Austin slowly intertwined his fingers with mine as we cruised down the ocean shore and he softly whispered, “So anyways…” in a sweet Southern accent into my ear. I still get goose bumps thinking about that first moment we touched. The air was the perfect combination of breezy and humid and left a salty aftertaste on my lips. I was bursting with anticipation. I had this lingering fear of not knowing what the right moment would be or if I even knew how to kiss a boy for real. He was an experienced 16 year old who was going into his junior year of high school. He had probably kissed tons of girls before me and had no trouble initiating this kind of intimacy. He probably didn’t even consider it intimate anymore, more of a routine deal. Who was I to think I could pull this off? He was bound to realize I was not actually a young, easy-going 16 year old woman but an antsy 14 year old girl. Despite my worries, I kept up the conversation as we strolled down the shoreline and the wet sand seeped in between our toes.

I remember everything from that moment. There was a full moon, it was around 11 o’clock at night and there was practically no one on the beach except us. We reached the end of a short patch of smooth sand and there was a thin bridge off the beach that led to where I was staying. He led me onto the platform and suddenly stopped. My stomach dropped. My mind went blank. I was transported to the peak of a rollercoaster about to fall 70 feet to my death. I was in an elevator on the 100th floor and the cable supporting my car had just broken. He pulled me closer to his warm body and wrapped his arms around my neck. I started to think that he was the perfect height for me. My head rested ever so gently on the top of his shoulder. He smelled sweet and musty all at the same time. I could’ve remained in that embrace forever. His melodious whisper tickled my ear as the words, “I’m going to miss you” escaped from his picturesque mouth.

I didn’t think it was possible, to feel like I had known someone for years whom I had just met. But in reality, I was going to miss to him too. I thrived on his attention and I was intoxicated by his touch. My excitement radiated through my entire body. It was exhilarating. He pulled his head back with the slightest ease, closed his eyes and leaned in towards me. Our lips brushed and my heart melted. It was unadulterated bliss. I was convinced that was the closest I had ever come to experiencing magic. That memory will forever be with me.