Kevin and Molly were walking on a pier along Lake Michigan. It was a gorgeous eighty degree and partially cloudy Thursday afternoon. The lake was beautiful as its surface glistened in the sunlight.
The reason they were at the pier was that Kevin and Molly were coworkers for the summer, and Kevin eventually worked up the courage to ask Molly out on a date. He was interested in her for a while but was too scared to make a move. Time was actually running short for Kevin because he was due to leave for college in a few days. On his final day of work, he approached her in the break room and asked her if she wanted to hang out with him before he left. Molly accepted and later suggested that they spend the following afternoon at the pier.
As soon as they stepped out of Kevin’s 98’ Dodge Stratus the next day, they were both instantly captivated by the invigorating atmosphere of the lake. Although Kevin was somewhat familiar with the lake, he never knew that a fascinating location, such as the pier, existed in his town.
“ So, you come to this place often?” asked Kevin. “This is a pretty cool spot to hang out at. You made a good choice on where we could go.”
“This is probably my favorite place in the entire world. I found this pier right after my parents split up. I needed to go to a place where I could find peace and take a break from the drama at home. Some friends and I were riding around town one day and we ended up here.”
“It sounds like some sort of fate led you here.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without this place. No matter what’s going on in my life, I can come here and just listen to the waves and the birds. I can watch the fish that swim with no real goal or purpose. I’ll look at boats that glide on top of the water. Or sometimes I’ll just stare at the horizon, getting lost in the endless world of blue. Even the weird smell of this place makes me feel good. It’s just something about these things that calms me, and I forget about life for a moment.”
Every word that Molly spoke was a reminder to Kevin for why he liked Molly so much. She was like an open book and was never afraid to express her thoughts or feelings. Unlike everyone in high school, she didn’t put on a facade in order to be liked. Everything she said was due to genuine passion from the heart. Even while Kevin had to endure servicing rude guests at a theme park and dealing with uptight management, it was the joy that emanated from Molly’s lively personality that kept him going. In the midst of the chaos, he just had to see her beautiful smile and hear her kind words and nothing else mattered.
Kevin continued to survey the unfamiliar, yet marvelous surroundings. “I could probably use a place like this. It would be nice to get away from the world for a while. Hopefully, there’s something like this near my school.”
Molly took her eyes away from the sparkling water and looked at Kevin. “Are there any lakes near your school?”
“There are a couple of small ones that are close by, but they’re nothing like The Great Lakes.”
“What city is it in? I know you told me once but I forgot.”
“Macomb.”
“Hmm… oh yeah. That place that’s surrounded by nothing but cornfields.”, said Molly with a friendly smile.
“Yep. That’s the place.”
They walked along the pier until they found a suitable spot to sit. They sat with their legs dangling over the pier’s edge. Both of them remained silent as they watched the waves crash against the pier wall just beneath their feet. Neither of them really knew what to say at this moment. Thoughts about the little amount of time they had together circled through both of their minds. After a few more minutes of silence, Molly thought about something that she wanted to ask Kevin.
“Will you think about me while you’re at college?”
Kevin turned towards Molly with a puzzled expression on his face. He looked into her eyes, which told him that she truly wanted to know his thoughts.
“Yeah, of course! I’ll do more than just think about you. I’ll call and text you all of the time. Plus, I’ll come back and visit you during school breaks and holidays.”
“Good. I’ll be looking forward to it.” She leaned over and rested her head on Kevin’s shoulder. “No matter where you go, just don’t forget about me.”
“Trust me. I couldn’t possibly ever forget about you.” , said Kevin.
Together, they watched the sunset over the lake, with its fiery glow that reflected on the water. It was a moment in time that both Kevin and Molly wished could last forever.
Short Stories
1 Likes
880 Views
Share: