“Why can’t he stop staring at me? Maybe there is something on my face.No, that could not be because he has been staring at me everyday for the past week now and there could not be something on my face for that long without me noticing.What am I thinking?” Ray asks herself, trying to figure out why Colton can not keep his eyes off of her. Ray tries to pay attention to the lesson that Mrs. Kenzie is teaching but knowing that her every move is being watched and admired just makes her feel embarrassed and not know what to do with herself. “What face should I make? What should I do with my hands? What if I make a weird face and he decides he does not like what he sees anymore?” Ray thinks to herself, full of nerves. Finally the bell rings, allowing Ray to no longer feel like she is under a microscope.
She gets up out of her desk and starts walking towards the door when she notices that Colton has stopped right outside the door and seems as if he is waiting for someone. “Oh no, I hope he does not try to talk to me. I get all weird and nervous when I am around him and I do not know what to do with myself” she thinks to herself.
Sure enough, when Ray steps out the door Colton touches her arm, the touch of his soft hand on her skin gives her a feeling she has never felt before.
“Pardon me Ray but will you give me a moment of your time?” he asks.
“O-of course” Ray says, struggling to get the words out.
They step to the side, trying not to get in anybody’s way. Ray stands there waiting for Colton, who looks a little nervous, to say something.
“Well here it goes,you are the most lovely and ravishing lady I have ever seen and I would like to learn more about you. So I was wondering if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me this Saturday?” Colton asks.
Ray stands there and wants to say yes, but is so surprised by what she has just heard that she can not seem to get the words out.
After quite the struggle she manages to say, "I would love to.”
After hearing those words Colton smiles his all consuming, genuine smile. The one that causes his cute little dimples to show in his upper cheeks. The one that makes Ray feel like nothing else in this world matters anymore.
“Does 6:00pm sound good?” Colton asks.
“That sounds perfect” Ray says while pulling a piece of notebook paper out of her binder and writing down her address.
“Here is my address" she says as she hands the paper to Colton.
Colton grabs Ray and hugs her with his warm, strong arms that make her feel like no one can hurt her. They walk their separate ways and as Ray walks away she looks back at Colton and catches him looking back as well. They both smile then look away once again.
As Ray walks to her next class she is still dumbfounded at the course of events that just took place. Within that short period of time she and Colton had gone from acquaintances to two people at the beginning of a possible relationship. “Who would have thought that a boy like Colton would ever have any interest in a girl like me?” Ray thinks to herself.                   
The rest of school day continues on at a quick pace and is soon over. As soon as the last bell rings, Ray goes to her locker and puts away her excess books. She walks to her car quickly and drives out of the school parking lot as fast as she can. She is extremely excited to get home and tell her dad what happened at school that day. She wasn't a very social person so she didn't have any close girl friends to share the news with and since her mom had passed away her dad was the only person she had to share this kind of thing with. She pulls into the driveway and runs into her house. She sits on the couch and starts on her homework hoping that it will cause the time to go by faster. She finally hears her dad's car pull in the driveway . She jumps up and meets him at the door.
"Dad, you will not believe me when I tell you what happened today!" Ray says.
"What happened honey?" Ray's dad asks.
"A boy asked me out on a date!" Ray replies.
Her dad's eyes widen when he hears those words.
"Did you say yes? What is this boys name? Is he a good guy?"
"Yes, Colton and yes" Ray replies
"I am very happy for you Ray but you are my little girl and he better treat you with respect" her dad says.
"Trust me, I will make sure he does dad" Ray says.
"I trust you honey" he says.
Saturday comes more quickly than Ray had expects, but unlike most girls she does not spend the whole day trying to think of what she was going to wear on her date. She wants boys to like her for who she is, not for who she is when she is trying to impress them. Her dad had told her her whole life that she did not have to do anything to keep a guy interested and that whatever guy she ended up with would love her for who she was.
Instead of allowing worry and nervousness about her date consume her day, she rides her bike down to the lake and spends her time reading a novel by her favorite author, John Green, and writing poems of her own. She has her own little nook beside the lake. There is a tree there that has a branch that is perfectly shaped for her to sit on. She has been coming to this beautiful place for as long as she can remember. It is a place that she can come to to escape the hectic world around her. Most days that she comes here, are days spent reading, writing, and most of all in thought.
When her mom died this had been her refuge. During that really hard time she had tried her hardest to put on a smile and act like she was okay because she felt uncomfortable unloading all of her emotions on those around her. When she was here she was able to get all of her emotions out. She could cry as hard as she wanted to and no one would hear her. She could count on this place for some peace and quiet, which was the perfect atmosphere for reading and writing which were her two favorite pastimes.
Today is not one of the days that she came here to cry or let out her sadness. Today she came here to sort out all of her thoughts and feelings towards Colton. She doesn’t know how she is feeling towards this guy. “I mean he is handsome and all but what do I really know about this guy?” she thinks to herself “well I mean I guess that is what the purpose of this date is, to get to know each other better.”

