Chapter Two - Summer Break

Caitlyn met Adam, her first teenage boyfriend, the first day of high school her freshman year. She was completely lost and turning circles in the unfamiliar senior high school hallways trying to make sense of the new school facility and figure out where she needed to be. Adam was the first on the scene. He offered to help her find her home room class. They immediately clicked. Adam, a popular athlete, charmer and good looking guy, immediately fell head-over heals for Caitlyn. However, over the course of their relationship, his obsessive nature grew to be a real burden on Caitlyn and that previous January she decided the relationship had become too cumbersome to deal with. She called up Adam on a Sunday night late January and broke the news to him as easily as she could.

“Adam, I think we should stop seeing each other. I know this comes unexpected, but I don’t see how our relationship can go any further. It’s not that I don’t care about you, or that I don’t like you, because I do, very much. I love you. You’ve been my best friend for so long. I just don’t… well, it’s like… I just don’t know where we are at this point in this relationship and, to be honest, I don’t want to get any more serious with you… or anyone else for that matter, right now. We are still so young. I’m so sorry Adam. I really hope you can understand where I’m coming from. I do cherish our friendship. I hope you know that. You are such a wonderful person.” Caitlyn politely broke the news to Adam.

Adam was very upset; he could feel the pressure and disappointment building like a volcano erupting inside of him. “I don’t understand,” he abruptly shouted into the phone. “You can’t say that we aren’t heading for something good. You just need to give us a chance. We are not over! We’re only starting to really know each other. I have to have you in my life Caitlyn. Please, don’t break up; just give us more of a chance!”

Caitlyn sighed deep. She knew that her relationship with Adam was only a friendship level now and she was tired of trying to hide this fact. She knew that their relationship had to end, one way or another.

“Adam,” Caitlyn whispered low, “I just can’t be with you anymore. I have to go now.” She hesitantly hung up the phone.

Jason was the new guy at school. He was the son of predominant business owner originating from Gross Pointe Woods in eastern Michigan. He and his family moved to Grand Haven that previous fall. Jason began attending school about a quarter of the way into the football season. Jason was not immediately accepted among the locals despite his attractive looks. He was considered an outsider, and it took him a long time to get acquainted with other students and form friendships. He was an excellent football player and an academic wiz. Most of the students did not like him because of his talents and charisma. He stood out from others because he was referenced as, “one of the lucky ones,” by many of the students. Jason was an all-star football player and accepted as an immediate member of the football team, where he became familiar with some of the guys in school, including Adam. Although he and Adam were rivals and did not immediately become friends, they did have a lot in common and often went to parties and school events together.

When Caitlyn met Jason in early March that year, they were both members of the track team. They attended practices and track meets together. Caitlyn and Jason were both competitors for the high jump and were often seen talking and hanging out together during practice. To others, Jason seemed to be an outcast most of the time. He often kept to himself and had interest in various sports and activities outside the norm such as playing the guitar and kite boarding. Jason and Caitlyn became good friends during the track season. He found Caitlyn to be a truly nice girl, easy to talk to, someone who really took an interest in getting to know others, especially her classmates. Without hesitation, Caitlyn was kind to Jason and they got along very well. Jason knew that she was special; he really appreciated and liked her company and genuine interest in him as a friend and a person.

Ending the close of the track season, and nearing the end of the school year, Jason decided to take a chance and ask Caitlyn to the Junior Prom. She accepted and they went to the prom as good friends with Adam and Caitlyn’s friend Sami. Adam was not keen on Caitlyn and Jason’s friendship, but he tolerated it. After all, he was still friends with Caitlyn and prior to being Jason’s prom date, they all hung around together in the same circle of friends. Adam’s acquaintance with Jason grew to be a good friendship, despite Jason’s interest in Caitlyn.

In May following the prom, Caitlyn and Jason began seeing each other more frequently. Their relationship was blossoming. Both of them were very happy to spend time together getting to know each other more personally. They had a lot in common. Jason had come to really rely on Caitlyn for her friendship and companionship. She’d become a real friend and he knew he could count on her.

He planned a nice dinner for Caitlyn the following the last week of school to welcome in summer break. It was a very romantic night. They sat outside on the patio at Jason’s house. As they were eating dinner, Jason grew very nervous and leaned into the table toward Caitlyn, “I’m really glad we’ve become so close. I think you are one of the most interesting and beautiful people I’ve ever known. I want you to know that I’m… that I care about you… a lot.”

Caitlyn grew a little weary. She wondered what he was getting at. After all, they had officially only been casually dating for the past month. Either way, she perked up because she really liked him and she trusted him, so she listened intently to hear what he had to say.

“Caitlyn, my family owns a place up north in Traverse City. We’ll be heading up there for the summer… we’re leaving on Monday… I’m really going to miss you. I don’t want you to feel as though our friendship is over. I most definitely want you know that I really like you… and I hope we can continue to see each other when I get back from the summer break. I just wanted to let you know this, and I wasn’t really sure how to say it… I’m sorry that I didn’t say something sooner.”

Caitlyn was disappointed. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. She was looking forward to the summer and spending some fun times with Jason on the beach with all of their friends. She was really happy with him, and would definitely like to keep seeing him when he returns in September. She shook her and told him she understood. Then, with deep a sigh, Jason reached out and held Caitlyn’s hand over the table and looked into her eyes with a sweet, but disappointed glance. He walked her home that evening, and with a sweet kiss goodnight, he turned away, waved and headed home. The summer had only begun.