Status: Finished
Your Smile Fades in the Summer
Of the boy from which your accent comes
“Jasey! Who is this guy?!” I begged the girl who was pulling me along a hot sidewalk in California.
“Emmy! Stop worrying! He’s one of Justin’s friends! They were nice enough to invite us along for your birthday the least you can do is show up and make a new friend….if not more!” I rolled my eyes. Justin. Of course he’d be involved in this. We’d moved to Arizona a month after graduating and Jasey found the first local band that she could and befriended them. My photography site had gotten significantly bigger with the help of Justin and Jimmy Richards and for that I was pretty much forever in their debt.
“Jasey, as much as I love Richards’ their friendships tend to be questionable. Halvo, for instance. He jumped off the counter last week and broke our stool.”
“I wondered what had happened to that.” She said. I shook my head and allowed her to pull me along The ocean was now viewable from where we were. A soaking wet Justin met us halfway along the beach, his dark brown hair plastered to his forehead.
“Emmy! Happy birthday girl!” He reached to pull me into a hug. I shrank away.
“Maybe later. Thanks for all this though.” I gestured to the group of guys that included The Maine guys, Halvo, Chris and Jimmy. He nodded and laced his fingers through Jasey’s who blushed and looked at the sand.
“Let’s go introduce her to Nick!”
“Who’s Nick?” I asked searching the crowd for any unfamiliar face.
“That one.” She pointed to a tall red head who was clad in a striped purple tank top and black swimmy shorts. Kid was straight adorable.
“Jasey. No.”
“Emmy. Yes. Get your little butt over there and talk to sexilicious!”
“Is that even a word?” I asked turning to her. She shrugged and wrapped her arms around Justin’s torso before walking away.
“Go Emmy! It’s you both found someone worth being with.” Justin yelled over his shoulder. I shuffled my Chuck Taylors in the sand awkwardly before making my way over to the group. Pat and Kennedy immediately embraced me in a hug.
“Hey Emmy!” Halvo waved from the table he was sitting on.
“Hey Halvorsen.” I waved back and sat down at his feet, removing my shoes.
“Who wears converse to the beach?” John asked handing me a red cup.
“John Oh if there’s alcohol in this I’ll slaughter you.”
“Chill! Yours doesn’t! Mine does though, want a sip?”
“You’re an alcoholic.”
“Am not!”
“It’s only 2:30!” He stuck his tongue out at me and walked away muttering. I sat the cup down and pulled my camera out of my bag.
“Everyone run! Emmy’s got the camera!” Halvo yelled They all laughed Tim ran over and posed like a model. I laughed and snapped the photo.
“I’m in black and white.” Tim whined leaning over my shoulder.
“I haven’t changed it back from the show last night yet.” I said shrugging.
“Yo! Nick have you seen her stuff yet? Nick removed the yellow shades that adorned his face and smiled.
“You’re the photographer Justin is always talking about, right?”
“Yeah man! This is Emmy! It’s her birthday!” Tim replied hyperly.
“Tim, get off the crack!” Jared yelled holding his Red Bull up in the air. Nick extended his hand out to me.
“Hey, I’m Mick. Hope you don’t mind me crashing the party.” I noted his cute smile, golden brown eyes, and charming attitude. No way kid was single.
“It’s okay. I suppose it was time I met the amazing Nick. Halvo is constantly talking about you.” He laughed.
“Halvo and me have a bromance. I think its time we break it off though. Between you and me; he’s getting a little obsessive.” He said smiling widely and sitting down next to me.
“Can I see?” He asked pointing to the camera. I cautiously handed it to him. Small gasps and bits of laughter escaped his perfect red lips. A shot of Justin or Halvo with his own camera pointed at me. A picture within a picture.
“She’s really good.” Garret said walking past us and winking at me. I rolled my eyes and swished the contents of the cup.
“You really like to use black and white don’t you?” He asked handing the Nikon back to me.
“It’s so pure. You’re not looking at color of their clothes or the flash deflected off an object in the room. You’re looking at the innocence and hurt that they’ve fueled into their performance on stage. It’s simply beautiful.” He smiled.
“True. How did you come to this realization?”
