Aurora's Love

Chapter 2

It has only been one week into summer and I have spent most of it at the beach with my family and unpacking the guest house. Finally, all my jobs were done and I was just sitting by the pool relaxing. That is exactly the thought that was crossing my mind when Sara splashed me from the pool.

"Hey, what the heck!" I exclaimed, standing up to shake off the water.

"Come in, come in, come in!" Sara and Matt started chanting. I knelt down beside the pool, splashed them back, and told them that I would go in later because I was trying to tan. But, that didn't stop Matt from pulling my arm just hard enough that I went tumbling into the pool and scraped my elbow on the pool wall. I got back out of the water to look at my cut and Matt wouldn't stop apologizing.

That's when I noticed that Tyler Paxon was walking his dog and saw the entire thing. Tyler was a football player at my high school who transferred in his sophomore year from Australia. The accent sent girls wild and it certainly helped that he was so built. But for some reason, he was going to be a senior and, to my knowledge, hadn't had a girlfriend or even hooked up with anyone since he never went to parties. There was a rumor floating around for a while that he had a serious girlfriend back in Australia but it's been two years now and he hasn't talked about anything like that.

Well, he saw the whole thing and shouted "are you okay!" across the fence. This is embarrassing.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said rubbing my elbow.

"Your bleeding!" he said as he practically hopped my fence to come take a look. SUPER embarrassing. Also who the hell hops fences like that. The kids couldn't care less because as soon as they saw his dog they both started shouting "doggie!" at the top of their lungs. He had tied his border collie to the fence already and the kids were rushing over.

"Hey guys, don't touch his dog without permission," I said, probably red in the face. That didn't stop them but Tyler assured me that it was fine. Tyler was relatively tall and towered over me. He fit in at the beach perfectly with his brown sandy hair and brown eyes.

"Aurora, right?" he asked as he grabbed my towel from my chair.

"Um, yeah, but you can call me Rory," I said. That took me by surprise cause I didn't think he would know who I was.

"We took math together last year, eh?" he asked as he wiped my elbow of the blood with my towel. "You must be really smart to have been a sophomore in a junior class," he stated without even waiting for my response.

"I guess," I said, completely overwhelmed with nerves right now.

"Do you have a bandaid or somethin' to put on this?"

"Yes, it's in the far cabinet in the kitchen right there," I pointed to the kitchen in the guest house.

"I'll be right back," he said getting up and opening the sliding door. As soon as he looked away I picked up my phone to my group chat with Zola and Sophie. I only had time to text them "omg omg omg" before he was walking towards me again.

That would keep them guessing.

"This is a really nice house ya got."

"Thanks, it's my stepdads," I replied.

"Do you come here every summer?" he asked as he knelt down beside me. He was so close to me, I didn't know how to breath for a second.

"Yup, ever since I was little, what about you?" he was now tearing the paper pieces off the band-aid. What about you? You've got to be kidding me. Why would I ask that? He's lived in Australia for his whole life.

"This is my first summer here."

"That's cool, I think you'll really like it." What the hell was I saying? I think you'll really like it, what kind of stupid thing is that to say? I just want this to be over.

"Maybe you can show me around sometime?" he asked. I really thought I couldn't get any more awkward.

"Yeah, sure."

"Ok, how about tonight?" he asked.

Oh. My. God.

When I agreed to this I thought it would be in the very distant future or maybe that he wouldn't even remember. You know what, I'm thinking too much into this, I told myself. He probably just wants someone to show him the town and that's it. Suck it up.

"Sure, sounds great." I replied.

"Great, I'll pick you up at 6. Better get going," he said as he stood and started walking back to his dog. I introduced him to Matt and Sara and he told us his dog's name was Rosie. Then walked away.