That Year

1

Occasionally, I would go to my girlfriend Victoria’s house to eat dinner. Her parents always treated me like I was part of the family, and I always thought of them as part of mine. Besides her parents Joe, a truck driver and Barbara, a stay at home wife who babysitted a group of kids from the neighborhood and nearby communities, Victoria’s two younger brothers and sister took a liking to me. Her younger sister Brianna was a shy girl that always had a doll clutched under her right arm. She would talk in a low voice that one would have to lean in to be able to hear her. I imagined this was how Victoria was when she was younger. I know it was how I was.

I’m not a person that puts themselves out there, and most would describe me as a quiet, reserved person. Victoria would also be described as quiet by others.

Victoria and I shared everything, would talk for hours, and I loved being with her. Although we were only 15 years old we had a mature relationship. There was no doubt about it she was for me and I was for her.

“Next year you start high school, must be exciting,” Victoria’s mom says standing on my left hand side placing a massive pile of mash potatoes on my plate next to a massive piece of meatloaf and pile of green beans. I sure wasn’t going to complain, I loved her cooking.  I look at Victoria sitting to my right, “It’s going to be a little scary at first but I’m excited about the next four years,” I say while Victoria holds back a smile. I been with her for the past two years and still there are these moments that I get lost in her beauty. Her brunette hair that stops at her shoulders and her green eyes made me feel while looking at her that I was the luckiest guy on the planet.  “John and Vincent come to dinner now,” shouts Victoria’s father from the kitchen table to his two sons in another room. Brianna with her doll in her lap sits quietly to my left.

The last day of school is a half-day. By the middle of June everybody in school is anxious to start their summer break and enjoy the nice, warm weather. Next year I’ll be going to another building in another location, next year I’ll be starting high school. I see myself being with Victoria throughout high school. The prospect of being with her puts me at ease.

When I get home from school Victoria and I head to our favorite place the shaking bar. This place has every milkshake flavor your imagination could think of, and although on occasion we would try a new flavor, when Jimmy, the owner, saw us coming through the entrance two chocolate milkshakes with whip cream were waiting for us on our table.

My summer break was fun, I enjoy the little things like hanging out with my friends, playing baseball and basketball at the local park and of course being with Victoria. In late July till early August I went to the shore for a week with Victoria and her parents. My three closest friends Steve, Ryan, and Josh told me to bring condoms with me. The thought crossed my mind that it would happen. Although I desired and was ready to have sex with her it still felt like I would be entering a forbidden world. Also I never got the feeling that she was ready to take that next step.  

When we arrived at our motel, right next to the beach, with our room facing the waterfront I helped unpack the car full of luggage. Victoria shared a room with her younger sister Brianna. I shared a room with her two brothers John and Vincent, and her parents had a room to themselves. All three rooms were right next to each other. After unpacking we all got changed and walked the short distance to a spot on the beach. It was a sunny, blue sky day in the mid 90s, so Barbara had us all put on sunscreen. Victoria turned to me and asked if I could get her back for her. I stood like a statue unable to speak or move lusting for her while she stood in front of me in her two piece swimsuit. She was the same girl I had known and yet my heart was beating faster than it ever had. I took the sunscreen bottle from her fumbling it my hands as it fell into the sand, picking it up I squirted some on my left hand, and rubbed my hand slowly across her back and lower back. I could only imagine what I looked like to anyone who looked at me because I felt as if I was unable to hold my excitement. Maybe I was unsure about entering this forbidden world before but at that moment I knew I wanted to.