Ray rides her bike home, the wind blowing through her hair, taking all of her questions along with it. She rides up her driveway puts her bike in the side yard, and runs up her porch steps. She opens the front door to find Colton sitting on the couch in the middle of a conversation with her dad. Colton looked her way and once again he smiles that perfect smile of his. After seeing that smile she knows that tonight is going to be an amazing night.
“Well it was a pleasure to meet you Mr.Cooper“ Colton says, putting out his hand to shake Ray’s dad’s.
“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine” says Mr. Cooper.
Colton stands up and walks toward Ray, unable to wipe the smile off of his face. He touches her back and opens the door in front of her.
“Wait, I am not dressed for a date” Ray says.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t even notice because you look great in anything you wear” Colton says.
“Well in that case, I guess there is no need to change” Ray says.
“Alright, then we’ll be on our way” Colton says while once again opening the door in front of her.
Ray stepps out the door, Colton following behind her. A little 1969 VW bug was parked out front. Ray had always loved that model.
“Right here” Colton says pointing to the VW.
  She walks to the passenger side door and before she can even reach her hand out to open the door, there Colton is opening it for her. “How sweet is he” Ray thinks to herself as she slides into the passenger seat. Colton shuts the passenger side door jogs around the car to the driver side, opens his door and slides right into his seat, shutting the door behind him.
“So, where too?” Ray says.
“I have made reservations at a little restaurant in the park called Cafe Bella, have you heard of it?” Colton replies.
That was where Ray, her mom and her dad used to go out to eat for special occasions because it was her mom’s absolute favorite restaurant. She hadn’t been back since her mom had passed away. This wasn’t a bad thing, it was actually kind of  amazing that out of all of the restaurants in San Luis Obispo Colton chose Cafe Bella.
“Yes I have, it’s perfect” Ray says.
Colton turns the key and puts the car in drive. As they drive away Ray looks out her window and sees her dad standing at the front door of her house watching her as she leaves.
Her dad had always been protective of her. She was his only child and losing her mom had been enough, he couldn’t possibly bear to lose her too. But, for some reason Ray knew that she was in good hands. Colton was a good guy, who had her best interests at heart.
They pull up to the restaurant and Colton gets out of the car and walks around to open Rays door. Ray steps out of the car and they walk together to the entrance of the restaurant.
“Do you have a reservation?” the hostess asks.
“Yes” Colton replies.
“What name is your reservation under?” asks the hostess.
“James, reservation for two” Colton replies.
“Thank you, right this way please” says the hostess as she holds her arm out in the direction of an empty table.
Colton allows Ray to lead the way and as they arrive at the table he pulls out her chair for her. She sits down in it and he pushes her in.
“Thank you very much” Ray says.
“My pleasure” says Colton as he walks to the other side of the table and seats himself.
They are seated at a table outside next to the town square.There are vintage light strands hanging above them. The glow of the lights brings out the almost gold accents in Colton’s hair. They both just sit there for a minute taking in their beautiful surroundings. Yes, Ray had been here before, but never in a romantic setting like the one she was in now. Every other time she had come here it had been for family dinners. Family dinners that consisted of laughter, love, sadness and deep conversations.
After admiring the way the wind blew through the trees, the sun shined through their branches Colton turns to admire Ray and take in her beauty. Ray stops people watching and turns to meet Colton’s gaze. For a moment they just sit there staring into each others eyes and smiling.
To break the silence Ray looks down at her menu and says, “What are you thinking about getting?”
Colton picks his menu up and begins to examine it.
“The steak and mashed potatoes sounds rather delightful, what about you?”
“Every other time I have come here I have gotten the chipotle chicken salad, but I think I am going to try something new this time. I’ll probably get  the steak and corn plate?”
“Sounds good to me” Colton says.
The waitress walks over and takes their order. The food soon arrives and they bow their heads to thank God for their food. They pick their napkins up and put them on their laps. They both begin to eat.
“How is it?” Colton asks.
“Really good” Ray says “how is yours?”
“Quite enjoyable” Colton says.
They sit there for a moment the atmosphere still a little awkward. “What else is there to talk about?” Ray thinks to herself. “English class!”
“Do you like English class?” Ray asks.
“Yeah, it happens to be one of my favorite classes” Colton replies “what about you?”
“It isn’t just one of my favorite classes, it is my favorite class” Ray says.
“You must really enjoy writing”
“I love writing” Ray says.
“What about it do you love so much?” Colton asks.
“It is a way for me to get my emotions out without anyone judging me” Ray answers.
“That is how I feel about playing music, it’s like an outlet for me” Colton says.
“My thoughts exactly” Ray says “do you ever write your own music?”
“Yes, sometimes but I wouldn’t say I am a very good writer” Colton replies.
“I’m sure you’re great” Ray says.
“You should try writing a song and I could play it, considering that you’re a better writer” Colton says.
“Me?” Ray says “I’m more of a poet than a songwriter.”
“They’re one in the same, the only difference is you sing songs rather that just read them” Colton says.
“Yeah I guess” Ray says.
“So, what is your favorite thing to write about?”
“Well” Ray says contemplating whether or not she should tell him about her mom’s death, after all that was what most of her writing was about. “Oh, what the heck, why not” Ray thinks to herself.
