Finding Flynn

by Alexandria Bishop

I keep telling myself that but in the back of my mind that’s exactly what I’m thinking he’s doing. I don’t know how I’ve become so enamored with Flynn so quickly. I never get attached to guys and I need to keep myself unattached from him. I don’t have the desire to leave here heartbroken in a couple months. Whatever my mom thinks, I won’t be staying. I push those thoughts away and put my earbuds in to get lost in the wonders of music.

  I’m listening to “Baba O’Reilly” when my music suddenly stops because my phone is ringing. My stomach starts to tingle and my heart picks up its pace as I reach for my phone.

  My heart drops.

  It’s only Chloe. I need to get a grip. This is my best friend and I haven’t talked to her since I left Santa Barbara. I could use some girl talk right about now.

  “Hey, Chloe, what’s up?”

  “Oh my gosh, Ashtyn, I’m miserable without you. This summer is turning into a disaster. I’m pretty sure my life is over.”

  Chloe is always dramatic. “Why is it a disaster? What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. There must be something in the water here forcing our parents to ruin summer vacation. Mine just told me they’re taking a month-long cruise. They’re shipping me off to Kansas to spend time with my grandma. Apparently they want some ‘romantic’ time together and don’t trust me to stay home alone. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s like they’re seriously set on ruining my life. Like your parents. No offense.”

  That sucks for Chloe and I’m sure her going off to Kansas is worse than how my summer is going. I suddenly have a brilliant idea.

  “Why don’t you tell your parents you don’t want to go to Kansas and have them fly you here instead? It isn’t the summer we imagined but the house here is massive and there’s a pool. It would be awesome if you came up here.”

  I don’t tell her about Flynn right now because if she sets her sights on him then her claws will come out. I don’t know if anything is going on between us or not, so I’d rather figure that out before she even meets him. She’s my best friend so she would never steal one of my boyfriends. But as of right now, Flynn is fair game. I’m going to keep that tidbit of information to myself.

  “Well, that would totally work but isn’t that supposed to be a family vacation? I mean that’s why I didn’t go with you in the first place.”

  I proceed to tell her everything that’s been going on and the fact that it isn’t a family vacation. There’s no way Mom can say no because if she wants me here and happy, then she’ll have to say yes. Might be a little manipulative but she’s not so innocent herself.

  We spend the next hour hashing out our plans and for the first time, I’m excited for this summer. Maybe excited is exaggerating a little too much, but I’m not hating things as much. We hang up with plans for her to fly up the following week.

  When my music comes back on, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is blaring and I close my eyes. I settle back into my lounge chair getting my tan on. Kurt’s voice is drowning out everything around me so when drops of water start to trickle onto my stomach, I open my eyes to someone standing over me.

  I rip my earbuds out, scream, and jump up from my chair all at the same time. I realize too late that it’s Flynn standing above me and in my freak out, I slip on some water and accidentally tackle him. We both go flying into the pool. I swim quickly to the top, gasping for air. There’s water up my nose and I’m pretty sure I’m all snotty and gross. Flynn swims up beside me, smiling from ear to ear.

  My heart beats out of my chest. “You scared the shit out of me! What are you doing here?”

  With a wrinkled brow and a look of confusion he says, “When you invited me, I assumed you wanted me to come over. I can leave if you want me to, though.”

  He starts getting out and I pull him down so he can fall back in. “Sorry. That came out wrong. You never replied so I figured you weren’t coming. I’m glad you came, and I want you to stay.”

  “But I did reply back to you. It took me a minute because I was in the shower but I made sure to reply before I headed over here. I bet there is an unread text from me on your phone.”

  I give him a giant smile.

  “Well, either way, you’re here now and we’re hanging out, so that’s all that matters. Anything in mind that you want to do today? You’re the local, after all.”

  That’s what I say, but I have only one thing on my mind. Especially after that shower reference and now that we’re both soaking wet in this pool. I don’t know what it is about this guy, but my mind goes straight to the gutter every time I’m around him. I don’t know whether or not I like it, but I’m leaning toward yes.