“Various things. Photos I have taken. Jasey takes almost all of hers in black and white. Random others I’ve seen. The evidence is all there.”
“You’re an extraordinary girl, Emmy.” Nick said tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. I blushed and looked at the white sand beneath our bare feet. We sat on the beach talking until well past sunset when everyone joined in a circle around a bonfire. The guys had disappeared into cars to retrieve six strings. John was playing a Ivory cover. His voice floated over the crackling fire. Justin and Jasey were laying on a blanket not far from us whispering quietly to each other. As much as I loved her I was also undeniably jealous. She had exactly what I wanted. A loving, kind boyfriend. Nick, who had a arm around each of my shoulders was rubbing his thumb relaxingly on my bare arms. I shifted and looked away from the couple.
“What’s wrong?” Nick whispered leaning his head to the side so he could get a clear view of my face. I shrugged and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m okay.” I whispered back meeting Kennedy’s eyes. He smiled and made a hand heart. I returned it and blew him a kiss.
“Come on.” Nick helped me up and led me away from the fire over to a darker, secluded part of the beach.
“Nick, what are you doing?” I asked leaning against a tall rock that jutted up from the dunes. He placed a hand on each side of my head and gazed into my eyes.
“Tell me what’s wrong. I won’t judge you baby girl.”
“Yeah you will.”
“No. I won’t.” I rolled my eyes and looked away from him. His warm breath fanned over my face.
“I’m jealous of my best friend. She has the loving boyfriend and I have nothing.”
“You’ve got talent.”
“Talent isn’t going to stop me from wanting someone to hold close at night now is it?” He chuckled quietly and nodded.
“I see your point. It’s quite funny though. I know exactly how you feel except Justin got the talent and the girl.” He said looking out at the shining water.
“You could have both though. You’re nice. You’re cute.” He looked at me. His eyebrows raised.
“I’m cute?” I blushed and looked at the ground.
“Yeah.”
“That’s adorable. God, Emmy, look at me.” I slowly raised my head and met his eyes.
“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered cupping my face. In the cover of night, a small Pacific wind blowing; we kissed. Falling in love beneath the stars never seemed so romantic.
“Emmy! Stop worrying! He’s one of Justin’s friends! They were nice enough to invite us along for your birthday the least you can do is show up and make a new friend….if not more!” I rolled my eyes. Justin. Of course he’d be involved in this. We’d moved to Arizona a month after graduating and Jasey found the first local band that she could and befriended them. My photography site had gotten significantly bigger with the help of Justin and Jimmy Richards and for that I was pretty much forever in their debt.
“Jasey, as much as I love Richards’ their friendships tend to be questionable. Halvo, for instance. He jumped off the counter last week and broke our stool.”
“I wondered what had happened to that.” She said. I shook my head and allowed her to pull me along The ocean was now viewable from where we were. A soaking wet Justin met us halfway along the beach, his dark brown hair plastered to his forehead.
“Emmy! Happy birthday girl!” He reached to pull me into a hug. I shrank away.
“Maybe later. Thanks for all this though.” I gestured to the group of guys that included The Maine guys, Halvo, Chris and Jimmy. He nodded and laced his fingers through Jasey’s who blushed and looked at the sand.
“Let’s go introduce her to Nick!”
“Who’s Nick?” I asked searching the crowd for any unfamiliar face.
“That one.” She pointed to a tall red head who was clad in a striped purple tank top and black swimmy shorts. Kid was straight adorable.
“Jasey. No.”
“Emmy. Yes. Get your little butt over there and talk to sexilicious!”
“Is that even a word?” I asked turning to her. She shrugged and wrapped her arms around Justin’s torso before walking away.
“Go Emmy! It’s you both found someone worth being with.” Justin yelled over his shoulder. I shuffled my Chuck Taylors in the sand awkwardly before making my way over to the group. Pat and Kennedy immediately embraced me in a hug.
“Hey Emmy!” Halvo waved from the table he was sitting on.
“Hey Halvorsen.” I waved back and sat down at his feet, removing my shoes.
“Who wears converse to the beach?” John asked handing me a red cup.
“John Oh if there’s alcohol in this I’ll slaughter you.”
