Key to the Past

Chapter 2

I arrived right as the party began. I chained my bike up outside of the little pool wall and walked inside. I saw a bunch of my neighbors, but I didn't see Em and Chris yet. I found two nice pool chairs under a tree and claimed that one for me and Em. I sat down on my chair, put on my black sunglasses, and took out the latest issue of Vogue to read while I waited for the rest of the people to show up. While I was reading, a good-looking boy approached me.

"Hey." the combed-yet-messy dirty blonde-haired guy bashfully said.

"Hey..." I suspiciously replied.

"So, um..."

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

His face fell, almost like he expected me to know who he was. His soft brown eyes looked into mine.

"Oh, I'm Evan."

Evan. That name sort of rang a bell.

I put down my magazine and replied, "I'm Bridget."

He nervously fidgeted with his hands.

"I know. So, are you expecting anyone?"

I didn't really want to start a conversation with him (I just wanted to relax until my friends came), but I was curious to find out how he already knew me and why he looked so familiar.

"Yeah, but it's only my friend and her boyfriend. Oh, and my mom, but that's all."

"Cool. Uh, do you want to go in the pool with me?"

I wasn't sure how to respond. I didn't want to go in the pool with someone I barely knew, but at the same time I didn't want to say no.

"Sure, I guess so."

I took off my tank top and shorts and cannon-balled into the pool. He stripped off his blue t-shirt and dived into the pool after me. Our heads bobbed above the surface at the same time. Evan reached over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I tensed up and he quickly extracted his hand. I noticed that he had black mascara stains on his fingers.

"Aw man! I probably look a raccoon," I complained.

"No, you don't. You look beautiful."

My body felt warm all over. I could tell that my cheeks were rapidly turning a bright hue of red. He was blushing too.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Evan stammered.

"It's okay. It's just that I barely know you..."

"You know me a lot better than you think."

My heart was racing. He looked a lot like someone I knew from middle school, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"How do I know you? Just tell me already."

"When you were in 7th grade and I was in 8th, we were both in the Beauty and the Beast play together as extras. During practice, we would talk a lot to each other. Then one day, I realized that I was developing a crush on you and asked you out."

It was starting to come back to me.

"We dated for a few months," he continued, "until I finally kissed you between 3rd and 4th period. You were my first kiss and I was yours. How can you not remember your first kiss?"

I remembered it all now.

"Of course I wouldn't remember it! I usually forget bad memories."

"How's it a bad memory?"