If love is a crime

Chapter 3- THE BEACH

BRENDA

“If love is a crime then I want to be wanted… if love is a crime,I’m willing to be wanted” . I’ve been listening to this song all summer,everywhere. In my dad’s mansion,on the beach,while I’m taking walks,literally everywhere. It makes me fantasize a bitter-sweet love with a young man that’s all about me. Call me toxic I don’t care,those who know me know I’m a hopeless romantic. I’m Brenda Bucknor; the only child of Mr Fernandez and Mrs Patricia Bucknor and yes I’m the heir to the Bucknor Empire just as you might have figured out. My favorite season is summertime but I can’t wait for this one to be over. Reason is I’m starting college after summer and I’m so keen about it. Also,it’s not just that,it’s the college I’m starting at; Malfredo State,the best college there is in the country and I really can’t contain the joy and excitement in me.

I will have you know I’m on way to the beach like i always do. I mean what’s there not love about the beach, the sky is bright,the slightly cool breeze hitting your skin,the cold lemonades and coconut drinks,the trees,beach volleyball,the sea most importantly and sound of the waves,oh the sound of the waves. Last year’s summer was more fun because I was just living it up with my classmates as it was our last summer in high school. i witnessed the sun set on the beach for the first time in my entire existence and I must say it’s the most beautiful thing there is or one of the most beautiful things created by God,then me of course. My cousin tells me there are beautiful beaches,more beautiful than the ones we have here,around the world. He knows this because he’s been around the world right after he was done with college. Daddy tells me I’ll do same when I’m done and I really can’t wait for that to happen as I’ve heard stories about beautiful cities and places around the world.

We have two beaches here in Eden city and recently I’ve been going to only one of them because of my ex-boyfriend and thank God the one I’ve been going to is more beautiful and more fun cos gosh I would be so mad!. I intentionally don’t visit the beach because Bradford-Lee a.k.a. Bradlee who’s my ex-boyfriend and also a douchebag has been trying to get back together with me since we broke up,goes to the other beach. I don’t want to bump into him talk more of listening to him yap gibberish about how he misses me and all that rubbish. He should miss me with that. after all he did,the thought of getting back with me shouldn’t be in his empty head where one might think a brain functions there. sometimes I almost lose my mind thinking of why I dated him.

“You’ve been by yourself too much these days” I heard as I was deep in thoughts. It was as if those words jolted me back to reality. My cousin,Ramsey said as he handed me a very chilled lemonade. “That’s not true” I retorted. He said “you’ve been absent minded a lot recently,whenever we’re home at the same time it’s like you’re not around,you don’t come downstairs to watch our shows with me anymore and the only thing you ever look forward to is the beach.” I thought to myself for a split second and I realized everything he said is true. I’ve been on my own lately and I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been distant especially from Ramsey who’s my confidant and best friend. I’ve been so immersed in my world of fantasy and thoughts. I’ve been fantasizing about my college days and after college days when I’m traveling around the world. I’ve been thinking of the mistake I made,dating Bradford. I get irked at the thought of his name or mention of it. My cousin knows about the breakup and how it weighed me down but he didn’t think it would be this bad,at least he didn’t know. I feel so bad about the whole situation as I’m a woman that likes to relate with good people,at least people who have good intentions and Bradford is definitely not one of them.

