August 5th, 2016 - Day 1.

"What was that, Dad?" 

He huffed on the other end of the line, clearly frustrated that the connection kept coming in and out. This was the fourth phone call attempt we'd made in the last three hours, and it was no secret that my dad was losing his patience with our shitty service. He'd stayed up all night long specifically to hear from me and he literally couldn't even hear me.

"Are you having fun? Is it everything you expected?" he asked.

I turned to the boy on my left, who playfully kicked the ocean water in my direction. The sun was beginning to go down and Luke had insisted I needed to see the view from the least popular beach I'd ever set foot on. 

Originally, his plan was to take me to a pizza parlor for lunch, but my fatass self ruined the whole evening by gorging myself with pancakes, strawberry sherbet, and cereal without milk. Luke, of course, ate along beside me, though his stomach proved to be twice the size of mine. By lunchtime, I wanted nothing to do with food. We took a nap until his bewildered mother came home from work to see the two of us sprawled out on the couch, Star Wars blaring on the television and a barrier of empty plates surrounding our unconscious bodies. By then, my taste buds had the familiar desire for pizza and we set off.

The pizza parlor was something straight out of a movie from the 50s, complete with checkered tile, bright red booths, and bar stools lined up perfectly at a large counter on the side. Luke ordered for me, then promptly dragged me by my hand to a disproportionate booth in the back. The seats were elongated to fill in the extra space and the table was particularly far from the leather cushions. We remained there long after we finished eating, talking about the most pointless things. He loved to point out the blush that flooded my cheeks every time he complimented me, and he frequently nudged my foot under the table. It was as if we were fourteen; fresh and young and clueless, but significantly less awkward. 

Within a split second, Luke's eyes filled with a certain recognizable sparkle and he frantically rushed me out of the pizza parlor. He refused to tell me where we were headed, but I didn't mind. The mystery made my heart race and his presence was absolutely intoxicating. I felt like I was blindly stumbling through the hours, high off of the new environment and giggly from my companion beside me.

That's how we ended up at the deserted beach, watching the sun sink below the water. A handful of abandoned lounge chairs and large umbrellas lay scattered through the soft, white sand. Ahead of us, a couple ran along the shore with their terrier trailing behind them. Luke took off his shoes and hid them in bushes near the car, then waited for me to do the same. I had merely laughed and followed his actions, then jogged to the water with him.

"Yeah, Dad. Everything is perfect," I said, jokingly pushed Luke closer to the water. 

"Okay, I won't keep you any longer. Send lots of pictures. Your dog misses you!"

I snorted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and staring at my sand-coated feet. "I miss her too. Love you."

"Love you too, Teni. Stay safe."

"I will. Goodbye."

With that, we both hung up and I returned my attention to the frowning boy next to me. He swiftly dipped below me, grabbing me by the waist and tossing me over his shoulder with unsettling ease. I cried out in uncontrollable laughter, pounding my tiny fists on his broad back.

"Put me down!"

He wrapped one arm behind my thighs, the other one running through his messy hair. "Nah, I kind of like carrying you around. You can't push me anymore."

I tried my best to act frustrated with him, but nothing could mask my utter amusement. Luke held me like that for a solid minute, humming as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Eventually he set me down, ruffling my hair as he did so. I stomped my foot and folded my arms over my chest in defiance.

"Asshole."

He smirked. "You love it."

I rolled my eyes but a cheesy grin still broke out on my face. Luke chuckled and pinched my reddening cheek. 

The ocean seemed to quiet down, amplifying our heavy breathing. We walked hand-in-hand until the sun had almost disappeared beneath the horizon. It painted a fiery picture across the sky, contrasting passionate reds with serene blues. I stopped to admire it for a moment. At home, the sun gets lost in the trees and there's nothing left to see except a few colors dancing above. Here, everything was so laid out and open. It was so clear.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I ask Luke, who stood on my right, less captivated than I.

He shrugged. "It's probably the second most beautiful thing I can see right now."

Before I could even make fun of his tacky remark, his arms had snaked their way around my waist, pulling me in. He lowered his head and ever so gently placed his lips on mine, as if he were uncertain if he had permission. I melted into his movements, happily kissing him back. We stayed frozen like that for a blissful moment or two, until he softly pulled away and pecked my forehead.

"Shall we go home?"

I laughed. "I guess so."

* * *

kind of took a different approach for this chapter

also, sorry this update took like three days. im running a fever and i currently lost my voice entirely and im struggling to breathe but its a-ok bc here i am, just a tad bit late

oh lol they kissed i should probably address that. yay!! my gift to u guys for ranking #40 yesterday thats lit as FUCK

have a good day/night may u find the luke to ur teni