Second Spring ? Paul Lahote

Paul Elijah Lahote

It had been an uncommonly warm and sunny day in La Push. This, combined with the fact that the summer vacation had just began meant that First Beach was overrun by students from Forks High School and some parents with young children. By the time the wolfpack and the elders gathered at the beach it had thankfully started to cool down considerably and the beach was empty once again. A year ago I spend almost the entire summer at this beach or the cliffs nearby. I'd known Sam and Jared pretty much my entire life but back then I rarely ever spoke to them. Sam was a few years older than me so even though we were distant cousins we never spend much time together growing up. Jared and I had spend our entire lives in the same grades but we ran in completely different circles; he the likable, dedicated student and me the kid with a lot of anger and unresolved issues. Now virtually every moment of my life was either spend or shared with them. "Paul! It's starting."

Jared's call didn't just attract my attention. A young guy running down the beach suddenly halted and turned towards me. "Paul? Paul Lahote?" he asked when he caught sight of me. "Is that really you?"

That voice. Christopher. I turned towards him and the moment we locked eyes my world changed. "Wow," he said. "It really is you. Man, you've changed."

"You're one to talk," I managed to say after a silence that lasted a few beats to long. "You look great. And you're running? Is someone chasing you?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "My roommate is a jock. He's got me jogging and drinking proteïnshakes."

He threw a glance over my shoulders at my brother and the eldest and then looked at his watch - the fancy gps kind. "Look, I have to finish up my run and get home and it looks like you have plans but I'd love to catch up over summer. Give my your phone."

Without a word I handed him my phone and he typed away furiously for a few seconds before handing it back to me. "That is my number. Use it."

He treated me to a giant smile and the rest my guys to a wave before he sprinted away again. "Who is that young man?" Quil Senior asked. "He seemed nice."

"He is the love of my life."