Moments later, there is a knock at the door before it opens. Emily steps inside and we all yell, “Surprise!”
She gasps. She is shocked at first, and that makes everyone laugh. Then her shock breaks into a breathtaking smile as I hug her tightly.
“I’ve missed you so much, Emily,” I say. “Welcome home.”
She hugs me back tightly. “Thank you. This is fantastic!” she says. Her mother and father are grinning. She appraises the cake and giggles at the napkins. She grins at the welcome home sign and hugs her brother, who tells her he loves her. You can tell they mean the world to each other.
Uncle Jim bought her an entire outfit for the beach, complete with sandals, a floppy hat to keep the sun out of her face, and a beach bag. My mother bought her a charm bracelet with little charms of different sea animals and seashells, a beach ball, and the sun.
We all have cake and catch up. I tell Emily I’ve decided to begin a fundraiser for her chemotherapy treatments. That seems to make her parents the happiest.
Emily tells us about people she met at the hospital, like another little girl who has cancer and has been battling it since she was only three months old. You can tell she is so happy to be here and out of the hospital.
When it’s dark, Emily’s energy starts to go quickly. She leaves after being at the party for four hours and eating and talking and laughing with everyone.
Her parents take her home, but Ben stays behind to hang out more.
Soon, Uncle Jim leaves, too. My mother starts to clean up and McKenna goes to help her do dishes and take down decorations.
Ben and I find ourselves alone again, sitting on the couch, similar to the way we were hours prior. Throughout the entire party, there was energy between us. We kept looking at each other and we ended up standing closer than was polite, time and time again.
When it was time to cut the cake, he helped me hand out pieces and brushed his hand across mine every chance he got, which made me blush a bright shade of coral across my sun freckled cheeks. If he walked around me, his hand would brush my waist or my arm and I know it wasn’t an accident. Every touch was electric. It was addicting. I was glad he kept doing it, even though we were in the middle of everyone.
Now alone, we sit an inch apart, not saying a word. Seconds tick by and I think, ‘When is he going to kiss me already? Am I ready for him to kiss me?’ Jacob flashes into my mind and I immediately push him out.
“You make a good cake,” he says suddenly. He looks so nervous. Maybe I’m crowding him?
“Thank you,” I say a little too politely and go to move away from him. As I do, he takes my hand to stop me. A jolt soars through my veins and I keep my eyes tightly on his. He doesn’t look away, coming closer to place his lips on mine.
The kiss is tender, careful, and nervous. It’s as if he’s never kissed a girl before.
I press harder, moving his lips with my own. It’s almost animalistic to keep going, to keep kissing him and never stop.
Finally we break away from each other, but we never stop touching.
“Wow,” he says. I grin.
“Do you want some more cake?” I ask, awkwardly. My heart is flying, pounding against my ribs. I love it. It’s like running. He’s like running.
“That would be great,” he says, standing quickly. We have another piece. This is something I’m not very used to, so many sweets in one day.
I take it easy, sipping water and nibbling my cake. He doesn’t have that problem. He eats quickly, not worrying about a stomachache. He drinks two cups of milk with his cake.
I stick mostly to the icing, eating it with a spoon. Ben watches me, smiling.
“You have chocolate all over your face.”
I giggle, wiping it with my fingers. “Oops.”
McKenna comes into the kitchen where we are, sitting at the table. She yawns.
“It’s getting kind of late,” she says. “What are you still doing here, Ben?”
I can tell she’s probing for information, or just trying to mess with us. Either way it’s annoying.
“He wanted more cake,” I reply, smiling at her with a big, sardonic smile. She rolls her eyes and behind Ben’s back mouths the words, “Ben and Malina… sitting in a tree…”
I glare her at her before looking to Ben. “It is kind of late,” I say. “We can talk tomorrow?” I suggest. He stares at me for a moment before taking the hint.
“You’re right. Thanks for the cake, Malina. And the party, it was great.”
I grin. “Yes, it was.”
