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rica. The sweet curve of her full nude lips makes my heart beat faster. When I get to her eyes, my breath hitches. They are a mahogany well of love. And she’s standing here smiling at me.
I think I might die of happiness.
The last few years have been hard. My mother works two jobs, and I work after school.
I was lucky that the school where Mama works gave me a scholarship. Most days I feel really grateful.
But sometimes, when I watch my mother struggle and clean up after the stuck-up rich kids at my high school, I just wish we didn’t have to work so hard.
And on those days, the only thing that can make me feel better is talking to Apollo. I call her, and we just talk about everything. Which is sometimes just nothing. We almost always fall asleep on the phone because neither of us wants to say goodbye.
Her aunt gave her this trip to LA for her sixteenth birthday. And it’s the first time we’ve been able to see each other since the last time we read together by the lake.
I’ve known for the last year from talking on the phone and writing that I liked Apollo as more than just a friend. But I remember my mother’s warning and the promise I made ringing through my head every time I think of her that way.
Even if she wasn’t so young, I don’t have money to go to the movies much less see her regularly. So, I’ve put those thoughts aside.
But now, when she’s standing in front of me looking like that … I realize how hard it’s going to be to wait for her to grow up.
She is stunning.
I grin at her and say, “Well, you’re still much smaller than me.” I tease because I can’t tell her what I’m really thinking.
“I think everyone’s smaller than you.” She walks over and wraps her arms around my waist and presses her head into my chest and says, “You still look like my hero.”
I can’t believe this girl who fell out of the sky thinks that I’m her hero. When really, she’s mine.
“I missed you, Sunshine.” I press a kiss to the top of her head and linger there for just a moment before I put a little distance between us.
“So, this is your place, huh?” She looks around the terrace. It’s not fancy, but I’ve always thought it was decent. Now, though, I can imagine what she sees. Especially compared to her fancy life in Las Vegas.
I can see the cracks in the pavement, the chipped paint of my front door, the anemic plants littered on the ground around the entry.
She tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and beams her bright smile at me. “We caught an earlier flight. I was at the hotel trying to wait until tonight, but I couldn’t. Tante went to meet someone, so Rick just brought me over. I hope that’s okay.” Her smile is a little less assured now. She nods at my hand. “You on your way out?”
I follow her gaze and see she’s looking at my keys. I’d forgotten that I was even holding them. I shake my head to clear it and smile sheepishly at her.
“Uh … Yeah, I was going to get groceries to cook dinner for us.”
Her eyes widen in surprise
“Oh, not us,” I stammer. “I didn’t mean you had to stay for dinner. I … I thought you’d be here later, so I was gonna … I mean, I hope you can stay. If you’re hungry, I mean. Maybe you and your aunt might have …” I stop my rambling and take a deep breath.
“Tante has the stuff to do for her show this weekend, and my only plans are to hang out with you.” Her smile is so sweet. God, she’s pretty.
“Okay, that sounds great. Well, I was going to the store …” I smile back.
“I’ll come with you,” she says and glances over her shoulder in the direction of the street. “Rick is waiting in the car.”
She talks about Rick all the time these days. He’s her new driver.
I wish he wasn’t going to be our shadow for this entire trip. But her aunt made it a condition of allowing her to come on this trip. She even spoke to my mother and told her she found it strange that a boy my age even wanted to spend time with a “little girl.”
My friends think it’s weird that I have this long-distance friendship with a girl who’s a sophomore in high school that I’ve only met once in my life. It doesn’t bother me at all what they think. I don’t need anyone to understand.
I know that Apollo and I, like a lock and its custommade key, fit each other.
“Do you want Rick to drive?” she asks.
