The Summer I Learned to Breathe

four

☼ four ☼

I spent last night in the game room with my brother, playing Call of Duty into the early morning hours and wondering if our dad would ever show up. He left before the sun appeared over the horizon yesterday, and he's still absent.

I don't remember much after two AM; I assume I drifted off to sleep in the middle of the war game as I awoke on the couch with the TV off and the XBox remote still on my lap.

Gabe and I acted like our dad's absence was no big deal this morning, collecting ourselves and fetching breakfast at McDonald's. However, I'm positive Gabe was thinking about our father's whereabouts just as much I was.

I've finally gotten our dad off my mind, removing my thoughts from my life like I usually do; for the past hour, I've been relaxing on the deck with an engaging novel.

I think Gabe disappeared to "see a friend" or something.

"Hey, sis!"

Upon hearing the obnoxious shout, I glance up from my book to look at my brother. He's back now, standing near the dock in his pink, hawaiian flowered trunks with a pair of sporty sunglasses shielding his eyes. He waves his arm, motioning for me to join them; however, it looks like he's calling a ball coming his way in the outfield. If it weren't for his swimming attire, I'd assume he was some sort of professional baseball player.

I rest my book on the table, paying careful attention to save my page, and I step down into the grass. I walk across the yard barefoot, the morning dew still on the grass and cool to the touch. Gazing up at the boys I'm nearing, I recognize my brother's new friend.

Standing beside him is that guy, Sam. I force myself not to stare as he's dressed exactly like my brother, except his trunks are green and he doesn't have a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes.

I avert my eyes to my brother as I near them.

"This is my sister, Marley," my brother mentions. "Marley, our awesome neighbor Sam." I take his statement as an opportunity to look at Sam. The first thing I notice is his beautiful pair of eyes; they are far more captivating and complex than I had expected they would be from yesterday when I saw him at a distance. They're a mixture of blue, green, and hazel tones, and I'm not exactly sure how to best describe them. The second thing I notice are the freckles scattered across his cheeks; I hadn't taken note of them before.

"Hi," he offers a shy smile, but I'm positive it's genuine and I ignore the butterflies that flutter inside my stomach. "Nice to meet you Marley."

I show a pleasant smile in return, alongside an awkward sort of wave. "Hi," I hear the tone of my voice, and it sounds quieter than I had intended. I continue speaking, but with more of my usual confidence. "It's nice to meet you too." I sound more like myself with my second comment. Mentally, I slap myself because I'm not the kind of girl to act weird around a cute boy. And I definitely don't want to start doing that now.

My brother lets out a slight groan, and I imagine his eyes rolling playfully behind his sunglasses. "Geez, you two are so formal," he complains. "Nice to meet you!" He mocks my voice, but he makes me seem like some blonde girl who doesn't know that two plus two equals four.

"Really Gabe?"

"Yup," he says with a cheesy smile. I roll my eyes playfully and shake my head, turning my back on him and returning to the deck where I grab my book and head for the door.

"Where are you going?" His question stops me, and I face Gabe and Sam again.

"Madison's," I yell back. "Do I need your permission or something?" I joke.