The Yellow Umbrella

Chapter Twelve: Decisions

"Kai." I whispered, the frigid air swirling into white clouds as each breath escaped my lips. 

"Jake Morrow." She said slowly, emphasizing each syllable.

I couldn't have even imagined how absolutely mind boggled she must have felt to see me again. To me, she should have felt like a ghost haunting me of my past. But instead, I felt a warm feeling growing in my chest every second I looked at her.

It's strange to think about the of concept of growing up. I'm convinced I look the same every year, just taller. But then my mom whips out a picture of me as a baby, naked in a bathtub, and I'm forced to accept that I'm getting old.

The Kai I knew and the Kai I saw were two different people. It was as if with each passing year, she shrugged off her crooked teeth and short hair, and in front of me, stood someone completely different. Of course there were parts of her that stayed the same. Her long black hair was still silky, but now reached her lower back. Her smile was still crooked, but in a way that was charming, perfectly imperfect.

With Mia, I only knew of who she was after she had grown. But seeing Kai grown up, it made me want to find out which parts changed and which stayed the same from beyond the surface level. 

"Hey, Jake." Lily laughed.

"Oh, uh hi, Lily." I sputtered.

Lily pulled me back into reality. For a moment, it felt as if Kai and I were the only two on the beach, frozen in a time capsule of reminiscence. 

It was just so hard to focus when my childhood crush was standing right in front of me, not so childlike anymore. Maybe it was going to be the night all the loose ends were tied, or maybe it would lead to something new. I had no idea what to do or say.

Maybe they were mirages, and like Mia, they would disappear as quickly as they appeared in my life.

In a way, I used to consider Kai like Voldemort. If I never said her name or talked about her, maybe she would stay in the past.

Before I could think of something to say, the sound of someone jogging on the sand crunched behind us. We all spun around. Were we about to get killed by a beach murderer?

"Jake!" Grayson called, "Wyatt and I were looking for you-"

He slowed down as he caught sight of the Choi sisters. Even though it was freezing out, sweat stains prickled on the fabric of his shirt. Lifting it up, he wiped his face. 

"Is that the Lily Choi!" He said with fake shock.

She did a little spin and said, "I promised you I would come, didn't I?"

"Y-you invited her?" I said slowly.

My mind wasn't exactly functioning at its best capacity. How could he invite Lily and Kai without telling me?

Grayson chuckled, "Glad you kept the promise, I thought you might've forgot, it was like six years ago. Wow, you guys look good!"

"So good." I echoed.

I felt a little woozy so I leaned against Grayson for balance.

"You drank a lot, huh?" He laughed.

"Lily. Kai." I repeated, "You both look so good."

I was an idiot. Why couldn't I think of something better to say?

Lily blushed. Kai cocked her head and smiled as if she were watching a comedy.

"Don't mind him." Grayson explained, "He seems to have a case of word vomit when he drinks."

I tried to look at Kai slyly, but her eyes met mine and she blushed.