“My mom passed away about three years ago and writing has always been there when I need to get out my emotions out about that. So I guess you could say that’s the main thing I write about” Ray says scared that Colton may be shocked at how deep she was already getting on their first date.
“I am so sorry to hear that. Would it be completely rude if I asked how she died?” Colton says.
“No, it is completely fine. I am actually glad you asked because I tend to not talk to people about it as much as I probably should. It is kind of unhealthy how little I talk about it. She died in a car accident when I was fourteen years old” Ray says.
“Oh that must have been terrible. How did your dad take it? I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose the love of my love due to something like that”
“Yeah, it was extremely hard on both me and my dad. It was so abrupt and came without warning so neither of us got to say goodbye” Ray said “it took me a while to process, at first It seemed like it was just a nightmare and she wasn’t gone but one day it hit me that I would never be able to see her again, talk to her, feel her soft cheek on my hand, laugh with her, it was all stolen from me at such a young age” Ray says.
“I can’t even imagine” Colton says sincerely.
“I try to not think about it too much but sometimes it just hits me all over again, that my mom is gone forever. I mean of course one day I will see her again in heaven but that just seems too far away. I want her here with me now.My dad is a great dad and he tries his best to be a mom and a dad for me, to make me feel like I am not missing out on anything, but he is a dad not a mom and he will never be able to fill that hole in my heart. Like I will never be able to fill the hole in his heart. His best friend, his soul mate, his true love was torn away from him without any warning.”
“Do you guys ever talk about her and her death or is it just too hard?” Colton asks.
“We don’t talk about it too much because it just brings all of the emotions back that we have already experienced. And it is bad enough that he sees her in me and is reminded of her everytime he looks at me.”
“I completely understand”
“I feel like I didn’t appreciate her as much as I probably should have when she was still alive and now that she is gone I have realized how blessed I was to have an amazing mom like her” Ray explains.
“You are the strongest person I know Ray Cooper” Colton says.
“If you could only see me three years ago, trust me I’ve come a long way since then” Ray says with a smile on her face.
“Still, I don’t know how I would go on after something like that but I’m glad you did” Colton told Ray.
“Thanks, I am glad I did too”
Ray and Colton finish their meals.
“Ray looks at her phone and is amazed when she sees it is already 10:00pm.
“Wow, time flies” Ray says.
“I’ll ask for the check. I need to get you home on time, I would hate to make a bad impression on your dad” Colton says as he raises his hand and smerks at the waitress.
The waitress walks over.
“Would you like the bill?” the waitress asks.
“That would be great, thank you” Colton replies.
Ray and Colton straighten up the table as they wait for the waitress to bring the bill. The waitress arrives and sets the bill on the table. Colton grabs it and puts the money in it. “How sweet of him to pay” Ray thinks to herself. Colton walks around the table waiting for Ray to stand up so he could push in her chair. Ray stands up and looks over her shoulder and smiles at Colton as he pushes her chair in for her. They both walk out of Cafe Bella with the biggest smiles on their faces.
They walk out to the car and once again Colton opens Ray’s car door in front of her. They both get in the car and drive away.
“I don’t think I have ever opened up about my mom’s death that much with anyone” Ray says “not even with my own dad.”
“Well I’m glad you did and I’m always here if you ever need someone to talk to” Colton says.
Colton made Ray feel so comfortable and safe like no one ever else had before. For some reason, she already felt like she could talk about anything with him and he would really listen to her.
They soon pull up to her house and Colton gets out of the car and goes around and opens Rays door for her. He walks her up to the door.
Ray opens the front door and Colton peeks in and says to Ray’s dad, “Hey Mr. Cooper thanks again for allowing me to steal your daughter from you for the night.”
“No problem, hope you guys had a good time” Mr. Cooper says.
“Goodnight Sir. Goodnight Ray” Colton says as he steps out of the doorway.
“Goodnight” says Ray and her dad as Ray shuts the door.
“You must have had a great time” Mr. Cooper says to his daughter.
“What makes you say that?” Ray asks.
“I haven’t seen you smile that big since my love Rayna passed away”
Rayna was her mom’s name. In a way she had been named after her mom. The name Rayna had been in her mom’s family for centuries. Her mom had wanted the name to live on but she  wanted her daughter to be her own person not a copy of her so she had decided to go with the name Ray.
“I did have a really good time tonight” Ray says to her dad.
“From what I saw he seems like a really good guy” says Mr.Cooper “I mean he got you home on time and that is always a good sign.”
“I think he is a really good guy and he treated me with alot of respect tonight, you would have been very impressed” Ray says.
“From the few minutes we spent together before you got home I was very impressed” says Mr.Cooper “I was extremely nervous when I first met your mom’s dad but surprisingly Colton didn’t seem nervous at all and it just seemed like being polite and respectful came natural to him.”
“I’m glad, what did mom’s dad think of you? Did mom ever tell you?” Ray asks as she sat down on the couch next to her dad wanting to talk more about her mom.
“She told me that he liked me alot and you know how mom was, she wasn’t one to lie to people. In fact she was sometimes honest to a fault” says Mr.Cooper.
“I miss her dad” Ray says.
“Me too honey, me too”

