Ryan looks over at his sleeping girlfriend. She's laying on a brightly colored beach towel in a polka-dotted bikini and has fallen asleep to her CD player.
The beach is gorgeous today. It's warm, and there isn't a care in his body for a moment. Sure, his mom just picked up a new and probably abusive guy named Danny. He just needs a place to stay, and a person to get high with.
"I see a future with him, Ryan, why can't you just understand?" Dawn slurs as she gulps down a beer when Ryan tries to say something.
He shrugs and calls Theresa. It's no use.
His hair is salty from the water, and his feet are covered in sand. And he lays on his side, just observing the ocean, the beach, the people around them. He takes a few strands of Theresa's long, sandy, damp dark hair in between his fingers and plays with it.
She stirs a little, and opens her eyes. She smiles and takes off the headphones.
He smiles back at her. It's just a blissful day. He doesn't care that his towel's ripped, or that he and Theresa have to walk home from the beach because they don't have enough money for the bus today. They're happy together for a few seconds, and he knows it's not Romeo and Juliet-type love, but it's love. It's simple friendly teenage love. Because they're the only two who understand each other in this crazy, cold neighborhood.
He kisses her plump pink lips and she reminds him of brown sugar. Sweet, but not tampered with.
Ryan feels a raindrop fall on his head. Another. Theresa begins to grab her things but Ryan shakes his head.
"Just put the Disc-Man and the towels in the bag," he requests.
She knows.
He grins and refuses to care about anything today. "Let's just get wet,"
She smiles back and he lifts her up and runs into the water, dunking her under playfully. And she splashes him and they don't even mind the drizzle, or that they're the only ones on the beach.
He can't help but kiss her even though he's had two mouthfuls of salt water.
Because she doesn't care. And neither does he.
And it's almost like freedom for the two of them not to care for once. Just to be carefree.
It's just bliss.
