Char by Mercy Amare

is Steven Tate—”
    “Steven Tate? Like the guy from Paper Fences?”
    I nod. “Yeah. He moved to California when his brother’s band started making it big. I liked him because he was normal. The best part was that he didn’t know me or my sisters. He treated me like a normal human, but at the same time, he has always been a jerk. Like he would take me to our school dances and not dance with me. And then he would complain if I wanted to dance with any of my friends. I overlooked it because he was awesome in other ways. And he was sweet. But then money started going to his head, and he started acting like he was the shit. I continued to overlook it. Aaron was so mad at me for it. I honestly started getting sick of it too, but instead of talking to him about it I just spent more time with my friends. I guess I thought it would get better, but it didn’t. A few days ago I went over to his house early in the morning and he was in bed with another girl. He wasn’t expecting me because I usually surfed at that time. And honestly, it has probably been going on for a long time. I just didn’t care enough to notice.”
    “I’m sorry that he cheated on you,” Tristan says. “Sometimes you can’t help who you like. Even if they are a jerk.”
    Tristan TOTALLY gets it. So why couldn’t Aaron? “Well, I thought I liked him. And it hurt when I found him with the other girl, but it honestly didn’t break my heart like I thought it would. I almost felt relieved.”
    “I think you felt relieved because you knew eventually that you’d have to break up with him and he saved you from that. You have a soft heart beyond your rough exterior wall.”
    “Oh, I have a rough exterior wall?” I ask.
    “Yes. Electric fence, barbwire, twenty-feet tall… the works. You’re more guarded than a high security prison.”
    I want to deny. But I know he’s right. “I’ve been hurt a lot in my life. And not just by stupid boyfriends. By parents, sisters, friends… It’s inevitable that everybody you let close to you will eventually hurt you.”
    “That’s true,” Tristan says. “But I’m sure you’ve hurt people too. Love is about forgiving though. It’s about moving forward. When you love somebody, you can’t just love the good parts.”
    “I’ve been hurt more times than I care to count.”
    “You’re stronger than you think,” he says.
    Now it’s our turn to get on. Tristan distracted me all the way to the front of the line. And now I’m scared, but he doesn’t give me a chance to back out. He gently nudges me inside, and gets on beside me. He grabs my hand and squeezes it.
    The ferris wheel moves to let the next person on. The cage suddenly feels smaller. “Guess it’s too late to back out now,” I say.
    The butterflies in my stomach intensify and I’m not sure if they’re from the fear of heights or because of the beautiful boy sitting next to me. No. Tristan isn’t a boy. He’s a man. I finally conclude that my nerves are the result of both.
    “You will be fine.” He puts his arm around me, and I bury my face against his neck. “No, you can’t close your eyes. That’s against the rules. I promise, this won’t be bad.”
    I open my eyes, and see that we are still fairly close to the ground. But then the ferris wheel starts moving up again. I watch as the sun slowly starts to set. I rest my head against his shoulder.
    “This isn’t so bad,” I say, but I don’t release my grip on his waist.
    “I knew you’d like it.”
    “Maybe New York really isn’t as bad as I thought it was.” I know that I have nothing against the city, I just have bad memories with my dad here. Actually the memories are of him not being here… So maybe I can give this a chance.
    “I told you that once this year is up you won’t want to leave.”
    Why am I starting to believe that? “I’m a California girl.” I’m not sure if I am trying to convince him or me. “I love surfing too much to live in the city. I belong