Chapter 8
EIGHT
REID
If I stayed in my room all night, I would have missed the opportunity to run into a girl I went to middle school with and who I had a massive crush on.
My eyes always seemed to find her around school and loved the feisty comments she’d reply with.
I moved to Ojai during my fifth-grade year, which was a tough year to adjust because it was in the middle of elementary school.
Everyone already had their best friends and inside jokes.
They knew where the bathrooms were and how to get to the cafeteria for assemblies.
I was used to it at that point. My dad was a salesman and was always moving us around wherever he landed a new gig.
My dad, Sean Parker, my twin if I was thirty years older, has the same light brown hair and tan skin as I do, except he wears his hair clean and short.
He’s my best friend. It’s always been the two of us.
My mom passed away giving birth to me, so I never had a mom figure in my life.
Just my dad, and he did everything to support and love me as much as two parents could.
Even though he transferred jobs often, he tried his best to help me adjust. We were never in the same spot for longer than a few years at a time.
To this day, I struggle with the fact that no place feels like home.
It was annoying, but just part of the life of living with a single father trying to pay the bills.
He worked hard and always taught me to keep hustling, keep going after my goal, and never stop going after what I truly want.
All I wanted as a kid was to find a place to call home and live there for more than three years at a time.
It wasn’t until I was about to leave for college that we finally found that place.
In my senior year of high school, we moved to Northern California, and he seemed to finally settle down there.
He started dating a woman at the company he worked for, and she moved in with us, Pam Westfield.
Pam is a shy woman, no taller than five feet, and makes the best desserts I’ve had in my entire life.
She dresses in soft colors and smells like hyacinths.
She makes my dad the happiest I’ve ever seen, and I am happy he has her since I left for San Diego.
This past holiday break, I took a quick plane ride up there to see them.
Pam started an herb garden in the backyard, and my dad is taking up yoga.
It’s the best feeling to see them thrive.
My dad mentioned to me that he is ready to pop the question to Pam, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
I believe that’s all he truly wanted in life since my mom passed, to find the one and have a home.
San Diego is a dream so far. The sun is bright and warm, which makes people smile more.
I give a big grin and wave to people as they pass, even if I have no clue who they are.
I was stoked to learn Isaac also got accepted here.
Though it had been a while since we went to school together, we were great friends.
He was the first kid to talk to me when I moved to Ojai.
I was sitting alone at the edge of the playground, and he walked over to say he wanted me to be on his team for kickball.
We played every recess that entire year.
We’d go to movie premieres together, build ramps for our bikes outside his house, and my dad even took us fishing one weekend.
When we started at UCSD, we picked up our friendship like no time passed.
It’s the great thing about friendship. You can go years without seeing someone and just naturally drift apart.
Then one day, reconnect and pick up where you left off.
That same nostalgic feeling hits me as I play ping-pong with Annika. Seeing this old friend's face brings me so much comfort. Like when you rediscover a blanket you had as a kid or drinking out of your favorite mug. Chipped and faded but no other mug can compare to the familiarity it brings.
She always brought a smile to my face when we were young.
She didn’t even have to look at me, just seeing her would make me blush and stare a bit too long at times.
I reminisced about the first time I saw her when I moved to Ojai.
I was playing kickball with Isaac when the ball rolled off to the jungle gym.
I ran over and retrieved the ball and saw her climbing the monkey bars.
She flew across like she’d done it a million times.
Her short hair braided into two French braids on either side and patchwork overalls gave her the cutest tomboy look.
She jumped off as a first grader waved down at her.
She gave him a hug and helped tie his shoes.
I thought that was so sweet and something you never saw, older kids interacting with the younger ones.
I later learned that was her little brother, but I still found the action tugging at my heart.
A week later, I saw her flying across the same monkey bars when a Caleb, a mean kid from my class pushed her off as he jumped on the other side.
She flew down to her knees and put her hands on the bark chips.
Without thinking, I ran over and helped her up.
She stared at me without saying a word, and I got a good look at her dark eyes and the watercolor of freckles that danced along her nose and cheeks.
I grabbed her hand and helped her up. She had bark chips in her hair, so I reached over and brushed them out.
As I turned to leave, she yelled after me.
“Hey! What’s your name?”
I turned to hear that raspy little bark call after me and responded, “Reid Parker. What’s yours?”
“Annika Gomes,” she said as she stood up confidently, brushing the rest of the chips off her clothes.
“Nice to meet you, Annika Gomes,” I said to her, and before I turned away, I made a mental bookmark of the way she looked at me.
Her eyes narrowed, and a sideways smirk appeared on her lips. Her braids flipping out at her shoulders, and the knees on her overalls scuffed up. She was cute as a button without even trying, and she probably would kick me in the shins if she knew I called her cute.
In middle school, we had gym during the same period, and it was my favorite hobby to say hi to Annika whenever I saw her.
I loved seeing her flush and light up when she said hi to me back.
Occasionally I’d pass her in the hall and wave to her, ask her how she was doing, complement the outfit she was wearing, or just give her a smile.
I intentionally would try to sit near her during assemblies or talk to her whenever I could because I had the fattest crush but was too chicken to do anything about it.
Until they announced the spring dance at the end of April before Spring Break.
I decided I would work up the courage to ask her to the dance with me.
I started making her a card and planned to pick flowers from my neighbor’s garden to give her.
Things were lining up, and I was starting to settle in, which is usually when my Dad uproots us to start over again.
I never got to ask her to the dance, and I left without saying anything to her, not even goodbye. I figured I’d never see her again.
I keep shaking my head, thinking I’m dreaming.
It seems surreal that she ran into me at this frat party and is playing ping-pong across from me now.