In no time at all, it’s Monday. Ray walks through the front doors, more ready than ever for the day ahead.She finds herself looking forward to the day ahead of her because of Colton. She can’t wait to see him in English and at lunch. She finally has someone to talk to and hang out with at school. 
After getting her books out of her locker Ray walks to her first period class. She is more driven than ever to get her work done. She just can't wait to see Colton and for some reason she thinks that maybe the class period will go by quicker if she gets her work done quicker. Surprisingly her first period class goes by pretty quick and it's time for English class.
She rushes out of the classroom to make sure she is able to walk with Colton to class. Right when she walks out of the classroom there Colton is standing just down the hall waiting for her with a smile on his face. She smiles back and speed walks up to him. Colton opens his arms for a hug and Ray leans into them. He hugs her and it causes her to feel all warm inside. No one else has ever made her feel the way Colton does. Ray leans back and looks up at Colton he looks down at her and smiles his smile that takes over his whole face letting Ray know that it is genuine. People walking by stop and stare. It is really out of the ordinary to see Ray Cooper interacting with other people, let alone a boy. Ray and Colton slowly walk to their English class together trying not to arrive too soon because they know they will be separated.
They eventually arrive at the classroom and are separated but that doesn’t seem to cause Colton to pay less attention to Ray. This time Ray feels more comfortable because she knows that he likes her and cares about her and he doesn’t just think she is hot.
The teacher begins to talk about how they are going to spend the class period free writing about whatever is on their minds.Ray thinks that  she might attempt to write a song like her and Colton had talked about. The teacher announces that the kids can begin writing. Since it is a free write Ray decides that she would rather write in her journal because it is not like they are going to have to turn it in or anything.
Ray can’t remember a time when she hadn’t kept a journal. Her journals were filled with poems, doodles, quotes, and basically anything that she thought was worth writing down. Everywhere she went, no matter what the circumstances, she brought her journal with her. Ray thought “Why wouldn’t you take a journal with you everywhere you go? What if you want to remember something or have a good idea or hear a good quote, where are you going to write it down? Your journal!”
She pulls her journal out along with a pencil from her backpack. She puts it on her desk, opens it up and begins to brainstorm. She remembers the poem she had started to write in this class not too long ago. She writes out...

