Remember, Forever Young

"Ky?" Tyler laughed nervously when I didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. I couldn't. It was just too weird to be true.

"Tyler?" I managed to choke out. I couldn't stop staring at him.

Where had the nerd gone? How had Tyler gotten that body? He must've worked out like crazy. There was one question that entered my mind, and that was the one that truly disturbed me. Does he have a girlfriend? I didn't want to let myself even think of it. Tyler was annoying and I didn't like him. I couldn't like him. He was Tyler for god's sake.

"Yeah. How are you?" He smiled sweetly. He had a shy smile. Like he didn't know how totally gorgeous he had become.

"I'm great. What about you?" I was still in awe, but I made myself look in his clear blue eyes instead of at his great body as I asked the question.

"Good now that I'm out here. I love being out here. It's so much nicer than being in the crowded city." Tyler smiled and laughed nervously. He was so used to me shunning him, and I wanted to. I wanted things the same. I couldn't like Tyler Abrams.

I wanted to laugh and tell him that out here at the beach I felt way more crowded than I did at home, but I didn't want to disagree with him. For once I was worried what Tyler thought about me, not the other way around.

"Yeah, the fresh air is nice." I smiled like a total loser. Tyler was actually managing to make me feel like a loser. So much for things never changing at the beach house.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink? I can go grab us some food." Tyler offered sweetly. All I could do was nod my head and stare at him as he smiled and walked towards the food tables.

As soon as Tyler was gone my mind began to clear a bit, and reality finally sunk in. Tyler Abrams was probably the hottest guy on the beach. And he liked me. I could hook up with the hottest guy on the beach. This summer could be amazing. Very amazing. Then a semi-familiar voice took me out of my epiphany.

"Hey. Kyla right?" I turned to see Luke smiley confidently at me.

"Yeah. You can call me Ky if you want." I smiled, but I wasn't as nervous as I usually was around him.

"You tell me that every year and I never listen Kyla. I like your full name." Luke whispered in my ear, attempting to seduce me like he did every summer.

Usually I fell for Luke's tricks hook, line and sinker, but not this time. This time Tyler was already in my mind and there was no room for Luke.

"It's tradition." I laughed and shrugged. Luke shot me another smile, but I saw his eyes shift and look just over my shoulder. He looked kind of defensive.

"Hey Ky, I got you a hotdog and a drink. Oh, hey Luke." Tyler smiled brightly at Luke.

"Hey. Who are you exactly?" Luke asked. I could tell that Luke knew Tyler was hotter than him.

"Wow, no one is recognizing me. I guess I'm just that unimportant. I'm Tyler Abrams, we've met a few times throughout the years." Tyler said, he sounded so friendly when he said it, like everyone was his friend.

"You're Tyler Abrams?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Always have been." Tyler looked sort of confused now as Luke stared at him in open mouthed disbelief.

"Wow dude, you've...changed." Luke laughed and slapped Tyler's back. I just rolled my eyes. Guys were so weird.

"I guess. I kind of got into working out and sports and stuff." Tyler blushed, clearly not used to Luke's display of male approval.

Tyler probably had never really experienced that before. Luke was the kind of guy that used to pick on Tyler for being too skinny.

"Hey Tyler, do you want to go down to the beach and eat? Like always?" I asked with a smile.

It was the first time in the history of the Carter Family Tradition that I had invited Tyler down to the beach with me willingly, usually I was forced to go when Tyler asked me.

"Yeah sure. See you around Luke." He smiled and gave Luke a friendly wave before leading me down to the beach.

The sand was white and undisturbed by footprints or towles yet. My grandma owned a good chunk of this beach so we were the only ones really allowed on it, unless we invited guests. The water was clear and blue, there were almost no waves. I felt like running in and splashing around, but my family would suggest that tomorrow. It was of course, tradition.

"Do I really look very different?" Tyler asked as he sat down on the sand and placed his paper plate of food in his lap.

"Well, you used to be kind of skinny and now you're definitely not. Your hair's longer too." I shrugged, trying to act like the change didn't amaze me, or totally make me want him.

"Cool. Well I'm still the same person. I guess I just grew up a bit." Tyler shrugged and bit into his hamburger.

"That's good. I wouldn't want you to turn into a jerk or anything." I laughed and sipped my drink. I was a little too nervous to eat.

"Yeah. So I missed you." Tyler smiled shyly at me.

He told me the same thing every year, and all of the years up until this one I smiled fakely and inwardly rolled my eyes, but this time it was different, because this time Tyler was hot.

"I missed you too." I smiled and took a bite of my hotdog.

"Really? That's probably the first time you've ever said it back to me. Usually you just smile." Tyler's cheeks flushed when he said this. I couldn't believe that he didn't realize that he was totally gorgeous.

"People change." I smiled. I couldn't believe this guy was Tyler.

"Yeah I guess they do. So any boyfriends?" Tyler asked. He asked every year, and every year the answer was no.

"No. Not yet anyways. How about you?" It was probably the first time I had ever returned the question. It had never seemed necessary before.

"No, I broke up with her but..." Tyler was interrupted by a high pitched squeal.

"Tyler! Baby! I was looking everywhere for you!" A girl with brown hair and a bathing suit came racing down to the beach.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tyler sigh and wince before he was tackled by the girl. I could just stare. She was lying on top of Tyler and smiling like an idiot. Tyler looked scared.

"Ky, this is my ex-girlfriend, Penny." TYler grunted as he pushed the crazy girl off of him.

"You know you still want me." Penny smile and pecked Tyler on the lips.

"Penny, do we really have to go through this again? We dated for a week and it just didn't work out." Tyler's voice was firm, but it almost verged on a whine.

I couldn't believe this. It was just too funny. Tyler had a stalker. I wanted to stat laughing, and I knew Tyler would probably join in, but I didn't know how that Penny girl would react. She kind of scared me in a way.

"That's because you didn't want to make it work out. We're perfect for eachother." Penny smiled and cuddled in close to Tyler. I held back a snort of laughter.

"And who eaxctly are you?" Penny asked as she narrowed her brown eyes at me.

"My name's Kyla. My family owns this part of the beach. Me and Tyler are good friends." I smiled and flipped my hair over my shoulder confidently.

"I didn't know you had a friend that's a girl Tyler. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that." Penny turned to Tyler who I could tell wantd to start laughing hysterically, but he held it in.

"Penny, I don't have to tell you everything about me. Ky's a good friend and this is her beach. Maybe you should leave before you're forced to." Tyler said meaningfully. Somehow he managed to make himself sound nice, not mean at all.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow night at the boardwalk? Bye Kylie." Penny huffed and purposely messed up my name before going back from where she came.

"I'm so sorry about her. She's a local and I met her a week ago because my family came down early. We hooked up like, twice in a week and suddenly she thought we were like, engaged or something." Tyler shuddered and brushed some sand off of himself.

"It's cool. She really seems to like you." I laughed and bit my hotdog again.

"Don't even go there. Do you want to go to the boardwalk with me tomorrow night? Maybe if she sees me there with you she'll back off, even if you are just a friend." Tyler sounded hopeful.

This was tradition too. Every year at my grandma's barbecue Tyler asked me to hang out with him the next night at the boardwalk. And according to tradition I was supposed to reject him and go to the boardwalk to catch a glimpse of Luke.

"Sure Tyler. That sounds great." I smiled and finished off my hotdog.

Tradition was made to be broken.