"Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself."
–Andre Breton
——
PARKER FELT A flooding sense of happiness consume him as he walked up the steps that led to the brown door of his house that evening. His dog was on the couch, its long, shaggy ears falling down the side of its face as it snored. Kicking off his flip flops, Parker plopped down beside the sleeping dog, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to place what the cause for the goofy grin on his face was.
And then, the face of a certain red-haired girl with eyes that reminded him of the blueness of the sea, popped into his head.
Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure what he'd been thinking when he climbed up the slanted window of that cream-painted house that stood a couple of streetlights away from his. A chuckle escaped his lips as he recalled the sheer look of surprise on her face when she'd discovered his presence at her window.
He remembered how she'd chased after him in her pajamas when he napped her diary and how hard she'd laughed when they put up fake Italian accents and prank-called Emily.
As he stroked the shiny brown fur of his dog, Parker thought about what their next adventure would be, so he could have her by his side tomorrow and hear the riveting sound of her laughter again.
——
THE delicious smell of bacon and eggs invaded Stacey's nostrils as she traipsed down the stairs the following morning. The aroma was like an invisible mist that held her under a spell and soon enough, she found herself sauntering in the direction of the kitchen where her father was singing along to Keith Urban as he cooked breakfast.
Stacey tried to suppress a chuckle at his uncoordinated dance moves and incredibly off-key pitch. She stifled the chuckle, but Martin caught the trace of a smile on her face as he turned around.
"Good morning, dad," She said, slipping into one of the stools at the counter as he turned off the music.
"Stacey," he acknowledged, clearing his throat as he cracked an egg onto the frying pan. "You were out for a long time yesterday,"
"Yeah," She answered, a smile overtaking her face as she remembered the dark-haired boy with the beautiful smile.
Again, her dad noticed this. "Who were you with?" He asked.
Stacey shrugged, knowing how overprotective her dad could be when it came down to matters like this.
Only yesterday, he had wanted her to go outside for some fresh air and now, if she told him that she'd spent the entire day prank-calling strangers with a boy, Stacey knew he'd go over the top and ask her to stay in the house with her windows shut and a scarf over her head, as if boys were some alien beings she could never ever go near.
"Are you going out today?" Martin wanted to know, his eyebrows knitted in concentration as he cooked.
Stacey hesitated for a second. In as much as she wanted to see Parker again, she wasn't sure where to find him if she went out. She had no idea where he lived and neither did she know if he'd be at the beach or if he would appear at her window like he had done yesterday.
When Martin quirked an eyebrow at her prolonged silence, she nodded.
"Where are you going, then?"
"Dad," Stacey whined. "You're asking too many questions,"
"I have a right to know," he replied and walked over to the counter, pushing a steaming plate of eggs and bacon towards her.
She huffed, shoving a crusty piece of bacon into her mouth. "I guess I'll probably hang out at the beach for a while."
——
PARKER climbed up the side window of the cream-painted house and supported his weight with the window sill. The buggy window was down, unlike yesterday and he peered into the room, but Stacey wasn't in there. He waited for a few beats to see if she'd come in, and when she didn't, he shimmied back down the side of the house. He was about pressing the doorbell when the mahogany door opened.
Instantly, a dimpled grin covered his face as his hazel eyes travelled down her features. She didn't have her helmet on today, instead, her red hair was braided in two long pigtails that fell to the small of her back. She'd traded her long sleeves for a baby blue tee and shorts, plus, her boots were now sandals.
"Little Red!" Parker enthused as she stepped out onto the porch.
"Bucket List Parker!" She mirrored his grin, and then broke out into a laugh at the silly nickname.
"Bucket List Parker," he chewed on his lip, thinking about it. "I like it, Little Red."
"Of course you do." She found it hard to not smile at everything he said. Or blush when he called her Little Red.
"You look all summery today," he observed as they started their journey on the sidewalk.
"I figured if I ditched the helmet and long sleeves, it'll lessen my chances of dying of heatstroke." Stacey shrugged, kicking a small stone out of her way. "Anyway, what adventure do you have in store for us today?"
"Come on. I'll show you." He grabbed her hand, pulling her down the street and she couldn't fathom the bolts of electricity it shot up her spine.
——
So I'm officially entering this book in the Wattys 2018. I know there are a lot of other better books, but it wouldn't hurt to try 😊
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one. Comment, share and if you want to make smile wider than I'd do if I met my favorite celebrity, click that little star ⭐
xoxo
Sharon
