Since the previous night, my dad was pissed at us. For waking him out of his sleep to catch us sneaking out in the middle of the night. He gave us a long lecture early in the morning, and I barely remembered what he said, as I was half asleep.
I was grounded, and he made it clear to Caleb of the rules in the house.
We went on my daily run.
"Geez, and I thought your mom was worse."
"Huh?" He turned his whole body to my attention
"Your mom. I've met her before, do you remember?"
"Of course I remember, but how do you remember her?"
"I have good memory."
He stared at me confused.
"And you didn't even mention your sister, who attends the same school as us," I continued, raising an eyebrow.
"What's the real reason to why your family is so secretive?"
He realized he had been caught in his web of lies. I waited for him to answer, but he stayed silent, unable to come up with an excuse. It was clear that our daily runs were not just about exercise, but about finding the truth.
I had to remind him that trust was the key to our relationship.
"My family is different from most, but that's what makes us special."
It was like he was telling the truth but lying at the same time.
"Different in what way?"
"We have a different culture and way of life compared to most families," he said, as he continued.
We come from a mixed-race background and have traditions and customs that may not be familiar to others. For example, our family celebrates holidays from multiple cultures and we incorporate them into our own unique traditions. We embrace it wholeheartedly.
"I didn't know you were religious and I didn't know your family celebrated Christmas and Diwali! I love learning about different cultures and traditions."
"Maybe I could visit your side of the family, and teach me about your culture and traditions."
He said without hesitation, "No I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?"
He changes the subject. Our run leads up to a waterfall, in the privacy of the secluded forest. As the water cascades down the rocks, he turns to me and says, "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"
I smile, and nodded my head.
"This is the waterfall of peaceful oasis," I said gazing at the cascading water.
"I made that name up, since I was a child."
Caleb chuckles.
"Apparently, "It's said to bring truth and good fortune to anyone who stands beneath it."
"That's just a lengend, right." His expression turned serious.
I shrugged, "Who knows? But it can't hurt to try."
I push him into the water as he lets out a scream.
I admired his body and couldn't help but feel a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. I watched as his hair fell in his face, and his nipples were erected from the cold water, as I could see them peeking out his wet shirt. His toned muscles and cute smile were enough to make any girl's heart skip a beat. But as I looked closer, I noticed the scar on his arm, and I hadn't noticed because he always wore long sleeve shirts.
I was faced back to reality.
"What are you doing?!" he yells, completely soaked.
I laugh and shrug again. "I just wanted to see if you could swim."
"What if I couldn't swim," he asked, looking slightly worried.
"Then I would have to come and save you," I replied with a grin, before jumping off the cliff into the cool water below.
He glares at me, but then a smile breaks out.
"Canon ball!"
I crashed into the water, sending waves in all directions.
The water felt so refreshing after a long run. I rested my head on Caleb's shoulder, and closed my eyes. The sun was shining, and the water falling to the river calmed me down. To the sounds of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.
"Your body feels so good," he said.
"It's soft, like a baby."
We swayed in the water, in a rhythmic rhythm.
"I used a body scrub," I admitted with a shy smile as I leaned back into his touch.
"Well now you know it works." He kisses me on the cheek, sending a feeling of love through my body.
His hands worked wonders on my tense muscles, relieving all the build up stress I had been dealing with.
"Maybe we should do this more often" he suggested, a smile playing on his lips.
I smiled back.
I traced his tattoos and noticed that they depicted various symbols and images that seemed to hold great meaning to him. Each tattoo told a story, and I found myself fascinated by the designs and hidden messages that I couldn't understand.
"Do you regret your tattoos?"
"Yes and no. I feel like I'm judged or labeled because of them. But it's apart of my families culture, and traditions."
"Really? To be tattooed before the age of 18 is crazy."
"Tell me about." He chuckles.
"It's okay, I really like them," I reassured him. I understood that he had no control over things like this and I didn't want him to feel bad.
"Thank you."
The tattoos weren't the only things that fascinated me about him; there was also a scar on his arm that triggered my curiosity. The scar was a thick, jagged line that seemed to stretch from his wrist to his elbow.
