The next morning, Saturday morning, I found myself waking up way early - six o'clock. Why and how I was up so early was beyond me, but for some odd reason, I was wide awake. Any other day, Jewel would've been up at the exact same time as I was; that's just how it had always turned out. I remember previous summers where Jewel and I would have constant sleepover where we'd stay up all night long watching chick flicks, eating lots of candy and ice cream, and laughing our heads at these stuck-up girls at our school who thought they were better than everyone else. And although we wouldn't get to bed until really late at night - or should I say, really early in the morning - we'd still be up bright and early, opening our eyes at the same time.
But that morning, Jewel was unusually sound asleep.
So many thoughts flooded my mind like a nasty storm in the midst of summer; I thought about Travis and my night with him, how much fun I'd been having with my best friend, and the weird "coincidences" that were taking place. The thing that really caught my attention, though, was the present pit in my stomach. I didn't understand why it was there, but I had a strange, scary feeling that something terrible and life-changing was going to happen. I didn't know when; I didn't know how - I didn't know a lot of things.
But I could totally sense it.
As an attempt to clear my thoughts and put a hault to the lurching in my stomach, I decided to take a walk outside on the beach. The sun was just rising above the ocean - I could see it from the balcony in Jewel's and my room.
At that moment, I debated on waking up Jewel. In the beginning of the trip to Maine, Jewel and I promised each other that we would wake up, at least one of the mornings, super early to watch the sun peek peacefully above the serene waves. But something told me not to wake her up.
So, quietly sneaking past Jewel, I grabbed my favorite pink Victoria's Secret hoodie (one that Jewel had bought for me in the wintertime for Christmas) from my open suitcase on the desk by the doorway of our room. I unplugged my phone from its charger as well and continued on my way downstairs and out the door, making certain not to wake my parents.
Slipping out the sliding glass door, I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of my hoodie. I wondered who the heck would text me so early in the morning, especially since it obviously wasn't a text from sleeping Jewel or my parents. I cautiously opened the message.
Travis: Hey, April...I'm packing everything up to get ready and make my way back to NYC. I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed last night. You're a special girl, and I really wish we lived closer. I'll never forget you.
Reading the message from Travis, I felt my eyes begin to water. I really fell for Travis - in just one day. Imagine how great it would've been if I'd gotten the chance to get to know him better. We could've been something seriously amazing. I had always dreampt of a guy so perfect as Travis, but I never imagined actually meeting him; kissing him.
As I walked slowly to the breezy beach, I answered Travis. Our conversation went like this:
April: Travis, if only I got to know you better...I miss you already. :(
Travis: What are you doing up?! I thought you'd still be in bed.
April: I couldn't sleep...I'm on the beach.
Travis: Are you alone?
April: I am.
Travis: Same place as last night? Meet you there in a few. :)
April: <3
I didn't know why I had woken up so early, but I sure was delighted when I was given the oppurtunity to see Travis one last time. Sitting down on the sand, watching the sun rise, I anticipated his arrival with all of my heart. I hugged my knees to my chest, bracing myself for the hardest goodbye.
"Hey." I heard a familiar male voice from behind me.
Turning around, my golden brown hair swooshed over my shoulders. My eyes fell upon a boy.
But not my boy.
"Wha-what are you doing here?!" I screamed, scared half to death. I found myself staring at the boy who worked at the ice cream parlor and the candy store Jewel and I had visited earlier that week - the boy with black hair and mysterious, green eyes.
The boy kicked some sand with his foot and said, matter-of-factly, "My name is Adam."
I laughed. Why would I care what his name was? I just wanted him to leave me alone. Getting up, I replied, "Okay, 'Adam', I am meeting up with a very important person here any time now. So, if you don't mind, please stop freaking me out and be on your way." I swept some sand off of my sweat pants - the same pants I had worn to bed.
"I have every right to be on this beach, as do you," Adam said, smirking.