  He gives me one of his sexy smiles before replying, “Well, I can think of plenty of things we can do right now and location has nothing to do with it.”

  Well I guess that means we both have the same idea. “Haha, very funny. No seriously, is there anything fun to do in this town? Or did you just want to join me hopping in and out of the pool all day?”

  Skeptically, he says, “Of course there are plenty of things to do in this town. I’m not sure what you consider fun so that’s subjective. The real question here is what do you want to do?”

  I’m exhausted from all the driving yesterday. Honestly, I just want to veg out and not do anything. I’m not sure if he expects me to be super easygoing and want to do whatever he wants or if he wants a real answer. I go for a truthful answer.

  “To be honest, I’m beat from the road trip yesterday. My mom and I drove all the way up from Santa Barbara in one day. I would prefer to just veg out and do nothing. I would love for you to show me around though after some relaxing. If you want to, of course.”

  With a sincere smile he says, “I work constantly, so if you want to relax, I’m totally cool with that. Just say the word and I’ll do the touristy thing with you, but relaxing and spending the day by the pool sounds absolutely amazing to me.”

  I like the way Flynn thinks, so I go back to relaxing and working on my tan. We lay there in silence and I again find myself thinking about how comfortable this is. It’s like that level of comfort you reach after knowing someone for years. The only other person I’ve ever been this way with is Chloe. What does that say about me?

  He breaks the silence and pulls me out of my thoughts when he asks, “So what were you listening to before?”

  I don’t even think about my response when I reply, “My summer from hell playlist.”

  “Summer from hell? What’s on this playlist?”

  Rather than listing all of the songs, I hand over my phone so he can scan my music. I will admit, the playlist is a little overly dramatic but it helped calm me down on the drive up and let me tell you, that was a long-ass drive. It helped with my anger, that I was spending my summer away from all of my friends. And in Oregon of all places. Music has always been my therapy of choice, especially when you add hot guys to the mix.

  “These are some great songs, but why is this whole playlist so depressing?”

  I might as well get this out of the way and just tell him what’s going on now. It might be easier if he chooses to jump ship anyway.

  “Okay, so you know how last night I said I got in a fight with my mom?”

  He just nods his head, so I continue.

  “Well, this vacation was supposed to include my entire family. My dad and little sister Abbie are still back in Santa Barbara. So not much of a family vacation.”

  “So if it’s a family vacation, why aren’t they here?”

  “Well, that’s the real kicker here. This isn’t actually a family vacation. My parents are getting a divorce and my mom is moving here.”

  “Okay?”

  “So my mom dragged me here with her without telling me what was going on so that I would move with her. Basically my entire family was in on it but me.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty fucked up.”

  “Hence the summer from hell playlist.”

  “I intend on rectifying the situ
ation and giving you a summer far from hell.”

  “Good luck with that one.”

  “Oh, I accept that challenge. Just you wait and see. You’ll be telling me at the end of the summer that I was right and you were wrong.”

  “Whatever you say, Flynn.”

  We spend the rest of the day lying there and jumping in and out of the pool. I quickly find I love spending time with Flynn. I continually have to remind myself I’m only here for the summer, and I can’t form any kinds of attachments. It doesn’t stop me from trying to get to know Flynn better.

  In between stretches of silence, we play twenty questions, although it’s a lot more than twenty. I learn more about him than I typically learn about people. For instance, he doesn’t get along with his dad and they actually haven’t seen each other in years, his favorite color is blue, he’s the lead singer and plays guitar in his band Marlowe, and he’s a huge All Time Low fan just like me. The more we talk, the more we realize how much we have in common. I’m not sure who’s more surprised about this, me or Flynn, but I’m having fun getting to know him. I can tell he’s enjoying it too, even though we’re both shocked as hell.

