Taken by Storm (28 page)
Authors: Angela Morrison
Tags: #Social Issues, #Dating & Sex, #Christian, #Friendship, #Juvenile Fiction, #Sports & Recreation, #General, #Religious, #Water Sports, #Death & Dying
i’m up before the sun. Didn’t really sleep. Slip out onto the balcony and breathe the salt air. At least we’ve got an ocean view. The sunrise should be nice.
i hear the sliding door on the balcony next to us open, bare feet tiptoeing, her breath.
i climb over my room’s balcony railing, around the privacy screen, and onto Leesie’s balcony like i used to sneak into Mandy’s room to surprise her. That’s how i found out she’d hooked up with a new guy at the resort’s dive shop.
“You’re good at that,” Leesie’s whisper greets me.
i don’t share why.
i hug her close and kiss her good morning. She answers my kiss in a way she hasn’t for a long time. Maybe we’ve outrun the shadows.
i pick her up, sweep her right off her feet like a bride, and carry her over to a chaise lounge. Gently settle her on it. She scoots over to make room for me. One knee bends over the side of the chaise so her right foot can rest on the floor.
She catches my hand and pulls me down beside her. Her lips settle on my neck.
My arms slip around her. “Good morning,” i whisper into her hair.
“Do I have gross breath?”
i kiss her again. “You taste amazing.”
“I feel amazing.” She takes a deep breath of my Caribbean air. “I love you.”
That’s the first time she’s said it since we got back together. i don’t reply. She knows why. i will love her. When she lets me. i will.
She dozes on my shoulder waiting for the sun to rise. i watch her sleep. She
is
precious like that. Long eyelashes resting on creamy cheeks. Forehead slack. Her mouth slightly open. i kiss it, and she rouses. “Our chaperones are useless.”
is
precious like that. Long eyelashes resting on creamy cheeks. Forehead slack. Her mouth slightly open. i kiss it, and she rouses. “Our chaperones are useless.”
“You know you can trust me.”
“Yeah.” She caresses my cheek. “I know.”
We lounge together as the rosy glow in the east lights up my world. Palm trees, ferns, bright pink bougainvillea, red hibiscus. Shimmering turquoise water everywhere we turn. It comes to me out there on the balcony, like the gradual flush of pink that edges the horizon—in a few hours, i’ll be back in that water again. i’m going diving—with Leesie. It’s going to happen.
Diving.
Ocean.
Salt water all over me.
Tasting it.
Sinking in it.
With her.
LEESIE’S MOST PRIVATE CHAPBOOK
POEM #43, WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER
Pink sky flares orange magenta gold.
settles down to startling, pure blue
as deep as the ocean
the sun reveals.
settles down to startling, pure blue
as deep as the ocean
the sun reveals.
We hang over the balcony together.
He points to docks and black nets
strung between weathered green pilings
crisscrossing a lagoon.
He points to docks and black nets
strung between weathered green pilings
crisscrossing a lagoon.
You can see them from here.
What?
Keep watching.
a snubbed snout.
a round head.
the elegant curve of a dolphin
leaping free and perfect
into the air.
a round head.
the elegant curve of a dolphin
leaping free and perfect
into the air.
I leap, too.
Come down all over
him. I convince
him to get me closer.
He persuades me into going
in my jams and tee, my hair
a tangled mass.
Come down all over
him. I convince
him to get me closer.
He persuades me into going
in my jams and tee, my hair
a tangled mass.
Florida style, babe.
Elevator make out,
rushing past empty pool,
cushy loungers, expectant
umbrellaed tables,
along a boardwalk dripping
with blooms and vines and
palm fronds.
rushing past empty pool,
cushy loungers, expectant
umbrellaed tables,
along a boardwalk dripping
with blooms and vines and
palm fronds.
He finds the magic key, jiggles
the secret latch, and
open sesame.
the secret latch, and
open sesame.
I can’t believe this.
Shhh. Come here.
We kneel at the dock’s edge.
His playmate bobs up, nods
squeaks and chatters.
I can’t contain a tiny squeal.
His playmate bobs up, nods
squeaks and chatters.
I can’t contain a tiny squeal.
Excuse me—you’re not supposed—Michael?
a tan blond body packed
in a bikini top and boy shorts
flies at him, captures him,
glues itself all over my
guy.
in a bikini top and boy shorts
flies at him, captures him,
glues itself all over my
guy.
she talks fast and cries
against his cheek
over Johnny, and
emails, and
drowning.
against his cheek
over Johnny, and
emails, and
drowning.
Sorry.
she soaks up tears
with her fingertip.
I do this a lot. The dolphins
don’t mind. Damn, you’re pale.
she soaks up tears
with her fingertip.
I do this a lot. The dolphins
don’t mind. Damn, you’re pale.
I try hard not to hate her—even
when she turns to me with her arm
draped too low around him
and says, her fingertips drumming his thigh,
Hey, you guys cousins?
when she turns to me with her arm
draped too low around him
and says, her fingertips drumming his thigh,
Hey, you guys cousins?
Girlfriend. Leesie.
Mandy. Nice to meet you.
she assesses my wild hair, jams,
my flat, bra-less t-shirt.
my flat, bra-less t-shirt.
Hey, girl, you owe me—I
taught him everything
he knows.
taught him everything
he knows.