I glared at him and shook my head. "Whatever. Just please stay out of my way and stop sneaking up on me wherever I go." I quickly brushed past him and made my way towards the bench by the entrance of the beach to wait for Travis.
But Adam followed me.
He didn't sit next to me, and he kept his distance, but he remained within ten feet of me.
"Did you not hear what I said?" I growled, annoyed. I avoided eye contact with him and instead stared out at the ocean, which happened to be pretty rough. I could hear the waves crashing violently among the innocent shore but could barely see the dull sun rising in front of me through the dense fog.
"It means there's a storm brewing."
I looked up at Adam, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. What was he talking about? What meant there was a storm brewing? Adam had a very strong way of tapping into my brain, seizing my emotions, playing with my thoughts. It was almost as though he knew what was racing inside my mind.
And he also knew how to win that race.
"April...?"
I whipped my head to the right to see Travis with a hurt look on his face. My heart dropped. He must've thought I was flirting with Adam or something, which made me even more angry that stupid boy.
Jumping up, I threw my arms around Travis's neck and kissed him with such intensity that I was sure Adam would leave us alone.
But he didn't. He just stood there and watched. Creep, I thought to myself.
"Who's this...?" Travis asked softly, his eyes glued on Adam.
I shot Adam a death stare and sighed. Turning back to Travis, I said, "This is Adam. He works at that ice parlor called Jewel's Sweet Escape and some candy store a few blocks away. And for some unkown reason, he won't stop following me around..." I glared at Adam, holding Travis close to me while doing so. I was so aggrivated at the situation. First, Adam wouldn't leave me alone. And then he ruins my last moment with Travis?
"Dude, I go there all the time. I was just there Tuesday evening... Why didn't I see you?" Travis asked, completely puzzling me. I was at the ice cream parlor on Tuesday as well - when Adam was working!
"Wait, what? I saw him there Tuesday night!" I insisted, my heart beginning to race. What in the world was going on?
I inspected Adam for any type of explanation to this strangeness, but all he did was raise his eyebrows at me.
I shook my head and narrowed my eyes. "Adam, you better tell me what the-"
"Well, I'll leave you two alone." Oh, so now he decided to leave me with Travis when I was craving answers. "But before I go, April..."
"Wait a minute! How do you know my name?" I demanded, glowering at him with my hands on my hips. "I never once told you who I was."
Silence seized the moment. Travis scratched his head awkwardly. Adam kept his same, bored expression.
"Anyway..." Adam continued foward. "Just keep one thing in mind, April. Jewels are very rare. It's not common to come intouch with one." I gulped. What was that supposed to mean? "And also, the ocean loves Jewels."
And with that, he was gone. Adam walked off towards the ocean, disappearing more and more into the fog with each step he took.
I turned back to Travis, terrified. "Does he, like, know something about my future? I mean, he's been doing this all week!" I was shaking, but it wasn't from the chilliness of the ocean water misting onto the beach. I was seriously freaking out. I didn't know what to think; what to believe.
And there was no way that these things were just "coincidences" now.
"What do you mean by 'all week'?" Travis asked, utterly confused. "What else did he do to make you feel so worried? He just seems like a weirdo to me."
I looked at the sand in which I was tracing the shape of a cirlce with my big toe. "I..." I sighed, giving up. "I don't know. It doesn't even matter. All that matters right now is you. I just...I wish you didn't have to go." Tears began to stream out of my eyes and down my face, and I realized that I hadn't applied any makeup, figuring that I wouldn't be running into anyone - especially Travis. I was so embarassed and so petrified and so upset - all at once.
Travis wiped away the tears from my eyes with his thumb, gently eliminating them one by one. And then, tenderly as ever, he took my face in his strong hands and kissed me so sweetly.
I never wanted to let him go...
But before I knew it, I was watching him stroll aimlessly in the opposite direction of me, back to his home - back to NYC.