April Showers

C. Reyes David

Description

April was born with a special gift; but this gift was a blessing and a curse. Kyle was blessed with looks and high school popularity; but he was cursed with the expectations of those around him. When fate places them together on the dance committee, a bond soon forms under the mantel of their Christian faith. Will Kyle's loyalty to his girlfriend end all hope of romance between them?

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 26 août 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781622873838
• Langue: English

Extrait

April Showers
David C. Reyes


First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
April Showers
(a novella)
&
Second Chances
(a short story)
By:
David C. Reyes
April Showers
Copyright ©2013 David.C. Reyes
ISBN 978-1622-873-83-8 EBOOK

August 2013

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
Contents

Second Chances
Chapter One… One Fateful Moment
Chapter Two… The Reunion
Chapter Three… True love will stand the test of Time
Chapter Four… Broken Promises
Chapter Five… Two peas in a Pod
Chapter Six… Second Chances

April Showers
Chapter One… Welcome to Brighton Valley High School
Chapter Two… What’s in a name that which we call it a Rose
Chapter Three… The Wheat and the Weeds
Chapter Four… Spare the rod and spoil the Child
Chapter Five… Let the Sunshine In
Chapter Six… Flower Girl
Chapter Seven… Flowers for Algernon
Chapter Eight… A Ride to Remember
Chapter Nine… Singing in the Rain
Chapter Ten… Never judge a book by its Cover
Chapter Eleven… A Twist of Fate
Chapter Twelve… Separate Ways
Chapter Thirteen… A Harvest of Love

A Note from the Author
Acknowledgments:
Book Cover Design Element Credits
Second Chances

Chapter One… One Fateful Moment
Chapter Two… The Reunion
Chapter Three… True love will stand the test of Time
Chapter Four… Broken Promises
Chapter Five… Two peas in a Pod
Chapter Six… Second Chances
Chapter One… One Fateful Moment

July, 2003

Aaron climbed up the steel-laden ladder, and made his way up to the top of the flying trapeze. As he eyed his counterpart preparing on the other end, he just hoped that he would release with perfect timing. The Alexis Brothers Amazing Flying Circus had come to the town of Branson, Missouri for what seemed like forever. With its prize-winning performers and its famous medieval-style Big Top, it was a welcomed favorite to the surrounding communities. Even as a young boy, Aaron was always amazed at the daring feats accomplished by these performers. But now, in a strange twist of fate, he found himself in that very position he had admired.
Aaron drew an anxious breath as he thought about the task ahead. For an adult with years of training, taking hold of that fly-bar might not be a scary undertaking. But for an eleven year old boy, swinging some fifty feet off the ground, it was terrifying.
How did I get myself into this mess in the first place? Aaron thought, as he stood perched high above the waiting crowd.
He looked towards the grandstand and shaded his eyes from the glare of the spotlight, and scanned the row of family and friends. Sitting next to his family he saw the reason why he found himself in this position – Megan Taylor.

Megan and Aaron had been best friends since they first met in kindergarten playing near the swings. Aaron had defended her against some bullies trying to steal the swing away from her. Though outnumbered three to one, he stood his ground placing himself between her and her would-be assailants. As the bullies backed away from his stern and defensive posture, Megan hugged him tight in appreciation. And in that moment of gallantry, her hero had been realized, which she held in her heart.

Aaron swallowed the lump in his throat as the instructor secured him into his safety harness. He placed his hands in the resin tray and slapped them together, as the dust wisped into the air from the excess. He had trained for this unexpected performance earlier in the day, and had accomplished the art of catch and release quite well. But this was now in front of a packed house of family, friends and his entire community. But more importantly, he was performing this feat in front of her – for her.
Aaron and Megan grew up in the same neighborhood only five houses away. With strawberry-blond hair and sparkling green eyes, she was just an average looking girl, and could easily be lost in the crowd. Aaron was a wiry, scrappy looking boy, with a quiet, yet strong disposition. From the moment of their playground meeting, they were inseparable. From racing their Radio-Flyers, to catching frogs at a local pond, each step in their lives was taken side by side. And with a pinky-swear of “always and forever”, they vowed that their friendship would never end.
Aaron glanced at Megan from the perch of the trapeze with excitement. She directed that pursed-lipped smile he had come to know so well. The kind of smile which always made him think she was harboring a little secret, but was afraid to reveal. He turned his attention to the task at hand, as the Ringleader of the Big Top took hold of a microphone and gathered the crowds’ attention.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. May I direct your attention to the high-wire trapeze. You are about to see your very own Aaron Mitchell perform a catch and release routine of stratospheric skill!”
The crowd cheered wildly as Aaron raised his hand to their gracious ovation.
“This is it,” he thought. “The big enchilada, the big cannoli…; my moment to show her the man I have become.”

