Chapter 2: The Boy
The ground is cool against Katrina's feet. She walks along the sand, listening to the ocean. The thought of going home terrifies her. Her mother is in the worst of moods today. Katrina walks up to a palm tree and sits down in the shade.
There are two groups of surfers in the water today. One group has three girls all acting like they don't know what they are doing so the guys will "help" them. It is disgusting how the guys fall for their oh-so-obvious flirts.
The second group is all boys. One of them in particular, a blond boy, caught her attention. He didn't act like the others. He seemed less amused by the prissy fake flirters in the water. He fascinated Katrina. He was also the only boy who actually kept his shirt on. It was like he didn't want to impress anyone. Like maybe it didn't matter to him.
Katrina sits there watching him surf until her face is pink and here shoulders painfully red. Sighing, Katrina pulls off her tank top revealing her pink and white polka-dotted one-piece. She slips into the cold ocean and drowns thoughts in the deep dark waters.
Darkness surrounds Katrina. She isn't breathing. She faintly feels the pounding on her chest. The rush of air in her lungs shocks her. She bursts to life, coughing and sputtering on the sand. Once she can breathe again, she looks around her. The boy Katrina had been watching all day is sitting by her and his hand is tracing circles on her back.
Katrina jumps back. Her heart is beating fast and she is just slightly terrified. The buy put his hands up like she was a cop.
"My name is Andrew." the boy says shyly.
"Wh-what happened?" Katrina asks.
"You slipped on the moss and hit your head. How are you feeling?"
Katrina stands up slowly then dizzily falls back down. Andrew catches her and helps her back up. He softly brushes the hair out of her eyes.
"Maybe I should take you to the hospital." he says with a worried look.
"No!" Katrina practically yells.
Andrew looks confused and Katrina blushes.
"I mean, I'm okay. I just need to go home."
"Will you at least let me take you to your house?"
Katrina sighs. She knows he is just trying to help but she can't let him anywhere near her house.
"Okay, I will make a deal with you." she says slowly. "You can take me to the block I live at but, I will walk to my house. Deal?"
Andrew looks at her with a slightly amused smile on his face.
"Deal." he replies.
His car is new and rather expensive looking. Katrina feels out of place and dirty against it's shining silver paint. Andrew, being a gentleman, opens the passenger door for her. Katrina gets in awkwardly and Andrew helps buckle her in. Katrina has only ever been in her father's old beat up truck. Now that he is gone, she walks everywhere. Andrew notices her uneasiness.
"Is something wrong?"
"No of course not. It's just been a long time since I have been in a car. And it was never as fancy as this." Katrina says, slightly blushing.
Andrew smiles understandingly.
"My parents have money. They pay me to leave them alone sometimes. This," he says, tapping the roof of the car," is my most recent 'go away' bribe." He says, laughing softly to himself.
Katrina ponders this. She wouldn't mind being paid to be alone. Actually, she would love being paid to avoid her mother. The seat vibrates as liquid fire runs through the engine. A wild, angry lioness chasing her prays. It feels powerful, mighty, and dangerous. Katrina stares at Andrew with a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and joy.
Andrew chuckles softly and begins slowly driving down the road. Andrew watches every move Katrina makes with increasing amusement. They have been driving for two hours. The sun has set and the stars are winking at the car as it drives down the road.
"Are you sure we are going the right way?" Andrew asks.
"Ummm…" is the only reply Katrina can offer. Truth be told, she has no idea where they are.
The car starts making horrible sputtering sounds then rolls to a stop.
"Wh-why did you stop?" Katrina asks, obviously distressed.
"We ran out of gas." Andrew replies, trying to remain calm.
"Well, let's drive to the gas station." Katrina replies, slightly annoyed.
"It doesn't work that way." Andrew replies laughing.
"So what do we do now?"
"It looks like we are going have to spend the night here."
"You-you mean," her voice suddenly quiets, "together?"
Andrew smiles.
Katrina climbs onto the top of the car. The stars shine unusually bright and clear. Yet, the night is cold. The fall wind nips at her like a young puppy. Katrina shivers and curls into a ball. After about twenty minutes, she silently leaps to the ground. She opens the door to the backseat and as quietly and softly as possible, she slips into the seat and stretches out beside Andrew.
He feels soft and warm against her cold skin. She can't help herself. She inches closer and closer to the sleeping boy until she is pressed up against him. Andrew shivers in his sleep. His eyes flutter open just as Katrina's flutter close. He smiles at the still shivering girl beside him. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her ever closer. Andrew buries his face in Katrina's hair and falls into a peaceful sleep.
