TEENAGE FEVER

09

Jaden arrived at my door at exactly 7pm the next day. It was a Friday night and the weather was perfect. My mom wasn't back home from work but Jaden didn't know that so he stood silently in the doorway as though he was waiting for her to appear. I chuckled.

"She's in the city," I told him, "She's working."

"You're okay with me meeting her?" He asked, his eyes flitting over my body as he went down a step. I got the implications of what he was saying and blushed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear before I turned to lock the door.

"Is my outfit okay?" I asked him, "I figured a sun dress could get wet but I have a bikini on underneath just in case."

"Please don't make me think about that," he chuckled, running his hands over his face. "I'm trying to be a gentleman."

I rolled my eyes but laughed, following him down the path to the car at the end of the street. I raised an eyebrow. This wasn't Uriah's car.

"My mom's," he explained, "She said she wanted to meet you but I told her I wasn't ready for that. So she insisted that I take her car."

We entered and I leaned back in the seat. "Two questions," I said, turning to look at him, "First one- why are you scared of me meeting your mum? And how come we're going with a car if the beach isn't far?"

He started the car and chuckled as he began to drive. "Well, I haven't taken you on a date yet first of all. What if I mess up and you don't want anything to do with me after? This is a trial," he shrugged, biting back a smile, looking away from the road for a moment. "And second answer, which is easier to come up with, is that we are going to the beach, but not the one you know."

I was still hooked on his first answer. Damn. Did he really like me? I bit back a smile as well and looked out of the window, deciding to let what was happening happen. Ever since I had come to this town, I realised that it was possible to just breathe; to just relax. Back in New York I always had some place to be. I always had something to do.

I don't remember if I dozed off or if I just zoned out but soon the car came to a stop and Jaden tapped me. The sun had set and when I checked my watch it was 8pm. Outside the car was chilly but Jaden grabbed a blanket and passed it to me.

"Come on,"he told me, "You asked me what I do and I'm gonna show you."

I only realised what he was planning to do when he grabbed the surfboard I hadn't noticed before. It was long and black with different things engraved onto it, things I couldn't read as it was so dark.

"Jaden, it's freezing," I told him, "Are you sure about this?"

"I'd hate to be a princess," he began, "but the cold has never bothered me."

He slid off his shirt and his jeans (I awkwardly looked away), revealing his swimming trunks. It dawned on me that this was the second time I was seeing him shirtless. And it was only our first date. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

"Now come on."

He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the beach. This area was completely deserted and I wondered how he'd found it- we were an hour away from the beach I knew and an hour away from town. I let him lead me onto the cool sand that flowed onto my flip flops and I held onto him until he turned and let go.

"Watch this," he said.

And I did. I didn't want to romanticize him surfing but the more I watched it, the more beautiful it seemed. He did it like it was breathing, like the ocean was his home and everything else was just that- everything else. I folded my arms over my chest. I didn't know if the goosebumps were from the cold or from what I was looking at.