Everlasting

by L. K. Kuhl

  His sumptuous body rippled my insides. He still wore his sunglasses, hiding his expression. If the rest of him was this impressive, I could only imagine what his eyes must be like.

  “Yeah…yeah…Sophia Bandell.” My face flushed. I hated the way my voice eked itself out like a sick bird, making me unsure of myself. “And you’re…Tate, right?” Like I hadn’t thought twice about him since that first day with the Frisbee.

  “Yep, Tate…Tate Forester.” He reached out to shake my hand again, his crooked smile jerking my heart.

  My head tilted at the mention of his last name. I couldn’t remember why or where I’d heard it. Then it hit me, Lidia Forester…from the plane that day—the little old lady who was going skydiving to fill her bucket list. “Are you related to a Lidia Forester? I sat with her on the plane coming here.”

  Then, a fat man—a white paper triangle hat situated on his bald head—scowled at me from behind a counter, waiting to take my ice cream order. Tate shoved two fives into my hand. “Here, order me whatever you’re getting.”

  I stammered, the wadded fives crunching in my sweaty palms. “I’d like two hot fudge sundaes, please.” Out-of-sorts, I paid the cashier and stepped aside, handing Tate his sundae.

  He stirred it, winding the hot fudge around his spoon. “Nope, pretty sure I’ve never heard of a Lidia Forester.”

  We walked around to the side of the Shack. I gripped my sundae cup in my right hand, making sure I didn’t make the stupid mistake of dropping it. “I suppose not. It was dumb of me to even ask. I’m sure there’s a lot of Foresters around.” Symphony stood there, waiting for him. “Hi, girl.” My left hand lifted to scratch her behind the ears. She wagged her tail, letting out a whine.

  “I heard you say you came in on the plane. You don’t live around here?” His step faltered unevenly when he asked this.

  I took a bite of my sundae. “No, I’m staying with a friend for the summer. At her beach house. How ‘bout you? You live around here?”

  “Yeah, just up the way there.” He motioned with his head to the west. Symphony plodded by his side, her leash dragging on the ground.

  “So…have you lived here your whole life?”

  We stopped, watching a parasailer flying over the water, and I dug my big toe into the cool sand. Then we walked toward my chair.

  He laughed. “Yep, I’m just a beach bum. What about you? Where’re you from?”

  I pulled my mouth to the side and looked at my feet, wishing I had some glamor town to brag about. Cascade didn’t compare to this place. “A little town called Cascade, Montana. The place where we rarely get this kind of heat and humidity. This takes some getting used to.”

  My head jerked up, and I fought to focus my eyes on him, so I looked down again, wiping at a drop of sweat on my brow. For me, looking at someone this fine was difficult. I would have to work on this…maybe put it on my bucket list.

  “I noticed you’re sunburned.” His scrutiny made me fidget, and it flustered me that he’d seen. “You get used to it, though. The heat really isn’t that bad once you’ve lived here a while…. So, what do you do for fun in Cascade?”

  “Not much, just hang out with my friends. I’ll be a senior this fall, so I mainly do what other seniors do.”

  “Which is…?”

  “Um…cruise around.” I giggled and looked at the ground again, blushing at the simplicity of my life, my toe etching a cross into the sand. “Occasionally we take a trip into Great Falls to shop or cruise, but for the most part, we just hang out at Blinker Burgers to talk and dream…dream about getting out of town someday. Big dreamer I am.”

  “That sounds…interesting.” I noticed how his top lip quivered as he gave me a slight smile. His hand shook as he brought it up close to my cheek. He left it there, hanging. After a brief hesitation, he wiped at a strand of hair that the breeze had pushed over my eyes. But soon, his expression darkened. “I just graduated a few weeks ago. I’m glad to be done with school…now I can get on with my life.” He turned away and cringed, a heaviness shrouded over him.

  My stomach lurched at his touch. “I can’t wait to graduate, either.” I leaned closer to him, feeling a connectedness. Even my itchy bumps were dissipating. Maybe he was more like me than I thought. “If I can just make it through this last year…” I licked my lips.

