Chasing Collins

One

ONE

We met a little before the leaves started to change colors, we only spent nine months together but those nine months were the best nine months of my life.

        I remember the first time I saw him, he was wearing a stupid red beanie that his mother bought him for Christmas, which I hated because it covered most of his face.  But, God, did he look cute in that beanie!  He had a tank top on with blue and green stripes that matched his eyes perfectly and pants that hugged his butt nicely. He was at one of those skate shops on the strip of Venice looking at a new deck, which he didn’t end up buying.

         I walked in and he looked at me and smiled one of those half smiles, for a second my knees buckled and I forgot how to walk knocking over the shirt on the rack. He came to help pick it up and see if I was okay. “I’ve never seen you around before, did you just move here?” I felt a little drunk on the words that he spoke; it took me a second to reply. “Oh, yes, I just moved from Florida. South Florida.” I cut myself off before I started to ramble, which I tend to do when I get nervous. “Maybe I’ll see you around then, until then try not to trip and hurt yourself again.” I just nodded and smiled because I couldn’t get words out of my mouth.

        Walking out of the store Emily just laughed at me and said, “Do you know who that is?” Well of course I didn’t, I’ve lived here for a week and I only knew Emily because she was my neighbor. I just looked at her hoping it was a rhetorical question, thankfully it was. “That’s Chase Collins, not only is he the captain of the lacrosse team but he’s one of the best skaters and surfers in the state. He also happens to be my best friend.”

        I started laughing and my face got red.  “So you’re telling me I just made a fool out of myself in front of one of the most popular guys at school? There goes my reputation and I haven’t even started yet.” She nodded and giggled.

         We walked the strip until the sun was just about to go down. “Let’s go on the pier, the nightlife is starting and you have to be there.” She took my hand and dragged me along with her. We grabbed a coke and she took out her flask, “I’m okay with just my coke for now, thanks though.” She looked at me with questioning eyes, “Whatever you say.” Then she made a cheers motion to me and took a gulp from her flask. We ended up standing in line to get cotton candy on a stick because it is my absolute favorite thing in the whole world, but of course as soon as I get my cotton candy my feet did that weird thing where they forget how to walk and I dropped it and scraped my knee on one of the wooden panels.

         There he was, standing there, not that far away because he saw and came to help me up. I didn’t realize it was him until he spoke, “Hey, are you okay? Crap, you’re bleeding, come and sit down let me clean you up.” Before I could say anything he helped me up and sat me down on a bench. Then he went to the store next to us and came back with a Band-Aid and rubbing alcohol to clean it out. “It’s going to sting a little bit okay? I’m going to count to three and on three I’m going to put the alcohol on the cut. Ready 1…2…” right before he said three he poured it on the cut, I squirmed a little bit but he looked at me and smiled. 

        I couldn’t feel it burning anymore. Looking at him took the pain away; from then on I decided I wanted to look at him every time I was in pain. “Emily, I think we need to take her to buy some new feet, she got gypped when she bought these.” We all laughed but I was still embarrassed about making a fool of myself again in front of him.

        “I’m Chase by the way, what’s your name?” I started to stumble on my words, but managed to say, “Elizabeth, Elizabeth Waters.” He gave that half crooked smile again and said, “Well Elizabeth Waters, I’ll be right back. Emily, don’t let her go anywhere.” As he walked off I put my face into my hands and shook my head, when I looked up he was with his friends.