A short fiction.

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OUT OF REACH

The sun was about to go down, leaving a beautiful play of colour on the sky. loved being in California during the summer, and especially in August. It was so beautiful. He had come to California every summer since his band, McFly, had been promoted there. He was in love with it, and couldn’t take his eyes off it. It was something else that also stayed in his heart: . had met her in London. She was living in a flat with her best friend when first met her. He had fallen for her immediately. She was amazing, and from the very first moment, had loved her.

Their relationship became serious pretty fast. Obviously too fast for . She couldn’t cope with what she called ‘a teenage relationship’. She said to that she appreciated him and loved him, but he was too much for her. She said she wasn’t able to breathe when she was with him. wanted to try and make things right, but she started crying and told him to let go. It was the best for both of them, she said.

stared out to the sea. There was nobody on the road, and nobody on the beach. It was empty. Totally empty as the sun went down. sat down on a bench closer to the water. He put his t-shirt back on, since it was starting to get a bit chillier. He couldn’t stop thinking about . He knew she had left to spend the summer in California, as she had a friend there. He thought about with other guys, and it made him feel sick. He shrugged the thoughts off and tried to concentrate on the one thing he was here to do; watch the sun go down for the very last time this summer. He was off back to London tomorrow. The sun went down alone. Nobody was in sight, only . from London.

walked back to the car, opening the door and got in. He drove up to the house he knew her friend lived. It looked empty. The lights were out. wasn’t home. He stared at it for a couple of more seconds before taking a turn and driving down towards the highway again. While he was speeding down the highway, he thought about . He remembered the first time he took her out: it was a night in August, on the most fashionable restaurant in London. For the first time in a very long time, felt so in love that he didn’t know what to do. He felt like he had made a fool of himself several times that night, but just laughed and smiled at him and said that he was incredible. She thought he was funny, intelligent, fascinating and cute. Their next date was settled already the next day, when he chose to take her to an amusement park. smiled as he drove off the highway and further down towards the shopping streets. He smiled when he thought about what his mother had said about her when he had brought her home for the very first time. She took him aside, smiled and gave him a hug. “Don’t let anything come between you”, was all she said. knew it was positive. His mum always spoke her mind. She had nothing bad to say about whatsoever. “Don’t let anything come between you”. Must have meant that she was the right one for her son, had thought. His parents had been devastated when he told them that had left. thought about his best friend, . had said that she had kind eyes. She wouldn’t hurt him, said. smiled sadly. How wrong he had been, .

parked the car on the nearest available parking lot. He locked the car and walked down the street. There were a lot of people walking around. It was Friday, so many people where sat down at the pubs drinking beer and wine. Suddenly stopped dead in his track. He spotted a couple of metres away. He hadn’t seen her for two whole months, and he wasn’t surprised to see that looked flawless as always. Her brown skin was shining in the sun that was almost gone. She had her long, hair combed back and she was wearing the designer sunglasses that once bought her; Gucci. She was walking with a bunch of other people. For it looked like they were going to a pub, because they were all casually dressed. had a turquoise and yellow, pin striped bikini on, with a white see-through blouse over it. She wore a short denim shirt and flip flops. The sight of her made wonder how on earth he could have win a girl like that over, when it was plain to see that she was totally out of his league. was on a different stadium, a different place in a different world than . He felt his heart ache. He watched them as they sat down on a pub nearby. didn’t bother to look for the name. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. A man walking straight at him woke him up from his daydream. “Sorry” the man simply said and continued walking. “How nice of you”, mumbled irritated as he walk up to the nearest available seat in the pub next to the one and her friends were sat on. It was now that noticed the guys for the first time. They had the typical Californian look; beautiful, dark tanned skin, blonde haired and perfect bodies. lowered his head, placed it in his hands and closed his eyes. “You make me crazy, . Don’t tease me like this. I need you now…” It was like it had never happened, or like a very distant and almost forgotten dream; those nights he had spent with . used to say that no one could ever make her scream like him. He had just smiled and kissed her. He could lie awake for several hours at night, just staring at her and caress her, rubbing his hands up her skin… looked up. She was gone, and so were her friends. got up in a hurry. Three chairs fell to the ground as he did. He didn’t bother picking them up, even though the man in the bar screamed after him. He didn’t exactly know why he was so eager to follow her, when it gave him more of that sweet pain than he could take. He just knew he couldn’t let her go yet. He needed to get her back. He would get her back.

