I hide in the dark shadows along my tall red fence, waiting to hear the spinning rotation of his bike wheels coming for me. My hearts thunders, adrenaline strikes through my whole being like lightning, clouding my thoughts and raining droplets of sweat on the back of my goose bump covered neck. The trees sway back and forth making a soft swishing noise. The soft summer breeze blows gently. The whole neighborhood seems to be in deep peaceful slumber, except for me, I couldn’t be more alive and awake in my entire life. What’s taking him so long!!! I think to myself quickly losing my patience. Finally after a grueling prolonged wait, I hear the familiar sound of him peddling towards our secret spot, my alley. His breaths come in heavy rasps; I can tell he was in a hurry to get here. His smooth baby soft face is shaded by the shadows of night, but I can still see his wide pearly white smile stretched from ear to ear. His longing gaze meets mine, and I lose myself in his warm infinite eyes, turning my very soul into a blazing forest fire.
“You coming?” he asks still smiling, stopping my journey in his endless eyes.
“Uh-huh.” Is all I could manage to mumble at that moment.
“Well hop on then! Duh!” He jokes playfully.
I mount on the back of his midnight black bicycle, holding on to his broad shoulders.
“You’re going to want to hold on tight!” he says.
“MY pleasure!” I exclaim cheerfully.
I slowly slip my arms around his taut stomach feeling the soft cotton of his white shirt.
“Don’t let go okay?” he tells me, looking back into my eyes.
“Never.” I whisper squeezing him even tighter.

He peddled surprisingly fast for basically carrying me on his back. I feel the cool summer breeze weave in between every single strand of my thick curly hair, and his warm back against my chest.
“You okay back there?” he mumbles in a broken voice.
“You bet I am! I have never been better in my entire life!” I say joyfully. “How you are up THERE is the question!”
He chuckles while whispering in a barley audible voice, “I couldn’t be better.”

We speed down the hill laughing out loud. I feel so exhilarated, so alive, so in love. I hold on tighter as we arrive at our swimming spot. He collapses onto the moist prickly green grass and stretches like a fat lazy cat. He looks up at me sleepily, innocently, so warm, so welcoming. My head spins and my heart races with one glance of his longing love drunken gaze. I feel my already sunburned cheeks grow hot, turning them a luscious rosy red. I sit next to him, he keeps his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. I lean over his chest, rising and falling with every inhale. I kiss his thick salmon pink colored lips gently, they break into a smile. “Im up now!” he proclaims through a wide smile. He kisses me back, I can taste his soul.

I kick off my shoes and jump to my feet. The cool green blades of grass stick in and out of my bare feet with every step I take. I unbuckle my plaid shorts letting them slide down off my thighs and legs. I pull my tee shirt over my head tossing it on the prickly green grass. Tight springy curls bounce along my face. I feel his dark brown eyes boring holes into every inch and crevice of my body. “Are you coming or what?” I ask.


He yanks off his cotton shirt throwing it carelessly onto the ground. He rips off his shoes smiling wide. “Last one in the water is a rotten banana!!!” he yells while doing a canon ball into the dark water. Dang, I am a rotten banana I think to myself. Oh well, lose in style! I get a running start and front flip into the weed infested water. I land smack dab in the middle of the canal, the deepest part. The water swallows me entirely. It feels icy cold, as if 1000 needles were pricking me over and over again. I doggie paddle my way to the surface my lungs begging for air, my head throbbing from the lack of oxygen. I burst from below, creating a huge ripple effect. I look around, my eyes wandering nervously. Where the heck did he go? I ask myself. I see something hairy floating in the corner of my eye. What is he doing? I swim up to the furry floater I grab it excitedly “I got you, you didn’t scare me!” I laugh victoriously. I pick up what I thought was his hair covered head and see two buck teeth, four paws and a tail. Its fur sopping wet, drenched in a rotten odor. I throw the beaver across the stream screaming wildly. “OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!!!” I hear more rustling in the bushy trees. “Oh crap! I think I broke the beaver’s dam or something.” I whisper to myself nervously. Suddenly all I see are arms coming towards my face, submerging my head into the water plants. I kick and scratch, bite, and punch. I explode above the surface gasping for air looking around frantically, and scared. Who was that? Where did he go? I try and swim to the edge, but the current is just too strong. Weeds float along my feet, giving me goose bumps, but then I feel something firmer, a tight grip on my ankle. I scream at the top of my lungs “Help! Help me!”
His raven black hair floats to the surface as he laughs uncontrollably. I dunk his big fat head under water, glaring at him. “Butt-head.” I mumble. I tug onto the weeds and climb out of the canal.

