I had no idea what to do, and my heart drummed so fast that I swear he could hear it. I never thought I would be more grateful for the fact that I laid down. Knowing that if I were standing my knees would have given out from the pounding in my chest. It was the most overwhelming feeling I had ever felt. As if reading my mind, he slowly opened his lips, and I followed his lead, parting mine in the same rhythm he was. Our mouths moved in sync with each other, like we had been doing this all of our lives.
At least it felt that way for me.
His tongue touched my lips and it was the craziest sensation. I pulled back my tongue and he took it as an open invitation to gently push his into my mouth. He tasted of Cherry Coke and Fruit Stripe bubblegum, as he sought mine out with his, turning the kiss into something more. I’m not quite sure what that was, other than an explosive moment and memory in my life. It was wet and making sounds that were unfamiliar, but it felt amazing and stirred emotions that I didn’t think were possible. That I didn’t even think existed. If I thought I was confused before, well, then this, this added a whole new element and spin to it.
In those minutes, I didn’t care because…
It felt right.
We felt right.
I didn't know it then, but that's when I fell in love with him.
He pecked my lips one last time and gradually pulled away from me, leaving me breathless and winded, with incoherent thoughts running rapidly in my mind. When I opened my eyes he smiled, big and wide above me, and the intensity of his gaze was once again familiar. It was the same stare that was for me, and only me, the same one from the beach. His eyes never appeared that way with Stacey, and I knew because I’d watched. It was the only thing that comforted me when I wanted to fall apart.
“There,” he stated. “Now you can say you’ve experienced things.”
This wouldn’t be the first time he laid claim on me, and it was far from the last.
We graduated eighth grade. Only Austin was left to watch over Alex for one more year, and then she would be alone again. Two more years until we were all under the same roof and school. Our friendship stayed the same, but the feelings we had for each other grew in ways that were far more complex. After that kiss there was no going back, and that was probably why I did it in the first place. I claimed her.
Summer came and went and so did another school year, and then another summer. Before we knew it I was sixteen, and Alex was about to turn fourteen. It was her last year in middle school and we were in tenth grade, Austin in ninth. I went to get my driver’s license on my birthday with Alex impatiently waiting in the sitting room with my mom, and the boys waiting at the beach to celebrate. When I told them I passed my test she jumped in my arms, shrieking and acting like a girl. My mom smiled, and we all walked outside. Parked right out front was a silver Chevy Silverado with my dad in the drivers’ seat.
I instantly looked at Alex who smiled and enthusiastically nodded her head, turning to my mom who was holding up keys.
“No?” I softly asked.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Mom replied, placing the keys in my hand.
I was shocked as shit that they bought me a truck. It was very unexpected, even though I had been hinting that I wanted one. Our boards would fit perfectly on the bed and it had enough room to fit the boys and Alex. Now that I had a truck we could try different beaches to surf. Dylan got a black Jeep for his birthday, and Jacob got a classic black Ford Mustang that we spent hours fixing in his garage.
“I can’t believe you got this truck! This thing is a beast, Bo!” Alex excitedly shouted while I drove.
She looked so tiny sitting in the seat beside me. She wore a black dress that seemed more like a baggy shirt on her. She wore dresses all the time now, but they never clung to her body, still a tomboy at heart. I would say her style was sort of like a hippy, and the makeup on her face was always minimal. She didn’t need it. She was naturally beautiful with her dark brown, waist length, wavy hair. It was as soft as it appeared to be. We still spent every second we could alone in our abandoned house, but we hadn’t kissed again.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m kidnapping you for the day.”
She giggled. I loved hearing her laugh.
“It’s not kidnapping if you tell me first, besides it’s your birthday shouldn’t I be the one kidnapping you?”
“I want to spend my birthday with you, that’s what I want to do.”
She blushed, it was subtle but I saw it.
We pulled up to our abandoned house and I grabbed her hand before she went up the patio stairs.
“Stay here.” I went upstairs and grabbed the blanket and picnic basket that I stole from my mom earlier that day. I left it inside for us. “We’re always in there,” I stated, answering the question that appeared on her face as she followed me down to the beach.
The house came with a private beach and no one could see us without trespassing. I laid out the blanket on the sand and she sat down, helping me take out the sandwiches, chips, and waters from the basket.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. I wanted to do something nice for her, so I did.
“You even used the crunchy peanut butter. Your mom doesn’t even buy this kind.”
I grinned.
We ate our food in silence but every so often I heard Alex take a deep breath. I knew she was content. In the grand scheme of things this was a very simple surprise but to her this was huge. This was worth everything and I wanted to make her happy, that was my present. We spent the entire day talking about meaningless things and when the sun began to set I laid down extending out my arm for her to lay on. She snuggled up beside me.
We watched the sunset in comfortable stillness with the waves of the ocean receding on the shoreline. I couldn’t help but think about the next time…
I would have her like this.