“Till tomorrow,” he calls over his shoulder as he leaves the kitchen and saunters out of the front door. I follow to lock it behind him for the night.
“That was so rude, McKenna,” I say as I make my way back into the kitchen. She rolls her eyes and stands, coming to have some more cake for herself. We eat in silence. She yawns many times.
“Are you seeing anyone?” I wonder. She glances at me for a moment.
“Maybe,” she murmurs. “Are you?”
“Maybe,” I say, trying my hardest to mimic her voice. She finally laughs.
“Shut up,” she says. “I am if you are.”
“I don’t know if I am,” I tell her truthfully. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“So talk about it,” she says. “What’s the big deal?”
“It’s new. It’s new and I don’t know how Emily will feel about it.”
“Have you gone on a date? Has he kissed you? Are you still talking to Jacob?” she asks in a rush.
I groan. “No, I’m not talking to him. And no we haven’t gone on a date.”
“But he kissed you?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you didn’t answer!” she says. “He kissed you! How was it?”
“Gross, I’m not telling you that!”
“Oh, come on,” she says. “I’m your sister. It’s not like I’m mom.”
“It was okay. Okay? Now drop it.”
“Fine,” she grumbles.
“I’m going to bed,” I say. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The following morning, I have cake again for breakfast. While I eat, I wonder if I should call Ben or go over to see him and Emily. I think and count how much of summer I have left. A month. I have a month left of summer, four lousy weeks. I have to make them count.
After breakfast, I decide to run the trail Emily showed me. I will spend the rest of my summer running and jumping and playing and having fun. I will do everything to make Emily happy and comfortable. I’ll spend more time with my mother. And I’ll definitely, definitely spend more time with Ben.
My run is heavenly. The weather is not too hot, not too cool. It’s just right for a quick, speedy run through the woods. Even though my run is great, it’s not quite the same without Emily next to me on her bike, racing forward to beat me to the clearing of trees and bushes.
I glance up for a moment, turning on the curve portion of the trail that winds around tall oak trees and thick bamboo. The breeze picks up and I take a deeper breath. As soon as I do, I open my eyes to someone else on the trail, too close. We smack into each other. A scream leaks from my lips as I fall onto my back, smacking my head hard on the cold dirt. Oh, no.
My head throbs and I struggle to open my eyes.
“Oh, shit,” someone says. I try to place their voice. I don’t think it’s a stranger.
“Malina!” Ben says. I groan and raise my hand to my forehead. I’m finally able to open my eyes. He’s leaning over me. His nose is bleeding and dripping onto the ground beside me. I want to move away from the drip, but can’t.
“Are you okay?” he asks, he wipes something from my cheek. “Don’t cry, Malina. I’m so sorry!”
I’m crying? Oh, no, could this get any worse?
“Ben?” I try to say his name but it comes out in the form of a question. It’s like I’ve been knocked senseless. “My head…”
“Yeah, it’s Ben. I didn’t see you. I came around the trees and there you w
ere. How do you feel?” he asks. I stare at him, still now, just watching him. His nose has stopped dripping. Thankfully, it doesn’t look broken.
“Are you okay?” I ask him. He takes my hand.
“I’m fine,” he says, wiping his blood onto his t-shirt. “Your forehead met my nose.”
I laugh, even though it hurts my head, and try to sit straight up. He gently pushes me back down.
“Wait, just a moment,” he says. “You don’t want to get up too quickly.”
“I thought you didn’t run anymore?” I ask him. “Because of your ankle?”
“Yeah, well,” he says. “You inspired me to try again. And I was doing pretty well until I got all tangled up with you.”
I grin and he smiles back. “Can I get up now?” I ask him.
“Yes, but slowly.”
He grabs my hand and my elbow, helping me up like you would help a small child to stand. The world turns for a moment before righting itself. I stare at Ben and Ben only. He dusts me off, running his hands along my t-shirt.
“Okay?” he asks me.
