Wandering Dreams

As they drive down the old dirt road lined by large oak trees and the sound of crickets chirping he glances at her. It's a warm day, windows are down, and the sweet breeze of summer flows through the car. She sits in the passenger seat of his car. Her brown hair flowing from the breeze. He notices the shimmer of gold in her hair as the sunlight hits it just right. Indie folk music quietly plays through the car speakers and she sings ever so softly the lyrics. To him there is nothing better than this.

She has no idea where they are headed but she is enjoying the ride. He knows her favorite places. Her favorite getaway spots around town. The places she feels the most free. She finally looks over to him. Her wide eyes make his heart skip a beat. "I know where you're taking me!" she says excitedly as if she's solved a scavenger hunt. "Oh yeah?" he replies with the biggest smile making way across his face. She replies with a slight giggle "you're taking me to the beach aren't you"? He laughs in return and says, "man! You figured out the mystery"! He parks the car, grabs their bags, and they start on their walk to the beach.

By the time they reach the beach the sun is setting and the colors of the sky begin to blend into a dark navy blue. They lay out a few blankets, take the food out of the cooler, and laugh together as they watch the waves crash onto the shoreline. Something about the push and pull of the waves makes her calm. They sit together and watch the night sky for shooting stars. Finally, some stars begin to appear in the sky. The two sit in comfortable silence. There is no need for conversation. He looks to her and says quietly, "hey, I love you". "I love you too" she says as she gently lays her head on his shoulder.

Just as her head touches his shoulder she awakes from a deep sleep. Almost as if she is in a panic. She sits up in her bed taking deep heavy breaths. The darkness in the room seems to surround her until the slight color of her string lights make way. She can't stop thinking about that boy in her dream. Trying to remember bits and pieces of his facial features a smile creeps across her face. She begins to remember his smile and the way he looked at her under the stars. Reality begins to set in as she realizes no one has ever looked at her that way before. The girl wonders to herself, "I wonder if anyone will ever love me the way the boy in my dreams does."

After sitting on the side of her bed for a bit she gets ready for her day. She's wearing sneakers, worn out blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a sweatshirt over it. As she walks out the door she throws her hair up in a messy bun. It's a cool day outside but nature is wide awake. She makes her way to the local coffee shop to get her regular... an iced vanilla coffee with cream and sugar. Basic but it does the job. She goes up to the counter to pick up her order and as she turns around to leave she bumps into someone. Her coffee falls onto the floor. She grabs the cup embarrassed of what just happened.

When she stands up a tall boy with dirty blonde wavy hair looks at her. He has deep blue eyes and the perfect smile. He giggles and hold out his hand to her to help her up off the ground. "I am so sorry I guess I should watch where I'm going", she says as she reaches for his hand. "No no I'm sorry I should have been paying more attention. I'm Conner" he says with a slight smile. She keeps a nervous eye contact with him and isn't sure what to say. "I'm Nina" she says with a slight smile. "So could a buy you a new coffee?" Conner says. She laughs and says, "yeah sure thing."

~the beginning of a love story~