You Were Always on My Mind

“So you and Jacob have been spending an awful lot of time together,” my dad points out as I stir the hot chocolate.
“We spent a lot of time together last year too,” I comment. When I finish the hot chocolate, I pour it into a thermos for later. Jake and I are teaching a morning class at the gymnastics studio so that we can just hang out in Seattle for the rest of the day.
“Yeah, but it seems different this time.”
“Does it?” I ask staring intensely at the thermos, avoiding his gaze.
“Well, be careful in Seattle,” my dad says then walks out of the room. This conversation is definitely not over. I’ve been hanging out with him for only three weeks, it’s not like we’ve been together every second and I only see him during the summer.
“Ready to go?” Jacob asks peeping his head through the back sliding door.
“Let me just grab my bag,” I say heading over to the living room. I have a bigger bag today so that I have a change of clothes for after gymnastics.
Today, I’m working while Jake watches. Robin said that she really needed us for the one class, but that she’ll miss us for the rest of the day since we’ll be gone. I’m working with seven and eight year olds for the hour class. I go easy on them and we do a lot of the basics. The most I do with them is a front handspring. Once their practice is over, they all hug me goodbye instead of high fiving me like the other kids normally do. I quickly slip into the bathroom and change into the white, flowy, lace dress I brought and let my hair down.
"Bye Sammy, Robin set us up for a class together next week with the most advanced tumblers," Ian informs me waving goodbye.
"Having three coaches will be interesting, bye Ian," I reply smiling.
“You were amazing with those kids today,” Jake comments, “they really liked you. They were just so eager to be there and looked up at you the whole time.”
“See you next Wednesday,” Robin says as we pass by the front desk.
“Have a good weekend Robin,” I respond to her, then turn to Jake, “yeah, they were just a great group overall and easy to work with.”
“But they just really looked up to you. So lunch in Port Angeles or Seattle?” Jake asks.
“Seattle, we should get there as soon as possible.”
“Seattle it is.”
We blast the music in the car as we drive the two hours east to Seattle. On the dirt roads, I slip out onto the truck bed and feel my hair whip around me and smell the beautiful sea around me. A few times I dare to stand up and Jake always slows the car for my safety.
We finally reach Seattle and eat at this little cafe that’s not too crowded. Next, we go to one of the zoos and Jake even buys me an ice cream. My phone starts ringing and I have to leave him for a second.
“Hello?”
“Hey Sammy, want to have a sleepover tonight?” Nicole asks.
“Yeah, of course, but I might not be in town until late. I’m kind of in Seattle right now.”
“Who with?”
“Jake…”
“I’m totally fine with waiting, talk to you later.”
“Hey Jake?” I ask.
“Yes Sammy?”
“Can we go to James Island tomorrow?”
“Sure. Any particular reason why?”
“It’s been a few years and last time we did it, I almost got killed by a wave. I’m ready to face it again.” Plus, I really want to kiss you.
“Okay, so tomorrow is planned, but what about today?”
“The aquarium duh.” I grab his hand, feeling the warmth tingle between us. He drives us to the closest aquarium and for some reason, we still haven’t let go of each others hands. I’m extremely amused by the aquarium and I feel like Jake’s only holding on to make sure I don’t get lost. He laughs at my stupidity and I just can’t help but smile the whole time. We spend about an hour in the aquarium while I stare at all of the animals I can’t actually see in La Push.
Next we go to the Kubota Garden. We hang around the red bridge for most of the part and Jake offers to take some pictures of me then we find someone to take pictures of us. He wraps an arm around my waist, barely touching me. I smile up at him blushing and scoot closer against him. I look back at the worker who’s taking our picture.
We spend the rest of the day at the Waterfront Park. We play around in the arcade and I get myself a large stuffed animal with all the tickets we accumulate. We go on the ferris wheel and get in trouble for rocking it, although no one informed us that we weren’t allowed to rock in it. Jake rides a pretty pink horse while I ride the tall white unicorn in the carousel. We eat a fattening lunch of garlic fries and burgers and a milkshake then head back to La Push. I call Nicole on the way back saying that I’ll be back around 9:30 and that she should meet me at my house.
Jake pulls into the driveway at 9:20 and there’s no sign of Nicole.
“I had a lot of fun today,” I tell Jake smiling at him.He leans in a little and I’m not sure if he’ll kiss me. I lean in too and our lips almost touch when we see headlights pull up behind us. I give him a quick peck on the cheek and leave the car.
“Thanks Jake.”
“We’re still on for tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
I meet Nicole at her car and she just has this evil smile on her face.
“So?” She asks.
“You pulled in right before we could.” I reply, yet I’m still smiling. So close, but he really wants to kiss me and that just makes me feel so giddy.
“No?”
“Yup, but we made plans for tomorrow. No interruptions. Maybe cliff diving too. Plus I’m making sure we take the truck again.”
“Sounds like you have this all worked out. You better tell me everything tomorrow night.”
“You’ll be the first to know besides him,” I respond and now I’m the one with the devilish smile.
We head up to my room and I tell her about the past three days. Gymnastics, him sleeping over, what I heard when he brought me up after I fell asleep.
“Alex even wants you two to kiss!!”
“I know and Jacob has just been so perfect these past few days, I just cannot wait till tomorrow. I know, I just feel so… I don’t know, complete inside. I mean we fell asleep together and I honestly did not want to get up, but I didn’t want my dad to wake up and see me either.”
“That’s huge! At least your family is fine with it, probably because you two grew up making mud pies.”
“Well, I preferred mud pies over barbies any day.”
“Only you,” Nicole replies shaking her head and laughing.
“Hey Sammy!” we hear someone shout from the driveway.
“Your prince is waiting for you,” Nicole comments giggling. I head out to the balcony and look over the ledge. Jacob is standing there with my giant teddy bear.
“You forgot this in the truck,” Jake informs me.
“I’ll be right down to get it,” I tell him then head back into my room. “He wants me to get the teddy bear I left in the truck about an hour ago.”
“The nights not over,” Nicole states and winks at me as I walk out of the room. I run down the stairs and to the side door. I walk out, a little too fast, to Jacob. The teddy bear is next to him, but he doesn’t make a move to grab it.
“You didn’t only forget the teddy bear,” he says leaning in. He tilts my chin up and we finally kiss. After weeks of almosts, we have now officially kissed!
“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” I say pulling away and looking up at him.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he leans in one more time for another kiss, but it does not last long enough. He heads back to his house and I grab the bear and head back to mine. My face feels like it’s on fire when I get back into the room.
“Guess you didn’t have to wait until tomorrow,” Nicole giggles again.
“Nope, but I still can’t wait until tomorrow. This is surpassed holding hands,” I comment. I put the bear down and collapse onto my bed feeling exuberant.