She still wears that mischievous smirk across those rosy lips, but that is about the only thing the same as she was when she was twelve.
She’s sprouted at least five more inches and has curves that my eyes are drawn to.
Her hips fill out around her jeans, and a soft stomach meets her full chest. The halter top she’s wearing dips low on her back, which I am fighting for my life from running my fingers along.
She’s got a couple of little daisies drawn on either side of her cheeks.
Her hair is no longer in braided pigtails but chopped to a blunt black chin-length bob that she’s been threading her fingers through the entire time we’ve been playing.
Each time she lifts her hand to flip her hair, I have to will myself from collapsing to the floor.
I am baffled at how stunning she is. Her dark eyes ooze with confidence.
Eyes that she squints as she is focused on the ping-pong as I casually tap it over the net.
There is no way she is winning this game.
I played tennis all through high school and ping-pong might as well be an arcade game for me.
Besides, according to history, I’ve been waiting to ask her out for six years now.
Game point, and I ace her with my serve. I can’t help but have the biggest, goofiest smile wash over my face as I look over at her in victory.
“Well, well. Looks like we’re going out. I’m thinking…picnic? At a park…no! At the beach. Or perhaps we get coffee first.” I casually saunter over to her, tapping on my chin as I picture the perfect first date.
She is glaring at me, but I think I see her trying hard to hide her grin. “All right, fine, Parker, you win fair and square.”
“Parker? We’ve got to get back on a first-name basis.” I reach out to flip the end of her hair again. I can’t help it, I am obsessed with her flippy hair style. And her.
Just as I’m about to ask her what her favorite food is, an uproar emerges from the kitchen as I see Isaac being carried on the shoulders of his frat brothers.
I have no interest in figuring out what the hell is going on and lean down to Annika’s ear.
Goosebumps rise on my neck at my proximity to her.
“Hey, let’s head to the backyard.” Pointing toward the screen door, she nods, looking equally as uncomfortable with the commotion.
I get the chance to gently place my hand at her back, guiding her through the crowd that stormed in through the great room, heading toward the kitchen.
Her skin is warm, and goosebumps surface on her back as my fingers touch her.
Hmm, interesting. I’m holding back from running my hand around her waist and instead hold the back door open as she steps through.
Unlike the house, the backyard is quiet and serene.
The house is close enough to the beach that you can hear the waves crash against the sand in the distance.
We make our way to a bench at the corner of the yard under a big oak tree.
The backyard has party lights strung along the fences providing soft ambient light.
I take my place beside Annika, leaving about an inch between us.
I saw the way that creepy frat dude tried to make a move on her and how uncomfortable she was that she used me to avoid him.
I don’t want to scare her away like he did.
I need to remember to ask her about that whole situation later.
“So.” I gaze over at her, smiling and taking in her perfume. She smells like woodsy roses. “What should we get for our picnic on the beach lunch?”
She side-eyes me. “Hmm, not sure. Although I’m expecting our food to be covered in sand.”
“You need to have more faith in my beach picnic abilities.” I scoot a half-inch closer.
“I’ll bring an extra-large blanket, a basket to keep the food safe, lots of napkins, and wet wipes.
I’ll even bring your favorite drink, which is…
” Raising my eyebrows, I close the last half inch until our knees are touching.
I see her glance down at the spot and wonder if it's tingling for her like it is for me.
“I like water,” she delivers in all seriousness, and I almost roll off the bench laughing. “What? My mom didn’t let me drink soda, so I actually love a nice cup of ice water!”
“You are a mystery to me, Annika Gomes.” I don’t restrain my hand as I reach up to tuck a strand of hair that is falling forward behind her ear.
She holds my gaze, and I notice those goosebumps trailing up her shoulders. If I wasn’t mistaken, I think the warmth I feel being near her is mutual.
Still holding my gaze, she says softly, “Well then, surprise me, food, drinks, everything.”
I lean in and say, “I can’t wait to surprise you.”
She keeps her eyes locked on mine, but as I lean in closer, they venture down to my lips. I lick my bottom lip, and I can nearly feel her breath as she tips her head up to me just before we hear a blood-curdling scream.
Annika clearly knows the person connected to the scream because she shoots up and darts toward the house and leaves me, comically falling on the bench where she was just sitting.
She turns back at me, her eyes in a panic, and without words, I jog over beside her as we make our way back inside the house.
Once inside, Annika grabs my wrist and pulls me with her through the crowd until we reach the other end of the scream.
It’s been a while, but just as I recognize Annika, I recognize her best friend Chloe kneeling on the floor, holding a pair of Birkenstocks covered in some green liquid.
Maybe I wouldn’t recognize her separately, but Annika and Chloe were always a pair and looked like they couldn't leave each other’s sides.
She looks absolutely distraught, and to my surprise, Annika kneels down on the floor with her.
I’m half expecting her to tell Chloe she’s overreacting, but instead, Annika grabs a napkin on the counter and helps her wipe the goo off, peeling the sandals out of Chloe’s grip.
She tells her something that softens Chloe’s face immediately.
I’m entranced by Annika’s ability to quickly grasp and relax the situation.
Chloe stands up and goes over to a guy with a dark tan and bleach blond hair who cradles Chloe in his arms. Annika tosses the napkins, gives a glare to the crowd staring at the commotion, and turns back to me, looking apologetic.
“Hey, I’m sorry, but I gotta head out. Chloe is a wreck.”
“It’s all good, but hey, you owe me a date.” I smile, pulling out my phone and handing it to her.
I see her eyes light up ever so slightly as she punches in her number.
She gives it back and stands there for a moment.
I debate giving her a hug, but before I can choose, she gives me a quick wave and dashes off to meet up with Chloe and the tan guy.
I make a silent prayer that years won’t go by before I see her again.