Date at the beach [private]

I was very excited, Parker said that she was going to come to the lake with her dog, to hang out with me and Naomi.

Last time I saw her I acted like an idiot. I said to myself, I just needed to be myself and honest to her today, I decided. Well I sat there and waited for her, and threw stones in the lake. That waiting drove me crazy and my dog felt that I was nervous, too. She sat next to me and didn't make a sound.

I jogged down the well-worn path to the beach. Chimous was keeping a steady pace in front of me. In truth, I had forgotten I had told Vic I would meet him here. I stopped quickly, a few feet in front of him. I re-rolled my Nike mesh shorts and pushed back one of the random pieces of hair that had escaped my loose ponytail. "Uh, hey Vic."

She seemed surprised to see me, but I was just happy that she was here. Naomi jumped up and ran to Chimous, at least the dogs didn't have problems to talk to each other.

"Hey Parker, um nice to see you, do you maybe want to sit down and hang out a little?" I asked her.

"Why not.." I sank to the ground. Not next to him, but not across from him either. I guess you would call it diagonal. I looked out over the placid lake then back over to him. Chimous was over joyed to see her playmate again, but layed down next to me anyways, panting .

Naomi decided that it would be a good idead to go into the water, she loved to swim even though that she always smelled real bad after she swam.
"So I guess we didn't have the best start with each other." I said to Parker.
"Why don't we start over again? I am Vic." I told her and laughed.

"Well, I'm Parker. And- honestly, I didn't have the bad start. That would be you." A sly smile slid across my sweet face. I took the remaining hair out of my ponytail and shook out my contrasting, dark hair. I then shoved it all back on top of my head in yet another messy ponytail.

"I know, I kinda acted stupid back at the forest I guess. I am sorry, but to be honest with you, I don't even know why I behaved like this." I said and I felt a little bit reliefed after I saw her smile.

"So what's there to know about Parker and Chimous?" I asked her interested.

I raised an eyebrow, deciding not to press the point. "Not much to know, honestly. I'm 15 and from Maine. Not very interesting. And you?"

"Oh me? I am 17 and from Germany, I don't know if that is more interesting." I sighed. "But I am glad that you are here, I think you are interesting." I confessed to her.

I raised an eyebrow. How many times did I have to tell him that flattery just doesn't work. I sigh and sigh, "Well thanks. Soo... Germany? I'm assuming your dad lives there?"

"Yep my dad lives there, well basically my whole family and my friends. Except for the people from camp I know of course, it sucks to be this far away from home sometimes, like when nobody speaks your language and such." I sighed and threw a little stone in the lake. "But it's all good, could always be worse I guess, I still have my dog, she understands German" I said and laughed.
"How about your dad? What is he like and how'd your parents meet?"

"He's...different. He's pretty normal, I guess. We used to be close, when I needed him. I'm not sure how they met really. Never cared. He's remarried to a nurse that worked in the hospital I used to go to." As soon as I said the last sentence, I regretted it immediatly. He would think I was a mental case or something.

She abruptly stopped to talk, so I decided to continue the conversation, even though she said that she is not interesting I though different, she was very interesting to me, so I went on and just started talking again.

"Well I guess that's how you could describe my dad, too. Pretty normal, remarried, don't know how my parents really met. Probably a typical demigod-story I guess, but why'd you have to go to the hospital? I mean, if the question is not the personal"

"Well, I was sick. Duhh." I rolled my eyes and laughed. I would elaborate if asked, but didn't see the need to throw everything out there without being asked. Going to that hospital was a joke, more like living there. Worst years of my life, I thought with a silent sigh.

"I figured that out, I mean, I don't think you went on vacation there." I said laughing. "But really, why'd you go there? And are you better now?" I hoped that I wasn't too curious, but I just wanted to know.

"Don't tell anybody, kay? Uhm, I guess I'm kinda better. I have leukemia." My eyes wanderedd down to the sand, then out to the lake.

Wow, I didn't know what to say, it was a shock for me, that a kid even younger than me was so sick but still didn't look different at least not yet.
I didn't know what to say so I just said what came to my mind. "Well Parker, I don't really know what to say and I think you don't want people to feel bad for you, but if you ever need somebody to talk I am here for you." and then I sat next to her and put my arm around her trying to make her feel comfortable.

I shrugged out from under his arm. "Thanks, just keep it quite, okay?" As good as it felt to tell someone, I still worried that everyone would find out. Gods, I was in remission, so I could technically tell myself I didn't have it, but deep down I knew I would never get rid of it. I lean back on my elbows, my pale legs stretched out infront of me. "So, yeah. That's kinda why I was a ... burden for my dad, I guess."

"Don't say that, I am sure you were never a burden for anyone and I promise you that I won't tell anybody." I told her.

I looked at Naomi and smiled, dogs are always happy even if it's something wrong, they won't ever let you down and they are great listeners. I bet Parker was glad that she has her little Husky-puppy.

"Soo do you like movies?" I asked, I didn't know where that question came from, but I felt like we should talk about something else, I was sure she talked about her being sick too much already in life and if she wanted to talk about it more she would bring it up herself.

"Uhm, yeah I guess." I reply. As nice as Vic was, I still didn't see him as "boyfriend-material". I honestly only liked him as a friend. Hopefully he knew that.

"Nice, well I just want to say that I am glad that you came."

I noticed that she didn't like me like other girls do, but I didn't care too much anymore, you cannot force people to like you. I just enjoyed being around her, even though I would never have a chance to be with her.

"Me too. " I reply with my sweet smile. I blink and look over at the dogs, eho were still chasing each other joyfully. "So..is there anything I should know about you? Something you haven't told anybody?"

I thought about it, and a memory from my past came to my mind. Something I never talked about to anybody except for my family in Germany, I thought about it and decided to tell her
I just didn't know how to tell it.

"Well mhh yea." I said as my voice kinda died on me, I cleared my throat and continued "When I was six years old my sister, or well I guess half-sister died." I became quiet and looked at the water. That was something I've never talked about and even tried not to think about too much.

"Oh gods. That's horrible. I'm so sorry." I said back. Geez, we were full of sob stories. I could tell he was really torn up when he talked about it.

I sighed "Yes it was hard, I mean I was still young but I remember everybody being sad, she died right after she was born, she had a hole in her heart."

I looked away from her as a tear ran down my cheek. Then I said "That is just how life sometimes is, you never know what happens tomorrow, so you have to make the best out of today.