  I also found out he’s twenty-one and recently got promoted to bartender at work because he can serve more than just beer and wine. Unfortunately, I have to tell him my age as well. He gets a little freaked when I tell him I’m still in high school. He almost leaves but I quickly let him know I’m already eighteen, and my parents just started me in school a year late. Luckily, that seems to appease him and he stays, thank god.

  Sadly, the day ends too soon because Flynn has to head to work.

  “While I hate to end this glorious day, I actually have to get going and earn my living. Not everyone can just sit by the pool all day.” He smiles.

  I give him my best pouty face. “Well, Flynn, I’m sad to see you go but I understand the little people have to work.” I start laughing before I even finish my sentence, and he laughs right along with me.

  He smirks at me before replying, “Ashtyn, you’re quite the comedian. Add that to your resume if you ever decide to join us little people. In all seriousness, I did have fun. If you find yourself craving a cheeseburger and a Shirley Temple later, I know the perfect place.”

  He winks at me and I wish I could take him up on his offer. Mostly because I love spending time with him. Which is strange. Usually, the only person I can stand to spend time with is Chloe. Most people are too fake or annoying to be around. So there’s that. But also, I would rather do anything else than have this heart-to-heart with Mom. “That sounds pretty good compared to what I’m actually going to be doing. My mom wants us to sit down and hash everything out. As much as I don’t want to, it’s something we should do or else this vacation really is going to be the summer from hell. Thank you for the offer. Raincheck?”

  He looks disappointed but shakes his head and replies, “Yeah, I get it. You should talk it out. You’re lucky to have family that cares. I wish I could say the same.”

  “Thanks for understanding. We’re usually pretty close. There was a lot of stuff piled on me at once and I needed some air—clear my head over this whole situation. Sorry about your family.”

  He shrugs it off but I can tell he’s still hurt over it. “You can’t choose your blood family but you can choose who you spend your time with. My dad is a corporate bastard and his only love is work. Since I’m not a requirement for his job, I don’t fit into his life.”

  I honestly don’t know how to respond to that. “Well, sounds like you have the father of the year. What about your mom?”

  A pained expression flashes across his face before he throws up a mask of indifference. If I hadn’t been looking so closely, I would have missed it. “She died. It’s always been me and my dad.”

  I can tell there’s more to the story than that, but if he doesn’t want to offer up any information right now, then I won’t push him. We barely know each other and I don’t want to scare him off. I hope eventually he’ll be comfortable enough to tell me that story and whatever else he’s hiding.

  Chapter 5

  Ashtyn

  After thoroughly baking my body for another few hours, a nice long hot shower is just what I need. My back is a little cramped from being in the lounge chair all day, and I’m hoping the hot water will release some of the tension in my muscles. I’m sure it will come right back as soon as Mom gets home for our chat. Grabbing my towel and phone off the chair, I head straight for my bathroom.

  Looking down at my phone, I contemplate calling Dad. I don’t understand how this whole situation is unraveling. My entire world is falling apart, and I don’t know how to feel about that. I’ve always been so independent that I think my family forgets that I still need them. Mom’s off trying to run the music world, while Dad is being super-Dad and helping Abbie out with all of her gymnastics training.

  Where does that leave me?

  Changing my mind, I toss my phone on the counter. Cranking up the water as high as it will go, I hop in and let the spray flow over my shoulders.

  Unfortunately, the water isn’t enough to relax me and I shut the shower off. Quickly drying off, I go on a hunt for some comfy clothes. By the time I’m dressed and make my way downstairs, the noises coming from the kitchen let me know Mom is already here.

  She’s pulling food containers out of bags, and I go searching for some plates, cups, and silverware. Unfamiliar with the kitchen, I have to pull open each cupboard and drawer until I find everything we need.

  “So where did you end up going last night? I hope you got something to eat. I don’t like it when you don’t eat.”

