Crash Into Me.

“I can’t believe you hit him.” Cara said later that week as the two drove to a party. Cara continued laughing as she played the scene over and over in her head.

Madison never hit, let alone smacked, someone.

“I never hit him, I just smacked his face. He needed it.”

Cara’s laughing stopped and she smiled. “Oh I totally agree. But you know most likely he will be here tonight right?”

“Yeah, well he will be. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jake Morris will miss a good party.”

“And the fact that he wouldn’t miss a chance to see Ms. Madison Harrison all dolled up.”
Madison smacked her friend’s arm and they both laughed as the light turned green.

~*~*~*~*~

“Man are you ready to go?” Connor asked when Jake opened the door, then saw his appearance and sighed.

“What’s up man?” Connor asked letting himself into the house.

Shuffling behind his friend, Jake plopped onto the brown leather sofa. Un-muting the TV, Jake didn’t answer.

“Jake seriously, what’s going on?”

“Madison pretty much hates me.”

“What? No she doesn’t.” Connor took the remote from Jake and slid it onto the round wooden table before them. “Why would you say that?”

“It might have to do with the fact that she slapped me on the face Monday afternoon.”

Connor laughed, but seeing his friend’s sullen face, stopped. “What did you say to her to get slapped?”

Shrugging he sighed. He knew what he said to the girl was wrong, and he should have apologized, but he really couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I told her that she enjoyed the head games I played on her. And she told me to stop, and me being an ass that I am, didn’t.”

“Well yeah I can see why she smacked you then. It seems like you kind of deserved it man.”

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t already know.” Connor sighed and stood.

“Well, I’m going to meet Luke and Mark. If you want to come, then text one of us.”

Nodding, he let his friend leave before grabbing his keys and locking the front door behind him.

~*~*~*~*~

When Madison saw the rest of Jake’s band walk in, minus him, she kind of grew anxious.
Was this yet another game he wanted to play on her? Even though she hit him for saying the things he had said to her, she realized he was right.

She loved the attention he gave her. She loved the feeling he gave her when he would sing for only her. She loved that she was the reason for so many beautiful songs he produced. And those thoughts alone scared her.

Madison Harrison was not easily scared. She didn’t scream during thunderstorms, or hurricanes. Horror movies didn’t make her flinch or grab a hold of whoever was next to her.
But those thoughts she had about Jake Morris scared her.

They scared her enough that she left the party and went in search of the boy.

~*~*~*~*~

Sitting on the golden sand at night often calmed Jake’s nerves. Tonight it just gave him the thought of space and freedom.

He often came to the beach at night to write, but tonight the notebook was abandoned at home. The notebook that had not been touched in almost a week, sat in a desk drawer in Jake’s room.

Running a hand over his face, he watched as the boats sailed along the water.

“You know, you should find another spot to hide out when you want to be alone.” The sweet voice rang out to him from behind.

“That, or not tell anyone my spot.” He said looking at the blonde next to him. She shrugged and nodded.

“That might help.”

“Why are you here?”

She sighed and shrugged. The spray that filtered off the ocean landed on her bare shoulders and he noticed the collecting goose bumps. Shrugging out of his sweatshirt, he slid it over her shoulders and she smiled in gratitude.

“I guess what brought me here were the words you last said to me.”

“Yeah, about that.” She put a hand over his knee, an action telling him to clearly stop while he was ahead.

“I’m not.” She whispered.

Looking over at her, he raised an eyebrow.

“Do you remember the last conversation we had when we sat here?”

“Of course I do. I told you what I thought about the way love feels.” Picking up the sand between his fingers, he let it slide between the spaces in-between his fingers. “Why do you ask?”

“Because, the other day when we fought I realized you were right. And this entire week made me realize something else.”

“Oh yeah, and what would that be?”

“That I have felt those ways. Jake, you’re the sun that makes me skin tingle. And you’re the cool of the water on a hot summer day.”

Looking at the girl next to him, he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. For months he longed to hear words of that sort escape her lips, and when they did, he couldn’t believe it.

“Jake?"