I saw her again today, she smiled at me with her bright eyes before running over to me.

“Do you want to play batmitttin by any chance?” Mila pushes her blowing brown hair out of her face.

I looked down at my book undecidedly before abandoning it onto the golden sand.

“Sure”

I joined her at the net along with her boyfriend and close friend. The boyfriend tried not to mock my glasses which I pulled off embarrassingly, feeling the sun burn across my burning eyes.

“I-I’ve never played” I stubble over the words tugging at my swim shorts.

“It’s simple” Mila smiles and walks over to me wrapping her hand around mine and the racket, showing me the proper movement. I feel my heart stop from having her this close, as well as the thought of her boyfriend introducing his fist to my face. He once said it was very punchable. After teaching me a few swings she divides the team and sticks with me. I smile sheepishly. Leaving her boyfriend and her close friend paired together. We play a few rounds and even though we’re losing it’s fun. I’d lose with her any day. I lose myself in the idea of us having a real date on this sandy beach. Nothing like what she would expect from her guy . I would raise her expectation from drive-through restaurant to a drive in movie. Gifts that aren’t just materialistic but remind me of her. He hazel eyes, warm personality, our love for the same music. Why would she choose to date someone so different. I’m right here, but her boyfriend was at the top of the tier. Dragging her away from me, pulling her hand out of mine, waiting longingly, pulling her laugh out of my ears, togging harder at each giggle, erasing me from her conscious. Making me into just what I looked like.

She smiled at me again after the game and I never talked to her again. I didn’t have to tell her I loved her, she already knew. And her “happy” right now was good enough for her and I guess was good enough for me.