  My breath bottled up in my chest as I salivated, working up the courage to ask for his phone number. “I was wondering…oh wait, I see my friend Mandy is done swimming now. Better be going back.” With my confidence slipping away, my legs weakened, making me eager to get back to Mandy before I made a fool of myself again.

  I turned to go, taking a step toward safety.

  He snapped his fingers. “Wait…can I get your number?”

  With a flash of heat coursing through my body, I whirled around to face him. I couldn’t control the rattle of my hands, so I hid them behind my back.

  “Uh…sure.” I gulped hard, trying not to drool, unable to believe I’d heard him right. “My number…? It’s…hold on a sec, let me think.” The numbers finally stumbled out of my mouth, and I wasn’t even sure they were mine. For the state I was in at this point, they may have been someone else’s. That would be something I’d do.

  “Six-seven-one, there, I think I got it.” He bit his tongue and punched it into his phone, then he flashed me another one of his heart skippers. “I really like your company. We should stay in touch.”

  Heat radiated through my chest. Was this even happening right now? I pinched my thumbnail into my finger, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. Ouch…maybe it was true. “Yeah…we should.” My voice cracked and became thin, making me feel small.

  “Well…see ya around.” He patted Symphony’s head, turning to go. “Maybe I’ll see you here tomorrow.”

  “Hope so…bye.” My voice creaked again. I looked at him one last time, then ran back to my towel, praying that I’d stay upright and not face-plant.

  * * *

  Mandy gave me a ridiculous look. “What are you so happy about?” My smile etched itself so deep into my face, I couldn’t have erased it if I’d wanted to. “Oh wait, let me guess, you must have ran into Tate.”

  My breath spewed out in rapid waves. “I gave him my number.” I fell back on my towel, looking at the sky. The giggles bubbled forth from my throat, and I couldn’t quit laughing…giddy…couldn’t think straight. What is happening to me? Are these feelings normal? “Can you believe it, Mand? He…actually…asked…for…my…number!”

  She shrugged, and her nose wrinkled upward. “I knew it. Good thing you listened and took my advice. I’m happy for you…I guess.” Her voice dipped low and her neck muscles tightened. A stifling heat slithered through my insides, so I looked away, ignoring her.

  * * *

  Later that evening, I went to my room to get ready for bed. I sat down on the window seat and brought out my journal. A breeze blew in through the windows, making the room cool and cozy.

  May Thirty-First,

  Tate Forester, the most handsome man alive, came drifting into my dreams. I never thought I believed in love at first sight, but now I might have to inhale those words. He even asked for my number today. I’m beginning to sense a tad of jealousy in Mandy, though, and I’m hoping this doesn’t cause a fight.

  Sophia Bandell

  Chapter 5

  The next morning I woke up early, unable to sleep, expecting to hear from Tate. I straightened my hair and put on makeup, ready to hit the beach.

  I hurried downstairs to see if Mandy, the early riser, had made breakfast.

  I gasped, and my hand flew to my mouth—the entire kitchen had been ransacked by an intruder. My insides bubbled. Careful not to cut my feet on the broken dishes, I tiptoed closer to the overturned table. Water gushed from the kitchen-sink faucet and leaked down to the hardwood floor, seeping into the cracks and crevices.

  Where were Matt and Mandy? Someone must have broken in during the night, but I hadn’t heard a thing. I rush
ed over to shut off the water, my eyes wild—afraid to look around but searching anyway—hoping there wasn’t someone still in the house.

  My joints and muscles stiffened. “Mandy, are you here?”

  No answer.

  I searched the rest of the house, but found no one. My phone rang, and I stiffened even more. The front of my phone stayed dark, no name lighting the front. An eerie chill ran through me. “Hello? Oh, Mandy, I can’t believe it’s you. We’ve been robbed.” My voice creaked like an old wooden screen door.

  Her voice slid through the phone, distant, shaky. “No, no…it wasn’t that. Matt and I had a fight. It was bad…but I’m okay. Matt took off…and I’m…I’m trying to find him.”

  “Are you hurt? Do you need me to help search for him?”

  “No. I’ll be fine. He didn’t hurt me, just has a temper sometimes. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. I’ll catch you later at the beach.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe we should call the police on him.”

