Please don’t squeeze my heart.
Pitiful Peaches are what I am to you.”
The song continued into a solo drum sequence.It sounded like rock n’ roll combined with a loving pop song.
I stared at him in awe.“Is that the sheet music from the library?That sounded great!You’ve got a knack for playing the drums.”
“Uh, thanks, Copper.I thought since it was your birthday, I would finally play it for you,” he said shyly, setting down his sticks and taking a breath.
“I don’t recall the sheet music having any lyrics or solos.Did you write those lyrics?”My heart palpitated.Did he like me too?It was ridiculous.This was Darren.The Darren I had known forever.I needed to get my act together and play it cool.
Darren would not look me in the eyes.He mumbled something under his breath.
I decided not to pry too much and asked him if he had any other plans for the day.Betsy told me to tell him how I felt, but I wasn’t ready to open that can of worms just yet.
“It’s your birthday.What do you think?”he said with excitement.“How’s that book you are reading about Margaret and God?”
“I finished it last night.It was a silly novel about puberty.I think it was really about identity.She struggled to fit in because she didn’t have a religion to guide her.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.You know who you are, but remember, you are a nice Christian girl at my dad’s house,” Darren reminded me with a foolish wink.
“I know.It’s just sometimes I wish I had something to follow and give me hope other than music.”
“My dad believes in God completely and still struggles.I don’t think religion fixes everything.”
The thing about religion was that it gave a person loose guidelines about basic morals, but a book or a church could not tell someone who to be.Only you can choose that.Daren was trying to choose his own path, but his dad suffocated him with his own beliefs.
We did our typical birthday traditions, including getting peach milkshakes, playing basketball in the park, and playing board games with his siblings.
Dusk was approaching, and Darren said, “We need to go to the creek soon.Your surprise awaits.”
When we reached the creek, I was shocked to see James was unloading his ruby-red truck.The brand-new pedal boat we won from the Peach Play Games was in the back.
“Thanks for the help, James,” Darren said.
“Anything for my birthday girl.I will leave you two to it.See you in exactly an hour,” James said, closing the tailgate and driving off.
Darren convinced me to get into the boat first.They unloaded the boat at a shallow part of the creek where the water went up to my calves.I carefully placed myself into the boat and put my feet into the holes to pedal.
Darren held the boat steady when he got in.He pedaled with his feet so we would propel into the broader part of the creek, which was more like a lake.Then he dropped a heavy rock with a rope tied around it into the middle of the water.Things were changing.It was just the two of us.
“What is that for?”I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“This is the best place to watch the sunset.We needed an anchor.”
It was perfect.The sky started turning into cotton candy.Darren’s quiet presence made me secure.I occasionally glanced at him to see if he was looking at me, too.Each time we made eye contact, we would look away from each other.I didn’t want to say anything stupid, but I gained enough courage to ask him the question that kept popping up in my mind.
“Why did you do all of this for me?”I asked.
“At this point, I think it is obvious.I am sorry I could not bring your birthday present here.I will give you it tonight when I walk you home.I got you a portable 8-track of your own since I saw you eyeing mine,” he explained.
He liked me and I liked him.It wasn’t a figment of my imagination.It was real.
“Darren.I’m scared of doing something that will mess up our relationship,” I said.
He leaned in, grabbed the back of my neck, and gently stroked my hair.A gust of pine trees and peach lip balm overcame me.I had known Darren since I was six and never got as close as I was to him.I could see every pore in his face, his three speckles of moles, and the crease of his smile.My body shivered when his lips touched mine and we kissed.
“You can’t mess it up if I mess it up first,” he said, pulling away.
