Ten Years Ago

I was engrossed in talking to Margot on the phone and failed to notice that Dad was standing behind me. I was surprised by the sudden clearing of his throat, so I quickly shifted my attention toward him, asked Mar to talk later, and ended the call.

Dad standing crossing his arms against his chest. "I heard you were telling someone that your dad would be cool about it."

I nodded.

Dad raised his brows. "Would you do the honor to explain exactly what I will be cool about?"

I told him that tomorrow was the last day of summer, and Margot and I were going to their beach house.

Dad asked another question. "For the whole summer?"

I shrugged. "Not exactly, but until the day we complete our treehouse," I replied with a shrug.

Dad turned on his sarcasm. "And when exactly were you planning to tell me that?" 

I raised my phone. "Right after this call."

Dad chin up. "However, it would have been really helpful if you had informed me before confirming with Margot."

I tilted my head. "So, you are not on board with my plan?"

Dad shook his head. "No, I don't see a problem with your plan. But I do have a problem when you don't keep me in loop."

I put my phone in my pocket and ran my hand through my hair. "I know where it's going, but Dad, truly, I had no idea this was going to be a huge deal for you, and if you are not cool with this, I can cancel my trip."

Dad pointed a finger at me. "If you said that to emotionally blackmail me, then it worked."

I chuckled, "God, I'm getting better at this."

At dinner, Dad showed me the letter of acceptance from New York High School. He must have put a lot of effort into getting it, but I choose not to look into that, as I made myself clear a thousand times. There is no way I am going to leave Glisten City, Dad, and Margot. She is more than my best friend, but she doesn't know it. because I never dare to tell her how I feel about her. Especially after finding out, she has a crush on Ian McPhee. Telling her seems useless since I am not even sure about myself.

While having dinner, Dad told me to take Oscar, our dog, with me as he is also going on a business trip.

I put my fork and knife down on plate and looked at him. "And when were you planning to tell me about your trip?"

Dad after swallowing his food. "What do you think is the reason I have forgiven you?"

I sighed and shook my head. "You should be an actor, not a businessman."

After the dinner, I called Sawyer and told him to bring Oscar and my bag the next day, when he would come to pick up Margot.

The last day unfolded as planned but the class seemed to be dragging so I texted Margot and when she looked back, Miss Gwen called her name and asked her opinion about "Two gentlemen of Verona."

Margot began mumbling.

Miss Gwen raised her brow.  "Would you mind turning up your voice?"

Margot cleared her throat. "It is a story about two closest friends who fall in love with the same girl..."

Miss Gwen interrupted. "I'm not asking you to explain the story; I'm asking what you think about it."

Margot looked at me, and I mouthed. "Now Mar."

She nodded, and then she looked at Miss Gwen. " I don't like both characters; Proteus is annoying, and Valentine presents a superfluous hero. "

"Next time, try to focus on class rather than on your phone," The moment Miss Gwen finished her sentence, the bell rang.

I was texting Sawyer after the last class. When Margot tried to look at my phone, I put my hand over it to annoy her "How about some privacy?"

Sawyer was waiting for us. Margot said goodbye to me and got into her car. I walked around to the other side and climbed in. Margot looked at me with confused eyes, I rolled my eyes. "I'm coming with you, idiot."

When she saw Oscar in the car, her face lit up, and she started playing with him. I sometimes think Oscar likes Margot more than me. When we got to the South Shore, Oscar was the first one to climb out, which made me realize he likes everyone but me.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan welcomed us as they were caretakers of Andrew's beach house, and Sawyer is their only son. Andrew Parker, Margot's dad, has taken Sawyer's responsibility since he was a kid, so I have known Sawyer since I was a kid. He is ten years older than me.

The next morning, we woke up and, with the help of Mr. Ryan and Sawyer, we built the foundation of our treehouse. We also attached a ladder to it. By the end of the day, Margot and I had tested the foundation by jumping on it, and it proved to be rock solid.

As the evening wore on, we found ourselves tired sitting on a sand, watching crashing waves. I glanced at Margot and inquired, "What's your take on Proteus being so irritating?"

Margot was confused and questioned, "What?"

I replied, "Proteus, from two gentlemen of Verona."

Margot exclaimed about Proteus pursuing Silvia despite knowing her feelings for Valentine.

I tilted my head. "And in your opinion, why was Valentine considered an unnecessary hero?"

Margot commented on the character's actions, questioning his decision to give up and offer Silvia to Proteus despite his previous wrongdoings.

I nodded and stayed quiet. 

Margot inquired, "What are your thoughts about it?"

I was speechless, but thankfully Sawyer arrived and ushered us inside because Mrs. Ryan was waiting for us for dinner.

After dinner, we decided to call it a day. I, however, found it really hard to sleep because my head was in a whirlpool about my feelings and emotions for Margot. I decided to go out for some fresh air. Sawyer was already sitting in the front yard, and as soon as he saw me, he called me over and asked me to sit down.

I sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

Sawyer nodded. "Shoot"

I asked, "What is the best course of action for a boy who finds himself developing confused feelings for a specific girl?"

Sawyer arched his brow. "So, you have confused feelings about Margot?"

I was taken aback. "Was it really that obvious?"

Sawyer with a sly smile, "I shot in a dark and scored a point; you, however, should have played smarter."

I narrowed my eyes. "If you value your life, don't say a word."

Sawyer kept his hand on his heart. "I won't ever reveal this secret."

I nodded. "I am planning to tell Margot about my feelings, on her birthday after summer."

Sawyer tried to pour some sense into me. "You're already confused, and now you're planning to confuse her on her birthday."

I raised my hands in the air. "I think the longer I wait to talk to her, the more confused I become. It might be best to tell her and come to a conclusion."

Sawyer squared his shoulders. "Perhaps you're correct, or perhaps not. We can discuss this later. It's getting late; I suggest you go to sleep now."

Feeling a bit more positive, I got up and expressed my gratitude to Sawyer for listening.

Upon entering my room, I couldn't recall when I drifted off to sleep as my mind was deeply engrossed in thoughts.

It was our second week in the South Shores, and time seemed to be flying here. The treehouse will be fully finished by tomorrow. Today, we finished up earlier than usual, so Margot and I decided to sit in a garden.

While relaxing, Margot inquired, "What type of girl do you genuinely want to spend the rest of your life with?"

I looked at her. "Where did that come from?"

Margot shot up her shoulders. "I just wanted to know."

I didn't know what to say, so all I could say was a few words like "I never thought about it."

Margot giggled. "So, you are planning to be single for the rest of your life?"

I didn't know what to say, I shrugged myself and suddenly Margot pointed at my face. "This is a poker face. I mean, we've been friends since we were three, but I still can't figure out what you're thinking by looking at your face."

I crossed my arms. "Maybe a girl who understands my poker face would be the one for me."

"So, you'll never find anyone, Kev Moller," Margot laughed "You'll die alone."

"Alright, fortune teller, what kind of guy do you want to be with?" I poked her in a fun way.

She answered right away, "Without a doubt, someone who loves me more than anything else in the world."

I nodded and changed the subject. "Did I tell you that Dad pulled some strings and got me an acceptance letter to a high school in New York?"

Margot's smile faded, and she shrugged her head.

"I don't want to leave right now," I said, shooting up my shoulders. "But Dad always wanted me to study business in New York. Even if I am not going at this time, I will eventually do so." However, I was genuinely not thrilled about leaving.

She tried to smile to lighten the mood. "And maybe you'll find someone in New York who understands your poker face."