“Chill! Yours doesn’t! Mine does though, want a sip?”
“You’re an alcoholic.”
“Am not!”
“It’s only 2:30!” He stuck his tongue out at me and walked away muttering. I sat the cup down and pulled my camera out of my bag.
“Everyone run! Emmy’s got the camera!” Halvo yelled They all laughed Tim ran over and posed like a model. I laughed and snapped the photo.
“I’m in black and white.” Tim whined leaning over my shoulder.
“I haven’t changed it back from the show last night yet.” I said shrugging.
“Yo! Nick have you seen her stuff yet? Nick removed the yellow shades that adorned his face and smiled.
“You’re the photographer Justin is always talking about, right?”
“Yeah man! This is Emmy! It’s her birthday!” Tim replied hyperly.
“Tim, get off the crack!” Jared yelled holding his Red Bull up in the air. Nick extended his hand out to me.
“Hey, I’m Mick. Hope you don’t mind me crashing the party.” I noted his cute smile, golden brown eyes, and charming attitude. No way kid was single.
“It’s okay. I suppose it was time I met the amazing Nick. Halvo is constantly talking about you.” He laughed.
“Halvo and me have a bromance. I think its time we break it off though. Between you and me; he’s getting a little obsessive.” He said smiling widely and sitting down next to me.
“Can I see?” He asked pointing to the camera. I cautiously handed it to him. Small gasps and bits of laughter escaped his perfect red lips. A shot of Justin or Halvo with his own camera pointed at me. A picture within a picture.
“She’s really good.” Garret said walking past us and winking at me. I rolled my eyes and swished the contents of the cup.
“You really like to use black and white don’t you?” He asked handing the Nikon back to me.
“It’s so pure. You’re not looking at color of their clothes or the flash deflected off an object in the room. You’re looking at the innocence and hurt that they’ve fueled into their performance on stage. It’s simply beautiful.” He smiled.
“True. How did you come to this realization?”
“Various things. Photos I have taken. Jasey takes almost all of hers in black and white. Random others I’ve seen. The evidence is all there.”
“You’re an extraordinary girl, Emmy.” Nick said tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. I blushed and looked at the white sand beneath our bare feet. We sat on the beach talking until well past sunset when everyone joined in a circle around a bonfire. The guys had disappeared into cars to retrieve six strings. John was playing a Ivory cover. His voice floated over the crackling fire. Justin and Jasey were laying on a blanket not far from us whispering quietly to each other. As much as I loved her I was also undeniably jealous. She had exactly what I wanted. A loving, kind boyfriend. Nick, who had a arm around each of my shoulders was rubbing his thumb relaxingly on my bare arms. I shifted and looked away from the couple.
“What’s wrong?” Nick whispered leaning his head to the side so he could get a clear view of my face. I shrugged and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m okay.” I whispered back meeting Kennedy’s eyes. He smiled and made a hand heart. I returned it and blew him a kiss.
“Come on.” Nick helped me up and led me away from the fire over to a darker, secluded part of the beach.
“Nick, what are you doing?” I asked leaning against a tall rock that jutted up from the dunes. He placed a hand on each side of my head and gazed into my eyes.
“Tell me what’s wrong. I won’t judge you baby girl.”
“Yeah you will.”
“No. I won’t.” I rolled my eyes and looked away from him. His warm breath fanned over my face.
“I’m jealous of my best friend. She has the loving boyfriend and I have nothing.”
“You’ve got talent.”
“Talent isn’t going to stop me from wanting someone to hold close at night now is it?” He chuckled quietly and nodded.
“I see your point. It’s quite funny though. I know exactly how you feel except Justin got the talent and the girl.” He said looking out at the shining water.
“You could have both though. You’re nice. You’re cute.” He looked at me. His eyebrows raised.
“I’m cute?” I blushed and looked at the ground.
“Yeah.”
“That’s adorable. God, Emmy, look at me.” I slowly raised my head and met his eyes.
“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered cupping my face. In the cover of night, a small Pacific wind blowing; we kissed. Falling in love beneath the stars never seemed so romantic.
♠ ♠ ♠
Happy 17! I lovers you!