Falling for Diana Clarisse

Pilot

EVAN TODD LAWSON

Driving down to the lake was always exciting. Being a swimmer, the lake was the place I could go to whenever I wanted some space. It was too small to take out the really big boats, but small recreational activities were always possible in this lake. Lenoire is a small town by a lake. Small enough that you knew almost everyone. There were two high schools, the one I attended was the miraculous one that was undefeated in all swim-related sports. The other? Golf. There was one community college. Small plazas around the main square filled with the newer and bigger names. Big houses, big government buildings. Ironic. Small town with big things.

My family’s lived here for about forever. It’s nice to know everything about here and my heritage, but getting out is another thing I plan to accomplish. I don’t want to go to the community college, I want to get out and apply for schools that are on the coasts, by the ocean. If not there, just somewhere but here. Lenoire can be tiring. It can be boring, and it can be a place where one small thing happens, and the whole town learns about it by the end of the day.

The lake’s parking space comes into my view. My inner swimming self is jumping in joy, but I know I won’t be here for long. I get out the car, and start to trek down to farthest pier on the right. It was my favorite among all five. I’ve always had a preference for it, since I was a kid. Still going, I see a single bike on the bike rack. I recognize it from its worn-out blue color. It belongs to Diana. In other words, she’s here.

Oh, how I wish I didn’t have to do this. I really wish I didn’t end up breaking her fall by the swimming pool and kissing her two weeks ago. It’s not even her fault, it’s mine. It all happened as I pulled her back and fell on her. I'm not even sure if that's normal, somehow kissing someone while falling on them. The whole thing is a blurred mess. She said thank you for the catching her and left. I think she was just as shocked as I was. She didn't even tell anyone as far as I know. I had told Joseph, but he said he kept his mouth shut. I don't know how Lacey found out, it was most likely Joseph, but she insisted on “tarnishing that nerd’s rep” herself, but I said no. I’d talk to her and sort the whole thing out. Diana’s just a normal girl in our high school. She doesn’t have the whole lavish and popular life. She’s just herself, she couldn't be a theat to Lacey. We have a year left before going to college. I’d rather it goes by without any drama and other issues.

I get to the pier and start walking towards the end of it. I could see her sitting at the edge. Surprising, she fears the water and can’t swim. Approaching her, she was wearing a dark blue shirt, short sleeves along with some jeans. They looked like they went past her knees from here. Does it even matter? I got closer and sat down, my legs over the edge like hers.

“Hey,” I looked to her. Her light brown hair was in a ponytail. She looked at me.

“Hi.” She smiled.

Just get to the main point. “You know why I asked you to meet me here, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah, it’s about what happened a few weeks ago. Unless it’s about something else..."

“No, it’s about that.” I sighed. “I know it’s really late. But we had finals the next week and I knew that we would all be busy studying so I just put this whole confrontation off until the school year ended. I’m sorry I-”

I get cut off by my phone ring. She raised an eyebrow. Diana had eyes were a light brown, too, like her hair. I look back to my phone. Lacey was calling. I get up, not bothering to see if Diana did anything about it. Why would she?

“Baby, did you talk to the nerd yet?” Lacey whined.

“I’m about to, why?" Why’d she call?

She giggled. “Yay, I was hoping you’d say you haven’t talked yet. I’m putting my phone on speaker so the boys and girls can hear. Baby, just put your phone next to you, pretending to hang up. We want hear you mock the nerd. Okay?” Ouch. Why am I surprised?

“Can’t I just tell you everything tomorrow?” I just want to go home after this.

“Look, baby, just do what I say. Otherwise the date isn't going to happen tomorrow. Now go out there and blow us all away!” She giggles, and the laughter of everyone else comes through. Well. This makes everything more difficult.

I turn down the volume and pretend to hang up. I look back at Diana and sit back down. I clear my throat. “Sorry, what was I saying?”

I think she rolled her eyes. “You were saying you’re sorry.” Right. That.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for probably being your first kiss and all that jazz. It was probably something you were planning on waiting for in college or when you got married, right? Then again, I’m always a great kisser.” I laugh and maybe internally shudder. I bet Lacey’s laughing her head off.

Diana looks at me in surprise. “You’re joking.” Not really. She laughs. Or was it a scoff? “You know, I’ve heard that you can be a jerk, but that’s an understatement.”

Now I scoff. “Oh please, don’t act like you regret what happened. Let me guess, was it a dream come true?”

She looks really annoyed. “Honestly, get over yourself. You really think that you’re all that? That being some all-star junior on the swim team and having a girlfriend that has a say in what goes on in school for everything grants you the right to being some narcissistic prick? It doesn’t.”

“Well, maybe if you stopped being a nerd that’s constantly reading books, then maybe you’d realize I’m not that much of a prick.”

She laughs. “Oh, so what happened just now isn’t a prick’s action? Well, Lawson, aren’t you a goody two-shoes? Is this why you told me to meet you? So you can brag about yourself?”

“No, I’m here to say sorry that you can’t get anything! Aren’t you happy I kissed you?” Am I being too harsh? It could be worse.

“You’re sick.” She got up. “I hope you grow a brain by the time you apply for schools. Otherwise, swimming isn’t going to get you as far as you want.” She walked off the pier and left, most likely getting her bike.

"Says the girl with no social skills or a group of friends!"

She kept going. I turned my phone off and stayed for another five minutes before going to my car. Her bike was still there. She was probably crying in the bathroom or something.

That was the only and last time I saw her that summer.