My mother has always told me that a woman is meant to be gentle, loving, and always prepared for a chase. She would know. She has had many chases in her life.
For example, when Robert, captain of her high school football team, wanted to ask her to homecoming. My mother said he was so confident she would say yes that when she said no, Robert's pride was probably ruined. Only a week later did she say yes after she had him chase her and finally realize she was not worth the time. Then my mother kissed him. And they were the high school sweethearts for two years.
So when Clyde, captain of MY high school football team, asked me to homecoming I twirled a lock of my honey brown hair flirtatiously.
"Why?"
His brows furrowed. "Why, what?"
I rolled my eyes. "Why do you want me to go to homecoming?"
Clyde smiled. "Because you're beautiful."
I snorted. "If that's what you think will take a girl to swoon and fall at your feet, you got alot coming, Clyde Benjamin Parker." Pivoting on the ball of my foot, I walked away with an alluring smile as a goodbye.
The next day, he ignored me. I didn't care. Boys were nothing to me. They didn't seem to care to make an effort. I knew when I found someone I would know.
I was laughing over some stupid joke when the waitress of the local Starbucks came over to me with a note and said, "The gentleman that just left wanted me to give this to a Ariel Lindon." Taking the slip of the paper, I read the messy handwriting.
Meet me at 9 at the carousel
Grinning, I pocketed the note and merely shrugged it off as another invitation to homecoming.
At nine, I appeared at the golden carousel standing old and regal amongst the many pines. Many years ago, when my grandmother was a kid, the carousel used to stand in the middle of a huge park that was just built by a rich land owner. A decade after the building, the land owner lost all of his money and he had to sell the park to his cousin. The cousin never opened it and the park lay unwanted and soon after, a wood grew around the area. The horses on the carousel never ran again but they still shine like they did fifty years ago.
Sitting astride a brown horse with a golden and emerald green painted saddle and silver tassels hanging down the side, I brush my hands over the painted brown hair of the horse. In the booth where the staff worked the merry-go-round, a directory was stuck into one of the many shelves. This horse was named Rose.
A figure steps out from the trees and I sigh. Clyde.
He walks over to me and seats himself on the horse next to mine. We sit in silence. I'm about to get up and leave when he speaks.
"You asked me why."
I clear my throat. "Yes I did."
Clyde looks at me and smiles sadly. "You may not know this but my grandmother owns the bookstore. You know, Where the Wild Books Are?"
I nod. When I was younger, I would always curl up in the window seat and read their many picture books and lose myself in the stories. The calming, quiet enviroment of the store reminded me of a tree. The spiral staircase sprouting from the middle was the trunk and several levels branched off where different genres of books were held. I would seat myself at the very top where there was a huge window and I would look out and see the entire town spread out before me. It was beautiful.
Clyde nods. "Well, when I was younger, a small girl would always come in every day and climb up to the very top of the store and read every book she could get her hands on. She read pages and pages and sometimes I would just sit and watch her. Watch as her tiny hands flipped the pages, how at the cliff hangers she would bite her nails. She was different. While all the other children ran outside and used chalk to draw countless blocks of hopscotch, she would stay in the bookstore all day and read. Around age eleven she came less and less. Eventually, she never showed up. And when that day came, my heart ached for seeing her hands flip another page, look up at me, and say, 'Look! Read this part! Isn't this funny?' Ever since that day, she was always outside at the lake. Many other children came up to the top. But it was always her spot."
My throat chokes up. I remember that. One day, my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the lake with them. They always asked me this just to be polite, knowing the answer would be 'No, sorry. I need to stop at the bookstore.' But that day, I said, 'Yea sure.' I never showed up at the bookstore again.
Clyde looks at me and grins. "You asked why I wanted to ask you. I wanted to ask you because I still believe that girl who would read constantly at the very top, who smiled at the smallest things, is still in there. And I wanted to find out if I was right."
Getting up, I walk over to him. Smiling shyly, I press my lips against his softly. I feel him stiffen with shock but then move with me.
We were high school sweethearts for two years.
This is the story that comes after Clyde, that comes after the bookstore, that takes place during my summer in the beautiful land of San Diego. This is the story of miracles.
The tall, regal palm trees move with the wind. Stretching my arm out the open window, I sigh. Finally I'm far away.
"Hey, do you think we can get a boat," my best friend, Naomi Winters, wonders as we pass the dock. She turns the volume dial of the radio and "Starships" by Nicki Minaj blasts out then fades as the dial turns to 1.
I shrug. "I think my grandmother has a boat. It's called Aurora or something like that."
Naomi grins. "Can we take it out for a spin?"
Tapping my fingers on the leather wheel, I nod. "Yea I think so. Penny will be out for a couple of days because of some urgent business, but I don't think she'll mind having us take Aurora out."
