"So, why are you staying here all summer anyway?" Reggie asked Sunny

inquisitively. Sunny sat back and took a long sip of her vanilla shake.

"My parents wanted me to check out California and see if they would

like it. They are thinking about moving here, and they wanted to see if

it's better here than Myrtle Beach," she explained.

"Why wouldn't your parents just come out here on vacation or

something?" Otto asked.

"They're too busy. My dad's always going golfing, since he's

retired, and my mom is gone on business trips all the time. So they sent

me," she said. Her parents never spent much time with her, but she

didn't plan on telling her new friends that; she didn't want them to

feel sorry for her.

¤

"So, where are we going next? The beach to catch some waves, Mad

Town to catch some air, or Bruised Man's Curve to stir up some dust?

Your choice!" Otto stated. He automatically read the look on Sunny's

face. "Or we could do something else?" She didn't reply, just looked to

her feet as she walked. "Sunny, are you okay? I can walk you home if you

want," Otto offered.

"No, that's okay. I'm just in deep thought." She wished she could

tell him what she was thinking, but she didn't know how.

He grabbed her hand and found the nearest curve to sit upon. "What's

up? There's something bothering you. I might have only known you for a

week, but I can still read your expression."

She sighed, "I would tell you, but I don't want you to feel sorry

for me. I hate it when people do that."

"Okay, then tell me." He looked at her very seriously. "I promise I

won't feel sorry for you."

"It's just I feel like my parents are getting rid of me for the

summer. As much as I hate the thought of moving away from my friends

back home, I really like it here. I love where I am now. My aunt and

uncle are really nice, and they spend more time with me than my parents

do. I wish I could stay here forever. I hate to say it, but I don't miss

my parents very much. It's like I don't even know them. You're so lucky

that you have a dad that cares so much about you, and spends time with

you. I don't even think my parents like me very much."

"Don't say that, it can't be true. Why would you parents have had

you if they didn't want you?" Otto asked.

"I don't know, maybe I was an accident." Sunny stretched her legs

out in the warm late afternoon sunshine. She was getting bored of all

this parent talk. It made her even more angry at her parents. "Sometimes

I wish I wasn't even born. Maybe I should be a monkey's daughter or

something."

Otto laughed, trying hard not to. She shot a glare at him. "Sorry. I

just don't think you were an accident, and you don't belong to a monkey.

Some things you say are so senseless. I think I'm gonna record you one

day and let you listen to yourself!"

Sunny didn't find it amusing. "What if I'm adopted? I don't look

like either of my parents."

"From the pictures you showed me, you look like your dad," Otto

added. That didn't help her. He put his arm around her and tried to

comfort her. "I know what will make you feel better."

She looked at him quizzically.

"Come on, lets go to your house and get your surfboard. Surfing always

makes me feel better, and it'll work for you too." Otto stood and helped

her up as they made their way to her house.

¤

Sunny sat on her board, floating upon the water as she watched

Otto's silhouette bust an aerial against the sunset. She was starting to

feel better. She hoped she would never have to leave Ocean Shores,

because she had found a someone who understood her. She didn't care if

her parents moved her. She would live with her aunt and uncle the rest

of her life.

Otto came back up to her. "All yours," he said. "Feeling any

better?" He floated beside her with a knowing smile.

"Sort of. I hope I never have to leave Ocean Shores. I love it

here." She was glad she had someone to express her feelings to. She had

friends back in South Carolina, but she wasn't this close to them.

Besides, there wasn't one guy at Myrtle Beach who liked her, that she

knew of.

"I hope you never have to leave either. Maybe your parents will

decide to move out here, if you tell them how cool it is." Otto's

suggestion made her feel better.

"Yeah, I guess." She paddled out and they surfed for another hour,

until the sun had completely set.

¤

***3 Months Later***

Sunny desperately looked out the window of her aunt and uncles

house. Tears ran down her face as she thought about leaving Ocean Shores

and going back home. She didn't want to leave, and she couldn't seem to

convince her parents that Ocean Shores was the place for her. She was

going to miss everyone, especially Otto.

A knock came upon her door and startled her. She wiped her eyes and

picked up a magazine. "Come in."

Her aunt, Mrs. Stimpleton, came in. "Savannah, there's someone here

to see you." She led Otto, Reggie, Twister, and Sam into the room. Mrs.

Stimpleton walked out and closed the door. Sunny could have sworn there

was a tear in her eye.

"Hey Sunny. We just came to say goodbye," Reggie said sadly.

"Thanks guys, that's really nice." Sunny put down her magazine, hoping

no one would notice she'd been crying.

"We're going to miss you," Twister sighed.

"Yeah, you were really cool," Sam added.

"Come on, guys! You act like you're never going to see me again.

I'll come visit every summer, and I'll write everyday. I'm going to miss

y'all more than you can imagine." Sunny knew she would, and they would

miss her too. They would always be in her thoughts.

Reggie gave her a hug, same with Twister and Sam. The three left the

room, but Otto stayed. He sat down on the edge of her bed. "If only you

could stay, that would be so awesome. I'm gonna miss you. You are the

most amazing person I have ever met. I never would have thought I would

ever say that about a girl before I met you. I would have thought that's

sappy. You've really changed me, Sunny. I'll never forget you for that."

Sunny could see his eyes glistening with tears, and she felt tears

run down her face. "Man, I shouldn't cry. It's not helping."

Tears ran down Otto's face. "Uh...err...I..." Otto mumbled. He

couldn't find the words. He put his arms around her and embraced her.

"You have no idea how much I'm gonna miss you. I can't think of anything

to say right now."

She smiled, having no idea why she did so. "I can," she said, "I

love you."

He smiled back, replying, "I love you too." He leaned over and kissed

her.

¤

Four years passed, and Otto was a senior in high school. He hadn't

had a girlfriend since the summer before 8th grade. He hadn't forgotten

Sunny, and never planned to. Sunny was a junior in high school, and

hadn't had a boyfriend since Otto and hadn't forgotten him anymore than

he had forgotten her. She visited one summer, but only one. She wrote

everyday, but quit writing after a year. Now they were older and hadn't

seen each other in 3 years.

One day in class, his chemistry teacher announced they were getting

a new student, but didn't say who it was. "She is a nice girl, from the

east coast," said Mr. Kindel.

Ten minutes after the bell rang, a girl with golden brown hair past

her shoulders walked into class. Mr. Kindel walked over to her and said,

"Ah, you must be Savannah Morgan. Welcome to chemistry, Savannah! Class,

this is Savannah. I hope you welcome her nicely. Miss Morgan, you may

take a seat behind Otto. Uh, Otto, please raise your hand so..." he was

interrupted when Savannah said, "I know who he is. Thanks."

She smiled as she ran to her desk and sat behind him.

Otto turned around, grinning ear to ear, "So you finally talked your

parents into moving here?"

"Yep, took me three years, but I did it." She was so happy she found

him again.