15He was my summer love. Just a 'fling' I said when I had to go. Now, two summers on, and he's the only guy on my mind and I'm going back to the country this summer...back to where I met my first summer love...
My Summer Love
"I'm leaving tomorrow," I said to him as we watched the stars together. I looked up at him with my big brown eyes that were filled with tears. He kept his blue eyes firmly on the stars above him. He finally looked down at me.
"I know," he said quietly. I looked back up. I couldn't bear to look at him. Looking at him reminded me that I was leaving, and I would never see him again. Never run my hands through his floppy black hair, never run my fingers across his gorgeous cheekbones, never sneak up behind him and make him give me a piggy-back, never see his goofy grin…never kiss his soft lips. I brushed away a tear that had fallen.
"I don't want to go," I whispered.
"I know."
"We'll keep in touch, won't we?" I asked him. He looked at me again, his eyes filled with concern and hurt. He sat up, so I followed suit.
"No. We can't."
"What?" I cried. "Why not?"
"You have to let go of me. You're going to meet some amazing city boy, who'll be able to pay for all those fancy meals and take you on amazing dates; I don't want to hold you back on what you could have."
"But that's just it! I don't want any of that! I want you! I love you!" I sobbed.
"No, you can't. I'm just a country boy that works on a farm. You're a city girl, which so much going on for you. If you hold on to me I'll only hold you back from your dreams. Remember, you told me when we went swimming, you want to be able to help people, become a doctor, open up your own practice, help those who can't help themselves, remember? Do that, follow your dreams. Forget me. Forget this ever happened."
"No," I said harshly. "I can't forget. I won't forget. Not you. Not ever!"
"Yes," he said just as harshly, if not more. "You'll go tomorrow, and never look back. You're father's finished his business here so they'll be no need to come back."
"You're giving up so easily? You're letting me go just like that?" I asked tears streaming down my face rapidly.
"Yes, just like that." I held back a choked sob.
"But I love you," I said. "Please? Don't let go."
"I have to…" he whispered getting up to leave. "I love you Meg Elizabeth Cairns. I always will…goodbye my chocolate-eyed love." He kissed me on my forehead, and left me sitting in the backyard of the house we were staying at. I sat there nearly all night crying. I could hear my sobs echoing throughout the night sky.
I waited for him. I waited for him to show up, to even say goodbye, but he never showed. I cried on the car ride to the airport, and on the plane, and on the way back to our house.
I cried for him.
I cried for me.
I cried for the love we had, but so foolishly lost.
x-x-x-x
Two years on…
I had just gotten off the phone with my best friend Samantha Tayler. The lucky girl was off on a cruise to Mexico for her brother's wedding, which I was invited to, but couldn't go to since my family were planning another business trip.
It was the same every summer, a business trip to Maine, or Ohio, or Cleveland. It was the same thing every summer. I had grown to hate the business trips ever since that summer. I promised myself I wouldn't cry over it anymore. I had only told Sam about it. I kept telling myself over and over again, 'it was just a summer fling', and it meant nothing.
But as much as I tried to move on, I couldn't. It was so much more than just a summer fling. It was real, it was love. There was only ever one boy on my mind, him, that boy from that summer; Greg Shaw.
"Meg! Come downstairs please!" My mother called out. I groaned and dragged my feet down the stairs. I knew she was going to announce where we were going this time round.
"Meg, darling." I sat down on the soft opposite my dad and her. My dad smiled at me as he looked up from his papers. Yes, they were business folks, but they were still my parents, and would always put me before their work. The little perks of being an only child. Well, only child for now. My mum was expecting a baby. After 17 years of just me, they were expecting another!
"So, where are we going this time? Hope it's not New York, not again. One time experience thing. Oh, and please, not California, it's just too warm th-" My mother cut off my rambling.
"Albany." I froze. "I'm sorry darling, I tried my best to advertise somewhere else, honestly I did, but my company said Albany." I let out a ragged breath. I was not going to cry. Not again.
"Let me stay here," I whispered.
"I'm sorry. There's absolutely no one to look after you here, I know you're old enough to look after yourself but I won't have my baby girl alone for 8 weeks!"
"Please?" I croaked.
"I'm sorry," she said coming and sitting down next to me. She stroked my hair. "I'm sorry."
"If I see that boy, I'll rip his knee sockets off!" My dad said trying to make me feel better. I smiled weakly at the attempt.
Albany was a beautiful place, it really was, but Albany was where he was.
I was going back to the place where I had my first summer love…my first love if anything.
Just flippin' great.
x-x-x-x
We arrived at the same house. The memories all came flooding back, still fresh in my mind. I went straight up to 'my' room. I opened the door. Everything was the same. I had rearranged the room's furniture. I smiled mentally at the memory. I was moving all the stuff around; I didn't notice someone climbing through the window. It was Greg. The first time I ever met him was when he was climbing through my window. He hadn't known that we were staying there. He told me he usually came here when he needed to think. Every day after that he would climb up my window, I got so fed up of having to wake up to the sound of rocks at my window, I just left it open.
I sighed and started unpacking. I let the tears burn in my eyes. It was all too painful. The anger I felt and the hurt. I was hurt beyond repair. It took me so long to move on from the 'what ifs?' that I had completely forgotten who I was.
Was I Meg the runner? Meg the popular girl? Was I Meg the klutz? Or was I Meg the girl who gave a guy her heart, for him to crush it? I was all of those things, but I had just lost my way.
My parents went into town announcing their return. A number of people we'd met the last time we were here paid us a visit, thankfully none of them were Greg. I'd be lying if I said I was glad he never came, I was thankful, yes, but not glad, disappointed, a bit. Mum and Dad ran into a couple that they had kept in touch with after we left the last time round, they went out together. They invited me, but seriously? A teenager with a bunch of adults talking about…adults stuff? I don't think so. Instead I stayed behind and went to bed early. The nights here were proper nights, the sky a velvety black, with stars sprayed across, however it would get so humid at nights, that was the worst bit' the humidity. I left the window open, which let in a small breeze of air.
I closed my eyes and drifted into a small slight slumber. My parents always said I slept with one eye open. I could hear my parent's alarm clock, when even they themselves couldn't. So, it was only fitting for me to hear the slight creak the old floorboards made. I shot up instantly.
There he was. As clear as the memory of him. His shirt sleeves loosely rolled up, his hair longer and messier than before. His stance, tall and strong, it was so real. I rubbed my eyes to see if I was dreaming. He lit a candle that was on the desk. I hated lamps, and loved the glow of candles. I could see him more clearly. The pain inside me was all too much.
"Greg?" I said in barely a whisper.
"I had to see whether it was true. Whether the rumours were true, whether you really were back."
"Yes Greg. I'm back," I said softly. He smiled his same goofy smile, and smiled my more mature smile. Life was all about forgiveness, and love. For you to be able to love you need to learn to trust and forgive. Two years was enough time for me to get over Greg, but I couldn't, because I was in love. And love my friends, has a weird way of working out.
Hmm. Some weird thing that wouldn't get out of my head. I don't like the ending much, but I just had to get it out of my system. Thanks for reading anyway! :D