• The sun shone through the shades almost too bright to bear. I walked out to the living room of my grandparents’ home; stumbling to the couch I sat. The aroma of coffee filled the house. My grandpa had left for work already and my grandma was getting ready for work. She looked around the corner of the kitchen wall “Good morning Sunshine!” my grandma smiled and held a cup of coffee up “To addiction” she toasted herself. I smiled and yawned. “What are we doing today my dear?” I closed my eyes letting them still adjust to the light. “Well…” I said still trying to wake up “I was gunna go down to Vine Creek and swim if it’s still real hot. Mrs. Thomson and her girls were supposed to go swimming too but I’m not Shure, Mr. Thomson was drunk last night so Mrs.Tomson left late. So I guess swim at Vine creek alone.” My grandma gave me a disappointed look. “Mr. Thomson is a drunken fool I tell yah he needs to be taught a lesson.” I looked up and nodded in a duh way. She smiled and went back into the kitchen. She had a late 1980’s phone it rang. My grandma swiftly moved to it and picked it up. “Hello?” she listened “Yes she is. Have a nice day dear. Here she is” I whispered? “Mom?” she shook her head as she handed me the phone she gave me a sly grin and raised her eyebrows. I took it “Hello?” it was Kevin from down the street a real good-looking fella. He wanted to know if I was going to go swimming today. “Yes sir I am. What about you? I’m going down to vine creek.” Turns out he was too. He was going at one and of course I would be there a few hours sooner. He gave me a warm see you soon and I returned the favor “Hurry up Kevin. Don’t worry about your makeup too much.” He laughed and hung up. I did the same. When I came off the phone smiling my grandma gave me the stupidest look she was smiling too. I shook my head. “What?” I said real snobbish. She dumped the leftover of her coffee in the sink and grabbed her purse. “That boy likes you Stacy dear” I smiled not being able to help myself. As she trotted out the door she stopped making a weird noise “I was wondering if you could drive me and your grandpa to bingo tonight?” I nodded. “Yah Shure why not. I don’t have to stay do I?” she shook her head “No way.” She finally left the house so I went to take a shower. Now I don’t have a nasty body Blue eyes, black hair (Colored naturally brown), Perfect height for 16 but I could lose some weight. The water felt so good. It was humid in the house so the sweat that built up was unbearable. I washed my hair and my feet in between my toes every ware. I needed to smell nice…and look nice too. When I got out of the shower I put on my pink bikini and I kept my makeup light because of the water. My backpack was sitting on my bed still packed from swimming yesterday. Once I had my shoes on my feet and my backpack on my back I headed to the creek. The walk in the summer is always beautiful, lots of green trees. I approached the silent stream. Beauty. Pure beauty. There is a spot down by the cherry blossom tree where the sun shines through. I lay there, letting the warm caress of the sun comfort me. My iPod was sitting in a pocket in my backpack so I took it out and put my cotton candy headphones in. I like the color pink. If it’s not obvious. A nap was in favor so I closed my eyes and drifted off. I dreamt of it being night, there was a waterfall with beautiful blue/green lights under it. The moon was up and all the stars were out. A man was beside me. Holding my hand smiling at me. There was a faint cry. The cry got louder. It shattered the world around me. The waterfall turned into a never ending cave. The man a beast leading me to the cave. The stars were now burnet out like somebody had blown them out. The moon was red. The loud cry grew to shrieking. My breath got heavy as I tried to awaken from this nightmare. I sat up as quickly as I could. Breathing heavy looking around me. I was relieved to be alive. Looking down at my iPod it was 12:47. I stood up and took out my ear buds. I was sweating so I slid into the water. Not submerging my head. Just my legs and waste. I heard the bushes moving so I looked around. I whistled hoping it was a dog. The rustling kept going. “Kevin?” the noise kept coming so started getting out. Then from my left side I got plowed into, pinned and under water. I was almost Shure it was Kevin but it was still scary. I came out of the water looking around Kevin came out too. I smiled “well gosh Kev! Could have you made any better entrance?” he laughed a deep manly laugh. His white teeth stood out against his dark brown hair and tan skin. He has always been so handsome. Not many girlfriends though. I could never quite figure that out. We go way back. Back to 5 years old. In a small town you make and keep friends. He was, is and always will be my best friend. “Yes stac I could have.” I smiled. “I know. That’s kind of scary to think about.” He climbed up the small cliff to where I had left my stuff. I came up with him. He took my towel and put it around his neck. “I had a nightmare.” He looked up from my bag that he had been looking through. “Ooh Stacy.” The words came from him swiftly as they had before. He put my bag down by the tree and came over. I sat down. He sat too. “This time I wasn’t alone. There was a guy holding my hand.” He looked at me like nobody had ever before. He was my best friend because he cared. I smiled. I’m a very bubbly person. Even death doesn’t sadden me but nightmares do. “Was it you dad?” he scooted closer. So many teenage girl emotions swam through me. “No. I don’t think so. He was much smaller than my dad was.” Kevin started laughing. I looked at him smiling mixed with an are you crazy look. “Remember when there was that old barn behind my house, and we climbed into the rafters. The old dude that owned it came in pissed. You were so scared. But you wouldn’t move. I had to carry you down…I was ten then” I looked at him. “Yah of course why?” he looked and shrugged. “I don’t know. Just thought of it.” I giggled. “Wow. ADD much?” he gave me a weird look. “Was it me?” he asked I had completely forgotten about our conversation. “I don’t know that’s what I’d like to know. I mean it would make sense. But it was such a romantic setting ya know? The moon, stars, colored waterfall.” I breathed heavy. He leaned over and pulled me in close. “It was still your mom screaming wasn’t it?” I looked up starting to tear up. “No. that’s what also scared me. It was a different voice.” He looked out at the water. “These new nightmares are worrying me. I don’t know what your parent’s death triggered but well…the therapy I think made it worse.” I got up and slid into the water. He was still sitting there by the pine tree. Watching me. I waved him in and he stood up. I started swim walking down the creek. He came running after me. We walked and swam for about two hours then went back by the cherry blossom tree. I had feelings for him I never had before. IV always loved him but never been in love with him. I had been thinking for a while and I was in love with him. That tall handsome 18 year old man I loved. He sprawled himself out across my lap picking a nearby daisy, and handing it to me. I smiled. He stretched to my bag and grabbed my iPod. He knew my password but that’s a given since he’s my best friend. “I’m going to put it on shuffle. The song that comes on I’m going to sing okay?” I laughed. “Okay.” He smiled real big and I’m a girl mimicking voice screamed “Oh my god! This is my favorite song!” he squealed and started singing. “You're insecure, Don’t know what for, You’re turning heads when you walk through the door, Don’t need make-up, To cover up, Being the way that you are is enough,
    Everyone else in the room can see it, Everyone else but you, Baby you light up my world-“ my girl hormones suddenly kicked into gear after all the tryouts he went to of mine, movie nights we had, laughs we shared I couldn’t help but kiss him. I knew I would regret it. But I leaned over and when our lips met all my breath was taken away. It was about a 6 second kiss. I was too worried and freaked out to know whether he kissed back or not. My face got red and I couldn’t look at his face after the kiss. I slid him off my lap and grabbed my backpack leaving my towel and iPod. I walked/jogged up the road to my grandmother’s house. Still not breathing.