i opened the door to my house. He was home. "Good evening, father" i said stepping into the kitchen. "How was study?" he asked. "Pretty good. i met a girl." he shifted himself. "Saved her from death itself." "And how did you manage to do that?" he retorted. "Yanked her out of the way of a speeding car. pretty simple. nothing too heroic" "son, you need to be careful." "i was." i responded. taking an apple off the table and taking a bite. "you think youre a man already?" my father asked. "i saved a girl. no big deal." "no big deal? you could have gotten yourself killed. or worse." "Oh, theres something worse than dying?" i said. my fathers eyes darkened. "im just trying to protect you." he answered. "from what exactly? the reason why my mother left?" my father was taken aback. "do not disrespect me. you dont know anything." "You think i dont know anything, but i know everything, father." he was silent. "how is it that you dont look a day older than yesterday. how are we so wealthy? how has seseal managed to be with us since before i was born and has never gotten sick?" "it was for your own good Lucas. that is a world you know nothing about. that is a curse more than a gift. and your mother left because she couldnt bear to see what you would become." "but nobody asked what i wanted to become, nobody gave me a choice, it was chosen for me. and then hidden." "forgive me my son. i was only doing what i thought your mother wanted."
"Lucas." i heard faintly. i turned around. "didn't mean to intrude. overheard the conversation with your father." "Went better than I thought.' I said. "Thinking about the girl you saw today?" she asked completely off topic. "I can smell her off your shirt." i smelled myself. and nodded my head. "Yeah, she was...interesting." I responded. Esmeralda moved herself from me. i touched her foot with my hand. "I'm going to go for a walk." she watched me leave my room. i could tell something was up. she was aloof.
I pulled myself off the bed. dragging myself to the shower. then went downstairs for the usual routine: breakfast. I decided I would go out and 'bump' into Sophia again. walking passed the same bus stop i could smell her. i turned my head. she was sitting down reading a book. "What a pleasant surprise." i said. a smile came across her face. "Hey! how are you, Lucas?" she said closing the book and embracing me in a hug. I held her and my body shivered from how good she smelled. her heartbeat right in my ear. "I'm good. just out for another stroll." "Oh, where to?" she said, putting away her book. "Wherever the wind takes me." I said throwing an elbow out, she reaches it and wraps her arm around mine. we walk steadily as I lead her to path behind my house. "This house is beautiful." she comments. "Yeah, whoever lives here sure is lucky." I say, knowing she won't be able to detect the tone of sarcasm in my voice. she gives me a strange look as if she's trying to decipher my statement. "Want to see something truly lucky?" I ask throwing her off. "Come on, I'll show you." I say as I head out to the lake view. the sun hits the horizon just perfect through the garden that the way the sunset lands on the lake would be describing something out of a book. "you'll only get this view from here, trust me." she leaned into her knees as she sat on the grass. "do you trust the lake?" she nearly whispered. i sat next to her and place my hand on hers. "Jump in with me." i say grabbing her hand and pulling her gently. she smiles and my stomach does a flip. she gets up and takes off her shoes and starts undressing. she's almost entirely naked before I could get off my pants. "lets see who gets there first." she says and starts running towards the water. meanwhile im struggling to get these boxers off. shes at the edge of the dock and the way her body breaks through the water just intrigues me. Im running to the water now, missing the fact that this was my house and that any minute anybody, could see us. "Are there fish in here?" she asks. " of course theres fish." I answer. I could see the worry arising. I could feel her legs moving faster under the water. her breathing hastens. I swim closer to her. "Dont worry, this lake has been here all my life, and nothing has ever happened." I splash her softly. she starts laughing, her body is just inches from mine and everything inside me just wants to touch her. taste her lips. Im lost in thought. "Lucas? is that you? Yells a familiar voice. Seseal. I forgot that they were home. "yeah!" I quickly respond. "You live here?" sophia says. I smile bashfully. "uh...ye..aaa.." "And who was that?.. Your MOM?!" shes swimming out the lake now. I could see my father appear from the garden. "Wait Sophia." I yell. I finally catch up to Sophia. and not both my father and Seseal are standing on the edge of the lake. "Who is this?" my father questions. Sophia is bright red, as she frantically tries to put on her clothes. "This is Sophia."- "Im nobody" Sophia and I respond in unison. "Its late, you should come inside and we will dry your clothes so that you dont get sick." said Seseal. Sophia nodded in agreement. Seseal handed her a towel. Sophia wrapped it around her body. My father leads the way back to the house. Sophia is looking at me the moment we enter the house. "Its even prettier inside." she whispers to me. I smile. "Are you hungry?" I whisper back to her. "Yes." she says. Seseal puts her clothes in the dryer. turning to me seseal motions towards my room and then motions towards Sophia. " Come, lets get you changed until your clothes are ready." Sophia follows me to my room. "The food will be ready shortly." Seseal mentions as we approach my room. "Thank you." I say.