I can’t smile at this girl,
who took him where I can’t,
make friends, pretend it’s all cool.
Gotta go, my dad, Michael’s gram,
memorial service.
Prissy overload.
who took him where I can’t,
make friends, pretend it’s all cool.
Gotta go, my dad, Michael’s gram,
memorial service.
Prissy overload.
Right. Tomorrow. And we’re all diving
today.
today.
diving?
Later, babe—
at least he’s
talking to me now instead
of ogling her cleavage—
I’ll fill you in.
at least he’s
talking to me now instead
of ogling her cleavage—
I’ll fill you in.
Her teeth glow, large and white
against her tan as they flash
in my direction.
against her tan as they flash
in my direction.
Your dad? His gram?
Gotta cramp your . . . style.
My room’s yours anytime.
Gotta cramp your . . . style.
My room’s yours anytime.
I panic to get out—the latch
sticks, pinches, traps—michael
flicks it open too easy, too practiced.
I can’t look at his face,
which reads way too clearly.
I just hang down my head
and flee.
sticks, pinches, traps—michael
flicks it open too easy, too practiced.
I can’t look at his face,
which reads way too clearly.
I just hang down my head
and flee.
MICHAEL’S DIVE LOG—VOLUME #8
After Leesie bolts, Mandy wrinkles up her nose, fits herself around me again. “She doesn’t seem like your type. Not like—”
“i need to go find her.” Especially with Mandy breathing hot on me like that. “She’s kind of sensitive about—”
“I’m sorry.” Mandy looses her grip. “You tell her she was your one and only?”
i back away, out of arm’s reach. “She’s a Mormon.”
“Enough said.” Mandy turns away, sits down on the dock next to the dolphin.
i run up the boardwalk and find Leesie sitting at one of the tables by the pool. i try to help her up, but she bats away my hand. “The next time we meet one of your old girlfriends, can I at least get dressed, brush my hair, maybe?”
“i had no idea she’d be there. She used to just come summers.”
“You’re going diving with her.”
“The club is diving today.” i close the distance between us. “She’s in the club. We’re going, too. You and me.”
Leesie eyes the water out past the resort’s protected beach. “Me?”
“That’s the cool part.” i put my arms around her. She’s tense. i rub her back while i explain. “i brought your gear. Mitch is going to meet us at the resort’s pool. You’ll like him. His ponytail’s as long as yours. He’ll run through the preliminaries for the resort course, and you get to actually strap on some tanks and scuba dive with me.”
i wish she would jump all over me, excited, like she was when she saw the dolphin, but she shakes her head.
“You’re rushing this, Michael.” She backs out of my embrace. “Please stay here with me.” She turns and studies the water. “I don’t want you to go off with that girl. She looks . . . hungry.”
i want to grab her, spin her around, and shake some sense into her, but i won’t win a fight. i move beside her, put my arm around her waist. “Babe”—she relaxes into me when i say that—“please. i’ll need you down there tomorrow. What happened to trusting me?”
“You’re right.” She lets me pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry.” She lets me kiss her. “I do trust you.”
i kiss her again. “You’re not acting like it.”
She buries her face in my shoulder. Doesn’t speak while i comb my fingers through her wild hair, trying to tame it just a bit. “Please, babe. You don’t know what it took to set this all up.”
She tips back her head and locks my eyes with hers. i sense terror behind her calm expression, but she whispers, “Okay, I’ll do it.”
i move in to celebrate, but she holds me off. “In case I don’t survive, I need to tell you something.” Her forehead knots up. She licks her lips. “More trust.” She swallows. “I got some news before we left on the trip.” She stares at the water again, then back at me. “Brigham Young University is offering me a four-year, full-tuition scholarship.”
My gut muscles get tight. “Why would they do that? You didn’t even apply.”
“I did.”
My grip on her tenses. “You said the place is impossible to get into. Are you that smart?”
She nods. “I kind of blew away the ACT.”
“You’re not going to take it, though, right?” i’m shaking my head, denying what she’s telling me. “That’s great that they want you, but i’m not a Mormon. i can’t go there.”
Leesie’s head drops.
“You are going to take it?”
She won’t meet my eyes.
“You’re leaving?”
“Not until August.” She still can’t look me in the eye.
i take her face in my hands and tip her head back so she has to see the pain that must show. It’s ripping all through me like an electric current. “You’ve known this all along?”
“Nothing was for sure.”
“All those times i held you and said i needed you, and you promised you’d never go
anywhere
”—i can barely speak around the stone lodged in my throat—“you were planning this?”
anywhere
”—i can barely speak around the stone lodged in my throat—“you were planning this?”
“I’ve dreamed of going to BYU my whole life. It’s my great escape.”
i let go of her at the sting of that. “From me?”
“Of course not. From Troy and his creeps, the small town where I’m trapped, my stupid brother. Not you. I planned this way before you. I do not want to escape you.” She clutches at the front of my shirt.
“Leesie.” My brain spins. My arms go back around her. i clutch, too. “You don’t need a scholarship. I’m going to be loaded. We can go anywhere you want. Name the school. i’ll do it.”
“They do let nonmembers into BYU.”
“Like that’s going to work. We both know what my GPA was like last semester.” In some distant life i took the SAT, visited a few campuses, talked about marine biology. i can dredge up college plans if that’s what Leesie wants. “Let’s find a school that works for both of us.”
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