I didn’t really know you all that well
but it didn’t take long before I fell
completely and utterly in love
with everything you’re made up of.
Your all consuming smile 
caused me to stop breathing for a while

You make me feel special
You open up all of my doors
The keys fly right into your hands
Helping us become more than friends

I have never been the one to speak
About that terrible catastrophe but....

You make me feel special
You open up all of my doors
The keys fly right into your hands
Helping us become more than friends

I didn’t really know you all that well
but it didn’t take long before I fell

Right as she finishes writing the song the bell rings. She shuts the journal and puts it in her backpack. She maneuvers through the sea of desks and meets Colton at the door. They have a quick little conversation about how much they love their English teacher Mrs. Kenzie and Ray doesn’t bother to tell Colton about the song she wrote about him.
Ray goes to her next two classes. Nothing special just typical classes in which teachers teach a subject that they aren’t even interested in and students continue to be distracted by each other. While Ray, unlike the other students in her classes, sits quietly in her thoughts.
The bell finally rings and it is time for lunch. Ray walks out of her class and heads to her locker. As she turns the corner she sees Colton standing there waiting for her at her locker. Their eyes meet and Colton smiles. After seeing Colton’s smile Ray can’t help but do the same. “He most definitely has the most handsome smile of anyone I know” Ray thinks to herself. She walks up to him and he puts his arms out for a hug. As Ray leans into them all of her fears slip away. Ray opens up her locker and puts away the books that she no longer needs.
They walk to the quad together talking, laughing, and flirtatiously pushing each other around. They arrive at the quad and find a tree with a blanket of shade under it. They set their stuff down and sit down in the shade cast by the tree. Ray unzips her backpack and pulls her sandwich out,her journal accidentally slipping out along with it.
“What is this?” Colton asks as he picks it up for her curiously.
“It is my journal” Ray says hesitantly.
“Oh, I’m sorry for being so nosy” Colton says as he hands it back to Ray.
Ray questions if she should take it back and zip it up in her backpack, leaving the reading of her song for another time or if she should take it, tell him about the song and eventually read it to him. She reaches out and takes the journal. She sets it on her lap and opens it up. Colton looks at her with a confused look on his face.
“You know how you were telling me that I should try writing a song the other night on our date?” Ray says.
“Yes, I do recall” Colton replies.
“Well in English class today when Mrs. Kenzie told us to do a free write, that is what I did. I wrote a song” Ray says nervously.
“What is it about?” Colton says in an intrigued manner.
“Um, finally being able to open up with someone about my mom” Ray replies.
“Well I would love to hear it, but I mean only if you don't mind” Colton says.
“Do you mind if I read it as if it were a poem rather than sing it?” Ray asks.
“Of course I don’t mind” Colton replies.
“Well here goes nothing” Ray says looking down at her journal and taking a deep breath.

I didn’t really know you all that well
but it didn’t take long before I fell
completely and utterly in love
with everything you’re made up of.
Your all consuming smile 
caused me to stop breathing for a while

You make me feel special
You open up all of my doors
The keys fly right into your hands
Helping us become more than friends

I have never been the one to speak
About that terrible catastrophe but....

You make me feel special
You open up all of my doors
The keys fly right into your hands
Helping us become more than friends

I didn’t really know you all that well
but it didn’t take long before I fell.