“Aw, Marlene, don’t be mad. I was just joking. Please.” He begs.

I get out and start walking to the bridge. He crawls out still laughing under his breath.” baby im sorry, I was just messing with you.” he breaths against the back of my neck pulling my body towards his. I feel his heart beating against my back, making mine beat ten times faster.

“No” I whisper fighting every urge to hold him tight again. I walk faster; make my stride longer, till I am on the rusty steel bridge.

“Hey, im sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you so bad, I-“was all he got to say before I shoved him into the rushing water below us. I laugh till my sides hurt, till I gasp for air. Until I see him rise to the surface. Despite the fact that I pushed him in the water, mid-sentence, he flashes me a smile the size of the crescent moon, my heart flutters. And even though I am soaking wet, and shivering my insides are set a blaze. I hold onto the metal railing of the bridge for fear of floating off my feet, and up to heaven. I feel light headed and dizzy. I catch my breath and dive into the dark depths of the water with him.


He pulls himself out of the canal so effortlessly, he glides. The complete antithesis of myself, I yank myself out and stumble on my very own feet. He catches me; no matter how hard I fall he always catches me. “Follow me.”

I would follow him to ends of the world and back if it meant I would travel by his side. He holds my hand, and a million butterflies rush into my stomach. We walk side by side, holding each others hands, and hearts, till we find our clothes scattered along the field. We kneel down on our dry clothes, hearing our knees crack, splaying our clothes like a blanket. I lay on my stomach facing him. He looks so serene so peaceful smiling back. My wet curls stick on my pink cheeks. He lifts his hand, and brushes away a strand of hair with a simple flick of his index finger. I hold his hand there, soft, comforting, and safe against my cheek. “I love you.” he mouths, but I hear the words louder then a train wreck. They touch the deepest part of my heart, caress the innermost place in my mind, and stoke my entire soul. My hearts drums louder then the marching band, I think he hears it. Tears of happiness accumulate at the bottoms of my eyelids. “I love you.” I tell him. I rise to my elbows, sit up and kiss him. We hold each other so close, we feel as if we were one.

Warmth radiates off his body like the summer suns blinding rays of light during the day. We don’t need blankets, just each other. He holds me so close; our souls melt together the fire fueled by our passion and lust. He kisses me again and again under the endless night sky. But it is deeper then any other kissing. Our souls are dancing with one another. They are coming together with every single stroke of his gentle quivering fingers on my body. They are bonding with every feel of his bubble gum lips on mine. He kisses me teasingly pulling back every now and then leaving me with an aching desire for something more, the rest of him.

We lie on our backs, and gaze up towards the immense black sky, the stars shine and twinkle so brightly it fells like we can reach up and grab them all. “Look baby, a shooting star!” he yells amazed “make a wish!” my eyes however are glued to him as I admire his body from head to toe. I feel so grateful, being under the stars, in the hot night, with him, while our bodies exchange secrets our lips dare not whisper

“Whoa, I hope that wish comes true, I have a feeling it will, right baby?” he smiles so innocently, so genuinely, almost child-like. I picture him grown, I wonder what he will look like in the future; I wonder what the future will have in store for us.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I ask him curiously.

“I want to be with you.” he smiles and looks into my eyes, my hearts stops then beats faster then ever, its like a drug, he is my addiction. I love him so much, and knowing he loves me just as much, makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time. I feel overwhelmed but content. I feel happy, but scared. I feel crazy but sane at the same time. I feel vulnerable, but safe too. I just gave him the power to break my heart, but I do trust him not too. Unfortunately though, some people aren’t always as trust worthy as you wanted to believe.

The hottest love has the coldest end but that summer spent under the stars, in the water, with the first boy I loved passionately and immensely, continues to live on forever, in my mind, heart, and soul.