That Summer

I rolled over on to my stomach. Daniel smiled at me sweetly and kissed me on my cheek.
I grinned and sighed happily as he pulled me into his arms firmly, but gently.
We were sitting by Lake Topanga having a picnic to celebrate the beginning of summer. Next year we would be seniors in high school. It would be the most memorable year of our lives, but right now we just wanted to take it easy.
“What are we going to do this summer, Haley?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “If I’m with you, I think everything will be okay if we just wing it.”
He stared at me for a moment then let out a loud laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I demanded.
“That’s the sappiest thing I’ve ever heard you say!” he explained.
I thought about this for a moment. Suddenly, I realized he was right. Usually, I would be the one to make fun of anyone who said anything like that.
I began to laugh with him, but part of me remained solemn. Recently, I’ve fallen deeply in love with Daniel and I simply wanted him to know it no matter how sappy it sounded.
He seemed to notice this because he rested his head on my shoulder and whispered, “I love you too, Haley. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t,” I sighed.
His breath tickled my neck, “Do you promise?”
I let out a cry of laughter. “Yes, I promise!”
And then, before I knew it, we were chasing each other around screaming and shouting, oblivious in our happiness.
After awhile we collapsed on the ground, worn out from all the running, in each other’s arms. I looked deeply into Daniel’s eyes and I couldn’t help, but feel that each time he looked at me I could see his heart.
He brushed my bangs out of my face and kissed me gently on the lips, my forehead, and each of my cheeks.
I closed my eyes contently. Daniel was everything to me now and I simply couldn’t lose him.
Suddenly, I felt him lift me up in his arms. I wasn’t aware of what he was doing, but I didn’t care. I was safe.
“Hold your breath, Haley,” he ordered softly.
My eyes opened suddenly because I just realized what he was up to. I tried to struggle out of his grasp, but his grip was too strong and I had nothing left to do but close my eyes and do as he said a few seconds before he dropped me and water came rushing up around me.
I burst to the surface of Lake Topanga sputtering and gasping for air.
Daniel was on the grass with his face red with laughter. I wanted to be mad at him, but he was so handsome when he laughed. His brown wavy hair was always messy, but in a good way, his piercing green eyes seemed to tell a story, and his laugh and smile made you want to join in. He was the best boyfriend a girl could ask for.
I waded close to him and climbed out of the lake and sat down next to him. “It wasn’t that funny,” I said tiredly.
Daniel struggled to compose himself, but failed and let out a chuckle.
I sighed. “You’re such a pain.”
He cuddled close to me. “But I’m a nice kind of pain, right?”
I glanced at him and he pouted playfully. I giggled despite myself. “Yeah, you’re the nice kind pain.”

Daniel and I began to head home after awhile and we were simply walking down the sidewalks of Timberland Heights as the sun began to set. I was on a cloud of contentment. It was the perfect start to a wonderful summer.
Out of nowhere I heard the loud blare of a car horn and then a black Mustang came zooming up to us. Daniel stepped in front of me and the car came to stop only inches in front of him.
The tinted window on the passenger side rolled down to reveal Aaron Collins. He calmly shook his black hair from his forehead.
“You should be a little more careful, Parker,” he said to Daniel. “You wouldn’t want your little sweetheart getting hurt now, would you?”
Daniel looked away in disgust and hatred. The look scared me. I’d never seen him give that look to anyone before.
I’d heard of Aaron Collins before. He was known at school as the bad boy. Rumor said that he was a father until he forced the mother of the child to get an abortion, he was a drunk, and he was Daniel’s cousin.
“What the hell are you doing back in town, Collins?” Daniel growled.
Aaron pretended to be upset by Daniel’s hatred. “Can’t I come to visit the family? We are of the same blood, Danny.”
Daniel lunged at Aaron’s car and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the window seal.”You are no longer part of our family!” he hissed.
Aaron leaned in dangerously closed to Daniel. “Love may be temporary, but blood is forever.” Then with those final words he sped off in his Mustang.
I hesitantly laid my on Daniel’s shoulder and felt he was shaking. I hugged him around his waist.
“Let’s just go home.”
He was still looking at the spot where Aaron had just been. But then he nodded and followed me.
After a few minutes of walking, Daniel seemed to go back to his old self, funny, kind, gentle, and just adorable.
“So,” Daniel began mischievously, “how did you like your little dip in the water?”
I playfully slapped him on the arm. “Shut up.”
He sighed and put his arm around my shoulders. I looked at his face and I could still see a trace of worry on his face and he was trying hard to hide it.
“Don’t let him bother you,” I whispered softly to him.
Daniel frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Haley,” he lied.
I stopped walking and stared him in the eye. He had never lied to me. What was so bad about Aaron that would make Daniel try and hide something from me? I could trust Daniel with my life and all my being. Did he not feel the same way?
“What are you hiding from me, Parker?” I demanded.