Ray looks back up, with a timid look on her face, scared about what Colton reaction may be.
“That was amazing. I am at a loss for words. You are an amazing writer Ray Cooper!” Colton says.
Relieved that Colton likes it, Ray smiles and says, “Thank you. That really means alot to me.”
“You are very talented and I mean it” Colton says.
Ray smiles and says, “You know who it is about, right?”
“Me, I would hope” Colton says with a smirk on his face.
“Of course it’s about you, I mean you are the one who got me to write a song aren’t you?” Ray says with a giggle.
“You have always had it in you, you just needed someone to give you a little push” Colton says.
“And inspiration” Ray says.
            “My pleasure” Colton says while taking a little sarcastic bow.
“Stop it” Ray says as she laughs and gives him a friendly push.
Colton grabs her arms and pulls her into his chest as he falls back onto the grass. They both just lay there on the grass laughing and holding each other. “There is absolutely no place I would rather be” Ray thinks to herself as she takes all of it in. She can hear Colton’s heartbeat as her head lays on his toned chest. She looks up at him and smiles just so she can see that perfect smile of his. He smiles and once again those adorable dimples in his upper cheek show as his eyes squint so much that they almost disappear. “Could he be any more perfect?” Ray asks herself. Their perfect moment gets disrupted by the ringing of the bell.
Colton stands up putting out his hands for Ray to grab. Ray grabs his hands and he helps her up. They both pick up their backpacks and start walking side by side in the direction of their next period classes. As they walk next to each other Ray feels Coltons fingers intertwine with hers. Her whole body begins to feel numb and she can feel herself start to shake. They have hugged and all but he has never held her hand. "What if my hand starts to sweat? What if he does not like the way it fits in his?" Ray thinks to herself.
           Just as these thoughts are going through her head Colton lifts her hand up closer to his eyes and says,"Your hands are so small, it's adorable."
          "Stooop," Ray says "I can't help it."
          "No, don't be self conscious. I love them" Colton says.
          "Well thank you" Ray says.
          "Plus, it's a good thing that they are small because that means they fit perfectly in mine" Colton says with a big smile on his face.
          Ray smiles back and they continue walking down the hall hand in hand. People stare as they walk by but Ray does not pay any mind to it because Colton makes her feel like no one else matters but them.
          They reach Rays next class' door and are forced to part ways. Ray takes a step towards the door and looks at Colton as she slips her fingers out from in between his. They smile at each other once more and let go of one another's hands. Ray walks into the classroom doorway and watches Colton as he walks away. Once he is out of sight she walks into the classroom and sits at her desk.
          "You do know he has to go back to France at some point, right?" Ray hears someone next to her  say in a snobby voice.
         "Excuse me, what did you just say?" Ray says as she looks to her left.
         "I am just saying he is not going to be here forever, I mean he is an exchange student" says this random girl sitting next to Ray, who had never bothered to talk to her before.
         "Yes, I understand that, thank you for looking out for me though" Ray says in a sarcastic voice.
         The girl rolls her eyes and turns the other direction to make another person miserable. Ray knows Colton is an exchange student and he has to go back to France at some point but everything with him had just happened so fast and she was so caught up in how great Colton was that she had not even let that fact bother her. It amazed her when she found herself being thankful for what the girl next to her had said. Although it had been a rude awakening it was definitely something that needed to be brought to her attention. Since the girl next her had reminded her of the sad fact that Colton had to leave at some point, it started to consume her thoughts. "I really like this guy, what am I going to do when he leaves? Does he just think of me as a fun little American fling? What have I gotten myself into? I don't want to love somebody and lose them again like I did with my mom, it will hurt too much. Maybe I should just stop before it gets too far, before it will hurt too much." Ray thinks to herself, not bothering to listen to the teacher. "I'm fine, it's not like any of the other kids are paying attention. What do I do? I don't want to lose Colton but then again I do not want to get hurt." The bell rings and Ray is released from her stressful thoughts.
