Chapter 7 Take Seraphina with you....Ryan
Seraphina
“So, this is your first trip to Hawaii, Seraphina?”
Clement was trying to make conversation as the four of us sat down for lunch. It was meant to be a casual, friendly meal.
“Yes,” I said, my reply brief. I was never any good at this sort of thing.
“Well, you are going to love it here. What do you enjoy doing?” he asked.
I gave a small shrug. “I read. I watch films. Sometimes I write.”
“Oh, Seraphina is a wonderful writer,” Louisa jumped in, her voice full of pride. “She earned a full scholarship to study writing at Columbia.”
“That is really incredible. Good for you,” Clement said. I gave him a polite smile in return.
Through all of this, Ryan sat across from me, paying our talk no mind. He was completely absorbed in his phone.
“What about you, Ryan?” Louisa turned to him. “Are you going to a college here, or…?” He did not answer, still focused on his screen.
Clement kicked Ryan’s foot under the table. He looked up, startled, and I had to hide my amusement.
“Ry has chosen not to go to college,” Clement explained. “He finished school last year and has spent all his time since training to be a professional surfer. He just signed contracts with Quiksilver and Volcom. He is going pro.”
“That sounds so exciting,” Louisa said.
“Yes, he will be traveling the world for surfing competitions, starting in September. He will be gone for at least three years.”
“Well, congratulations, Ryan. You are going to go out and see everything. I am so happy for you,” Louisa beamed. Ryan smiled and gave her a polite nod.
“But, I still believe a man needs an education, you understand,” Clement went on. “Especially these days. Surfing is not a forever kind of career.” Ryan cut him off.
“Dad. I am going to go outside for a while, all right?” he said, standing up quickly. I could feel he did not like where this was heading.
“Where are you going?” Clement asked.
“To the beach, maybe. Meeting some friends.”
“Oh, okay… well… oh, Ry! Take Seraphina with you!” Clement said it suddenly, and I almost choked on my food.
“Oh, that would be wonderful, would not it, Sera?” Louisa added. “Ryan can show you around the island.”
Ryan looked at me, and once again, I lost the ability to form words.
“Sure, let us go,” he said with a short nod.
It felt like everyone had decided for me, so the only choice I had was to go along with it. Without a word, I slowly stood and went to follow Ryan. But as I did, for a reason I could not name, I felt a tight, nervous feeling in my stomach.
That was strange.
I followed Ryan out of the kitchen. He snatched a T-shirt from the sofa and pulled it on in one easy motion. It was strange, but I had never thought watching someone put a shirt on could be so attractive.
Ryan did not say a word to me and just kept walking, so I kept following. Outside, he climbed into his truck in one fluid movement. Once he was inside, he took a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses from the dashboard and put them on.
Oh, wow. How can a person be that effortlessly cool?
I got into the truck quietly, struggling a little to pull myself up. I am not the most coordinated person, I thought with an inward sigh.
A moment later, Ryan started the engine and we pulled out of the driveway. His right hand rested on the steering wheel, his left arm hanging out the open window. I caught myself looking at him, wondering what the stories were behind the tattoos on his arms. Maybe I would ask him one day.
Then he noticed me staring for a moment too long. He let out a low laugh. “You want to tell me why you are staring at my face?”
My face grew hot with embarrassment and I looked away quickly. “Sorry. I was not…” was all I could manage to say.
What is your problem? Get a grip, girl!
Usually, I was not like this around guys. In fact, I generally ignored them. Why was this one so different? Why did he make me so nervous that I could barely speak, as if I had forgotten how to form sentences?
I turned to look out the side window, trying to avoid looking at him. But after a few moments, I could feel him looking at me.
“What are you looking at?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“You. You are beautiful,” he said, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the sky.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Okay, I was not ready for an answer like that. I fought to keep my cheeks from turning red and shifted in my seat, feeling completely exposed.
“Hey, Ry, do you have any music or something?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
“Of course,” he said, and turned on the stereo.
“Wow, I have not seen a CD player in a long time,” I said, noting the old-fashioned unit in his dashboard.
“I like them better than digital. The sound is better,” he answered.
As the music started, I recognized the opening notes immediately. It was the song “Yellow” by Coldplay. I loved this song, and my head began to move gently with the music.
“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do, they were all yellow,” Ryan began to sing along, and a small smile touched my lips before I could stop it.
I took a breath.
“Your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones, turn into something beautiful,” I joined him on the chorus. He turned to me with that smile again, and we started to sing louder, our voices fitting together as we finished the chorus.
“Not bad. You a Coldplay fan?” Ryan asked.
“Are you joking? Who does not like Coldplay?” I replied.
“Their older music is the best,” he said.
“I know,” I nodded, probably too eagerly. “The new stuff is not the same.”
“I agree with you one hundred percent.”
The song built to the chorus again and we kept singing until it was over. Then we were both laughing, having hit the last note together.
“Nice!” he said, holding his hand up for a high five. I tapped his hand awkwardly.
“So, what other music do you listen to, besides Coldplay?” Ryan asked.
“I like a lot of indie bands… like The Temper Trap, The Boxer Rebellion, Of Monsters and Men, The Lumineers…” I realized I was listing names and let my voice fade. “Do you know any of them?”
“Honestly, no,” he said with a short laugh.
“Well, you should. They are great,” I told him.
“All right, I will take your word for it,” he said.
An uncomfortable quiet settled between us. I never knew what to say when conversations died. I felt a desperate need to fix it.
Okay, what do I say now? Make conversation! It is not that difficult! Come on, say anything, or he will think you are a complete weirdo. Talk about the weather!
“So, the weather is nice here…” I managed to stumble out.
He raised one eyebrow and said, “The weather?” in a tone that was clearly making fun of me.
Okay, that was irritating. I was just trying to be nice.
“Hey, what is with that ring you are always fidgeting with?” Ryan asked, pointing to the small ring on my finger.
I had a habit of twisting it when I was nervous. I guess he had seen me doing it.
“Oh, it is my purity ring,” I answered.
“Your what?”