11 | Never In a Million Years

Paige's Point of View ~

The next few weeks have been extremely plain. I haven't really heard from anyone. I did get a couple texts from Carson. I still have no idea how he got my number. Sarah apologized about ditching me at the party and I said it was totally fine. She was just excited, I couldn't blame her. I think I should go to camp. Maybe it will be like a retreat. I could get away from everything and everyone, and help my grandma at the same time.

I picked up my phone and texted my grandma.

Hi sweetheart, have you thought about it?

Yes, I'd love to help you out.

Wonderful! Could you come in about a week, darling?

Yes, I'll be there :)

Great!

The camp my grandma runs is about 2 hours away. It's located in the mountains, and there is a pretty lake next to it where the campers swim and do activities like kayaking and paddle boarding. Sarah, Bella, and I used to go there every summer and swim all day long.

"Hunter!" I call out. I haven't taken Hunter on a walk in a while. Not since I hit my head. Hunter's favorite thing to do is go on walks, so I feel kind of bad about it.

Thump, thump, thump. Hunter's loud footsteps are getting closer and closer. When he reaches my room he runs up to me panting, so I can pet him.

"Wanna go on a walk?" I asked him. He barked and his tail moved back and forth faster and faster. It's like he understood what I was saying. I laughed at this and clipped his leash to his collar. When I opened the door Lily was walking up or to the doorstep. I smiled and sent a small 'Hi' her way.

"Oh, hi Paige. I was wondering if I could ask you a favour?" She asked, smiling. I like that about Lily. She always has a smile on her face no matter what.

"Of course, Lily. What is it?" I said kindly.

"Could you maybe babysit Madeline tomorrow and the day after that? I'll be on a business trip, and I can't find anyone in time." She asked.

I love Lily and Maddie, but what were the chances I would see Leo in the process of helping them out? Lily was asking me for a favour that I definitely had time for. I think it would be fun playing with Maddie, but what would happen if I saw Leo? Lily's soft voice broke my train of thought.

"It's totally fine if you're not available." She said. I knew it wasn't fine. She didn't know many people around town that could babysit, and as she said she couldn't find anybody in time.

"No, no, I'd love too," I said, kindly smiling. She smiled back and nodded.

"Okay, the key is under the mat, and I'm leaving at around 10 a.m. tomorrow morning," She pulled me in for a hug and I hugged her back. I normally wake up at around 11 a.m to 12 a.m. because I'm not really a morning person, but anything for Lily

"Okay good to know, bye" I started to walk in the direction of the dog beach and Lily called out to me.

"Thanks again, Paige!" She calls out. I turn around to say your welcome back, but she's further away from me so she wouldn't really hear me if I had tried.

***

When we got to the dog beach I let Hunter off his leash and he started running around and chasing other dogs. I took my book out of my bag and started reading.

A few minutes later I looked up from my book to look at the water. The waves were crashing against each other making parts of the blue water, white. The water wasn't as dark as it was when at night. I felt the soft sand against my fingers. I looked away from the water and at the dogs. Hunter wasn't playing with any of them. I looked in the other directions, but no Hunter in sight. Where was he? Did he run off with another dog? Was he dog-napped? Is that a thing?

"Hunter! Hunter where are you?!" I say while frantically turning in different directions. I couldn't have lost him right? I worriedly walked up and down the beach, but I ended up in the same spot every time. I couldn't find him. Where had he gone?

"Hey is he yours?" A deep voice said from far behind me. I turned around and gasped. There Hunter was. The person holding him was a guy about my age. He had black hair and his eyes were a shiny grey, like silver, almost. He was kind of really hot.

I ran up to him and my knees fell to the soft sand to pet Hunter. How'd he even get out of my sight?

"Hunter where'd you go? It's okay, you're okay," I scratched him under his jaw where he liked. Wasn't I reading for like, 10 minutes? I'm so irresponsible.

I picked my knees up and looked up to the stranger. We were closer than I thought so I backed up and smiled awkwardly.

