Sweaty Palms

I called Bennie to join me in the seashore walking barefoot. I saw him signaling that he will take out the food first. So I continue to enjoy the breeze and splashes in my toes, I even close my eyes and raises my both hands upward feeling like flying (imitating Rose in Titanic Movie) I was so into it that I did not notice Bennie beside me, that has a wide smile taking pictures of me. I only notice it when he call me, I open my eyes and turn my head to where I hear his voice. My eyes go wide when I realized what his doing.

"Yah! how long you had been doing that..!

I walk towards him to snatch his phone planning to delete those photos, but he step backwards and raises his hand up making sure I will not be able to reach the phone.

"really that's so unfair..! I said but he just continue laughing.

I attempt to jump it out hoping I will be able to reach it out. My first attempt almost got it so he change the position of his hands and hide it towards his back. I attempt to follow the directions where his hands go almost hugging him, that he did not anticipated my reflexes so I got the phone. He tried to get it out of me seeing I'm deleting the photos, but before he could get closer I ran away from him, but he's got an advantage of being taller too, his steps are wider than mine so he catch me in no time. I hide the phone at my back inside my tshirt, he attempt to reach it, in my back. I struggle so that, he will not be able to get it. But by the process it makes me fall out of balance, in my panicked that I will hit myself in the ground, I reach for him to avoid falling but due to soft sand where we are standing he was not able to keep his posture and we both fall down instead. We were both laughing in the ground realizing what we where doing then he stop laughing and suddenly got serious while looking at me. I get conscious in the way he look at me it's deferent in the way he use to look at me. It last for a few seconds we both did not attempt to move, that I already felt the weight of his body that press on me, I felt stuffy in my breathings a little.

"I can't breathe.." I finally voice it out.

He finally moved back to stand up and also gesture to held my hands to help me up. We both shaking off the sands in our body and clothes and he help me in my back where, I'm having trouble to reach, I got it more in my back since I lay down full-time in the sand not to mention press down when someone is putting a weight on you. So busy shaking off the sand that I forgot the main reason why I got it in the first place. Then I finally notice he stop cleaning my back so I turn to him where I see him silently doing something in the phone, I walk closer to him to see what he's doing. He's watching my photos that he took awhile ago.

"Yah... bennie erase that!" I shout at him and attempt to snatch the phone again..when he's not listening.

"I'll agree' but in one condition.." saying with a wide smile in his face.

"What?.." I ask looking at him with a keen eyes, I knew it!.

"I choose one picture... please just live one picture, for me.." he said and acting like a little gurl, he even fluff his eyelashes, that I bet much longer than mine.

"Fine..! I response, well who would say no when he start acting like a cute puppy, he knows my weakness the most.

He flash a big smile and started to choose the picture he want to keep, and he showed me that picture. I rechecked if it's the only one pic he left. He actually choose the one, where I turn and look his way still smiling when he called me and make a snapshot before my expression change. I approve in his choice so I let it be, at least he did not choose the pictures that I look weird. I finally decide to give him the phone.

"Thank you.. my dear lily!.." he said acting gay and put his hands around my shoulder. I shake my head in disbelief, I really can't win him sometimes.

"Let's go eat I already prepared everything..! pointing the area where he place the food.

He place it in the center part of the hood of the car, he offer his hands to lift me up so that I can sit on the top of the hood. Then he sits in the other side, and hand me the lunch box where my favorites are pack. I accept it with gratitude knowing he also like it but he choose to give it to me.

"Thank you, your the best!.. " I said smiling, and take off the cover of the container and as usual I slice half the food and place it in the cover then hand it back to him and I start mashing my bake mac that I added extra cheese when I made it.

After we devoured all the foods, I place all the container's back in the basket. And take four cans of beer then we decide to sit on the sand while sipping the beers. He take his phone out in his pocket and play a music that we both enjoyed to listen. It synchronize with the current ambience around us.

"It's a perfect celebration..! were finally free from school!

I voice out loud like no cares in the world.

"Hey! you crazy little thing.. haha.." he rebuke my behavior though you will wonder if it's for real cause his laughing.

He lay down after he sip the last drop in his second can, where taking some time for the beer to wear off in him since his driving back home.

I also decided to lay my back down in the ground and close my eyes listening to the music that fits with the sound of the waves then I hear him singing along, it's my first time hearing him singing.