What had happened to their love, he didn’t know. He realised that their relationship had been a bit too intense some times, but to leave because of it? couldn’t understand. It was surreal.

He saw her again. They were walking down the boulevard, watching teenagers skating on rollerblades down at the beach. didn’t want her to see him, so he walked a couple of metres behind them. He felt a bit stupid, stalking her like this, but he couldn’t help it. She was walking slower than the rest of them. She smiled at everyone she passed. The huge and beautiful smile that always made melt inside. He could never stay mad at her when she smiled to him like that. When she was sad, and comforted her, she would smile a slightly, and just hugged her tightly, kissing her head and telling her that everything was going to be alright. One of her ‘mates’ slowed down and put an arm around her waist, leaned down and kissed her lips. smiled at him and he smiled back. could see that she was happy, but that was just for now. His love for her would still be strong after all those boys of summer were gone.

had walk behind a public toilet to avoid being seen by her as they suddenly changed direction. A beautiful, white Cadillac drove by, driven by one of these Californian surfer guys. smiled as he thought of ’s face if she had seen that car. She loved Cadillacs. It was her favourite car, that and Thunderbirds. The car passed him slowly and noticed a deadhead sticker on the back of it. He came to think about something his mum had said once, and the little voice inside his head repeated it for him: “Don’t look back; you can never look back…” He knew it way too well, but there was no way back now. He used to think that he knew what love was, and what it did to people, but now, in the end, he didn’t know anything. The little voice told him that his days with were gone forever, and that he should just let them go. And he knew that letting them go was the right thing to do, but when he looked at her now, he knew that he couldn’t.

They were sat in the park now, on a huge, red blanket. Three girls sat next to . recognised one of them as Michelle, ’s Californian friend. Four guys played around with the radio that had in her lap. It was playing something that could have betted was Chris Isaak. used to love listening to him during summer. Her hair was slicked back and her top was pulled down so that it was just the bikini that was showing. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She looked happy. One blonde haired guy, the one that had kissed her, tuned in on another channel. instantly recognised the song as ‘Five Colours In Her Hair’, McFlys first ever single. He watched as ’s face changed drastically, from showing happiness and satisfaction, to sadness and regret. She turned the radio off and looked away from the rest of them, who didn’t seem to pay that much attention to her right then anyway. That’s when she saw him. To ’s surprise she didn’t look mad, shocked or angry. She smiled slightly, a sad smile that he had seen so many times before. started to slowly walk up to her. He felt like a jerk. He didn’t look like any of those guys at all. He was just …

rose from the blanket, about to meet him, when Mr. Summer (as now called him), held her back with a begging look. She shrugged him off and met . They met with a smile, and none of them said anything. They hugged. It was a long, sensual and intimate hug. “I’ve missed you, . No one can make me scream like you”, she whispered when they finally let go of each other. “My love for you will still be strong after the boys of summer have gone”, said quietly, taking hold of her hand, rubbing it slightly, like he always did to show her a bit of affection in public places. They had never agreed to it, but had always known that both he and liked it better when he was just kissing her head, forehead, nose or cheek when they were with others or out in the public. It showed her that he cared for her, respected her and loved her, instead of all this making out, which both of them found sickening to watch. “I know … I’ve always known. I just needed to realise it”. started walking away, with still holding her hand. He slipped his right arm around her waist, as she slipped hers around his. Like that they walked into the August Californian night. “I love California in August”, said quietly as walked next to him, smiling.