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It is a day much like any other, or a little brighter, perhaps, but still very much like any other day. The sky is blue and the sun is shining, casting a pleasant glow over Camp Shallow Lake. There is a slight breeze, and it blows and tickles the face, plays with one’s hair. It is the perfect day to spend with that special someone, and that is exactly what Gina Porter is planning to do with her boyfriend.
Speaking of Gina’s boyfriend, her mind hasn’t been off EJ Caswell for long lately. Every time she has a spare moment— and even when she doesn’t— her mind would be on him. She thinks of his lips and those hazel eyes that can just pull her in. She thinks of his smile and how it always seems to brighten her day, warming her up on the inside like the sun’s rays on her skin. It’s kind of annoying, really, to be thinking of him this much, but also amazing, wonderful, overwhelming.
She and EJ have been together for a while now, but he still makes her feel things she cannot understand. So maybe her heart still staggers and beats slightly faster when EJ approaches her during breakfast, asking her to go with him to a secluded lake a couple of miles from camp. And maybe there’s still color on her face that has nothing to do with temperature as she stutters her way through an affirmative.
After their meal, she heads up to the girls’ cabin and changes into her two-piece swimsuit underneath a crop top and denim shorts. She certainly doesn’t mind going off on their own one bit, as they only have a couple of hours of free time before rehearsals for their summer production starts. With EJ as the director and Gina as one of the leads, they’re certain they wouldn’t get a chance to be on their own like this again. Not after camp, at least.
Heading down from the cabins after changing, she finds EJ waiting for her by his car. He is wearing his Camp Shallow Lake tank top, and there’s no way he doesn’t know how… appealing those sleeveless shirts are on him. He is leaning against the hood of his car, casually and with the ease and grace of a model. Awed by his good looks, which is only amplified by the glow of the morning sun, she raises an eyebrow appreciatively at the sight— really, how can anyone be that attractive?
“Excuse me, miss, could you stop staring?”
Gina snaps out of her reverie and flashes him a sheepish smile. She’s not sorry she’s staring, only a little sorry she got caught, but a bit embarrassed about what she’s about to say.
“You are ridiculously handsome, did you know that?”
EJ laughs her comment off but the pink in his cheeks betray him. His eyes sparkle and shine like Gina has never seen them do so brightly before, and it’s an arrow straight to her heart. He ushers her to the passenger seat, making sure she’s seated comfortably before closing the door and walking around the car to let himself in. Pulling out of the driveway, the vehicle speeds off toward their destination.
Leaving a trail of shimmering dust in the sunlight behind them, they bump along dirt roads past cabins and trees on their way to the lake, her boyfriend rambling on and on about how magnificent the place is. Gina finds EJ’s smile adorable when he’s rambling— not that he’s ever not adorable. She suddenly feels a strange impulse to place a finger where his smile ends, so she does. With the tip of her forefinger, ever so slightly, she touches the small indent, the hint of a dimple lining the corner of his lips. EJ stops talking, getting distracted by her action, before he tilts his head ever so slightly to kiss her outstretched finger. Gina shivers, feeling her heart flutter with delight.
They drive for a few more minutes, EJ getting excited again as they near the lake, and Gina clutches her towel to her chest as she watches out the passenger window, breath catching at the glimpse of the spectacle that awaits them.
EJ parks his car up on the side of the street, and Gina watches as the hazel-eyed boy scrambles out eagerly to stand at the top of a ridge overlooking the lake. He then turns to face her after a while, waiting for her opinion of it all.
If beautiful is the only word she can think of to describe what greeted them, then it’s surely an understatement. But as such, it’s the first word that came to Gina’s mind, and thus the word in which she utters as she takes in the scene before her.
Sunlight dances across the surface of the lake, its beams reflecting on the water and giving it a sparkling appearance. A gentle breeze blows through the trees, leaves rustling from the wind’s gentle touch. The stillness of the lake communicates its permanence to her, and it promises a future where she and her boyfriend can return to this very spot again and again. The scene is truly peaceful and she soon finds herself lost in the moment, mesmerized by the calmness and serenity of the place.
EJ then leads her down a path to the lake through the grass, the dandelions and weeds tickling their toes as they move. A few steps later, he kicks his sandals off and swipes his shirt from his back as he makes his way to a wooden dock beside the straight edge of the water. Gina follows suit, shaking out of her shorts, crop top, and flip flops to stand barefoot in the pink bikini she and Ashlyn have picked out for the summer.
She peers down at the edge of the water as EJ leads the way to the dock. The worn, grainy wood rubs the soles of her feet as she pads the walkway after her boyfriend, and she cannot help but marvel in awe of this secret spot once more. “This place is amazing, Eej.”
“Yeah… and the water’s great, too.” His smile is wide and warm, and Gina smiles back with equal fervor. All of a sudden, his smile morphs into something different, eyes shimmering with mischief as he moves toward her. “Ladies first.”
Before Gina has a chance to retreat, EJ bolts after her and gathers her up in his bare arms in one quick motion, and she lets out a surprised squeak. She squirms and laughs and pleads helplessly, clinging to him tight while he brings her to the edge of the dock.
“If you let go of me…” she warns in a low voice, arms securely locked like a vice around his strong neck, “You are so dead.”
