How to Disappear: Based On True Events.

~Part 16~ Lighter

Ivan comes up, he puts his hands on my back, under the water. He slowly pushes me in a surface, as I float. It's so peaceful. The tides are still, the kids who came into the splashing war are playing around the beach. Birds fly above in the sky, so blue, but not too blue. The sun peaked over fluffy clouds. I took Ivan in, with his square cut jaw, glowing green eyes, and sunny blonde hair that toppled on his head in curls. He felt safe, that's all I have to say about him. I turn my head to look back up at the sky, tearing my gaze from him. He pushes me in slow circles for a minute, before helping me out of the water. We step in the direction of the board walk, walking our wet feet into the gritty sand. "So you, and grace are 19. How come you guys aren't in college, or anything?" I was curious about his life, I mean their life. "Grace goes to a school of arts for her love of designing clothes in August. She got accepted a couple months back, she just decided to take a gap year." I imagine Grace's sunny face when she handed me her clothes, excited to dress me up like a doll. "So, then what about you?" I don't know, I'm just here till Grace heads off to college. I couldn't leave her here for a whole year by her self, she needed me. I needed her. I guess I don't really have a plan." I nod, a little bit shocked by the fact that he doesn't have a plan. "I'm in the same about, I know how you feel. I came here from Kansas, I have nowhere to go, no plan, I'm just here." Our feet hit the wooden board walk, I hoist my surf board up with my arm. We walk in silence for a few minutes. The silence isn't bad with him, it's reassuring, it feels safe. We decide to get ice cream cones, I get strawberry, and he gets chocolate mint. "I can't understand how somebody possibly can eat chocolate and min at the same time." I give him my best repulsive face, but end up smiling instead. He dips his finger in his ice cream, taking it out, with a huge glob on the end. His eyes shine, daring. "You wouldn't!" I stare back at him, daring him to do what I think he's about to." Before I can process of, his finger go forward, there a huge glob of ice cream on my nose. I'm squealing, trailing my finger I just dipped in ice cream, down his face. He looks at his ice cream cone, then me. "Oh no, please!" I try to run, he's faster. He twirls me around, and shoves his ice cream cone on my forehead. It's cold, and smells like mint. I shreik at the contact, my jaw drops. He's full on laughing, his face is erupted in a smile. It's nice. Relaxed. I don't even give it a second thought, I fling my cone, the ice cream goes sailing, landing in his chin, and down his wet suite. He gasped, then chases after me. I run, laughing. For the first time I feel a sense of freedom. There's still a lot of burden weighing me down, but as I'm running down the boardwalk, lights glowing, I feel lighter.

~

We got home, I mean back to Ivan's house around lunch. Grace was back, taking in our wet suites, and boards covered in sticky ice cream. "I don't even want to know." She laughs. "Hey Grace, after you take a shower, and get clean of Ivan's famous ice cream attack, let's watch a movie. Have a little girls night." Ivan gives Grace a face of distain. "Aww poor bro, left out once again. I always told mom, you should've been a girl." She laughed jokingly. He laughed too "Then again Grace, you also always used to tell her when you farted, and burped." They laughed. "Yep, I was an odd kid, but you loved this odd kid." "I was forced too." I laughed, laughter spilling from me. It felt crazy to hear it, I haven't laughed like this in a while. I smiled as I said stepped them to get to the bathroom. This felt nice, I thought, as I scrubbed away Ivan's ice cream off of me, in the shower. I smiled looking back on this morning, this really did feel lighter, but the question is,
Am I light enough to fly, or will I truly sink?