Daniel with an L

There she goes again. Staring at me from across the beach. Sitting there all gorgeous in her short-shorts and tank top, with her soft, shiny gold skin and her short blonde hair blowing in the ocean breeze. I can see her green eyes glowing from here.

Yeah, she knows she’s hot. And she knows I want her.

When the soccer ball is kicked to me, I purposely kick it her way. It flies into her hands and she smiles up at me. She holds it up as I walk over, smiling my best smile. “Is this yours,” she asks, smiling her own little smile that’s driving me insane, by the way.

I had a way with girls back in New Jersey, and I guess the traveling hasn’t changed that at all, ‘cause that smile she's giving me, man… that smile.

I take the ball. “Yeah, nice catch. You wanna play?”

Her friends giggle. She smiles. “No thanks. We just got done playing, actually. Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before.”

“Yeah,” I throw the ball back to the guys waiting for me and they run off, chasing it. “I just moved here from Newark.”

“Oh, a Jersey boy, huh?”

I shrug.

She laughs. “I’m Ali, with an I.”

“I’m Daniel, with an L.”

Another laugh.

It’s amazing how fast things happen after that.

From behind me, I hear the roaring of an engine, a car. I turn around to see a Jeep rolling down the beach over to us. Ali groans and turns to her friend, whispering, “Suzie,” like she’s warning her of something.

I know I should probably walk away as soon as the boy with the straight blond hair and dark blue eyes steps out of the car and makes his way over to us, but I don’t.

He must have overheard the conversation. “Daniel with an L, huh?” A few of his friends pile out of the Jeep and follow him over, standing behind him.

I just stare at him as he looks from me down to Ali. “Hey, Ali.” His voice turns soft.

“Hi,” she murmurs, looking away from him.

“How are you?”

“Fine.”

He grows impatient. “What are you doing hanging around with this rat?”

I narrow my eyes at him, glare at him.

He looks at me as Ali says, “He’s not a rat, Johnny. Back off,” and something weird flashes across his face.

He nods, real slow, that look resurfacing. “Daniel with an L.” His eyes rake my body and I feel numb.

“Yeah, we’ve established that.” I can’t bring myself to get mad at him; there’s something in his eyes.

Another nod. “You trying to pick up my girl?”

I laugh as Ali says, “I’m not your girl anymore, Johnny. I told you, back off.”

He looks at me again. “What are you laughing at, huh?”

I just keep laughing. I don’t even know why, I just do. Even as he pushes me backwards into the sand, I’m laughing. At least I don’t look like I’m hurt.

When his hand came in contact with my chest, it burned red-hot. Stung. And I liked it.

My friends stare down at me, smiling. The laughter’s contagious. Everyone starts laughing along with me and soon Johnny’s face is red.

He’s getting pissed. “Shut up!”

Do we listen? No.

He growls and points a warning finger at me. “I’m watching you, Daniel.”

Laughing, I add, “With an L,” as he’s walking off. The laughter grows louder.

Everyone else is still laughing, but my laughter has subsided as I watch him walking away. I don’t know why, but I don’t want him to leave. I want him to stay, push me around some more, say my name again.

But he doesn’t. And that hurts.

His friends pile back into his Jeep with him and he drives away, leaving me here to question my own sexuality. Damn.

And they say the California girls are hot.