Love Is Flower Like

Chapter 2

Edited 05/25/21

Meadow watched her brother and his friends push each other in the water. Luckily, it was a hotter than average day, so they didn't have to get out of the water as fast. La Push usually didn't get warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was a shock to everyone that it was in the 70s. It wasn't raining either, so it was a beautiful day out.

Farther along the beach was a small group of boys kicking a soccer ball around. They were loud and noisy, but that didn't deter Meadow from basking in the sunlight and the warmth. She was sitting on the sand with a book in her hand. Her sandals were partially buried next to her, and she had pulled her shoulder-length, black hair out of its ponytail. Unlike most of the girls on the Reservation, she didn't like to wear her hair long. It took too much time, money, effort, and product to take care of long hair, so she opted for a shorter cut.

She smiled as she watched Quil and Jacob pick Embry up and throw him in the water. It wasn't the safest thing to do, but she let them have their fun. She didn't want to be the fun police all the time, but she knew it was what they needed. Quil's dad, Quil Ateara IV, was a little too old to really watch over Quil, her own dad, Billy, wasn't physically able to watch over Jacob like he used to, and Embry didn't have a father in his life, so he viewed Billy as his own father. Meadow took it upon herself to be a parental figure, of sorts, to them. She wasn't too overbearing with them, but she did try her best to make sure they were on their best behavior.

"Don't hurt yourselves! I don't have time to take you to the hospital!" Meadow yelled out to them. The boys yelled but otherwise gave no notice that they were paying attention to what Meadow was saying. She shook her head in affection and returned to reading her book. She was reading Lord of the Flies. It was interesting to her because she wondered what would happen if she were to be stranded on an island like that. Would she turn against her friends? Would she be able to survive with her personality? She figured she'd be the first person everyone turned against.

The wind picked up, blowing strands of her hair in her face. She brushed them away in time to see a soccer ball fly past her. She flinched back in shock and looked towards the small group of boys down the beach. They were looking her way and they seemed to argue with each other on who should grab the ball. With a small puff of breath, she stood up from her position on the beach and walked over to the ball. She picked it up and was about to throw it over to the group of boys when she unexpectedly bumped into someone.

Her hand accidentally brushed against a warm, bare chest and she instantly recoiled it. Her cheeks warmed and she knew if she were looking in the mirror her face would have a soft red tint to it. The man or boy or whoever was standing too far in her personal space, so she took a step back. She lifted her head and made eye contact with the stranger.

Meadow instantly recognized the male in front of her and her blush intensified. The man had beautiful, russet skin and his black, inky hair was cropped short on his head. He had to be at least six feet tall, allowing him to slightly tower over Meadow's 5-foot 7-inch frame. He was shirtless, flaunting his muscles, and only wore a pair of shorts that cut off just short of his knees. The best part about him was his eyes. They were a deep brown color, and they held an intensity that had never been directed at her before.

It was Paul LaHote, the infamous, temperamental school player. Everyone knew that he slept around with any girl, and he had the patience the size of a pea. He never bullied anyone or went out of his way to pick on someone, but he wasn't the nicest person around. Ever since he chopped off his hair and started following a boy named Sam, though, he toned it down. In fact, Meadow was sure he hadn't been with anyone since then. She wanted to gasp aloud due to the way he looked at her, but she refrained from doing so. She got lost in the dark pools of his eyes and she felt like she couldn't swim out of them. She was drowning in his gaze.