Daniel winced at my use of his last name, because I only used it when I was angry with him, but still he shook his head denying that anything was wrong.
Now I was boiling with rage. Why couldn’t he tell me? If it was nothing, then he could tell me. But since he was making such a big deal of not telling me then it was obviously a serious matter…right?
I began to walk in the direction of my house—without him.
Suddenly, his hand grasped my arm. I was too angry and I slapped his hand away and kept walking. He called after me and a tear slipped down my cheek as I felt immediate guilt and regret. That was our first fight.
As I walked up my driveway, twelve minutes later, I rushed to wipe the tears from my eyes. I didn’t want to be fussed over by my parents. I just wanted to go to my room and vent by myself.
When I walked through the door, my mom called to me with happiness buttering her tone, “How was your picnic with Daniel?”
“It was great!” I replied with mock enthusiasm.
“Do you want any dinner?” she asked.
“No, thanks,” I said. “I’m just tired.” Then with those final words I jogged upstairs, stepped into my room, and as soon as I shut the door, I burst into tears. And I cried for twenty minutes straight.
I already missed Daniel and I regretted leaving him there. I’d completely overreacted. Whatever had happened between Aaron and him was a family matter and if he wanted me to know he would tell me personally. Suddenly, I realized: I had to go apologize.
I jumped off my bed and rushed downstairs. “I forgot my phone with Daniel!” I shouted to my mom. “I’ll be back in a few.” Then I ran out before she could question me.
I didn’t take my car. I hadn’t used my car to drive to Daniel’s house since last year. It was only a few blocks away.
As I turned the corner I bumped into someone and fell to the ground.
“I’m so—” I stopped short.
“You’re ‘so’ what?” Aaron growled. But there was a trace of exhaustion and sadness in his voice.
I stood up and brushed myself off. Without looking him I mumbled, “Sorry, I’m so sorry.”
He seemed surprised, but did nothing more to show it and he brushed past me. Aaron hopped into his Mustang and sped away.
I stared off in the direction he had gone, but then I focused on the reason I had come here.
I knocked on Daniel’s front door and it immediately swung open. There he was with that same face he had given Aaron; the face that had scared me so much.
“It’s me…Haley,” I hesitated. I don’t know why I said because obviously it was me, but he seemed to be somewhere else completely.
He blinked twice. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I just wasn’t…I was a little lost in thought.”
Suddenly, I blurted, “I didn’t come here for you to apologize to me. I’m the one that’s sorry, Daniel. Whatever happened between you and Aaron is none of my business and if I was supposed to know, I would. I love—”
Daniel cut me off with a deep kiss. His hands gently held each side of my face close to his.
“Is this a good answer?” he teased softly.
I laughed. “You couldn’t have said it better.”
“Then we’re okay…?” he asked.
I nodded. “It wasn’t even a fight.”
“Well, I know that,” he chuckled. ”It only lasted an hour.”
We were laughing and teasing for ten minutes straight when a car zoomed on to the driveway.
This time it wasn’t Aaron and, the person in the car made Daniel gulp in fear.
Out of the car stepped a man in a black suit that was impeccable and looked like new. He had on black mirrored glasses. The strange man turned to us and we looked our reflections back in the eye.
“Why, hello there,” the man said to me. His voice and expression was impassive.
“H-hello,” I mumbled softly.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Haley,” I replied and offered by hand. “Haley Zinger.”
He scoffed. “It sounds more like a nickname to me.”
I flinched as if I had been burned. I stood in shock at how this stranger had insulted me though he knew not a thing about me but my name.
The man turned to Daniel and pointed lazily at me. “Honestly, this is the best you could do?”
Daniel’s eyes were fixated on his shoes as he softly defended me. “There’s no one out there better than Haley.”
The man used his hand to roughly position Daniel’s face so they were eye. “You’ll look me in the eye when you speak to me.”
“Yes, Uncle George,” Daniel answered obediently.
“And while I’m around, I don’t want to see that girl come anywhere near this house. It’s about time you get that ‘love’ nonsense out of your head. You’re becoming an adult. You should have outgrown fantasies by now.”
Daniel blinked, but said nothing.
“Now, where is Aaron?”
“He just left.”
“Hmm…smart of him. You wouldn’t want me to get a hold of that sorry excuse of a son.”
My eyes widened, but I remained silent and followed Daniel’s example.
Uncle George roughly pushed his way between Daniel and me, separating us. I stared at the gap that was left and a tear slipped down my cheek.
I glanced at Daniel and I saw that we mirrored each other just as we had in his uncle’s glasses. We had the same posture, the same sadness, and the same tear.
“I have to go,” he whispered shakily.
I nodded. I wanted to hug him; to say something that would make it all better. But the silence seemed to be enough. No words would make this better.
“Bye,” Daniel said.
I winced and fresh tears fell down my face. Why did he have to say bye? Would I never see him again?
I turned without a word and headed away, but not towards home. I just needed to get away.