Love Me?

35: Hang Loose

LILY:

The next day we decide to go to the beach for our first date. I'm not sure where we have landed, but there's a gorgeous beach. I love the beach. I don't know why, but when I'm there with the sand between my toes, the wind in my hair, and waves crashing on the shore, I truly feel free. I feel like I can do anything I put my heart to and nothing can ever put me down.

I get into my modest baby blue swimsuit before packing a simple picnic of PBJ, chips, strawberries, and some chilled sodas. I cover myself with sunscreen because I get burnt way to easily. Then I pull on a jacket and flip flops before rushing to meet Blake out on the main deck of the ship.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey, you ready to suffer through a day at the beach with Lily?" I ask laughing.

"I don't know anymore."

We both laugh and head towards the beach. It's almost empty as it's only spring and clearly, wherever we are, the weather isn't warm enough for the people who live here. Blake lays out a blanket and I put down the picnic basket. Then in the blink of an eye I have my jacket and flip flops off and I'm racing towards the ocean. I guess he probably just assumed I was gonna lay down and talk, but he doesn't know me yet.

"Hey wait!" he yells running after me.

We race into the cold ocean. I laugh from joy as we walk deeper into the water. Then I push him under the water and he grabs my arm pulling me under a wave with him. I come up my lungs gulping in air. We laugh and as the next wave comes I catch it and body surf it a few yards.

"We should rent some surfboards," I say.

"Um, I don't know," he responds.

I have a feeling he doesn't know how to surf and it takes some persuading for him to let me teach him how to surf.

We rent two surfboards and begin paddling out into the deep. I show him how to paddle and he catches on really fast. But as far as teaching him how to surf... he doesn't have the best balance and it takes half an hour for him to even be able to ride a wave on his knees. I wish my phone was water proof because I definitely would have recorded some of his hilarious fails. It toke a few tries for me to really get a good ride, but once I remembered how to do it, I was on fire. My mother always told me I was a natural surf-girl.

After an hour, we head back to the beach, since we only rented the surfboards for an hour. We return the boards and eat lunch.

"So, are you going back home for spring break?" I ask.

"I don't think so, there's not much to go back to."

"What do you mean? What about Jackson?"

"Ya, Jackson. That's about it," he replies sadly.

"What about family?"

"My mother died when I was 4 and my sister moved to who knows were. And my father, well he is abusive and I ran away to this school to get away from him. I don't think he'd be very happy if I went back."

"I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry." I can't believe what he's been through, and I thought my life was terrible because my parents sent me to this school. Man was I wrong!

"Don't be, everyone was given a different life to live. Mine might be harder than some, but I know something good will come from it."

I nod my head and continue eating.