  “No, just stay out of it. We’re fine.” Her tone twisted, turning black, vile.

  She didn’t want me getting involved, so I didn’t say anything more. “Alright, I’ll clean up.”

  “Thanks.” The tension released, she calmed. “Sorry I’ve been snapping at you lately. There’s just a lot of things going on in my life right now that I can’t talk about. But just having you here with me helps. Just bear with me…please.”

  “I will. That’s what friends are for.”

  After I cleaned up the kitchen, I walked toward the beach alone. I bit my lip, hoping Matt and Mandy could get things worked out. It was hard to see him treating her this way, and I hoped she would dump him if he did something like this again. She didn’t need to spend her life with an abuser. There were a ton of good guys out there that would be itching to date her, if she’d only let them.

  I searched for our favorite spot, and my heart picked up speed, anxious to see Tate again. To calm myself, I took long, deep breaths. But it was impossible; my heart still hammered against my chest with a twittered passion.

  I found a lounge chair and fluffed my towel, ready to loll in the sun. With my SPF fifty clutched in my hand, I was ready for action. My skin was turning into a deep tan, so maybe I wouldn’t need to use as much today. I shook the bottle and squirted some onto my hand, spreading it over my chest and shoulders. The speakers on the beach blared out one of my favorite songs.

  A team of guys and team of girls slammed a beach ball back and forth in the water, their laughter mixing with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

  I picked up my phone to see if I’d missed a text from Tate. Nothing yet. Thirty seconds later, I checked again. Still nothing. For a good long minute I sat there. It lit up. A jolt scorched through me. This was it. It was him. Had to be. My hands shook. I reached for it. It was Mandy. My stomach sank just a little.

  Hi, Soph, just wanted to let you know that I found Matt and we’re getting things patched up. I’ll meet up with you later, and maybe we can go get something to eat this evening.

  I typed back. Glad to hear. Was worried about you. Just text when you get back, and I’ll let you know where I’m at.

  The people still batted the ball back and forth as I rested my head against the chair, stealing a few glances toward the Ice Cream Shack now and then. I hadn’t seen Tate yet today, and it was almost two in the afternoon.

  I lay back and closed my eyes to relax. No more than ten seconds had passed when a light tap on my shoulder startled me. I froze. Here he was. Tate. It had to be. Loud caterpillars crawled in my stomach—tickling. Everyone on the beach had to have heard them.

  “Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?” The squeaky voice pitched out…odd. Is this coming from a duck or a kid entering puberty?

  My heart tumbled to my feet. I squinted up into the bright sunlight, holding my hand above my eyes to shade my view, and stared up at a curly headed guy that would have to scrunch down to keep from disturbing the clouds he was so tall. He clutched a weathered beach chair in his left hand; a yellowed towel, full of frayed holes, draped over his shoulder. Black, plastic-framed glasses held together in the middle with white masking tape sat on a giant nose, and his face was long and pitted. Humongous, white high-top sneakers with white socks pulled up to his knees glared back at me when I looked down.

  He surprised me, and I blurted my answer out too fast. “No...go ahead, have a seat.” I couldn’t think fast enough to tell him that this spot was for someone else, and besides that, hurting people’s feelings wasn’t in my DNA.

  “Why, thank you. Brian Tarris is the name.” His voice squeaked again, and he held out a large, dry hand—skin flaking. “I noticed you looked lonely and could use a friend. I’m all by myself, too.” He sat down in his chair and untied his shoes, pulling his socks off with them. The odor drifted from his pasty, mammoth-size feet, and he wiggled big, hairy toes at me.

  I feebly shook his sweaty hand. “Sophia Bandell. My friend’s usually here with me, but had some errands to run.” I covered my mouth, sickened by the smell, and fought back a snicker when he used his pointer finger to push his glasses back up on his nose.

  His eyes squinted. “Girl, or boyfriend?”

  I hesitated, wrestling with the urge to spew out the word boyfriend. It bounced on the tip of my tongue, primed and ready to fling itself airborne. “Girl…Mandy Stuart’s her name.”

  He held up his foot and wiggled his calloused, peeling toes. “Oh, good, I didn’t want to be stepping on any toes.” A funky laugh consisting of a bunch of snorts blowing through his nose flew in my face. “So, are you new to these parts? Do you live around here? Are you in college?”