        Ray walks out into the hall and starts walking to the locker a different way than usual, trying to avoid running into Colton. "I am just too confused to talk to him right now" she thinks to herself. She gets to her locker, puts her books away and starts walking to the parking lot. She gets in her car and turns the radio up hoping it will drown out her thoughts. She turns the key and speeds out of the parking lot. "Who am I kidding, I am going to be forced to face the facts at some point. There is no running away from them" Ray thinks to herself. After coming to this realization she turns the car around and heads towards Colton's house to talk to him about how she was feeling.
       She pulls the car to the curb out front of his host family's house. She sees his car in the driveway so she knows that he is home. As she gets out of the car she goes over in her head what she is going to say to him. She walks up the porch steps and knocks on the door. As he opens it up, she forgets everything she had planned to say to him.
       "Hey Ray, what a surprise" Colton says, once again causing Ray to melt with his handsome smile.
       "Hey Colton, do you think we could have a talk?" Ray says kind of nervously, trying not to scare him.
       "Why of course, whatever you need. Let me just get my jacket and we can go for a little stroll" Colton says.
       "Okay sounds good" Ray replies as Colton starts to turn to go get a jacket from his room.
       Colton walks back up to the door and says, "Ready?"
       "Yes" Ray says as they both start to walk down the porch stairs.
       "So what is going on?" Colton asks with a concerned look on his face.
       "In class today a girl made a statement that got me thinking about us a lot" Ray says.
       "And what was that statement?" Colton asks curiously.
       "Out of nowhere she just said, ‘You do know he has to go back to France at some point, right?’ And I mean I do know that but I have kind of been ignoring it. Her saying it just made me kind of scared and confused, you know?"
       "Yes, I understand completely. I have been thinking about that a lot too" Colton says.
       "And what are your thoughts?" Ray asks.
       "Well, I really do like you a lot Ray Cooper but the last thing I want to do is hurt you so whatever you want to do is fine with me"
       "Well the only problem is I do not know what I want" Ray says.
       "All I want is for you to be happy, whether that be with me or not" Colton says.
       "I like you a lot Colton I really do but I do not know if I can deal with losing someone important to me again" Ray says.
       "Well maybe you don’t have to lose me" Colton says.
       "Your home is in France and you are only here until the end of the school year" Ray says.
       "Ray, I really like you and I think that we should stay on this road and see where it leads us, if it gets really serious then I will make the sacrifice"
       "What do you mean by that?" Ray asks confused as to what exactly Colton is referring to.
       "I love America and I have always dreamt about living here. I took this trip to see if it really was what I had built it up in my head to be and so far it seems perfect. So what I am saying is if once it is time for me to go back home our relationship is really serious and we both love each other deeply than I will go back home and make enough money to come to America and stay for good" Colton explains.
       "I don’t know if I could do that to you, your whole family is in France. I do not know how I could live with myself knowing that I tore you and your family apart" Ray says.
       Colton stops walking and softly puts his hands on Ray's face and says "I don't think you understand that I really really like you Ray Cooper and when I really really like something I do whatever it takes to have it."
       After saying those words Colton tilts his head and leans in to kiss Ray with his soft lips. Ray's lips meet his and at first they both hold back a little, nervous of how the other might react, slowly they stop holding back and begin to kiss each other with passion. There, in the middle of the park with the stars shining above them, all their worries fade and they are inseparable. Eyes closed and foreheads touching they both pull their lips back and breath taking in the moment. They open their eyes and begin to stare into each others with smiles from ear to ear on both of  their faces.
      "I am all in Colton, all in" Ray says.
      "I will do whatever it takes" Colton says.

