Sunsets

Brian

Beach, Third Grade Love, and Charlie.

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I leave the house at six-fifty-five. I walk fast down the stairs and take off my shoes once my feet touch the sand. I put my flip flops in my left hand holding them by the straps with my towel in my left. They jiggle around as I walk fast towards the ocean and the towel edges scrape the sand gently. I don't see Bella yet but I assume that she'll be late because that's what all girls do on dates. Be 'fashionably late'. It's so annoying, why do girls think that makes them adorable?

I walk slower because I realize that there is nothing for me to hurry about. Bella. I see Charlie the stork walking around, begging for food. Charlie heads to the shallow ends of the crystal clear blue water waiting for fish to eat. He lunges head first in the water when he sees one. Charlie lives up in the trees behind The Floren, an ugly rundown two story-four condo home on the beach. No pool, but shuffleboard on the tarmac that only lasts a couple of steps. Floren is written on the side of the building in white and cursive writing. Also at the front of the building on a white sign. No one really stays in there, maybe the odd one couple with two kids, it definitely isn't a luxury place to stay.

I listen to the ocean's waves. The calming sound takes over my body as I let go and relax.

Soon enough, maybe five minutes later, a small and shy voice says: "Hi Brian."

I turn around fast, holding my breath. "Hey Bells." I say to her, running my hand through my hair pushing it back. I smile at her. "Come sit with me." I tell her. I move over and pat the ground where I wanted her to sit. She laughs and smiles. She sits down and crosses her legs.

She grabs a fistful of sand and puts it on her bare leg. I notice she's wearing a different outfit then the one she was wearing at school. She now has a pair of black stretch shorts on with a plain red top that says 'AMERICA'.

She starts to doodle on her leg, making patterns in the sand. She's drawn a star. A perfect star. She smiles, then wipes it away.

The noise of the ocean waves fill the silence between us. I watch her draw things. She's a great artist.

"So..." I say, attempting to make a conversation.

She looks at me, sweetly. "So?" She responds.

"You're a great artist, where did you learn how to draw like that?" I ask her.

"My aunt got me into it at a young age, now I go to art lessons once a week."

"That's so cool. Teach me?" I ask, raising one eyebrow up. She giggles.

"Sure, here." Bella says, she clears the sand to make a flat, clear area to draw on. She takes my hand and makes my index finger the only one stretched out. She helps me draw a daisy. It looks pretty good.

I like the way her hand feels on mine. She lets go and immediately my hand feels empty.

I move my fingers around craving her touch but it doesn't come back.

"How long are you able to stay?" I ask her.

"I don't think that it matters how long I stay, I live on the beach, this is my backyard remember?" She says with a duh-like voice.

I smile. "Well, that's good isn't it?" I say, super smoothly. At least, I think I sound smooth.

She giggles again. Why do girls giggle so much? Like you literally say hi and they giggle? Is there something wrong with girl's brain that makes them giggle each time anything happens?