  “I ended up at a pub downtown. I met a nice guy there that helped me get into the house. Before you say anything, he’s a great guy and not some creepo or anything like that. He actually paid for my food because I didn’t have my wallet on me, and he made sure I got home safely. He was pretty much my knight in shining armor last night. But that’s beside the point. We have things to talk about.”

  “Oh and before I forget, here’s a key to the house. I left one in the flower pot by your bedroom door last night but it was still there this morning so I guess you didn’t find it.”

  “I guess I left my door unlocked, so I didn’t need the key anyway. But thanks, now I have one.”

  “I do want to talk about this boy. I’m not okay with you meeting random strangers at bars and bringing them back here. We’ll come back to that later. Right now, I want to get our food dished out and sit at the table.”

  My stomach starts growling with the food laid out on the counter. I haven’t eaten much all day and I’m starving. I fill my plate and start shoveling the food in, not even paying attention to what I grabbed.

  “First of all, it was a pub not a bar, there’s a difference. But you’re right, right now is not the time for that conversation. Can I just say I want to eat this for the rest of the summer? I don’t know if it’s just because I’m starving, but pasta has never tasted so good.”

  With a smile on her face, Mom says, “So you’re staying for the summer?”

  I smile back at her because maybe it wasn’t such a mistake coming here after all. I’m not going to be moving here with her, but it’s not going to kill me to get away from Santa Barbara for a few months. A change of scenery can be a good thing.

  “Yeah, I’m staying for the summer. I was mad yesterday and you dropped everything on me. I kept thinking there would be more lies. But that’s all I can give you right now. Next year is my senior year and I want to spend it with my friends back home, not in a new school.”

  “I’m hoping you’ll change your mind before the summer is over but I understand. I shouldn’t have dropped everything on you like that. I’m truly sorry for the way I tricked you.”

  “Thank you for the apology, that means a lot. Which reminds me—Chloe’s parents sprung it on her that they’re going to take a month-long cruise and she has to go spend her summer with her grandma. I hope you don’t mind, b
ut I invited her to spend the summer with us. Even though we aren’t in Santa Barbara, a summer with Chloe is better than one without her.”

  “I’m not thrilled you made these plans behind my back but it would be hypocritical of me to get mad under the circumstances. I think of Chloe as another daughter so I don’t mind her coming up here. Will you at least consider holding off on deciding what you’ll do at the end of the summer? Can we revisit it later?”

  She looks defeated. She isn’t doing this as a punishment to me and she’ll be so lonely when I leave, because let’s face it, I’ll be leaving. I just can’t break her heart right now and give her the definitive answer.

  “Yeah, Mom, we can come back to it later. I want us to have a nice summer so let’s just enjoy the present and we’ll discuss the future at a later date.”

  Looking relieved she says, “Thank you Ashtyn. That’s all I ask.”

  We spend the rest of the time eating our delicious dinner and talking about the new studios Mom is going to be running. She smiles the entire time she’s explaining the plans she has.

  As pissed off as I was at how she went about everything, I can tell this is where she’s supposed to be. I’ve never seen her light up like this. I love that she’s truly happy with her life. I’m just sad that it meant tearing our family apart.

  After dinner, Mom surprises me with gelato she had in the freezer and we move to the living room to watch a movie. When she isn’t crazy busy with work, I enjoy just hanging out with her. Before she got so much responsibility, we used to do stuff like this all the time.

  I miss it and hope we can start doing it again. I turn on Netflix and ask her what she wants to watch. When she doesn’t reply, I look over at her. There’s an internal battle flashing across her face and she’s deep in thought about something.

  “What’s going on Mom? There’s obviously something you need to say.”

  Reluctantly she says, “I don’t want to get into an argument with you again but there’s still the matter of the boy you met last night and brought back here. I’m not okay with you bringing random strangers here. Obviously, back in Santa Barbara we were a little lax with rules but that’s not something I want to continue. I’m not naive enough to think you’re still a virgin but did you at least use protection? Do we need to discuss birth control methods?”