The Summer I Met You || ✔︎

S e v e n

Reaching the beach and feeling the sand between my toes I instantly feel at peace about the feelings inside of me. Putting my bag down and going to get out three lawn chairs, I hear the boat reach the beach and turn around instantly to see my best friend.

"Hey Ella, I think we should have a boat day instead."

"Okay sure!" I call out to her reaching for my bag to get onto the boat.

Jack helps me onto the boat and I sit beside Beth. It wasn't until I was really settled on the boat that I noticed Abby and Daniel there too.

"Whats he doing here?" I question glaring at Daniel.

"I invited them Ella be nice," Beth tells me.

"Ya be nice E-squared," Daniel chimes in. Rolling my eyes I turn my attention back towards Beth.

"So what shall we do today on our boat day?" I ask.

"I was thinking we could do some water sports," Beth explained.

"That sounds fun doesn't it babe," Abby says looking directly at Daniel.

Looking over at Daniel, I see that he isn't even looking over at Abby, instead his eyes are focused completely on me. To get Daniel to focus on her again Abby pulls his face to look at her and our intense stare stops. Looking away I hear him respond to her and a pang of sadness waves over me.

"Come on Ella," Beth says grabbing my hand.

"What?" I look at her confused as she pulls be to the back of the boat.

Instead of her answering me I feel her push me into the water. My body hitting the warmish lake with a huge splash. My body starts flaring all over the place, anxiety starts to set in that I'm drowning or something. All of a sudden I hear a splash right beside me and arms wrap around me stopping me from flaring all over the place. Reaching the surface I grab onto the boat as quickly as I can, looking behind me I see the forest green eyes that can't seem to get out of my head.

"Th...anks," I cough out looking into his eyes.

"Ella!" I hear Beth yell as her and Jack pull me out of the water.

As soon as I'm back on the boat Beth wraps a towel around me and sits me down on the side.

"I'm so sorry Ella," Beth repeats.

Instead of responding I just hug her, not knowing what to say but wanting her to know that I know she didn't mean any harm and that she didn't think I would freak out. While hugging Beth I see Daniel come out of the water staring at me. For the second time that day we had an intense staring contest before Abby goes and wrecks it pulling Daniel in for a hug.

"Good job babe," she tells him. He doesn't respond just keeps looking over at me and mouths 'you're welcome'.  I look away from him and focus my attention back on Beth.

"Let's go tubbing," I suggest.

"You sure? You just had a crazy experience in the water," Beth says cautiously.

"Yeah E-squared I wouldn't push yourself right now," Daniel pipes in, and everyone looks at him in utter shock at his concern for me.

"I'm fine Beth, please you know I love tubbing," I say giving her my signature puppy dog eyes.

"Fine we'll go tubbing," she says giving in. Smiling I hug her tightly before getting up to go to the drivers seat to drive us back to the boat house.

~*~

It doesn't take us long to get everything we need to go tubbing. I make sure before I get on the boat again that I have my wetsuit on and that I have my life jacket. Beth made sure that we had everything else to go tubbing.

When we get back out onto the crystal clear waters we finish setting everything up. Before I get on I decide to ask if anyone wants to go first or wants to go with me. The only person who responds is Daniel.

"I'll go with you."

"Okay perfect get on then you to," Beth tells us.

Hesitantly I get on to the tube, with Daniel right behind me. He slowly puts his arm around my back to grab onto the handle that's on the other side of me. I look over at him, he just looks back at me lost in my eyes. Beth snaps us out of our third trance, calling out to ask us if we are ready, I give her a thumbs up and were off. 

Daniel gets thrown off the tube almost immediately, I manage to stay on but that's only with years of practice with Beth's driving and with my death grip. Laughing the entire time at the amount of fun I'm having Beth finally decides to give up and slows down to stop and pick up Daniel.

"How the heck did you stay on?" Daniel asks me. I just shrug in response not wanting to divulge my secrets.

"You did good babe," Abby pipes in trying to get attention from Daniel again.

"Why don't you and Daniel go for a ride Abby," I say to them.

"Thats a great idea, thanks Ella," she tells me. Nodding in reply I move a side so Abby and Daniel can get back onto the tube.  When they get on I sit beside Jack as Beth is driving again.

Feeling a poke in my side once the boat gets going again I turn and look at Jack, the only person who could've poked me.

"Yes?" I ask.

"He likes you, not her," he tells me.

"What?" I question.

"Daniel. He doesn't like Abby, he likes you," Jack explains.

"Yeah right he does, all he does is try to get on my nerves and get my attention."

"Guys only do that when there's a girl who's driving them crazy in their head."

"He doesn't like me."

"He so does, I saw the three times he looked at you intensely and didn't break away until someone interrupted him." Jack tells me.

"Whatever you say Jack," I respond rolling my eyes and turning my attention back to Abby and Daniel.