I did not look my best today, that was for sure. I didn't do anything with my hair, and I wasn't wearing any makeup, whatsoever. I wore dark grey sweatpants and my green striped t-shirt from 8th grade. Who wears sweatpants in the middle of the day, at the beach?

"Thank you so, so much. I have no idea how he just left, I'm so sorry," I apologized. He had another dog next to him. He was obviously more trained than Hunter was because he sat right next to his feet and didn't bark at all. He was a husky. One of his eyes were blue and one was grey. It's like him and his dog matched.

"No it's totally fine. You're good, " He said and looked back at me. "I'm Cole Riley, and this is Loki," He pointed to the polite dog sitting next to him. Like Loki Laufeyson?

"I'm Paige," I smiled, "I'm in love with your dog's name." I commented kindly. I pet the top of Loki's soft white/black head and he moved his head in a different direction so I could scratch his neck . Cole smiled at my compliment and handed me Hunters leash.

"Yeah," He snickered, "I came up with it when I was 12. I had a huge Marvel fase." I laughed at this and he put his hand through his messy hair. He looked embarrassed.

He seemed sweet. Sweeter than some people I know.

"Nice to meet you, Cole." I say nicely. I looked at him again. He was hot. Did I already say that? Almost as hot as Leo. Did I just say that? I definitely did not say that.

If Cole were a dog, he'd be a husky, which is quite ironic. And if Leo were a dog he'd be a German Shepherd. They are very similar, but very different.

"You too, Paige." He said goodbye and he was gone. I wonder why I've never seen him before. He seemed about my age, but I haven't seen him at my school.

Cole was definitely too good to be true. He's nice, funny, and extremely attractive all in one. It's like he's one of those perfect, fictional characters out of the fictional books I read, that would never in a million years exist in this boring, old, universe. Especially one that would talk to me, willingly.

The girls at my school would fall head over heels for a guy like him.

What am I kidding? He'd probably forget the nerd that lost her dog at the beach, by tomorrow morning.

***

When I got home, and in my room, I checked my phone and saw that I had 4 missed calls from Sarah and 6 from Bella. I called Bella first and she picked up after 2 rings.

'PAIGE, WE ARE COMING OVER IN 10 MINUTES! I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHOEVER THIS LEO BOY IS!'

She screamed through the phone. How'd she even find out about Leo? Probably Sarah. I mean, who else would tell Bella everything about something I haven't told anybody else about? It's not like anybody else knows. He just moved a couple weeks ago.

'What? How'd you even-'

I started to ask questions, but she quickly cut me off.

'MAKE POPCORN, PLEASE! OKAY, BYE!'

She hung up and I put my phone back into my pocket.

Bella has always been the more free spirited of the three of us. She tends to want something and do anything to get it, no matter what. She's got a great sense of humor and could make me laugh when I don't think I'll ever laugh again. She watches as many movies and TV shows as I read books. She looks somewhat like me. A brunette, with brown eyes.

I love how Bella and Sarah just invite themselves over sometimes. We've known each other since we were 6.

Here's how the story goes...

One summer, my mom couldn't watch me, because she had to go to teach summer school, she asked Sarah's mom (who was our next door neighbor, and still is) if she could babysit me. She of course said yes and I met Sarah and Bella when they were having a play date that day. We've been inseparable best friends since.

We definitely fight a lot, but we always make up. That's what makes us inseparable.

I went downstairs and into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets that had the popcorn and other snacks in it, and took 3 popcorn bags out. I carefully put them into the microwave and set the timer to 60 seconds. After I'm down I sit down at the island and patiently wait for Sarah and Bella to come barging into my house.

The reason I haven't seen much of Bella is because she went on a vacation to Mexico with her family at the beginning of summer with her family, like they always do.

Just as the microwave beeps done, I hear quick footsteps coming from the front of the house. I smile as my two best friends practically run into the kitchen.

"I'm back, bitches!" Bella yelled at the top of her lungs.

***

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