Singing along to the radio, we watch the ocean fly by as we drive onto a quiet street. A soft eggshell blue house greets us as we turn into its driveway. An LA Lakers flag waves in greeting. Getting out, we smile.
Naomi claps her hands and squeals. "Its perfect. And right next to the beach."
I groan. "Oh god. Don't remind me."
"You're still caught over him? He's an dumb ass for leaving you for Michelle. You'll find so many better guys here. You just need to clear your head and see the world isn't a endless pile of hell waiting to happen."
Laughing, I loop my arm through Naomi's. "Let's go inside."
"I'm serious, though! Ariel, there are other fish in the sea!" she says as we walk through the kitchen opening random cabinets and inspecting the rooms.
"I don't fish!" I yell from the bathroom. A green rug covers the floor and apple scented soap sits in a silver dish. A sign above the door reads "Out Fishing."
Naomi groans. "Fine! There are other... books in the library!" Joining me in the large bedroom we are to share, she crosses her arms over her small chest.
"Ariel, I am your best friend. And as your best friend, I command you to stop MOPING and enjoy San Diego! We have one LAST summer together before I go to University of Oregon and you go to UCSD and you are NOT ruining it!"
I gasp. "I am NOT moping!"
Naomi raises one eyebrow. "Really? Then tell me. Why is it that whenever you leave the room I see that there is a file on your computer called "Good Ol' Days" and it is FILLED with pictures of you and Clyde kissing, licking each other's ice cream cones, and even more KISSING!"
I bite my lip. "The last time I looked at those pictures was 3 months ago."
Naomi snorts. "Ok. Sure. If 3 months ago was last week."
I sigh.
Naomi sticks her pinky out infront of my face. "You PROMISE not to ruin this vacation for me?"
Rolling my eyes, I loop my pinky around hers. "I PROMISE."
Wrapping her arms around me, she yelps with excitement. "Good. Now lets go explore!"
"2 vanillas, please," I ask the waitress and hand her a few bills. She gives me two large ice cream cones with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
Walking barefoot on the beach, I lick my ice cream cone.
"I'm just saying that how can you not be happy in San Diego?" Naomi asks, her tongue white with icecream.
I shrug. "I am. Just... not as much as I used to be."
Naomi groans. "If this is still about Clyde, remember, you promised me!"
I smile. "I'm not ruining your vacation yet. Therefore, I'm keeping my promise."
Naomi shakes her head. "Whatever."
Musicians sing love songs on the boardwalk and rollerskaters glide in and out of the crowds. Bright neon balloons fly in the air and kids laugh as they run playing Tag. San Diego was a place of miracles yet I just didn't feel the bliss I was supposed to.
Naomi spreads her arms out infront of her. "Look, Ariel. You're in San Diego. It's a place of bliss, a place of happiness. Hot guys on EVERY corner, amazing food, the beach at every doorstep, and your best friend right beside you. If you don't try to make this a vacation worth remembering, I will try. From now on, my soul purpose is for both of us to have FUN. To have endless flings and just let out this beautiful laugh that makes everyone stop and stare. To have you sing on the streets and me dance in the streets and just ENJOY what San Diego has to offer. You are going to spend your next four years in this city and I am determined to make you LOVE it." She crosses her arms and puffs out her chest in determination.
Licking my ice cream cone, I shrug. "Sure. Why not?"
She smiles. "Good. Now lets go." She throws her barely licked ice cream in the nearest trash can, and I do the same.
Pulling me the way we came, she laughs.
"Wait, where are we going?" I yell.
The sun shines on the back of our necks as we run down the dock looking for the small boat with pink lettering spelling out "Aurora." Men sit drinking beer on the decks of their sailboats, ready to set sail on the Pacific, and they eye us as we run past. Finally we reach her at the end of the line.
It bobs in the waves and the water laps its sides. It sits like a jewel of the sea among the large grey rocks of ships around it. Giggling, we climb onto the edge, and I untie it from the dock.
Naomi takes the wheel and guides us to open ocean, only a strip of land signifying where we were. The green blue water beckons us to jump in.
"You know, my mom said that sometimes when the water looks as blue as a teal crayon, then magic is awake and miracles happen." Naomi says with a whisper.
I laugh. "Yea, but your mother used to be obsessed with elf folklore and everyone thought she was crazy so she became a psychiatrist."
Naomi sends me a look that could kill.
I take her hand and squeeze it. Pulling her to the edge of the boat, I throw back my head and laugh a throat filling laugh. Naomi joins in and soon the whole world seems to echoe us in laughter.
"One," I yell to the sky.
"Two," Naomi screams.
"Three!" We close our eyes and jump into the freezing waters of the Pacific.
Author's note: I wanted to try out a story like this with a modern character getting pulled into the wonderful world of Narnia. Stick with me while I make an effort to write this. Don't worry. It won't be all lovey dovey. I hate stories like that. And don't forget, reviews do let me know what I should make better and what I should continue.
