One Chance

2008
Jordan watched Tyler flip off the dock. He was with a group of kids. Some guys, some girls. He was lanky and the way his hair was, it looked as if he had frosted tips. He looked like a total loser and she didn't understand why half her friends were drooling over him.
She walked down to the beach. Her blonde hair blew in the wind behind her as she walked. She was already golden from the tanning she had done at home. She had the body of an athlete, which she was. She was strictly volleyball in through the year. Summer was her only time off.
The guys on the dock watched as she laid out her blanket. She had a light blue bikini on. She slathered on tanning lotion. Her sunglasses were pulled over her eyes. She laid down, ignoring everyone around her.
Tyler had heard plenty about Jordan. He'd never seen her though. It was his first year at this new cottage. He watched the way she presented herself and could tell she was a snob. Not worth his time.
"We're gonna go talk to Jord. See you around?" One of the girls drooling over him spoke, biting her lip.
Tyler gave her a smile, nodding. She giggled to her friends before they walked down the beach to Jordan. He watched the interaction. They almost looked scared of her. He shook his head, climbing onto the dock.
"What's her story?" He nodded towards the group of girls.
His friend, Freddy, looked over. "Jordan is kind of a big deal. She's like a volleyball star and everyone's always treated her like royalty. It just kind of got to her head." He explained.
"Why do her 'friends' look scared of her?" Tyler scoffed.
"Because she's fucking crazy." His other friend, Matt, stated. "She's spoiled so if one thing doesn't go her way, she snaps."
"So, she's a snob like I predicted?" Tyler cocked a brow. All of his friends nodded. "I'm gonna fuck with her so bad."
"Digging your own grave, buddy." Jake shook his head.
"I'm perfectly fine with it. I'll sacrifice myself to show her what a shitty person she is." Tyler shrugged.
That night, Jake was having a bonfire. He invited everyone his age to it. All the cottages lined the beach and were all walking distance. Jordan was going. She never missed one.
She had on an aqua dress. The back had thin straps that crossed, with a bow. She paired it with gladiators. Her long, blonde hair was in a low pony, tied with a bow. She told the girls to just meet her there. She wanted all the attention on her when she walked over.
As she approached, she realized no one was looking for her. They were all crowded around someone. She furrowed her brows. She walked over to the group, shoving her way into the group. She saw Tyler sitting in the centre of it.
He looked up and saw Jordan with her arms crossed. He looked her up and down. She was hot. So hot. But he wasn't going to add to the size of her head and tell her. He grinned at her before he continued telling his story about his hockey season.
Jordan rolled her eyes, getting sick of his bragging. She shoved out of the group, making her way towards the water. She found a spot to sit. She drew in the sand.
"Little Jordan's not the centre of attention around here anymore so she comes to mope." A voice said from behind her.
She looked and saw Tyler. She sighed looking back out at the water. He sat down beside her. She pursed her lips while they sat in silence.
"Did you come over here to brag about your hockey some more?" She spat.
"No, I came to see if you were alright. Kind of a dick move, giving you that smirk and all." He explained.
"Well, I'm fine so go back to your friends." She waved him away.
"Jordan, look. I don't want to be enemies. We're both pretty big deals so maybe we can get along." He said, smiling.
She looked over at him. He had his head tilted and a shit-eating grin on his face. She rolled her eyes before she pushed herself up. He looked up her long legs to her face.
"Thanks but I'm not interested in making friends." She spat before she walked away.
He hoped up, following behind her. She knew he was there but was trying her best to ignore him. After she was near the road, she spun around to face him.
"What do you want?" She screamed.
He stopped in front of her. "I don't think you have the choice on wether or not you're interested in making friends." He hissed.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" She gasped. "You show up to my cottage and bat your fucking eyelashes at every girl here and think you're above me?" She laughed. "Here's the news flash, pal, you're going nowhere in life. Hockey may be fun, but you have to be good to get to the 'show'."
Tyler swallowed hard. She didn't know how he was with hockey. She didn't know how hard he had to work to get where he was. She didn't know how hard he was still working to get where he wanted to be.
"I don't need some full-of-herself bitch telling me that I'm no good at the thing I love. I know I'm good. You're the one who's going no where in life, Jordan." He pointed at her as he spoke.
She crossed her arms, pursing her lips. "I've already gotten further than half the people over there." She argued.
"But you're not going to go much further." He shrugged. "You can't treat people like shit and expect them to put up with it forever." His voice lowered. "Hey, so what if I'm shit at hockey, at least I'm not a shit person."
"I don't treat people like sh,"
"Your friends are scared of you, Jordan! Yeah, you have the nicest hair, the nicest clothes, maybe you're the prettiest girl around here, but someone with all that and a bad personality is just ugly." He finished.
They stared at each other for a moment. Tyler shook his head before jogging back to the party. Jordan watched him return to the mob of teens before she broke down. She let out a cry as she walked back to her cottage.
Everything Tyler had said was right. She was a shallow bitch and she knew it. She had never noticed until he said it, but now it was eating her up.
Days passed and it was the last night at the cottage for Jordan. It was the last night for Tyler as well. Since they were neighbours, they watched as each other's families packed. She saw him helping put things in his car. He looked towards her porch where she sat on the steps.
Tyler felt bad for what he had said to her. He could tell he had hurt her. He took a deep breath before walking to her cottage. She looked up when she saw him coming. He examined her appearance. Her hair was in a bun on top of her head. She had a black track suit on.
"Uh, hey." He scratched the back of his head. She gave him a small wave with a smile. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said to you at the party. I was,"
"Right. You were entirely right." She cut him off. "I was so rude to you and I'm sorry."
He smiled a bit. "It's alright. I can be kinda obnoxious." He joked.
"Oh, so can I." She scoffed.
Tyler's sister, Candace, called him over to leave. Tyler and Jordan both looked over before looking back at each other. He took a deep breath. Jordan looked at her feet.
"See you next summer?" He offered.
Jordan smiled, nodding. She did something neither expected. She stood up, leaning forward. Her arms wrapped around Tyler's neck. His wrapped around her waist.
"Thank you." She whispered to him.