Temporary Bliss

Cameron and I had wandered down to the ocean after annoying Zach, both of us wearing shorts, and went in a little below knee deep. Our fingers were loosely intertwined as we both looked down at the water, watching as the sand buried our feet when a wave washed ashore.

I wiggled my toes up through the sand, feeling a few sharp crushed up sea shells as the sand squeezed through my toes.

“You‘re not allowed to swim with that cut, are you?” I asked, looking up at him.

I jerked him from his thoughts and he glanced over at me, “Nope. Even if I was allowed I still wouldn’t it‘d sting so bad.”

“Salting a wound, literally.” I smiled, chuckling at my own joke.

“Y‘know, I still haven‘t thought of pay back for you.” he winked. “I may have just thought of one though!” he added, a light bulb going off in that ‘sea bass’ head of his, as Zach referred to it.

“Hmm, and what would th-” I was cut off by being picked up bridal style by Cameron.

“You don’t‘ have any cuts that can‘t get wet, right?” he asked.

“No, but my clothes can‘t get wet!” I said urgently.

He looked at me, humor filled in those killer green eyes, “I dunno, I might have to do this to get back at you.” he said as he walked out a little farther. He leaned down, my butt inches away from the water. I grabbed the sleeve of his white v-neck, clutching it in my right hand, my left hand grabbed onto his bicep.

“Don‘t!” I squealed as Cameron laughed.

“I have to!” he argued. He slowly lifted me back up, and I felt myself relax.

He fake dropped me a few times, making me squirm in anticipation of getting wet; which only made him laugh more.

He did it one last time then set me down, “You really thought I was going to do it huh?” he chuckled.

“I knew you wouldn’t, but that feeling that you might accidentally drop me made me feel on edge.” I smiled.

His hand rested on the small of my back, “C‘mon, let‘s see if Zach and Caroline are ready to go.”

We both turned towards shore, his hand slipping down into the back pocket of my jeans.

“You don‘t mind my hand on your butt, do you?” he asked, leaning down so his voice was low in my ear.

I wrapped my right arm around his waist and leaned into him as we walked back to our spot, “No, it‘s fine.” I smiled as he kissed the top of my head. We packed up then walked back to Zach’s SUV.

“Did you want to come over, just you, not Zach or Caroline?” Cameron asked before we got into the car as Zach was putting the cooler in his trunk.

“I don‘t know Mr. Quiseng.” I hesitated, “are there going to be adults there?” I asked, a smile playing on my lips.

“Is that a serious question?”

I nodded, “My parents would freak if they I was at a boy’s house and no parents were there.”

I could tell he was about to crack a joke, I spoke up before he could, “I know, I‘m almost 18. It‘s not that my parents don’t trust me, they don’t trust you.” I said as I poked his chest.

“I would never try anything on you.” he said seriously, then winked.

“I know.” I smiled, I turned around and opened the car door, hopping in and locking the door behind me as I stuck my tongue out at Cameron, making him walk over to the other side of the car.

Once everyone was in the car and Zach had started driving Caroline turned around to face Cameron and I from the front seat, “So now that you two are together, Zach and I were going to catch a movie tonight, did you two want to come along?”

Cameron looked over at me, waiting for my answer. I just shrugged, “We‘ll think about it.” I spoke up.

Zach looked between Cameron and I through the rearview mirror, his blue eyes darting back and forth between us and the road, “Well do you already have plans?”

“We were going to hang out, alone, for a while.” Cameron said matter-of-factly.

“The movie isn‘t till eight, It‘s five now. You‘ll be able to make it.” Caroline smiled, turning back around.

“So bossy.” I muttered under my breath as I looked out the window.

Once back at Zach’s house Cameron and I hopped out of the car and headed over to his
house, after being instructed by Zach not to be late to the movie. Cameron’s hand held mine as he opened the door to his house.

“Welcome to the casa de la Quiseng.” he said cheerfully.

It was a cute house, a little on the big side, but not huge. It was nice and cozy for its size. There was a big family room straight ahead, a dining room that lead to the kitchen off to the left and who knew what else.

