AS SUMMER BEGINS.

Yesterday night was super awkward but it was awkwardly nice, I guess. I watched the sunrise for the last time before I sprint to the shower. Finally a weekday where I don't have to go to school. It feels amazing just thinking about it.

I'm supposed to meet Beth and the others for bible study at Ronnie's later. But first, I have to go to Abuela. I chuckled while drying my hair and looking at my reflection.

Half an hour later I sprint downstairs and found mom making breakfast. I smiled seeing her in the kitchen it's been a while.

"Good Morning!" she said with a smile, "Hey!" I smiled back taking a seat at the counter. "What's the occasion?" I pressed my lips excitedly as I waited for her response.

"Oh! Do I need an excuse to make breakfast for my family." She smiled. She placed eggs on the counter and the skillet in the sink. "Oh, it smells great!" I said.

I moved to the fridge and grabbed cereal with a carton of milk. I always like to eat cereal no matter what we're having. I sat down and started with my cereal.

I also made mango juice freshly squeezed. "Mh" I swallowed, "Really?" "When did you get the mangoes?"

"This morning." She replied, "Wow!" I whispered and poured some juice into a glass and took a sip of it. I closed my eyes and savoured the taste. "Yeah?" she said and sat down.

She started eating the eggs and poured some coffee. "It's been a while since I saw you like this. It's nice." I smiled. "What smells so good?" Stan came in.

"Joy." I said eating my cereal, he checked the fridge then he scanned the counter and he poured some coffee and served himself with the eggs that were left. I stared at him, "Were you gon' eat that?" he asked.

"No, you can have it?" I replied, he then sat down and began eating. Ah, I've waited forever for a morning like this. Thank you God, you really are the greatest dad ever.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your graduation mija." Abuela said. "Abuela it's okay. It was a short celebration anyways." I told her. "Ah. Mija, will you take me to the beach again?" she asked. "Oh! You miss it already." I said. "I do, but I also want to see that friend of yours again." She said. "Abuela, last time was a coincidence."

She just stared at me and I knew she wanted me to figure something out. "Okay! Let's just go, alright." I told her. We head out for the beach after she was done with lunch. It was taco Friday, yum!

We were walking on the beach bare feet as usual. I smiled as I watched the gleaming ocean, pretty nostalgic. "When is your friend gon' get here, mija?" she asked.

"Soon, Abuela." I said. I'd call Peter earlier before we left and told him that Abuela wants to see him. I'd never expect I'd see him this early. I mean I would have to see him later at Ronnie's but it's hours later.

But now I have to see him NOW! I'm glad I was able to restrain myself last night. I don't even know what happened, I zoned out. It was wrong, he has a girlfriend and looking away was the best thing to do.

I don't know if it means anything to me, maybe it was just because it was dark and I was sad and the mood was just tense. Yeah! That's what it is, of course nothing to worry about.

We saw Peter approaching from a distance and Abuela smiled. "Hey! Abuela." He said, "Mijo!" she said and pulled him into a hug. "I missed you, mijito." She said breaking off the hug. "How are you?"

"I'm okay Abuela." He said, and he held her hand. "Hi." He said looking at me, Hey." I said and faintly smiled. "Come on, cheer up mija. There's more Abuela to go around." She said.

I smiled and we began strolling the beach. Like the last time I kept quiet and Abuela and Peter were the only ones talking.

"I'll be right back!" I heard Abuela say, "What?" I asked. Peter chuckled, "She has to go to the rest room." He said. "What?" I said.

I must've zoned out. "Yeah! It was right in between your zone out." He said. "Huh?" I looked at him, "Yeah, I know. Anyone who hangs by you long enough will notice." He said.

I silently cleared my throat and kept on walking. "Where are you going?" he asked, "Hmm!" I said and he raised both eyebrows. "Uh...I'm just gonna keep walking." I replied.

"But what about Abuela? She's gonna be back any second." He told me. "Oh, don't worry she knows her way around she'll find us." I said. "Us?" he asked placing his hands in his pockets. My eyes popped when I realized what I said. "You want me to come with you?" he asked. "That is entirely up to you." I said.

