Jacklyn and I were kissing when we heard a rustling behind us. She stood up quickly and I jumped on the rock to see who or what it was. 

“Who is there?” I had heard sounds and seen different animals in the past, but not when I was kissing anyone. 

“What’s in your pants?” She asked. 

“What?” I looked down and saw what she was referring to. I turned around, tucked it down and turned back towards her. 

“Nothing, sometimes that happens.” She must have figured it out because she was red and looking away. 

“Let’s get back, it’s getting cloudy and it looks like it’s going to storm.” I said. 

“OK.” She said. “By the way, I don’t just go around kissing everyone.”

“Of course not, I hope not.”

For the rest of the summer we explored. We explored different areas, riding by bicycle and going for long walks. We had explored each other and learned all about what Bob Seger called, “Night Moves.” 

It began when one evening I kissed her and the kiss moved down her neck and then I kept going. She opened her blouse and I took off my shirt. I was curious about her body and she was curious about mine. 

With each passing day we entered different universes. She never stopped me and by the end of August we had explored, perhaps, much further than we should have at that age.

One day we took the train to the beach, which was around an hour away. Of course her older sister, Stacey, and her friends came with us and chaperoned. They were seventeen while we were fifteen and Jacklyn’s parents didn’t want us going so far alone.

During the day we walked around the town and found some palatial houses with seemingly no one at home. I took her hand and pulled her towards the back of this one house where there was a giant pool. It was empty as was the whole back area. We walked towards the back sliding doors and I pulled it open. No one was inside but I said “hello” just in case. 

“Hello, is this the Robinson’s home?” No response. “Hello?” Nothing. We walked into the kitchen area and opened up the refrigerator. There was only drinks and some leftover take out. I didn’t want to even open to see what it was. I did take out two “Bartles and Jaymes” wine coolers though. 

Jacklyn came back with two giant towels and we went to sit on a chaise lounge by the pool. It was really hot out and I jumped in the pool. 

“Come in it’s really nice.” I said to Jacklyn. 

“No it’s ok.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know how to swim.”

“Big deal – I will hold you the whole time.”

“Promise?”

She waded in and jumped into my arms. We kissed and I whispered to her that we should check out the bedrooms upstairs.She quickly responded. 

“Yes.” While biting her lip and licking her lips.

We walked back in after drying ourselves off – walked up the stairs and right up to the master bedroom. There was a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi and a shower. 

“Lets take a shower.” I said to her. At first she demurred and then as I walked in and opened the water – she joined me. 

After the shower and after that, we heard a sound downstairs. Someone was home. We were both undressed and panicking. I looked at the window but climbing out was not an option. We heard footsteps and then a pause in the walking. Did the person sense something? 

“Hello?” It was a man. “Is anyone here?” 

We whispered in panic and decided to hide in the closet. The bed was unmade, towels were on the floor and the bathroom looked just used. He walked past the room, we held out breath, he stopped, looked in and said, “Walter, if you are here you are in deep shit.”

“Walter? Come out now.” Silence. “I am not dealing with this shit – OK Walt, I am out of here, you better fix this place up before mom and dad get home.” With that he stomped down the steps and we heard a door slam. 

We looked at each other, sighed and then she said, “What if he is just trying to trick us or Walter that he left?” We heard a car start outside, looked and saw a car begin to pull away. 

“He’s gone – lets get out of here.”

We both scrambled, put on our bathing suits and ran down the stairs. 

“Who is that?” We heard a voice from upstairs. “Who is here?”

“Get your stuff from outside and lets run.” We ran outside, put on our shoes – I had sneakers and she had flip flops or whatever they are called. I saw, who I assumed was Walter, coming through the sliding doors with a rifle in his hand. 

“Who the fuck are you and why are you in my home?” He said all this while aiming at us.

“Jac, don’t look back just run.” We ran, he shot us. It hit the fence and it splattered in red. 

At first I thought it was blood, then I realized it was a paintball gun. We ran until we both just started laughing so hard we fell onto the grass. We were laughing and couldn’t stop. Suddenly we heard a voice. 

“Where the hell were you?” It was Jacklyn’s sister. 

“We just went for a walk.” We both continued laughing uncontrollably. 

“I’m glad you think it’s funny – I was looking all over for you.”

“We were right here the whole time.” Jacklyn said. 

“OK well come back with me and just stay with us.”

“You got it Stace.” I looked back towards where we had run from and saw Walter or whatever his name was, walking with a baseball bat and looking for us. 

“Let’s go!” I said and we walked back to the beach. 

It all came to a halt when she was late for her September period. Once she finally got it, she called and told me not to call her anymore. She was sorry but she took a “nuns vow of celibacy.” She no longer answered my calls or the notes I left in her locker.