( tuning in : Make it with you by Bread )

...Hey have you ever tried...

Really reaching out for the other side?

I may be climbing on rainbows

But baby, here goes

Dreams are for those who sleep

Life is for us to keep

And if you're wondering what this song is leading to,

I want to make it with you

I really think that we could make it, girl

Though you don't know me well

And every little thing only time will tell

If you believe the things that I do,

And we'll see it through

Life can be short or long

Love can be right or wrong

And if I chose the one I'd like to help me through

I'd like to make it with you

I really think that we could make it, girl

Baby you know that dreams there for those who sleep

Life is for us to keep

And if I chose the one I'd like to help me through

I'd like to make it with you

I really think that we could make it, girl

He stops singing when the song ended. I open my eyes to say my admiration for the first time in his new found talent. I turn to him about to say something, but I saw him his lying sideways facing me so I suddenly forgot what to say. I did not notice when he change his position. Is it just me or he really different today, and I also don't know why I always out of words, it feels like where back to stranger again that starting to know each other for the first time. I really can't read him today. So I give up and decide to look the sky instead afraid to break the awkward silence, but I heard he made a deep breath then a few minutes later he sit down and turn his head towards me.

"I think I'm good.. lets go..?" he broke the silence.

"Are you sure..?" I reach his hands that he offered to help me get up.

"Yap!, i think ..hehe, it's getting dark we better start going.. " he suggested, then start walking back to the car.

I manage to keep up in his side, I held his right shoulder that made him stop walking and he turn towards me again and look at me.

"Wait to be safe,..."

I hold his collar with my both hands and pulled him down in my level for me to be able to smell him. Positive, he no longer smell with beer, good thing we actually brought the light one. I release his collar when I'm sure he can drive now and tap his shoulder as a gesture that he can stand straight now, it takes him to long to move his head back again he might not expect what I did that explains he's expression is currently blank with wide eyes.

"Hey bennie!.. you ok?.." I ask while waving my hands in his face.

He stands straight, and started walking without a word.

When he's near in the car he open the door for me but did not wait for me to get in and go already to the drivers side to get in. He wait for me to finally buckle up my seatbelt then he started the engine. I feel the awkward silence again, and no one attempt to open a topic so I decide to sleep instead, but before I get to be in deep sleep I heard him signing I no longer able to ask him why cause I drown to my slumber already. I feel the breath of someone brushing in my face, but a feeling of familiarity, within the scent so I thought it's my own breathe. Thought I'm dreaming, I felt soft thing tap in my lips can't describe it, though I thought of it as marshmallow and by thinking that, I open my mouth and the soft thing press more in my lips

it's also has moisture that taste like mint, I felt the warm skin at the back of my neck and felt hugged by someone, the deeper it goes, it transmits electricity flowing in my spine, Wow! this is a weird dream, it felt so real. Then suddenly, it pull a way living an empty feeling in me, I felt disappointed that it's over when I'm about to enjoyed the warm feeling it provides me, I waited for it to come back then I was succumbed to my slumber again.

I woke up in my bed, wandering how long did I sleep did not even notice when did bennie brought me in my room. Then I remembered the two can's of beer, it cause me a deep slumber and by that thinking I remembered the dream, wow that felt so good! its like giving a feeling like your "home" like the clock stop and you want to be in that moment only. I kinda crave for that feeling again but don't know what was it since it's kinda blurry in my mind, the only clear to me is the feeling of it. I bend out my body to wash out my sleepy body and start moving to get off in my bed, then I go straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Done refreshing my self so I decided to go out in my room looking for something to eat I'm famish, upon checking the time in my phone it's already past nine in the evening. The surrounding's are so quite but I do smell the food in the table and when I check on it, it's still warm. Wow! by the look of it, it's just been prepared, in my excitement I pick up one drum stick and start devouring it, it's so yummy and want to eat already so I went to check bennie in his room to ask him to dine with me. I knock twice but his not answering so I open the door which is not lock, he might not hear my knocking. I entered the room when I don't see him around standing from the door, but when I'm about to go out in his room the door in his study room opened. I drop the food I'm eating from the shock seeing someone I don't know came inside, recalling if bennie mentioned some visitor to come by but I don't remember.