Chapter Nine - Aurora Borealis

As nightfall came out on the beach in the distance, there was a huge bonfire with people moving around. The teen boys and Mr. Morty were in the lobby when they noticed the bonfire.

"What's going on by the beach?" Klaus asked the receptionist in the lobby.

"There are some students from CalTech waiting to observe the Northern Lights and a meteor shower. We're gonna be turning off the floodlight so that they can get a better view." Receptionist replied.

Klaus turned to his peers and the driver excitedly. 'Mates, could we join them?' Klaus asked.

"Yeah sure. I'm down." Paul said.

"Me too. Lemme get the girls. Meet you guys in 15 minutes." Jeffrey replied.

Mr. Morty went on ahead while the teens gathered in the parking lot at half-past nine. They immediately headed to the beach when they got the girls up to speed with what was happening on the beach. College students a few years older than the group filled the beach, with telescopes and notebooks lined along the shoreline. Near the telescopes was an enormous bonfire with some students seated around it chatting as they waited for the Northern Lights to appear. Seated with a guitar was Mr. Morty talking to some college girls who looked enchanted by him.

"That sly dog started without me." Said Paul, intrigued. "Well, I think I'm gonna join Mr. Morty and his 'friends'. Nicole and Jeffrey back up my bullshit, 'kay?" He continued.

Paul swaggered his way to Mr. Morty and the college girls and Nicole and Jeffrey shrugged and followed to wing-man with their friend. Klaus and Samantha stood confused by the sudden shift in Paul's behaviour from being cool and collected to King Casanova.

"You wanna take a walk while we wait, Dinghy?" Samantha asked, twisting her foot in the sand.

"I'd be delighted." He replied.

The inn turned the floodlights off as they walked down the beach and the surrounding area was pitch black, with only the bonfire as a light source on the beach. The two of them walked in silence, led by the rhythm of the acoustics of the water hitting the shoreline.

"So your driver seems to be quite casual to you. He's even hitting on college students in front of you, huh?" Samantha asked, breaking the silence.

Klaus sighed. "Honestly, I don't know why he's like that with me. And he isn't only driving us, but he's also here for a business meeting for my father's company." He replied.

"Wait, he's not just your driver?"

Klaus laughed and stared at Samantha, seeing that she really believed he was just a driver. "He's my father's Chief Engineer. I never really said what my father does, did I?"

Samantha nodded curiously.

"Well, my father is the CEO of the multinational conglomerate holding company, Mayway and Ledgerfield Inc." He said.

"So you're basically a rich kid, smart, cute, and comes from European nobility. Got it." She replied.

"Wow, Ms. Diaz, that's the first time you've ever complimented me. Do I sense a change of heart to the Ice Queen?" Klaus glared at Samantha and smiled.

"W-well, it's summer and ice melts in the summer. So you deserve a compliment here and there. Don't get used to it, Dinghy." Said Samantha flushed, pursing her lips.

"Okay, now it's your turn to finish what you were saying at the diner. You dodged shading more light on our mutual interest over the phone. Come on, be a good girl." He teased.

"So persistent. Fine. I want to major in Planetary Sciences and go to space one day because I want to honour a promise to someone." She said reluctantly.

"To whom?" Klaus asked.

Samantha leaned toward Klaus and poked his chest. Their height difference was apparent and her sudden action made Klaus choke.

"Captain, are you jealous?" She asked was a smile.

"Nope." Klaus blushed.

Klaus looked down at her, and Samantha looked up at him. The darkness didn't make it difficult for them to see each other. The bonfire's light glowed on their sides and their eyes met. They looked into each other's eyes silent again until a light green illuminated the sky and the entire beach glowed with a beautiful aesthetic that enhanced the moment for the two teens.

"Aurora Borealis," Samantha said, maintaining eye contact.

"With the name 'Aurora' derived from the Roman goddess of the dawn who travelled from east to west announcing the coming of the sun controlled by Apollo, the sun god," Klaus replied, moving closer to Samantha.

"And the name 'Borealis' derived from the Ancient Greek god of the north wind, Boreas." Samantha's lips puckered as she tipped her toes.

Klaus' voice softened as she reached in for the kiss. "If it's viewed this far south of the North Pole must mean that there's a huge solar wind hit-."

"Were you guys just flirting in a nerdy way right now?" asked some girl coming from the bushes, arms folded, with an inside-out top and beach shorts.

Samantha jumped and stepped back from Klaus. His face was so red that you could see it in the dim light. She covered it, but it was to no avail. She was shocked by what she was about to do. Samantha had never kissed a boy before, let alone had an intimate attraction to him. However, it came naturally to her what to do at the moment. Immediately, someone came running out of the bushes, buckling his pants.

"Tiffany! Why did you ditch me so quick? I was gonna reset my little dude in a few minutes." Said the person who looked like a surfer.

"Whatever Josh. I've gone back for the shower." Said the girl arrogantly, walking towards the bonfire.

"Sorry, my dude and dudet. She's just pissed because things ended quickly, if you know what I mean." He laughed and sped off to the inside-out top girl.

The bush couple ruined a perfect moment for Klaus and Samantha, and Klaus looked annoyed by being interrupted.

"Um, I-I think we should g-go back to the bonfire for the meteor shower. Yeah?" She stuttered.

Klaus sighed and pulled Samantha back to him, and kissed her. This time, he didn't care who else might have been in the bushes.

"Samantha, I like you." He said.

Samantha flushed and was more shocked that she had just had her first kiss. "Um okay?"