Ripples

Chapter 1 Aren't We Suppose To Be Strangers?

HELEN

William Shakespeare once wrote: " My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep, the more I give to thee, the more I have for both are infinite."

What he means, is that his love and affection for that special someone is limitless and unconditional, never ending, like the depths of the universe. That's what all girls really want in life, to have their own Romeo. If they didn't have their Romeo how could they live their life as Juliet?

Now, let me tell you about my best summer ever.

...

It was a hot summer day, and I was stuck at a summer camp, volunteering to get my service credits for high school. My parents were gone for the summer working, as they usually do because we don't have much to live off of. My sister... well I don't really know nor do I care what she's doing this summer.

I got stuck with the job of fetching the fishing hooks that got caught somewhere in the dirty, seaweed filled lake. In the middle of plucking a hook out of the tangles of seaweed, I stupidly stab myself in the thumb and cry out in pain and shock. I rush to the nearest bathroom, which unfortunately is the men's one. But luckily this bathroom is empty.

"Oh! Yeah man no problem. I have no idea where the girl that was suppose to clean the lake went, but I'll do it." a man says. There's a pause and then the same voice speaks up again.

"Women. I guess you can't rely on them anymore. Nah, seriously it's cool I'll do it." he chuckles while stepping inside the bathroom.

I close my eyes hoping he won't see me which is foolish because I know he can. I clear my throat and continue to cleanse my thumb as if seeing a girl in the men's bathroom is normal. the man stops and stares at me, a small grin playing on his lips. I turn to him and return a small smile and grab the paper towel and a bandage.

I walk out of the bathroom and down towards the lake. What was it that he said about woman? Oh yeah...

I hear footsteps following after me and pray that it will go away. But to no avail, the unknown man stops besides me and I wrap the bandage around my thumb and get back to work.

"Oh. so you're the chick that left her post. Well, now I know why." he lets out a small chuckle and I turn to him clearly not amused by the use of the word chick.

"First of all I'm not some chick, great first impression by the way, and the way you downgraded women is in no way tolerable at this camp where we actually learn some manners." I say with false innocence. "Also, I'm not really in the mood for your boy-ish sarcastic remarks because God knows I've had enough of that in my life."

"Wow... You're talking about my first impression?" He doesn't seem offended in anyway and I'm glad because I have no idea why I just went off on a stranger like that. I don't even know where this all came from.. it must be my sliced thumb or something.

"Sounds like you have a load of problems. Care to share?"He gestures for me to sit on the ground.

"Why should I? I barely know you..." I say eyeing him suspiciously but taking a seat on the ground anyways.

"Sometimes people feel freer when taking to strangers than talking to a close one." he says thoughtfully.

"Why's that?" I ask out of curiosity.

"I don't know.... I guess, because the stranger sees us the way we are rather than the way he/she wishes to think we are." he shrugs.

It takes me a minute to really ponder over this and in a way, it makes sense.