As I traced my finger over it, I could feel his body tense up, as if he was reliving the moment it happened.
I apologized for touching it, but he reassured me that it was alright.
It's from my childhood. You know every kid playing outside, you get those permanent scars somewhere on your body? Well, that's what happened to me. I was playing with my brothers and we were running around the neighborhood. I tripped and fell on a piece of broken glass. It was a deep cut, and even though it healed, the scar remained.
"I can only imagine the pain you went through."
"Oh you don't want to imagine it."
"It hurt so bad, I felt like I was dying."
He continued.
This scar always reminds me of that incident, but sometimes I forget it's even there till someone mentions it." He said, pointing to the faded line on his arm.
We continued to sway in the river, while enjoying each other's company, and getting to know more about one another.
The river led up to the beach, where the water met the sandy shore in a gentle lapping rhythm. I could hear the sound of seagulls, crashing waves, and screams in the distance.
"What's that sound?" he asked as we walked along the shoreline, reaching the peak of the slope, the sun beaming behind us.
"That's the sound of people having fun and enjoying the summer," I replied.
I smiled, taking in the beautiful scene in front of me.
I saw my parents riding on a jet ski, their laughter echoing across the water.
A big waves comes, and knocks the jet ski over, sending my parents tumbling into the water. I rush over to help them, but they are already laughing and splashing around.
Where have you two been all day. I thought we were spending quality time as a family," she shouted over the sound of the waves, twisting her shirt to squeeze out the water. My dad behind her struggling to carry the jet ski.
Caleb runs over to help my dad, "Thank you" he said.
"They were just having some fun," my dad replies with a grin. His voice was heavy.
I roll my eyes, while Caleb looks away into another direction out of awkwardness.
"Mom, can I talk to you alone?"
"Yes, of course, Dream."
I walk away to make sure that nobody else could hear me.
"Can you and dad stop making these comments, about us. There is nothing going on, that you should be worried about."
"Like what, you and him having sex."
"That's not funny, mom. We're just friends and it's not appropriate to joke about something like that. It makes us uncomfortable and I don't appreciate it."
"I'm not trying to be funny, but let's not pretend you haven't done anything sexual with him."
"Why are you making assumptions?"
"Just because you got pregnant with me at 17 doesn't mean I will!"
"First of all, I didn't get pregnant by choice. And secondly, that's not even the point. The point is that you are old enough to make responsible decisions and not repeat my mistakes."
"Just trust me to make the right choices," I said stomping away.
My mother yelled after me, but I refused to listen. I wasn't going to let her past define my future.
"What's going on?" Caleb's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned to see him following behind me, with a concerned expression.
"My mother," I said, my voice heavy with emotion.
"She just doesn't understand. She thinks I will follow in her footsteps, but I will create my own path."
"Can you please stop walking fast, it's hard to keep up with you."
"I'm sorry," I said, feeling guilty for dragging him into my family drama. I sit on the sand and take a deep breath.
"It's okay," he said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"But maybe you should listen to your mother. She has more experience and wisdom than you realize."
I sighed, knowing deep down that he was right. But I couldn't let myself agree with it too quickly.
"You have a good mother Dreamy. Don't take it for granted," he said, as he continued.
Me on the other hand. My mother could careless what I do. I thought I'd never say this but sometimes I wish she cared more about me, and the things I do. So, I wouldn't be the way that I am.
But then again, maybe it's best that she doesn't care, because I wouldn't be able to skip school.
He laughs in hypocrisy.
"Yeah, we know how much you hate school."
He laughs again.
"Where's my peace," I said laying in the sand.
"Peace is over there," he said, pointing at the rides.
I glared at him, frustrated by his nonchalant response.
"I don't mean literal peace, I mean inner peace," I clarified.
The half part of this spring break trip was to escape the stress and chaos of school and find some mental clarity."
He sighed and shook his head. "But I guess that too much to ask for at an amusement park."
He lays above me, and kisses my forehead gently to my neck. I close my eyes and let out a content sigh, feeling completely loved and safe in his arms. His presence alone is enough to calm any storm within me, and I wasn't mad anymore.
I can't help but think that this is where I am meant to be. Peace.