As the school year continues on, Ray and Colton's feelings for one another grow stronger and stronger and soon enough like turns to love. Even though their class schedules conflict, Ray and Colton are with each other every chance they get. It is mid April and the day that Colton has to return home is soon approaching. Ray and Colton are on spring break and are no longer forced to be apart do to different class schedules.
       "Bye, love you dad. I am going to Colton's house" Ray says as she opens the front door.
       "Bye love you honey. Will you tell Colton I said hi?" Mr.Cooper says as Ray starts to walk out the front door.
       "Yes I will" Ray says before she is completely out of hearing range.
       She hops in her car and turns in the radio. As she drives to Coltons house she begins to think about what a well rounded person Colton is. "He treats me with such respect and loves me so well, with such selflessness" she thinks to herself. A song comes on the radio and the lyrics seem as if they are written just for her about the way she is feeling right now. She turns the radio up and bursts out singing feeling happier than she has been since her mom died, all because of Colton.
       The song ends just as she pulls up to Colton's house. She turns the key to turn car off, gets out of the car and speed walks to the door, excited to see Colton even though she was with him just yesterday. She gets to the door and knocks.
       "Is that you Ray?" Colton's host mom, Rachel, stays.
       "You bet it is" Ray replies.
       "Come right in, honestly you don't even need to knock" Rachel says.
       "Helloooo" Ray says with a big smile on her face as she opens up the door.
       "Hello" Rachel says.
       "Always a pleasure to see you Ray" Colton's host dad, Mike, says.
       Ray turns the corner and walks to Colton's room.
       "Knock knock" Ray says as she opens his bedroom door.
       "Hello there" Colton says unable to keep himself from smiling.
        Ray walks in and they greet each other with a kiss. Every time they kiss they fall deeper and deeper in love with one another. After kissing Ray seats herself at his desk chair.
        "So what adventure are we going on today?" Colton asks Ray, referring to the spring break bucket list they had made together.
        "Our adventure today is a surprise" Ray says with a smirk on her face.
        "Oh is it now?" Colton says sarcastically.
        "Yes and we should leave pretty soon we have got a fun day ahead" Ray says.
        "Alright, well then what is stopping us?" Colton asks as he walks towards his door.
        "Nothing, I guess" Ray says as she gets up and starts walking to the door along with him.
        As usual Colton makes sure to open up the door in front of her. They walk through the living room and say goodbye to Colton's host parents. They walk outside and get in Colton's bug.
       Ray looks over at Colton who is sitting in the drivers seat and says,"Wait, I need to be the one driving. I am not telling you the surprise destination you little sneaker."
       "Darn it, I thought I had you" Colton says "but then again, it is impossible to get anything past the great Ray Cooper"
       "Well let's go get in my car then" Ray says.
       "Now why should we do that. Why don't you just drive the bug? I mean it is ur dream car, right? Why don't you give it a try?" Colton says.
       "Really, can I? " Ray asks excitedly.
       "Yeah, honestly I am confused as to why you have not yet" Colton says as he opens his door.
       Ray opens her door and steps out of the car leaving the door open behind her. Colton waits on the other side of the car with his door open. As Ray seats herself in the drivers seat Colton sarcastically puts his arm out as if he is a chauffeur and shuts the door behind her.
        Once they are both seated in the car Ray pulls out and they are on their way. Ray turns down a road that Colton has never even noticed before. The road is lined with trees on either side. As they drive down the road the sun peeks through the trees and hits their faces.
       "Where are you taking me Ray Cooper?" Colton asks "Are you taking me to be murdered in the woods? Should I call my parents back in France and say my last words?"
       "No, Colton and no more guessing it is a surprise" Ray says.
       "Fine, I will trust you and pray to God that you are not going to kill me" Colton says.
       Ray pulls over into a dirt parking space.
       "We are here, you may get out of the car" Ray says.
       "Yes mam" Colton says as he gets out of the car.
       Ray parts some branches, takes a step and disappears behind the trees. Colton follows behind her curious as to where Ray is leading him. As Colton moves the branches a beautiful lake is revealed. A lake with beautiful wild flowers outlining it.
       "Come on" Ray says interrupting Colton from fully taking in the scenery.
       Colton follows Rays voice with his eyes and finds her sitting on a picnic blanket right beside the lake. On the picnic blanket lays a guitar, a picnic basket, and Ray's writing journal.
       "What is this?" Colton says with a huge smile on his face.
       "It is a picnic" Ray says excitedly as she pats the ground next to her signaling him to sit down.
       "This is so nice" Colton says as he sits down.
       "I tried," Ray says with a proud look on her face "I wanted this to be special."
       "How did you find out about this place, it is like a little hidden heaven?" Colton asks.
       "My mom used to come here as a little girl and she showed it to me when I was seven years old and I have been coming here ever since" Ray replies.
       "That is great. I feel honored that you brought me here" Colton says.
       "My pleasure, this is where I do most of my thinking and writing. It is like my own little secret place but I really wanted to bring you here so now it can be our place" Ray says.
       "I love it!" Colton says as he picks up the guitar and starts strumming it.
       Ray and Colton spend the rest of the day at the lake writing songs, playing the guitar, singing, eating and laughing together. Ray writes songs and Colton plays the guitar and sings them almost as if they are meant to be.They seem to forget the world as they spend the day together. As night falls and the stars come out Ray and Colton lay down on the picnic blanket hand in hand, keeping warm by snuggling. They never seem to run out of things to talk about. Everything between them just seems to come so naturally. Neither of them have ever loved anyone as much as they love each other. Ray looks at the time and it's already 10:00pm and her dad expects her to be home no later than 11:00pm. Time just seems to fly by whenever she is with Colton. Colton looks over at her and there eyes meet. Colton moves his face closer so that their lips touch. There they kiss under the stars and reality seems to slip away until Rays phone buzzes. She looks at it and sees a text from her dad. "Are you coming home?" it reads.    
       Ray stands up and says,"I guess this night had to come to an end at some point, my dad wants me home."
       "Well we should clean this perfect picnic up and I will take you home because I would hate for your dad to get upset" Colton says as he stands up.
       Ray picks up the picnic basket and Colton picks up the picnic blanket and guitar and they walked out to the car. Colton puts all of the stuff in the trunk, opens the passenger door for Ray, gets in the car and they are on their way. As they drive home Colton puts one of his hands on the steering wheel and holds Ray's hand with the other.
       "I love these hands and I love this girl" Colton says looking at Ray with a smile that takes over his whole entire face.
       "I love you too Colton" Ray says.
        They both look back at the road as they ram into an SUV head on. The front of the Volkswagen bug is crushed under the large amount of force. Both of their heads slam into the dashboard and blood begins to stream down their faces. All the while they are still holding hands. As their heads ricochet back and forth, do to the impact, they make eye contact.Then it is silent.