she would say that in a lovely voice with a smile on her face. I didn't understand then that she meant just us, on a date. I would always bring Lei and that's what started our end. I remember the day we broke up; we went to get gelato at Ala Moana like we always did on Saturday. When we were almost done eating she gets a text, she replies really fast and then finishes the rest of her food. 

Then she moves her bowl to the side and picks up my phone. Unlocks it and deletes her number, "What are you doing." "Deleting my number from your phone," she said in her cute voice though it sounded off. She gives me back my phone and asks, "Who is more important to you, there is no wrong answer tell me the truth. Who is more important, Leilani or me?" "Leilani," I say with no hesitation. I know where this is going. "That's what I thought. I think we should break up. I'm not coming back to Kamehameha for sophomore year so you can pursue Lei." She smiled her usual sweet smile and picked up her trash and bag and walked away.

I sat there for a while and then when I was about to leave I saw Dean and Lei ordering gelato. "Yeah she left after freshmen year." Lei nodded again. "Let's go drive somewhere." What is Lei planning? She walks over to her closet and pulls out her black sweater and then holds out her hand. I take it and we walk out. "Mom, Kalei and I are gonna get some food want anything?" Her mom comes out of the kitchen, gives Lei a $20 and says, "Don't be out too late, you both still have school tomorrow." Lei nodded, kissed her mom on the cheek and turned around and we start to walk to her garage. She takes her keys and unlocks her car. "Can I drive?" I ask she looks at me and says, "When we are coming back, okay?" I nod and get into a passenger seat. She backs out of the garage, closes the door and we are off.

"Where are we going?" I ask, she smiles and says, "Since it's 7 let's go eat at Liliha Bakery in Nimitz." She makes her way from her house to the freeway. When did Lei become a good driver? After a ten minutes drive we get there and she parks, we both get out and she locks the car. Gives me the keys and we walk inside the bakery. When we sit down, order and then Lei silences her phone. "Dean was my first boyfriend." I'm not her first boyfriend, why didn't I realize this. "How long did you guys date?" I don't want to know but, I want to. "I'll tell you the whole story," she says.

"We met in Japanese. We were paired together by our teacher because we were the smartest in the course." She paused and looked at me, my expression must have made her continue, like as if she was checking if I was okay. All I was thinking was I should have taken Japanese instead of Hawaiian. "In the beginning, we met because one day our Japanese teacher asked us to teach the class since she will be sick and also because everyone in our class liked us. So we shared our schedules and numbers. At first we just hung out during breaks, you remember that one time you gave me Starbucks from Makana?" I nodded, I came and saw them talking Japanese to each other. I sorta felt like I was interrupting something. 

I was dating Jess at the time so I didn't stay long with them. "After hanging out on breaks we moved it to after school, but only on the days I knew you had practice so I wouldn't be waiting at the beach alone. But on those days Dean still dropped me off and waited with me until you came, which I later figured out from Makana that on the days you don't have practice you were with Jess. That changed our schedule to everyday after school. 

On Halloween that year which was Monday, 31 October 2011, he asked me to go the the Haunted Plantation. He knew I would probably go with you but a few days before that remember I asked if we were going to the Haunted Plantation together and you said yeah we can go but I'm bringing Jess?" "Yeah I remember, but you said no it's okay...I don't want to impose," I answered she nodded and continued. "I told him yes. He then said we'll change and then go there after school. So on Halloween that's what happened. 

We went together and I saw you and Jess there. You didn't see me, but then again you were kissing her, so I didn't think you would see me." She paused because our food arrived. I saw her walk into the Plantation with Dean when Jess and I took a break from kissing. I really hoped Lei didn't see that but I guess she did. She took a french fry dipped it into the ketchup. "That place was so scary, I think Dean was annoyed at my screaming and I was holding his hand too hard that my nail impression carved on his hand. 

After we got out which took forever, Dean held my hand until we got into the light and asked me out. I said yes and then after we went trick or treating. That was one of the best Halloween ever, I didn't want it to end but we realized we had school and our presentation in Japanese." She stopped and studied me. 

"Kalei, I saw Jess break up with you. I couldn't believe it yet I did. Dean asked if I want to break up with him so I can be with you and I said no, because I didn't want to be your rebound. I wanted you to ask me out with a clear heart." I looked up from my food, "I remember you were there but I didn't think you saw." "I didn't mean to, trust me I didn't but Dean said he would buy me gelato and he knew I was craving that all day. 

When we got to Ala Moana we saw you two and we thought we would just wait until you left, but that literally took forever," Lei reach over and held my hand. I looked up and said, "Jess asked me who was more important to me you or her and I said you." Lei release my hand and covered her mouth. "Kalei, you weren't supposed to say that." 

"I know, but I wanted to be truthful with her. She knew I was going to say that though because before she asked she took my phone and deleted her number. After I told her my choice she said we should break up then left."

"Okay I'm going to skip to the end of my story now, the part when we broke up. It was mutual. He was leaving and wanted me to move to Punahou with him I said no. We ended with good terms. For a little while in junior year. We continued to talk but after a while I got busier and he did too." She paused and then said, "Any questions?" What can I say? What do I say? "Um..why were you quiet this morning when I was talking to him and after I left you were laughing and talking with him?" Lei took a deep breath.