Picture Perfect
It was the Fourth of July. The sun was burning bright and the beach was full of people playing games and splashing in the water. All of them sat so closely together that it looked like there were more people than grains of sand. Scents of pizza, burgers, and sunscreen burned my nose. But none of that even fazed me as I weaved my way through the crowds, trying to not be crushed by the bodies towering over my small figure because in just a few moments, I’d get to see him. The boy whom I had had a little school girl crush on for about two months. The boy who sets off a stampede of butterflies in my stomach every time he speaks.
Though there isn’t an exact way to describe it, I still remember the feeling I got when I first saw him that evening. His chocolate brown hair was styled perfectly and even in casual clothes he looked dashing. He said hello and smiled the smile that never failed to take my breath away. As I sat down with him and a few of our mutual friends I recall him telling a joke. His contagious laughter spread through the rest of us like a wildfire until we were all in a fit of giggles there on the grass. Once we had collected ourselves and caught our breath, we decided we should go pick up the sparklers our friend had left at his house. We collected our things and began the long journey to the car. It was there in the car that he first shyly asked to hold my hand. After getting the answer he wanted, his fingers slipped effortlessly between mine. Throughout the car ride his thumb drew gentle patterns on the back of mine and I tried my hardest to hide the small smile that was tugging at my lips. From that moment on I knew without a doubt that this would turn out to be one of the best nights of my summer. |