"So you do?" he asked, "I didn't say that." I replied. He chuckled, "Ooh, I see what's goin' on here." "Word play." I stared at him confused.

"Yeah. See, you say it's up to me because either way whatever I choose will not be because of what you said." He stared at me. "You're crazy." I kept on walking.

He closely followed beside me. "So how long have you been working at the home?" he asked. "I'm volunteering. It's been a while I don't even remember." I chuckled.

"What?" he asked. "Nothing, I just remembered this one time when Abuela and I went to the park and she got chased by dogs." I said.

"What?" he laughed, "Yeah, she was apparently covered in peanut butter. We had a PB and J sandwiches for breakfast." I told him. "What happened?" he asked.

"Well I had to chase them down to Surf's Pizza." I said. "All the way here, no way!!" he said, "She hid inside. I couldn't believe she could run that far. She slept for 48hours after." I said. "Wow." He said. "Right!" I chuckled. I stopped and sat down because I was getting really tired. My feet were sore. "Isn't this amazing?" I asked him.

"What is?" he asked, "The ocean view, this wind blowing." I said. "You." He said, "No, I was going to say the sunset but it's not time yet." I said. "And I was gonna say, you." He said.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "Okay." I mouth shrugged. "Avery, about last night..." "It was a mistake. I understand, crazy right. It must've been the mood, you know." I cut him off.

He sighed and kept silent for a while and I decided to get up then I stepped in a really sharp end of a shell buried in the sand and I almost fell back being confused from the pain.

Peter caught me right before and I froze for a while not wanting to look up. I silently sighed and got back my balance. "Thanks!" I said finally standing straight.

I lift up my leg and rubbed my foot. "Sss.." I flinched, "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just hurts a little." I said. I started limping, "Do you need help walking?" he asked.

"Sure." I said and I put my arm around his shoulder and we started heading back to the spot Abuela left us. She hasn't come back since. Where could she be? "I know you cut me off earlier but we have to talk about it sometime." He said.

I couldn't say anything mostly because I was in pain but he was right and I wanted to hear what he had to say. "What happened yesterday wasn't a mistake or because of a mood or lighting." He said.

"I did try to kiss you and I'd do it again several times." He paused and I stopped moving. I looked up at him and I could feel tears in my eyes but I can't cry right now. Not now.

"Avery I really like you. I always did but I was going through stuff and I had a lot of baggage most of which you helped me through by bringing me to Christ. I couldn't be in a relationship back then." He told me.

"But I really loved hanging out with you that's why I wanted us to be friends. You guys have been the greatest thing ever to happen to me." He said.

"Avery." He said staring at me, "Peter. I really don't know what to tell you right now. I'm glad Christ healed you of your past but this is wrong. You have a girlfriend and even if..." I paused and let go of his shoulder.

"I don't want to give you false hope." I slowly limped away. Abuela showed up, "Oh! Mija what happened? Are you okay?" she asked, "She's fine Abuela. She just stepped on a shell." Peter chimed in.

I smiled weakly at Abuela to assure her then she helped me get support while I walked. Peter and Abuela kept talking as before like nothing happened.

"So Abuela what took you so long?" he asked, "Oh my, there was a long line for the rest room then after I met this man. He was very nice, he offered to buy me a drink and I couldn't refuse." She said.

"Abuela, you're not allowed to drink, your insulin." I spoke weakly. "Oh no, just smoothies mija." She said and Peter smiled. I could feel myself getting weaker by the second.

Wasn't that just a shell? It's harmless. Why do I feel faint and did it just get hot here. I started sweating uncontrollably. "Hey guys, I don't think I feel so good." I barely kept my eyes open.

"Avery!" Peter yelled, "Mija, what's wrong?" I could hear her say. I lay peacefully on the ground and my vision slowly turned into a blur, "Call 911 mijo." I heard Abuela say and then nothing. I blacked out.