I guess Reagan did have an okay track record with matchmaking but this wasn’t a kid from our school this was a random kid in a random state. There's no way it would work out.
By 12:30 we were on the boardwalk, the sun shining and the seagulls squawking. We had to bring Gia along because my great aunt and my mom had a meeting with a nurse.
“Let’s get pizza for lunch!” Reagan exclaimed. Shane was still half asleep looking like a homeless man.
“Didn’t we just have pizza for dinner last night?” Reagan slapped him lightly on the arm.
“That’s the point babe,” Reagan said rolling her eyes and flipping her hair.
“I want fried cookie dough and orangeade!” Gia yelped and her eyes lit up.
“Yeah, that sounds great to me. There’s a snack bar right at the end of the boardwalk going towards town.” I replied, trying to be slick.
“I bet they have that at the pizza place too. We don’t have to get pizza.” Reagan snickered.
We continued to the Pizza Shack and as soon as we walked in the door I gulped and held my breath. I scanned the restaurant with my fingers crossed hoping the boy behind the counter wasn’t working today. I let out a sigh of relief when he was nowhere to be found. I giggled out loud and looked over at Reagan who was already glaring at me.
We ordered a lunch of fried cookie dough, cheese fries, and orangeades at Gia’s request and found ourselves seated at the same booth as the night before.
“This is our lucky booth,” Shane said, rubbing the beat-up leather seat with his palm. We all laughed.
“I think you’re right,” Reagan replied. “I have a feeling lots of lucky things could end up happening right here in this restaurant.” She chuckled and winked at me. I shot her a dirty look.
When we finished eating, we decided to head home to relax and watch some movies. Reagan walked the whole way balancing herself on the seawall. I walked backward close to the wall watching her every move, playing my usual mom role.
“If you fall to your right onto the beach you’re gonna get really -” My lecture was interrupted when I felt someone slam into me from behind. I was thrown into the seawall and onto the boardwalk.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I heard an unfamiliar voice say. I opened my eyes to a crowd of people crouched down in front of me. Front and center was the boy with the curly hair from the pizza place. A wave of embarrassment came over me.
“And you told me I was gonna fall.” Reagan scowled.
“I’m, I’m fine,” I said brushing my knees off and attempting to stand up.
“Here let me help you up.” The mysterious boy put out his hand for me to grab. I could see Reagan’s scowl turn to a smirk out of the corner of my eye. I gently grabbed his hand and he pulled me up beside him.
“I am so so sorry. I don’t know what happened. Are you sure you’re okay?” I stared at the boy in front of me. He had his curly hair sticking out of the sides of a baseball cap that said “Pizza Shack”on it. He also had faint freckles on his face, a flashy white smile, and his eyes were captivating. One was blue and the other was brown.
“I really am okay,” I replied. I felt something drip onto my white vans and looked down to find out it was blood.
“Oh my God, you’re bleeding! Sit down over here.” The boy took my hand again and led me to the rock wall.
He walked over to his bike, which he must have been riding when he hit me and grabbed a napkin out of a little pack attached to his handlebars. He gently wiped my temple. I felt my heart beating super fast. Behind him I could see Reagan silently giggling and Shane with a big smile on his face. I tried to secretly shoot them a look.
“I have no idea how I can make this up to you. I am so sorry. What was your name?”
“Sutton.”, I replied. “And really, I’m okay.”
“Okay well I’m Luke and I feel so horrible but I really have to get to work.” He started to pick up his bike and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. I could still see the hurt in his eyes.
“It’s okay! Seriously!” I said, still holding the napkin on my temple. Luke began to back away.
“I owe you one Sutton.” Just then he reached in the pocket of his khaki shorts and handed me a crumpled up piece of paper. “It’s a free pizza.” He said with a smile.
“Thank you,” I replied.
As he hopped back on his bike and was about to start off, Reagan yelled “Hey Luke! Wait!” He stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to face us. “I know how you could make it up to Sutton. Give her your number and come go on some rides with us tonight.” I felt my face turn beet red and I felt like smoke was coming out of my ears. I was almost too nervous to look at Luke’s face to see how he was really feeling. His cheeks were a little rosy too but once again he had that beautiful smile on his face.
“That would be cool. I get done at the pizza parlor at 9. I don’t uh, really have a phone at the moment but I’ll meet you at the ticket booth around then?” Luke was looking right