“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
“For what? Your concussion?”
I giggle. “No. For helping me up.”
“I’ll help you up anytime, Malina.”
“I should go home now,” I say. “I think I need to lie down.”
“No… Then I’ll just feel bad. I ruined your morning. I’m sure you had a whole day planned,” he says. “Let me take you somewhere. I’ll make sure you don’t slip into a coma.” He grins.
“Take me where?” I wonder. We start off down the trail, the way he was coming, towards town.
“I don’t know.... the movies? Out for brunch?”
“Like a date?” I ask.
He pauses. “Yes,” he says confidently. “A date. If you’re interested.”
“I’m very interested,” I grin.
“Perfect.”
We see a movie. I haven’t been to the movies in a year or more. Since last summer, back home. We eat popcorn and snacks and drink extra large sodas.
When the movie is over, we walk around our neighborhood. While we walk, we talk.
“What do you think Emily will think of this?” I wonder. He looks confused.
“Of what?”
“This,” I say. “Us being together like this. I am Emily’s friend, you know.”
“She isn’t my keeper, Malina.” He chuckles. “I’m sure it’s alright.”
“I guess.”
“Are you hungry?” he wonders. I nod slowly.
“We could go to this really good health foods place?” I suggest. “I found it the first weekend I lived here. It’s not far from here.”
“Health foods?” He grins at me again; that beautiful grin.
“Yeah, like vegan, vegetarian foods. Fruit smoothies and juices that cleanse your whole body…” I say. I glance around trying to find which street we are on. Now, we are on Sunset Blvd. The health food place, named ‘The Green People’ is on Coconut Avenue.
We head in that direction.
“They make ice cream out of bananas,” I tell him. “And these really good vegan cookies. They taste great.”
“You eat this stuff?”
“It’s all I eat,” I say. “Well... used to be. Your sister has gotten me into some pretty unhealthy habits lately… but that’s okay.” I chuckle.
He grins. “Yeah, well, our family has always just eaten anything we wanted.”
“I figured,” I smile at him.
“So…” he murmurs, taking my hand in his. “Tell me more about you.”
“More?” I joke. “I’m not sure how much more there is,” I say, honestly.
“Oh, come on,” he says. “Tell me anything.”
I decide to tell him the first things that come to mind.
“I have a friend back home. Her name is Addie,” I say. “I miss my old school, even though I’ll probably never see it again. I’m nervous about going to a different school and I believe my mom started our life over to get away from the memory of my dad, because, as all people do when they pass away, he’s not coming back.”
He listens carefully, his brow furrowing. Maybe I freaked him out.
“I love yellow,” I continue. “It’s my favorite color. I have six awards for running track and across country. They are the things I’m most proud of. My dad got me into running. He ran every day, and when I was little I followed behind him trying my hardest to keep up. When I got older I’d run track and exercise for an hour every day when I got home from school. I just love fitness and health, and I love doing yoga. It’s so peaceful. It all just reminds me of my dad.” I tell him, smiling. “Oh, and I’ve been really into paddle boarding since I moved here. My uncle taught me.”
We are getting closer to the health food store, so I pause, not sure if he wants me to go on. It’s quiet until we get to the store. He opens the door for me, like a gentleman, and stands in line with me behind two other people.
“I like yellow, too,” he says finally. “Though I tell everyone my real favorite color is Blue,” he confesses.
I grin. “Really?”
“Yep,” he says. “But not a feminine yellow though… like, a manly yellow.”
I giggle. Soon, it’s our turn in line. I order a Veggie Delight Sub chocked full of amazingly fresh veggies and a vegan cookie with vitamin water and Ben orders the most unhealthy thing on the healthy menu: Spaghetti with extra garlic bread and a soda.
I eat slowly, chewing my food so I’ll know for sure when I’m full.
“Tell me some things about you?” I ask. He takes a sip of his Dr. Pepper, thinking with a funny look on his face. He was obviously the class clown of his school.