“Is that so?” he teases with that infuriatingly handsome smile of his, and Gina resists the urge to smack his grin off his face. To her horror, he uses one hand to hold her against him while the other tickles her sides, and her arms release her hold on his neck as she squeals in surprise and laughter.
And just like that, she’s flying through the air, before landing face-first in the water. Her scream shakes the lake as she falls, the coolness of the water a shock at first. She swims up, popping her head out of the water with a gasp and desperately tries to regain her breath.
“EJ!” she screeches, glaring at her boyfriend as she pushes wet locks of her braid out of her face and rubbing water from her eyes.
“Isn’t the water great?” Her boyfriend beams, standing triumphantly at the edge of the dock. She continues to scowl at him, at the same time watching in mild curiosity as he slowly backs up on the dock. With a running leap, he soars in a dive through the air and over her head, and she twists in the water to watch him cannonball in a big splash beside her.
When he resurfaces, the hazel-eyed boy flashes her his signature grin and, without warning, he wraps his arms around her waist and tugs her flush against him. A certain gleam shines from his eye and her stomach flips, feeling her cheeks burn and finding it hard to think straight in their close proximity. She can’t get away; EJ has her trapped in his arms and, as her lips are swept into his into a breathless kiss, Gina belatedly realizes that she doesn’t want to escape anyhow.
EJ’s lips are softer than she’s ever dreamed, sweeter than should be allowed. She wants to linger forever, but he breaks away after a moment.
“Hey, G…” he murmurs, and the laughter in his eyes is replaced by something else.
The coolness of his voice sends shivers down her spine and curls her toes. His kiss still lingers like a fog over her mind and she is sure she will float away any moment. She wants to say something clever, but words drift above her head in meaningless patterns.
She’s too immersed in the glow of the moment, still radiating in her heart and stretching out to make her limbs tingle and her mind fog with pleasure. So, when their tender moment is interrupted by a splash of water right onto Gina’s face, it takes her a moment to process what has happened before she glares at her boyfriend indignantly. EJ is looking at her expectantly, daring her to retaliate. Another wave splashes her in the face, and that is all the motivation Gina needs.
“You better start swimming, EJ Caswell,” she tells him, smiling dangerously, and EJ takes her threat seriously as he begins swimming away from her. An all-out water war commences as the two of them fling splash after splash in each other’s direction. Gina darts around, trying to get in some good hits, but ultimately finds it harder than she thought; she almost forgot how good of a swimmer EJ is.
Just then, EJ disappears under the surface and Gina halts her assault, peering into the water for any sign of him. All of a sudden, she yelps as a big splash of water goes straight into her eyes, and the expression on her face makes EJ burst into quiet laughter.
EJ coos as he glides toward her, his hand moving down and pulling her leg up around his waist as her other follows instinctively. “Awww… my poor baby…” The term of endearment causes Gina to melt, and her aggravation dissolves in an instant. EJ brushes the remainder of stuck hair from her cheek and rests his forehead against hers, closing his eyes before kissing every single one of her eyelashes.
They end up stretched out on their backs on the dock itself, the sun drying their bodies as they lay silently, peacefully, creating a little piece of heaven for them to enjoy. Their eyes are shut, the sun creating bright spots on their closed eyelids.
“I wish this could last forever.” The words barely fall from EJ’s lips, so quietly Gina isn’t sure if she’s even supposed to hear them. She opens her eyes, raising her hand to shield her face from the glaring sun, before she tilts her head to the side to see him smile, happy and content.
“Me, too,” she replies, watching the boy beside her open his eyes, mimicking her and shielding his eyes as well. A few beats of comfortable silence pass before his free hand reaches for her own, and Gina’s heart stutters when his fingers tangle with hers.
A moment stretches between them as quiet birdsong echoes from a distance and the loud thunder of their heartbeats boom within their chests. It’s too much and not enough, this thing between them; it’s something simple yet complex, something quiet yet strong, something that makes her feel light yet seems heavy with meaning.
EJ sits up a few minutes later and she follows suit, the little distance between them disappearing as he pulls her against him, holding her tight but not too tight. And because it’s the most natural thing in the world, she clings onto him in return while he curves his chin down to her shoulder, burying his face in her neck with a soft hum and inhaling her scent.
“Sometimes,” he breathes, ghosting his lips softly on her shoulder, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
And there goes her heart again, kickstarted into high gear. Gina recognizes the intensity of her feelings, and she’s surprisingly okay with it, with feeling so much, if only because it’s EJ. She isn’t quite sure if they are in love or not, because love can be so fleeting and confusing. She feels something for him, that much is true, but she can’t quite compartmentalize it, and it remains a jumble of emotions that she cannot fully grasp. Like a ball of yarn thrown to the ground, strings caught in a cat’s cradle.
They are too young for love, she thinks, because love itself brings in so much commitment and sounds so terribly grown-up. So Gina decides that they are not quite in love, not yet, but maybe one day they will be. All she knows is at this moment, all she needs is EJ nearby, close and to a certain degree, hers.
They don’t let go of each other, not when they leave the lake, nor when they get in the car to drive back; not until they get into camp and they go their separate ways.
End.