Attention

Chapter 3

Rena wore some shorts that gripped around the middle of her thighs and the top of a bathing suit. She had a nice summer bag hung over her shoulder.
"You ready then?" I asked.
I only happened to wear swimming shorts and a tanktop. I brought along a bookbag with extra clothes in case we did happen to swim.
I looked at her with gazing eyes until she realized I was. I quickly averted them to someone else. She did notice and didn't seem to pleased about that.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her.
"Slo there are two options. We can hang around the boardwalk first or take a swim first. Either way we're going to enjoy both of them." Rena said.
"I would think the boardwalk first to heat up our bodies and get some sweat going. From there we could move into the water." I scratched my head.
I thought that maybe I could move forward with her today and consider it a first date but my chances were slim. I wasn't very open with my chances as I am very shy.
We walked into one of the shops and goofed around. She pulled over a werewolf mask and walked around the whole store with it.
"This looks so cute! I wonder how it would look on me." Rena thought aloud.
I searched around the little keychains to see if my name was on one of them. I only found hers and Jessica's.
What a shame. I would've been the star of these. I thought.
I looked over at Rena and was stunned. The way she looked officially captured me into a net and I didn't want to be freed.
Something about her just irritated my mind to desire her.
Stop it. She's your friend. Don't lie to yourself and say you don't want more. I thought.
She turned to me and smiled making my heart skip a beat. I wanted to laugh.
"C'mon." She grabbed my hand once again.
I didn't mind the constant dragging but I would like it to be a lot softer. She dragged me along to an Arcade and it was filled with children and adults. I hadn't seen an Arcade so filled before.
"There's this one game I could never get a stuffed animal and I always try whenever I come here." Rena said.
It was a simple crane game that I spent too much time understanding.
Maybe id I won her one. . .I thought.
Without much else thought I put a coin in and started to play. She looked at me as if I couldn't do it and so I purposely lost twice.
"Its okay. Maybe I'll win another day." Rena patted my back.
As she turned around all you could hear was me pulling the cute stuffed potato from the machine, "Here you go!"
I felt some sense of pride in that.
"Oh my God! I've been trying to get that for so long!" Rena gave me a tight hug.
I'm either smooth or just lucky. Most of it points to just luck. I thought.

We spent another 2 hours of walking around the pier. The day was coming to an end and the night was coming to begin.
"You still want to swim?" Rena asked.
"If you want to." I said. I didn't mind not swimming. I was never too fond of swimming and there's one distinct reason why.
As a younger boy I loved the water. I basically lived inside of it until one day. As cliché as it sounds it is the truth. My dad held a pool party on one of his days of return. Inside I swam laps around the other children. One of them kicked my thigh and sent it into a strain. I caught a Charley Horse and nearly drowned because I panicked.
"You alright?" Rena asked.
"Yeah, yeah i'm just reminiscing." I said.
We set up a small camp on the beach with food and drinks. It wasn't the main attraction as we immediately jumped in the water.
"Oh wait I nearly forgot!" Rena smacked her head.
"What?" I asked.
"They're throwing a mini festival tomorrow and it starts with fireworks tonight."
As if everything weren't such a basic love story as it is. I thought.
I slowly shifted away from her as the water pulled me away. I leaned back and allowed myself to float. I wondered if I just could let everything float away. Something could just push me into the far distance and I would be fine.
I then turned to float past her. She flipped me over.
"Oh it's like that?" I laughed.
"Yeah." She giggled.
I pulled her close and dunked us both in the water.
She arose before me and I saw her glorious smile. It turned my dark night into a bright day.
She looked back at me with softer eyes. I quickly turned my eyes away and rubbed my forearm.
Rena got close to me. In the distance a firework was shot into the air. She grabbed my face and pulled me in for a kiss. My heart raced until slowing down. Our lips touched and the explosions lit up the air.

I woke up the next day wondering if the night before was even real. I jumped out of bed and got myself ready for the day.
My phone rang, "Hello?"
Rena was the one who called, "Can I come over? I want to talk to you."
"Yeah sure."
Something about that worried me more than anything. I'm just going to believe that kiss was in the moment rather than having a secret meaning.
I sat in the living room enjoying a strudel. I waited patiently as if I were supposed to expect an arrival. I didn't believe her kiss was meaningful but. . .
Rena rung the doorbell and I invited her into the house. She looked smiley and jittery almost.
"I'm sorry it was on such a whim but I just had to." Rena said.
I nearly backed up to keep her a distance, "Had to what?"
She kept moving closer to me and I eventually was pushed into my room. Jessica wasn't home not that she would've cared but at least there would be a witness if I were killed here.
"Why are you backing up?" Rena asked.
"Why are you moving closer?" I stopped her from moving.
She stopped and stared at me.
Rena rung the doorbell and knocked me out of my daze. I opened the door and she came through. We sat on the couch and she just looked at me.
"What is it?" I had this genuine concern for the situation.
"I wanted to talk about our relationship." Rena sighed softly.
We have a friendship. I thought.
"Yesterday. . ." She paused and moved a little closer. She put her hand on my face.
I felt an overwhelming warmness come over me. I didn't understand.
"Brad." She gritted her teeth. "I don't know how to say this."
"Then don't say it." I looked at her as she did me.
"I've fallen in love with you." Rena got even closer. "I know you feel the same way too. Ever since we first met in that park. I realized it."
No no no. This isn't supposed to happen! You're supposed to reject me! Leave me to be alone. I'm not supposed to get the girl. I battled my thoughts.
"I do."
For some reason, I felt as though I would say those words again.