Waiting

It had been a year since she had last seen Mike. She was convinced she would love the charming boy, with that air of innocence, that wonderful idealism until the day she died. He had changed alot since she last saw him, but nothing could change the way she saw him. She would be spending a week with him, talking to him, laughing with him, and just having a good time. She had a week to get him.
She was behind him the whole time they kayaked down the river, but not by much. His arms were muscular from years of the sport, his shirt clung to his body. All she could do was smile and try to keep up. He called out teases and challenges to her. He knew her weakness.
“Don’t feel bad, girls never have as much upper body strength as guys.” Patricia pulled ahead of him in a couple of minutes, dissapointed that her pride had destroyed her view. They set up camp as the sun went down.
“Mike, I have to talk to you.” she said, pulling him away from their friends.
“About what.”
“Ever since I moved in 9th grade, noone has ever been able to come close to the way I feel about you, Mike. I think I love you.”
“I love you to Pat. I didn’t think you liked me becasue of what happened before you moved.”
“I’m sorry. Is it to late for me to give you that kiss now?”
“Better late than never.” Her hands trembled with anticipation. She felt like that 11 year old kid again, like when she first saw him their, that big, sweet smile. She finally kissed him, that kiss that had been waiting on her lips for 7 years. Chills ran up and down her spine; her whole body shook. She gave him another kiss, and another. She finally gave him a real one and it was unlike anything she’d ever felt.
The sun went down and she snuck into his dent. She looked at his naked chest lustfully and knelt down next to him. He looked up at her innocently, honestly not knowing what was on her mind. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him all night long or just try and go all the way with him. He was eighteen years old, but he still seamed like that child she fell in love with.
She leaned down and kissed him, her hand running down his bare chest.
“Let’s run away together.”
“What?”
“Let’s run away to canada. We can put the kayaks on the bikes And then kayak accross lake erie and go to canada. You can become a mountie, and I’ll be a waitress, and we can get a farm and horses and a wolf, and it’ll be like a fantasy.”
“We’re 18 years old, we have careers ahead of us, we can’t just run away.”
“We haven’t signed anything yet. We aren’t married, we don’t have kids or jobs or cars or anything. This is the perfect time to run away. I have 200 dollars to last until I can get a job. Let’s do it.”
“We can’t. Sorry.”
“OK, next best thing, can I stay with you in here tonight?” He smiled at her.
“Of course.”
Patricia held him tight all night long. Their friend Sarah nudged Mike.
“I told you she liked you.”