He led me into the kitchen where his dad was. My nerves instantly set in as my fingers started to mess with the bottom of my shorts.

“Dad, this is Charlotte, my girlfriend-” Cameron was cut off by his dad.

“The girl you‘ve talked nonstop about for the entire summer.” he said as he turned around. “So he finally made a move.”

Cameron laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Dad, I don‘t think that was vital information.”

“It embarrassed you though, and that was my intention.”

I laughed and Cameron rolled his eyes, “Charlotte this is my dad, Geoff.”

He smiled shaking my hand, “It‘s nice to finally meet you.” It was then I noticed he had the same green eyes as Cameron.

“You too.” I returned his kind smile.

“I assume you‘re the same Charlotte that gave him those stitches?”

“Yeah…” I said, laughing.

“Speaking of stitches, there was one time, Cameron had to get stitches on his butt, the goofy kid took off all of his clothes and-”

Cameron cut his dad off, “We‘ll be in my room.” he said as he pulled me by the arm out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“I wanted to hear that story!” I laughed as he shut his bedroom door behind us.

“You‘re never going to hear it.”

“I‘ll hear it eventually.” I smiled, wiggling my eyebrows.

He shook his head as he picked me up, setting me down on his bed seconds later. He climbed over me and sat up on the other side of me. He grabbed his TV remote off of his nightstand then laid down on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows as he turned it on.

I positioned myself next to him in the same position, “Y‘know, if you don‘t want to go got that movie we don‘t have to.” he said, bumping his shoulder with mine.

“Do you have a plan to get out of it?” I asked curiously.

“Matter of fact I do! We‘ll take off in my car, and then we‘ll tell them we‘re running late, then we‘ll never show up, but when they ask where we were, we‘ll say we couldn‘t find them in the theater and didn‘t want to distract the other people so we sat in the first available seats.”

He had really thought this out, “Dang, well, alright.” I chuckled.

“Was there anything you wanted to do?” he asked curiously.

I rolled off of my stomach onto my back. I rested my hands on top of each other on my stomach as I looked up at his ceiling. I watched his fan spin, occasionally trying to distinguish one blade from the other until I got a headache from going cross-eyed.

“Nah, not really. I mean there isn’t anything in particular that I want to do.”

I felt the bed shift and once it settled I turned my head to the left to look at Cameron, who was now laying on his back like me.

“I‘ve always wondered why people look at their ceiling, even I do it. It‘s such a common thing.”

“I guess, usually when I do it, it‘s because I‘m thinking. Like I come to the realization of something unfortunate. And I just get bummed.”

We were both quiet, looking at his ceiling. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him look over at me.

“Are you bummed about something now?” he questioned.

I turned my head and looked back at him, “No, I‘m not.”

A smile spread across his face, “Neither am I.”

I slowly scooted myself over to him, keeping our eyes locked. I quickly leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. I pulled back and smiled at him. He propped himself up on one elbow, reaching his left hand over my body and resting it on my face. He lowered his head down and kissed me again.

He pulled back less than a minute later, “sorry, the first one wasn‘t enough.” he chuckled as his face turned a light shade of red.

“I‘m not complaining.” I shrugged.

“You wanna go get some ice cream?” he asked, sitting up.

I nodded, “sounds fantastic.”

We both darted out of his room, racing down his stairs. After telling his dad where we were going we headed out the front door. We were walking to Cameron’s car when Zach yelled both of our names.

We both froze and gave each other worried looks.

“Yeah?” Cameron yelled over to him. Both of us turning to face him.

“You guys are going to the movie, right?”

Crap.

“Yeah, we‘re leaving now…” Cameron yelled.

“alright, just checking! See you there then!”

We both waved and hurried off to get in Cameron’s car.

“Well, what now, since you obviously didn't stick to the plan?” I sighed.

“We‘ll take off, I‘ll tell him you‘re not feeling good and that I‘m taking you home.” he shrugged, “It should work.”

“My boyfriend is so smart.” I laughed, patting his knee.

And he did just that.