Next to the last week of school and then I'm off to college in Hawaii" Ace thought to himself.


The same thought had been running through his head constantly for a while. But there was a thought that could sometimes even drown the thought of an island paradise, the cool ocean breeze mixed with the salty mist coming off the ocean. Her. Samantha. The girl that he'd had a crush on for quite a while.

He was coming up on the table where they and a few friends had eaten lunch everyday for the past four years, except holidays and weekends of course. Suddenly he found himself craving attention, and wanting to cause a laugh or two. that's when the thought hit him, jump. So he got a running start and jumped in Sam's lap almost spilling her soda.

Ace's plan works. Everyone around starts laughing and a smile spreads quickly across Sam's face.

"Hey babe how's it going'?"

"You dork get off of me!" Sam says as she tries to push Ace away, making sure to tickle him as she does so.

"Ok ok I'm gone chillax." Ace jokes as he sis beside her, "Just trying to lighten up the mood everybody gets so tense at the end of school!"


He knew why, It was the same reason he had been tense moments earlier everyone was afraid of losing their significant other. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to tell her how he felt since he was so close to leaving.


Samantha raced through Ace's mind day and night. Whether she was keeping him awake at night or keeping him from paying attention during class. He usually found himself in the same dreamland. He and Sam were on a beach at sunset. It was low tide and as they laid on the beach the cool salty breeze blew her long auburn hair back revealing her deep blue eyes that rivaled even the majesty of the endless sea, the sea that slowly rolled over their feet.


Weeks and weeks of this same dream finally made up his mind. he was going to make the most of his last few weeks on the mainland. He had it all planned out. Now all that was left was to follow through.



The last Monday of school after all the exams and the bells rang Ace rushed to his old step side Ford and made a mad dash for the buses. Samantha always rode the bus because her parents didn't want to deal with the paperwork for drivers ed. He managed to catch up to her just as she rounded the corner. He rolled down his window as he pulled up next to her.

"Hey Sam, how about a ride home? No senior should have to ride the bus the last week!"

"No thanks Ace I'll just ride the bus. Besides your truck gets crappy gas mileage and I live on the opposite side of town!"

"No problem! My parents filled it up. Do you really enjoy the screaming little kids that much?"

"Well you do have a point! All right, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to control the radio! You play it way to loud for just a little drive!"

"It's a deal, hop in I think I'm holding up traffic."


The drive seemed longer than it had been all the times before when he had picked her up to go to the movies with their friends. The fact that she had replaced his mostly rock filled mp3 player with her love filled iPod was also unnerving. The constant barrage of love songs had almost caused him to lose his cool, but he kept up the act all the way to her house.

When they arrived, as Ace was walking Sam to the door he suddenly stopped her.

"What's up Ace?"

"Sam were you planning on going to Project Graduation?"

"I was thinking about it but I'm not sure. It never did sound like any fun."

"Well after graduation I'm going to visit my aunt and her family at their beach house and I was wondering if you wanted to go?"

"Oh my gosh that sounds like so much fun! Hold on right here and let me go ask my parents!"


Ace had not been expecting quite that response but so far so good! He paced up and down the side of his truck while he waited for Samantha to come out with the news. What he didn't expect was exactly what happened. Samantha came rushing out the door jumped up and gave Ace a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Realizing what she done she quickly retreated a few steps.

"Oh sorry I guess I was a little excited…"

"I take it your parents said yes then?"

"Uhm yeah…"

The pair stood beside the old pick up blushing for several moments.

"So how about I pick you up before graduation and put your bag in the truck and we can just leave right after all the pictures and that stuff."

"That sounds great to me…Well I'll see you then!"


Not having to go to school made the next four days fly by, but by Ace's time it was still incredibly slow. Graduation came and went and after a few sad goodbyes Samantha and Ace started the summer break that would end with joining the real world.

The trip was incredibly long, 180 miles one way. But after a stop to change clothes, one gas stop, and two fast food joints they made it. Just as the sun was starting to set. Ace took Samantha in and introduced her to the family trying to spend as little time inside as possible so they could see the sunset . Finally after finding rooms and putting their stuff away Sam and Ace strolled toward the beach.

Though Ace had tried to set it up exactly right he was amazed at what he got. It was exactly like all of his dreams. They were laying right at the edge of the water, small waves breaking at their feet the cool breeze blowing her hair back revealing her gorgeous blue eyes. He was so captivated Ace almost didn't catch himself staring.

Now for the speech he had prepared.

"Samantha I know I'm leaving soon and I didn't want to start a relationship because of that but…"


Her finger had cut off the rest of the sentence. This was not according to plan Ace thought to himself, he soon decided to ditch the plan. A decision that was made when the finger was replaced by lips. She had kissed him. A soft kiss that warmed his entire body.

"Ace I know how you feel but you also need to think about that thing that everybody keeps saying, 'Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?' I chose that even if I must lose it to love."


Samantha laid her head on Ace's shoulder and the couple laid there until well after the sun had set. The preceding weeks were, in Ace's opinion, the best one's of his entire life. But the few weeks were short lived and Ace found himself packed up and saying his goodbyes at the airport. His parents, her parents, but worst of all, her.


His parents had booked his flight first class since he had always flown coach and it would be a long flight. Two seats to a row which would mean much more space so he decided to take out his laptop to watch one of his downloaded videos on the flight. Over the sound from his headphones he heard a muffled voice.

"Is this seat taken?"

"I don't think so." Ace diverted his attention from his monitor to see who it was he would be trapped with for the rest of the day.

"Hey babe how's it going'?"

"Samantha? What are you doing here?"

"I applied right after you did. In fact I was accepted before you were too."

"But that was a long time ago."

"Going out or not did you think I was going to let you have paradise to yourself?"