I remember a particular day last year while we were still dating; the day was going well,everything was in order even though there was no special occasion but the orderliness of things in school felt soothing and calming. The students were talking and walking in an orderly manner,the hallway was sparkling clean one could almost see their reflection on the shiny floors of the hallway,the air was filled with lavender scents from one of the janitors cleaning that day. Everything was feeling good at that moment I could get stuck in the loop. Until Bradlee and his notorious gang of bullies stormed the hallway,chasing a certain classmate who seemed to be running for his dear life as though he was being chased by a hungry, wild animal. At this point I can’t even remember the poor fellow’s name anymore but he had distinctive features: he wore glasses that made him look nerdy, clothes as well,he always had two or three textbooks carried across his chest all the time while hanging his backpack on one shoulder behind him. He had to let go of his books and his backpack as they were slowing him down while running away from the terrible bullies but still he couldn’t get too far before he was caught by one of them and slammed unto a locker that sounded like a mini gun shot. The orderliness and chill atmosphere of the hallway all came to an abrupt end by the event that just took place. While still being held against the locker with feet in air,Bradlee walks in like he owns the place and nothing moves without his say so. Recalling all this makes me want to throw up so bad. He quietly walks to the locker where they are and you could feel chills running down everyone’s spine as he walked past them one after the other like was going to harm them. He gets to the locker and the boy starts stuttering and finds it hard to make a sentence. “I-I-I…I didn’t see you coming, I’m sorry I s-s-s-st-st-stepped on you earlier Brad.” The poor guy struggled with words as he was obviously scared of Bradlee and his gang. “Y-y-y-y- you should have faced me like the man you claim to be instead of running and making my boys waste their time and energy chasing a loser like you” Brad said mockingly. He was tormenting him mentally for minutes before proceeding to landing a blow on his face and bashing it in. The hallway went silent and was immediately filled with murmurs from students. Bradlee and his gang walk out and he turns back to yell:” this is what happens when you mess with me” then he left. He has created fear in a lot of people’s minds since the beginning of our final year in high school. I just stood there disappointed,thinking of logical reasons as to why my boyfriend would do that to a human. I quickly rushed to poor boy lying on the floor to help but immediately he was me,he quickly moved back and got up because obviously didn’t want to get another beating. I tried getting him up but he blatantly refused,telling me to please leave him alone and go away as he’s trying to avoid another beating. I could see the fear and sadness in his eyes. I remember that moment sometimes and shed tears,thinking of how a person is not safe in his own school and has always had to look over his shoulder for bullies. I had to leave him there on the floor because as much as I wanted to help him,I knew deep down inside me it was going to get him into another trouble with my so called boyfriend. I felt ashamed and disappointed in myself for the longest time. I was raised better than this. I wonder what he must think of me or what my parents must think of me if they ever find out I was privy to a situation like this and didn’t do anything about it.

As me and Ramsey talk with the breeze hitting against our skin, a group of boys walk past us. They don’t look like they’re from here. I say to Ramsey they’re either new here or from downtown and quickly he retorts saying “that’s quite stereotypical. What makes you think they’re not from here” I paused for almost a second thinking if what I said is truly stereotypical and I didn’t quite see it that way. “ I mean look at them,would you see them in town and think they’re from here?” He shook his head and looked away. I enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing into each other and oh did I feel at peace. I was at ease till I was slapped in the face with something that seemed quite light but also painful. I got up immediately from my peaceful rest go find a beach ball lying next to me. Ramsey was fighting to hold his laughter and I wasn’t having it, he saw that and immediately stopped and kept a straight face. I got up and to my greatest surprise; it was one of the boys I was stereotypical about few minutes ago. I see why Ramsey wanted to laugh at me so bad. They were playing volleyball and somehow the ball made a direct landing on my cheek. “My bad, didn’t see you there” of course you did you liar! “Must have hit the ball pretty hard,your cheek is a little red. Sorry about that”. The anger in me didn’t let me notice that the one infront of me was quite attractive. Tall,dark, brown eyes,dark hair, muscularly slim. His demeanour made me feel like we had met before. I panicked for a split second, trying to recollect where I might’ve seen him. I was extremely awed all I could say was “no worries,it’s fine” why’s my mouth and entire body betraying me, I want to give this guy a strong piece of my mind and my mouth could utter was no worries? I turned to go back to my mat where i laid down and I heard a voice from behind; “how long are you here for? I’ll be done in a few minutes and I was thinking if you’d be down to talk?” It was him again, the same guy who turned my cheek red. “What makes you think I would want to hang out with a guy who ruined a perfect day out for me?” I quickly fired back and he goes “yo chill out it was an accident and I thought we were cool on that, I’m sorry” oh now you know to apologise “ I apologised earlier but I guess you were too angry to get that” didn’t realize I said that out loud. I wasn’t too angry to hear the first apology, I was extremely awed to hear anything he had to say. “I leave in ten minutes,it’s up to you to decide if you want to be done by then or not” I wasn’t going to leave in ten minutes, Infact I was going to wait till whenever he was done. I really want to know who this beauty is. I just said that to make him think I was still mad. “That’s fine by me. See you in ten!” He said as he ran away from me going towards the space volleyball was played. Ramsey was there watching and immediately burst into laughter while pointing at me “look at you losing all the composure in you for a guy you barely just met. Oh the irony of life; you were speaking ill of he and his friends minutes ago and now you want to get to know to him?” I couldn’t defend myself because he was damn right. I couldn’t say a word to Ramsey I just kept looking at him frustration in me because a part of me still wanted to give him a piece of my mind.