River Rat
The New Guy
"What?!" I practically screamed at my father. He was standing there looking uncomfortable, scratching the back of his neck and looking everywhere but in my eyes.
"I rented out the spare room. We need the money, Mel," he explained again, trying to butter up to me by using his old nickname for me. I glared at him and then whipped around to include this new stranger in my glare as well. He held up his hands in surrender to whatever anger I had planned on releasing on him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was so important to you," he apologized and I sneered.
"Melissa, what's done is done. He's moving in and there's nothing you can do or say about it," my dad said forcefully, even though his eyes were practically begging me to understand. To hug him and call it a day. I just shook my head and looked away from him.
"How could you?" I asked, looking at the floor to hide my tears. I hadn't cried in a long time. "That was mom's room. She loved that room and you're just giving it away to some stranger for nothing more than a bit of rent," I spat before storming out and running away from the house. I admit, I was being a total child, but it really hurt me.
I wiped away the tears that refused to stop falling and jumped right in, not caring that my clothes were drenched. I just needed the comfort of the water and the soothing sounds of the waves hitting the small rocks along it's shallow border.
I sensed him approaching before I heard his heavy footsteps. His boots were crunching along the dry, brittle grass and I cringed at every sound he made. When I heard him stop I dunked my head underwater in an attempt to get him to go away. When I floated back to the top a few minutes later he was still there, a smirk on his face.
After wiping water away from my eyes so I could see him more clearly I said, "What? Was that amusing to you?" I wrung my hair of water as I waited for him to reply.
"No," he began. "I've just never seen someone hold their breath for that long."
I spared a glance at him, my brow raising in question to his statement. He just shrugged and sat down at the water's edge, watching me from a distance. I stayed where I was, floating and watching him watching me.
After a while, I broke the silence. "You must have come here for something," I said. "So, what is it?"
"To apologize," he sighed, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "I didn't know about your mom. It must be tough."
"Yeah, it is," I replied, shocked at his concern. "Why do you care?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Because I'm a nice guy?" he said as if it were a question. I scoffed.
"Wouldn't that be something."
We looked at each other and for the first time I really saw him. He was young, about my age. And really, really cute. He had a nice, white smile and amazing cheekbones. His hair was a light brown and his bangs fell slightly into his eye. He was tan, tall, and extremely kind looking.
And here I was, flaming, awkward red hair. Freckles and a dorky smile. My cheeks flushed and as soon as they did I scolded myself for getting all flustered by some guy. I had to keep my walls up. Things like relationships were dangerous business.
"Why don't we go back to the house and straighten this mess out?" he asked, offering a hand to help me out. I almost took it, but then thought better.
"No, you go ahead. Get unpacked. I'll stay here," I replied, looking away from him and beginning to swim out into the opening to the river. The guy shrugged and got up, looking back one last time to smirk at me.
This was a problem.
"I rented out the spare room. We need the money, Mel," he explained again, trying to butter up to me by using his old nickname for me. I glared at him and then whipped around to include this new stranger in my glare as well. He held up his hands in surrender to whatever anger I had planned on releasing on him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was so important to you," he apologized and I sneered.
"Melissa, what's done is done. He's moving in and there's nothing you can do or say about it," my dad said forcefully, even though his eyes were practically begging me to understand. To hug him and call it a day. I just shook my head and looked away from him.
"How could you?" I asked, looking at the floor to hide my tears. I hadn't cried in a long time. "That was mom's room. She loved that room and you're just giving it away to some stranger for nothing more than a bit of rent," I spat before storming out and running away from the house. I admit, I was being a total child, but it really hurt me.
I wiped away the tears that refused to stop falling and jumped right in, not caring that my clothes were drenched. I just needed the comfort of the water and the soothing sounds of the waves hitting the small rocks along it's shallow border.
I sensed him approaching before I heard his heavy footsteps. His boots were crunching along the dry, brittle grass and I cringed at every sound he made. When I heard him stop I dunked my head underwater in an attempt to get him to go away. When I floated back to the top a few minutes later he was still there, a smirk on his face.
After wiping water away from my eyes so I could see him more clearly I said, "What? Was that amusing to you?" I wrung my hair of water as I waited for him to reply.
"No," he began. "I've just never seen someone hold their breath for that long."
I spared a glance at him, my brow raising in question to his statement. He just shrugged and sat down at the water's edge, watching me from a distance. I stayed where I was, floating and watching him watching me.
After a while, I broke the silence. "You must have come here for something," I said. "So, what is it?"
"To apologize," he sighed, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "I didn't know about your mom. It must be tough."
"Yeah, it is," I replied, shocked at his concern. "Why do you care?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Because I'm a nice guy?" he said as if it were a question. I scoffed.
"Wouldn't that be something."
We looked at each other and for the first time I really saw him. He was young, about my age. And really, really cute. He had a nice, white smile and amazing cheekbones. His hair was a light brown and his bangs fell slightly into his eye. He was tan, tall, and extremely kind looking.
And here I was, flaming, awkward red hair. Freckles and a dorky smile. My cheeks flushed and as soon as they did I scolded myself for getting all flustered by some guy. I had to keep my walls up. Things like relationships were dangerous business.
"Why don't we go back to the house and straighten this mess out?" he asked, offering a hand to help me out. I almost took it, but then thought better.
"No, you go ahead. Get unpacked. I'll stay here," I replied, looking away from him and beginning to swim out into the opening to the river. The guy shrugged and got up, looking back one last time to smirk at me.
This was a problem.