Once upon a beach

Chapter 4

Tina was sat at one of the pick-nick benches that were placed close to the railing, the queue to the ice cream shop was quite long to be this time of day, many families with smaller children and a few couple of elderly people. Tina looked up, I think she sensed me, she waved and had such a smile on her cute little face. When I was in front of her, she stood up and we gave each other a very comforting hug, I pulled away first and smiled at her.

-How's you? I asked

-How's me? You are so funny, always using words in a totally different way, she said and laughed.

-Well, everyone can't be correct all the time, I said putting my tongue out. We should get in that queue, before it gets any longer.

She slipped her arm under my right arm, as we always walked together, hers, under mine, never the other way around. We stood in line, talking about everything and nothing, she told me about what happened after I had left the party. She had ended up in bed with the girl she had such a crush on and that they were now a couple, I was really happy for her. She was very happy and she had glow I had never seen her with before. She then asked me about Felix, I could feel my body tensing up.

-Are you ok? She asked with a worried brow.

-Yeah, I just don't know what to answer. He's really nice and he's a hell of a drummer, gorgeous...

-I can feel a "but" there, she said.

-Don't know if it's a "but", it's just that he's amazing and I'm just a plain person who can't figure its life out.

-Oh, come on Emily. You are amazing, more than anyone I have ever met.

-Yeah right, I said looking in her eyes to see if there were any truth in them. Her eyes only told the truth. Fine, I believe you, I said with a shy smile.

-Good, because no one in this world is as special to me as you.

-You are special to me too, I said and gave her a hug.

When it was our turn to finally order our ice cream, I had a hard time to decide what to get, they didn't have the flavours I usually got. I let Tina order first, strawberry and vanilla, no surprise there, finally I decided for caramel and toffee with hazelnut sprinkles. We took a seat at the same bench as earlier, Tina looked out over the pier and the ocean, she looked like she was lost in thought. When I had half my ice cream left, she turned to me and said:

-Do you think things would have turned out different if we had acted on our feelings when we were younger.

-What do you mean?

-I think you know what I mean, she said looking at me with very sad eyes.

-I know what I was feeling but I never knew you felt the same about me, I mean we kissed and such but I thought it was because we were best friends, nothing else.

-I loved you, I still do and always will but it's a different kind of love now. It's been so long. So many years has past.

I wasn't used to this Tina, I've seen her like this a couple of times but they are so rare. When we spent our summer breaks at her family beach house, she could get like this as we were watching the ocean. I mean I was like that all the time, but Tina was always so cheerful.

I remember the days in junior high when we used to sneak out during the late hours, just to watch the stars in the sky. She was miss popular and I was the weird one who never fit it, still she was my best friend. One time she said we should skip class and go to the local lighthouse, no one had lived there for ages and the troubled kids used to stay there as they didn't want to be at home. We did just that, I couldn't say no to her. We walked hand in hand up the long hill to the light house, the birds were chirping loudly, we even saw a deer jumping down towards the small grove that you had to go through before arriving at the steps up to the light house. When we finally arrived, we sat at the bench facing the whole town. She told me her dreams back then, she wanted to be an actress or veterinarian, two totally different things, but that's what she wanted. She also told me that they might have to move due to her dad being fired and had trouble finding a new job. I didn't say a word, I just listened to her, I could sense, that she was very happy that she had me, even though she was popular she didn't have any other friends she could talk like this to, I knew that. When my stomach started to make hungry noises, she laughed and asked if we should head to our usual place and have something to eat, I agreed, but before we left, she gave me a small kiss, right on my lips. I was so surprised, I looked at her, she was blushing and looked down at the ground while twisting her foot in the sand. She didn't say sorry or anything. I placed a hand on her thigh and she looked back up, right in to my eyes, I could see her eyes was tearing up. I leaned in and gave her another kiss, after it she hugged me, whispering "thank you for not making this weird" in my left ear. I stroked her back and told her that nothing she does is weird, that it's better to act on your feelings than be sorry for not doing it afterwards. She stood up, took my hand and we walked down towards our destination.

-Hey, are you listening?!

I was snapped out from my thoughts.

-Yes, I was just thinking.

-About what? Tina said with a smirk.

-Not about what you think, I said smiling at her. I was thinking about the day at the lighthouse.

-Which day, we spent quite a few times up there.

-The day we kissed for the first time, I said looking down at my ice cream not sure where this would go.

-It was a very nice day, I remember it well, she said and I could see her face turning red.

-Are you blushing? I said with a chuckle.

-NO!

-You are! so adorable!

-I'm not!

-It's ok Tina, we are not those people anymore. Sure, I still love you, but not in the same way I once did. I love you as my best friend. I can miss those times sometimes, but I'm happy where we are now.

-Thanks for saying that, Tina said with a small smile. I've been a bit worried that you still have romantic feelings for me, mostly because I don't. I did once, but I was too afraid to tell you as I knew what you felt about me and I was scared I wouldn't be able to keep up with that.

-We are good Tina, I don't regret anything or feel like I've lost something. I turned out alright after all, I said smiling at her.

-You sure did genius, she said laughing. Did it go ok yesterday?

-You really want to talk about this don't you?

-I want to know! She said with big puppy eyes.

-Fine... I loved his band, they were so good but then afterwards there were too many people and Felix were too busy with others that I couldn't get his attention, so I left.

-That's all?

-Yep, pretty much.

-Damn him, she mumbled.

-But it's ok, I was pretty tired and I really can't stand that amount of people in a small space, if it's not a concert.

-I know, but he told me...

-He told you what?

-Nah, forget it, she said and smiled. I have to go back now, I hope to see you more after I've moved back.

-I hope so to. Ok, well, I'll see you soon enough, I said standing up.

We hugged once again and I watched her as she walked away.