"Oh, sorry Nick. I was just...um…thinking," she replied.
"Penny for your thoughts?!"
"Well, it's just that…um...never mind, it's not that important," she said with a distant look on her face.
"C'mon, Meg. We may not have seen each other in a while, but it doesn't mean that you can't tell me anything!" he said with a hurt look on his face.
"I know, Nick, but it's nothing. Really, it's nothing," she said. "I was only thinking, I promise, don't get all upset on me. Now, let's go for a boat ride!" she shouted. Nick noticed something different about her. A few months after they had met, he had noticed that she was acting a little bit weird around him. Now that she was back in Florida for a while, he noticed it more than ever.
"Yeah, okay. The boat is right over there," he said pointing to a speed boat docked 100 feet away from where they were standing.
"Wow, that's a really nice boat! Let's go," she giggled excitedly as she ran over the wooden planks to the boat.
"Slow down!" he yelled running after her. "Do you know how hard I would laugh if you fell in the water?!"
"You wouldn't laugh, you would be my knight in shining armor and rescue me!"
"Uh, no! If your knight in shining armor dove in the water after you: One, he'd sink, and two, his armor would rust before he could get to you."
"Well, then you could be my hero. Is that such a bad thought?"
"That is a great thought! The hero always gets a big smooch on the lips after he rescues his damsel in distress," he laughed. Megan only smiled at his answer and looked up at the stars so that he couldn't see her face.
I should just throw myself in the water if that would mean I would get a kiss from Nick. She looked over at Nick as he steered the boat away from the dock and into a small bay. When they were far enough out, Nick turned of the motor, and they just drifted along under the stars.
The shore line was beautiful with the lights from buildings twinkling underneath the sky. Nick looked at Megan and noticed how the stars seemed to reflect in her eyes. The lights lit up her face. She looks so beautiful tonight. The stars seemed to light her up from inside.
"Nick, have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly? I mean, like Peter Pan, just think a happy thought, and up you go."
"When I was little I used to dream that I would lay down on my belly, and lift off, and fly all over my neighborhood. When I was little, I really used to believe that I could do it though. Now, all I can do is dream."
"Yeah."
"Meg," Nick said.
"Hmm…?"
"Let's dance," he whispered turning on a radio he had on the boat. He reached out for her hand and put his arms around her waist.
Your love is like a river… peaceful and deep…
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep…
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true…
God must have spent…
a little more time…
on you…
The beat of *N Sync blew softly through the air. As Nick listened to the words, he realized that that was how he felt about Megan. The chorus was words that had been going through his head since he first saw Megan that night at Liz's house. Coming to terms with his feelings about her, he began to feel nervous with his arms around her. He realized that he had been in love with her for a while now, but he had dismissed the thought in his past because he had been dating other girls.
Megan tightened her arms around his neck and put her head on his shoulder. This would have been a great date if Nick actually had feelings for me! Any minute now this moment is going to end, this song will be over. Time would be perfect if it just stopped right now.
I have to say something to her, I have never been able to keep a secret! My head is going to pop open if I don't say anything to soon. How do I starts saying it though. There is no way I could survive without her friendship. If she doesn't feel the same way, then what will I do?
"It's a bit hot out here, don't ya think?" Nick said taking off his jacket when the song had ended.
"No. As a madder of fact, I'm a little chilly," she shivered.
"Well then take my jacket," Nick whispered placing it over her shoulders and rubbing her arms to warm her. He looked into her twinkling eyes and slowly stopped rubbing her arms. Nick leaned down and kissed Megan on the lips. Surprised that he kissed her she pushed him away and walked to the other side of the boat.
"I think it's time to go home, Nick," she whispered in a daze.
"Okay," were the only words he could get out of his mouth. All I want to do now is dive into the water and let the sharks eat me alive. Why did I have to kiss her? Why did I have to feel this way? I just messed up one of the best friendship I have ever had!
He kissed me, and what did I do? I pushed him away. He's all I've wanted for the last year, and now that I had him, what happened to me? Liz sat down in her seat as Nick started the boat engine. The whole boat ride and car ride home was spent in an awkward silence.
Lauren M. Elizabeth "Littrell" © 1999
