Hi there. Everything posted from here on out is going to be total and utter crap. It was all written on writer's block. I just wanted to get the story finished. In case you haven't heard, Jangles will be on CreateSpace in July (hopefully). I've been editing and making a ton of plot changes. But don't worry. You won't have to buy it. I'll post the new version on Wattpad once it's done. Thanks. :)         

Chapter 16: Testing the Waters

   I contorted my lips. If I had to give it a name, it would be a side duck face. “I don’t know about this, Eli,” I said hesitantly.

            “Trust me.”

            “I do trust you, but you know I don’t have any coordination.”

            “I won’t let go of you until I know you’ve got the hang of it. I won’t let you fall, Ashlyn.”

            I looked into his green eyes. I could see the reflection of the beach in them. It was like my own personal, green-tinted snow globe. “Promise?”

            “I promise.”

            I took a deep breath and put on a smile for an added boost of false confidence. I hauled myself onto the surfboard and got on my feet slowly so I wouldn’t shake the board too much as to fall in. The ocean waves steadily fell and rose, making the board “ripple.” I shrieked and dropped to my knees, clinging onto the board for dear life. I knew that this hadn’t been a good idea. Why had I agreed? Ah, because I wanted to impress Eli. That’s why. Mom was right. Boys were stupid.

            “C’mon,” rang Eli’s soothing voice, “try it again.”

            I shook my head and whimpered like a Chihuahua puppy. My fists clenched as I held onto the slippery board. “It’s not going to happen. It’s a deathtrap waiting to happen.”

            “Motorcycles are deathtraps. Surfboards are not.”

            “Motorcycles are fun. Surfing is stupid,” I mumbled.

            “You wouldn’t be saying that if you grew up in Jangles.”

            “Surfing is just a prettier word for suicide.”

            “You’re overreacting.”

            I glared at him. “I am not!”

            “Sure you aren’t.” He patted the board, causing me to flinch. “Now stand up.”

            I swiped his hand away. “Forget about it, mister. It’s not going to happen.”

            “But Ashlyn…”

            “I have an idea. How about you ride it, and I’ll sit on it. They did it in Lilo and Stitch.”

            He sighed. “Are you really that scared?”

            “Yes!” I implored. “I’m terrified. I really want to, Eli, but I can’t. I can’t physically bring myself to stand up on that board without freaking out. I can’t, Eli. I can’t. I’m sorry. It’s just that the water’s so deep…I could drown. I’m not a strong swimmer and I don’t have a good sense of balance. I don’t think it’s smart.”

            I felt his sun-heated hand touch my shoulder. The water droplets shimmered in the sunlight. “Hey…I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that. I just assumed that you loved the water like everyone else around here. I just wanted to share something I loved with you.”

            “It’s okay. Are you ready?”

            He nodded and began to swim, pushing my as we went towards his hiding spot. As we got closer, the air around us became foggier. And soon enough, I could see the outline of a little island. I jumped off the surfboard as soon as my toes could feel sand. I ran the rest of the way, encouraging Eli to speed up.

            When we actually reached the island, the mist seemed to have disappeared. I wondered how he found this island. The sand was soft and warm, so I laid down on it. I liked the feeling of hot sand—it felt nice, you know? I spread my arms, as if trying to absorb the sun’s rays. I felt Eli join me. It just felt so peaceful, serene, like we were the only people on the planet.

            I think I was going to tell him how I felt tonight.

            Oh, God. What has this boy done to me? You here stories about how guys become all cheesy for girls, but not the other way around. Was I becoming soft? I think I always had a soft spot for Eli, no matter how much I pretend that I don’t.

            Alright, chickening out here. I’m not going to tell him. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? That’d just be humiliating. And I didn’t need anymore humiliation this summer.

            “Ashlyn, what are you scared of?” Eli suddenly asked.

            “Rejection.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I’m scared of not winning, being rejected. Whether it’s a boy, a job, or even family, that’s my biggest fear.

            “Oh…”

            “What about you?”

            “You already know that I’m afraid of clowns and the dark.

            I cracked a smile. “Oh, yeah. I remember now. How mad would you be at me if I dressed up as a clown and went to your house at three in the morning and woke you up?”

            “I would kill you.”

            “Aw, but wouldn’t you feel guilty?”

            “No, I would say it was self defense.”

             “Jerk.”

            He smiled. “I know. Another question. When did you lose your virginity?”

            I looked into his green eyes; a russet curl fell onto his face. “Fifteen,” I answered quietly.

            “To Liam?”

            I nodded. “To Liam.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Not your fault I was stupid back then.”

            “But it’s my fault you’re stupid now,” he said sadly.

            I hit his chest. “I hate you.”

            “You know you love me.”

            Yeah…about that…

            After a moment of silence, I said, “Tell me about her.”

            “Who?”

            He knew exactly who I was talking about. “Rachel.”

            “I…I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

            “Please, Eli? You can pretend that we’re not dating and you’re just talking to Alexis or something.”

            He took a deep breath. “Her name was Rachel.”

            “I know that!”

            He smiled. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”

            “I do!”

            “We were in love. So in love. But before that, we were best friends, me and her. It was pretty cliché really; she lived next door to us. We started dating when we were like twelve. I had finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. You see, I was shy back then. Like really shy.”

            Eli had a faint smile on his face. I couldn’t picture Eli shy; he was so outspoken and confident. Even the day we had met at the beach.

            “Junior year, her parents dropped the bomb that they had to move to California for her dad’s job. Long-distance dating worked for awhile, but we could only go so long without seeing each other face to face.”

            “There’s always Skype!”

            “That’s not the same, Ashlyn. I couldn’t hold her, touch her, or hear the realism of her tinkling laugh. So I moved to California. It took a long time for me to convince my parents, but their big believers in true love, so they let me. When I got there—“

            “She cheated on you, didn’t she?!”

            Eli shook his head. “If only it was that easy. I got sick of the big city and left. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I left behind my soul mate, Ashlyn. And I can’t get her back. She’s moved on already. I told you about her boyfriend, right? It seems serious this time. It’s the most horrible feeling in the world; loving someone, but not being loved in return.”

            He had no idea. He really didn’t. I knew that feeling. I was feeling it right now. He had no idea how much I was completely and utterly in love with him I was right now. And he’ll never know. Because I’ll never tell him. I’ll let him go marry someone who he’ll love unconditionally—Rachel. Because they belonged together.

            “I made the biggest mistake of my life when I left that city, and I can’t erase it. I messed up my entire life because I left her.”

            He looked so vulnerable right now. It was like the day at the beach all over again. “She’s the reason why you were crying when we met, isn’t it?” I voiced.

            Eli nodded. “Yup, she was the reason.”         

            I hugged him tightly and he hugged back. “You don’t deserve this, Eli. You don’t deserve to be miserable like this.”

            “Yes, I do.”

            “No one deserves to be like this.”

            “Can we go back to being a couple? I’m feeling super depressed because we’re not together right now.”

            I laughed and kissed him. “Yes, we can be a couple again.”

            “Good.”