  “I’m a senior in high school in Montana, and I’m staying with Mandy for the summer.”

  “Good, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, then, if you’re here for the whole summer.”

  I nodded my head and looked away, rolling my eyes, hoping the less I said would give him the hint to leave. It didn’t work. He kept talking. I glanced toward the Ice Cream Shack, hoping and praying to see Tate. Brian talked on…on and on and on. He chattered about things I knew nothing about, and didn’t care to know anyway, throwing in those annoying snorts with each laugh.

  After about two hours of endless droning, I still hadn’t seen Tate. I checked my phone over and over, looking at the time, foot tapping nervously on the lounge chair. Where was he?

  “Don’t you agree?”

  My head jerked to Brian. “Huh?” I’d been zoning him out. “Sorry, whad’ya say?”

  “That’s okay. The music is kind of loud. I was just saying there are a lot of people who believe that penguins don’t have knees, but if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to walk at all. It’s just dumb to assume that, don’t you agree?”

  My mouth fell open, and my face dropped to my knees. I stared at him, trying to comprehend, then nodded. “Yeah…there’s a lot of dumb people in this world…. Listen, I’m going to go get an ice cream. Would you…like…something?” I pointed over my shoulder, hoping he wouldn’t tag along, but I didn’t want to be rude.

  He cleared his throat. “No, I’m allergic to ice cream. Makes me break out.” His old pock marks loomed toward me as he poked and pinched his face, bringing it up close.

  I grimaced, then jerked my head away. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

  I got up out of my beach chair and hurried off to the Ice Cream Shack, looking over my shoulder to make sure he wasn’t following me. He was still jabbering when I left.

  I closed my eyes and exhaled, thankful for the long line. It would give me a little relief. Would Tate be over here today?

  I joined the line and looked around, focusing my eyes on everyone I saw, scanning the crowds for him. I chewed on a nail, stunned to think that after our talk yesterday, and the way he asked for my phone number, that he wasn’t around. Maybe he didn’t have feelings for me like I did for him.

  I made it to the front of the l
ine and ordered a banana split. Ready to go back and sit down, I glanced over to my chair. Brian still sat there, so I changed my mind and ambled through the crowds of people.

  With dwindling hope I walked along, my gaze scouring over everyone. There were people playing volleyball, a group sand-dancing, and even a few people building sandcastles. I perked up when I walked by a couple of guys throwing discs with their dogs, but my heart floated down to my feet when neither of them were Tate.

  My heart ached to see him. Yesterday, I believed there might have been a spark lingering there between us, trying to ignite. But I was wrong. Tate was way out of my league, anyway. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache skulking its way in, and wished that Mandy would make it back soon.

  After strolling around for almost an hour, I lumbered my way back to my chair, hoping Brian had left. But he didn’t take the hint. There he sat, in the exact same spot as when I left. He started mumbling again, right where he left off.

  He rubbed his nose, giving his glasses a push up the ski slope. “You shouldn’t put your heart into one guy, you know. There are other fish in the sea.”

  I wrenched my head toward him and blinked my eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “I can see right through you.” His squeak pitched up an octave. He struggled to keep his eyes steady on mine, but they darted away with uneasiness. “You’re always searching for him and are disappointed you can’t find him.” The blood drained from my face, and I looked at him, dazed. Had he read me that easily? “Am I right?”

  Not knowing how to answer, I drummed my fingers on my knee. “Well…maybe…no, that’s not it at all. It’s none of your business.” I pulled my knees together and looked away.

  “Don’t get mad at me, Sophia. Seeing you heartbroken kills me. I would love to take you out, put the smile back on your face that was there earlier.”

  I swallowed hard, suppressing the urge to gag. Irritated, I edged my way to the end of my seat. “Um…I don’t think…” I stopped short. Out of my peripheral view something caught my eye, and I couldn’t continue. My gaze shot toward the Ice Cream Shack and I froze. A knot the size of a bowling ball rolled through the pit of my stomach. Tate lounged in the sand with two pretty girls in bikinis, Symphony lying in between.