wouldn't it be nice

first glances

It was May.
In a little town on the coast of Kawaii, Hawaii.
her gaze was piercing and unapologetic. bentley caught her eye and stared for a moment, quickly looking down at his feet. when he looked back up, she was right in front of him. a little too close for comfort. still staring.
"hullo" he coughed.
she stepped a little closer, she seemed to be studying him. she reached for his face, to touch it tenderly, but he dodged out of the way.
"hi, I'm sandy." she finally said, her eyes glistening.
he felt like she could see right through him. it made him uncomfortable, totally exposed.
he stepped back again, leaning up against a table behind him.
"im here for lunch. what should I order?" he asked, trying to spur some kind of conversation in the extended silence.
"oh theres nothing good at all. it's barely up to health code... beach bums should never open restaurants. the owners here are total cooks." she laughed, a little too loudly.
she looked over her shoulder and waved a couple over, a man and woman with sun-soaked skin and long hair.
"here, these are the owners." she said, putting an arm around both of them, "my parents!"
"your parents own this place?" he said, shocked.
sandy's mother grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Im esther," she said, "nice to meet you. and this is james, my husband." she touched the shoulder of her husband lovingly.
"I'm Bentley. It's nice to meet you. I'm here for lunch and your daughter was just telling me what I should order." bentley nodded to Sandy, who had wandered off and was chatting with an old man in the corner of the hut-restaurant.
"sandra! come help this boy get some lunch." Esther ordered.
sandy nodded and hugged the old man goodbye.
"I already told you, theres nothing good here. but I will get you some lunch." with that, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door of the hut, onto the hot sand of the beach. she pulled him to a tree.
"ta-da!" she waved her arms at the tree.
she started climbing up the tree, shimmying her way inch by inch.
"look out!" she shouted from above, dropping 2 coconuts to the ground beside him.
she shimmied back down and sat on the sand behind him, opening the coconut with a machete and digging out the meet with her fingers.
"try some!" she offered.
he scooped out the coconut meat with his fingers, then popped it in his mouth.  it wasn't as sweet as he expected, and he swallowed it immediately, trying to avoid the taste.
"I'm supposed to be working right now." She said. "My parents make me work 2 hours a day at the hut, waitressing." She rolled her eyes.
"How old are you?" Bentley finally spoke. He'd watched her. She was tall and beautiful. Golden tan skin, long blonde hair. Blue sparkling eyes.  She acted so young, he couldnt seem to tell her exact age.
"I'm glad you asked. I'm turning 16 next saturday! We're having a big celebration. The whole town is coming. You should be there." She nudged him.
Bentley leaned forward. He was 17.
"16? You seem younger. I'm 17. I'm here for the summer. I'm working here. Trying to get some experience." He said with sarcasm.
She just smiled.
"Welcome to the island. The island welcomes you." She put her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, feeling his breath rising and falling.
"What the-" he swatted her away. "What are you doing?" he scooted a little farther away from her, pulling a coconut onto his lap and eating it. nobody taught this girl personal space.
She breathed out, smiling at him with a knowing sort of look.
"I will see you next saturday, Bentley. my birthday." She stood up and jogged back to the hut, putting on an apron and going to take orders.