“Well, you know I like yellow,” he says. “I play guitar… but only when I can’t sleep. I read as many books as I can, and watch movies whenever I have down time. I love learning, as nerdy as that just made me sound. I was going to go to college, but Emily got sick and I thought… if I left it would make her even more sick, because I know how much she would miss me.” He forcefully smiles.
“What were you going to study?” I urge him on. I know talking about his sister will bring down his playful mood. Besides… I have faith Emily will pull through and beat her cancer. She has to. She just has to.
“I wasn’t sure. I was just going to go and see what I liked. I had chosen psychology as my major, was all ready to go to Los Angeles, to their University, but then she got sick.”
“I haven’t thought much about college. Do you think it's necessary?” I wonder. I try to picture myself going off to college, traveling back to the Continental US and sitting in classrooms I’ve never seen and meet people I’d never expect to meet.
Why do those things when I’m going to have that experience in High School? No friends, no life, no happiness. Besides Emily and Ben.
“I think it’s necessary if you want a good paying job… other than that, no.”
“Good paying jobs are a necessity… so I’ve heard.”
“So I’ve heard, too,” he says. He smiles at me. “You wanna go to the beach?” he wonders.
“The beach?” I say. “You know it’s not good to swim after you eat? It’s kind of a universal rule.”
He stands, dumping his leftover food into the trash bin behind our table. “I choose to ignore the rules. I’m up for it if you are?” he asks, pausing before heading for the door. I jump up, tossing my trash into the bin but keeping my water.
“Wait for me!” I laugh. He’s already across the street. He waits, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe you left me. How rude!” I tease him. He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me in as we walk.
“I never would have left, Malina.”
“I don’t have any bathing suits… I don’t think.” I try to remember. I have a couple, but I don’t want to wear that one in front of Ben. They are old and outdated.
“We can buy you one? There’s a small shop right up
the street from us.”
“Umm, sure” I say, tentatively.
“Race you!” he says and releases my waist, taking off down the pavement. I bolt after him, weaving to miss pedestrians and fire hydrants. He wins, of course, because of his head start. He doesn’t boast. He just wraps his arm back around my waist and offers to buy my swimsuit. And anything else I may need today.
“You don’t have to,” I say and tug him along, down to the summer clothing store. We scour the aisles, looking at every two-piece in the store. He picks up a blue and red one, holding it in front of his body.
“Think these are my colors?” he asks, grinning his goofy grin. I giggle.
“Oh, yes.”
I spot a light blue bikini and snatch it off the rack. “This one is perfect!” I say, showing Ben, holding it up in the air. He glances up and grins; hanging the one he had back onto the rack.
“I think that’s perfect,” he says. “Lets get that one.”
“Really?” I say, checking the price tag. “It’s forty dollars.”
“Perfect,” he says, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. “That’s the one you want, right?”
“I guess,” I say. “I’ll pay you back.”
He tugs some cash out of his wallet before sticking it back into his pocket. “Come on, Malina.”
“How do you always have money?” I know that’s an invasive question, but I’m curious. He hasn’t worked since we met, at least.
“I have a savings account from when I work,” he tells me. “I also inherited my grandparents estate when they passed last January.”
I pause. I watch as he pays for the bikini and smiles kindly at the woman as she hands him the paper bag.
“Thank you,” he says to her. “Come on,” he says. I follow him out of the store and towards the exit of the mall. “Is that all you wanted?”
“Yes,” I say. “So… you have a lot of money?” I ask him as indifferently as possible. He grins and puts his finger to his lips.
“Shh,” he whispers and takes my hand, leading me out into the sunshine.
The beach is full of people today. Kids running and playing and digging holes in the Earth, parents sunbathing, not worrying too much about what their kids are doing. I see a couple walking on the beach, near the water. The woman points out into the ocean, at the horizon, and the man nods at her, saying something that she finds interesting. I smile at them, because I know Ben and I look as good as they do.
Malina Beach: A Paradise Island Series Page 9