About a year to the day on Megan’s tenth birthday, the friendship they shared took an unexpected turn. Aaron had arrived at her house like he had done so many times in the past. In fact her parents would call him their “their long lost son”, since it seemed like he was at their house more than his own. With a birthday gift in hand, he walked through the house and out to the back patio where the party was taking place. He set his gift on the table along with the others, and looked upon a host of friends from school. He scanned the yard in search for those familiar washed-out jeans and faded t-shirts, which was a trademark of her attire. But suddenly, a girl with flowing curls and a colorful sun-dress, twirled around and stood before him. His mouth dropped to the floor and his eyes grew wide in utter disbelief. He felt a tug on his heart and blinked his eyes to attempt to grasp what he was seeing. She tossed her flowing curls over her shoulder and greeted him with a welcoming smile.
“Hi, Aaron. I’m glad you came to my party.”
He looked her up and down in amazement. “Oh my God! What happened to you? You look so…, I mean you’re so…,”
She directed a teasing smile. “What’s the matter, cat caught your tongue?”
As she stood before him with a confident smile, his mind and heart fought the battle between the friend he has known for years, and the beautiful girl standing before him.
“Wow, Megan, you look like a real girl!”
She slugged his arm. “What do you mean I look like a real girl? I am a girl!”
“I know, but you look different; kind of pretty and all.”
An appreciative smile drew upon her face. “Why thank you Aaron Mitchell. I was hoping you would notice.”
For the rest of the party he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. And when a group of boys surrounded her, engaging in conversation, a tinge of jealousy rose within his gut. Yet when he did have the opportunity to talk with her alone, he found himself at a loss for words. For the emotions he was feeling in his heart, did not resonate to his lips. As he sat with a dreamy look in his eyes, Megan finally had enough. She stood to her feet, hands on hips, with a questioning stare.
“What in the world is wrong with you? Are you tripping out or something?”
“No, but there’s something weird going on inside of me. Like there’s this funny feeling in my stomach. ”
“Was it something you ate?”
“No, not like that.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“I don’t know… It’s kind of like this warm fuzzy feeling that feels good in some ways, but at the same time, I’m afraid of it.”
“Why are you afraid of it?”
“I don’t want to tell you…, you’re going to think it’s stupid.”
“No I won’t; just tell me. Maybe what you’re feeling is something that I’m feeling too.”
He glanced to the side and gathered his thoughts, before returning to face her.
“Okay, but please don’t laugh. Cause if you did, then I’m going to feel like an idiot.”
Megan caringly placed her hand on his shoulder. “I promise that whatever you tell me, I won’t laugh.”
“Okay, here it goes… I guess I never noticed before, but you’re like really pretty. And I guess because we hang out all the time, I couldn’t see that until now. And I know we’re too young right now, but I’m hoping when we get older and stuff, that you’ll give me a chance.”
“A chance?”
“Yeah, you know…; like a chance to be my girlfriend.”
She directed a warm smile. “Really? You really like me that way?”
“Yeah; is that okay?”
She directed a hopeful smile. “Sure it’s okay. If you want to know something…, I kind of like you that way too.”
His face lit-up with excitement. “Really? That’s so cool!”
She raised her brow. “Then we’re in agreement?”
“Agreement about what?”
“That when we’re older, say in high school, that you will ask me to be your girlfriend.”
“Yeah, but in the meantime we can still be best friends, right?”
She slugged his arm. “Of course we will, silly.”
He moved a bit closer and caringly looked in her eyes. “Megan, no matter what happens in the future, I will always want you to be my friend.”
She held out her hand and offered her pinky with a hopeful smile. “Always and forever?”
He grasped her pinky and held it tight. “Yes, always and forever…”

Aaron brushed those thoughts aside and returned his focus to the high-wire trapeze. He re-gripped the fly-bar and waited for his counterpa