Perfectly Hopeless Read Online Free Page A

better.”
     
    “ Well, thank you, Henri.” She dropped back into the grass, propping herself up on her elbows taking in the water, the way it splashed slowly against the shore. The multitude of teens parading around, some swimming, some tanning, it always made her feel better.
     
    “ Care to share why?” Henri said, breaking her concentration. “If you want to that is.”
     
    Maven nodded, she wanted to. “The guy, that guy at the yogurt hut, we had a bad breakup this year. And I just realized that things could be worse. And that made me feel better.”
     
    Henri scratched his head. “Worse how?”
     
    “ I could have tattooed his name on my body. That could be worse then what I feel now.”
     
    “ What do you feel now?” Henri watched her blue eyes blink rapidly, she was close to crying. He wanted to comfort her, he didn’t know why, but he wanted to. Suddenly he found himself wishing she would cry just so he could wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
     
    “ I have this pain in my chest always. And I feel empty.” She sat up, staring at her hands. “Everything feels terrible anymore.” She never revealed that to anyone. Not even her parents who asked her all the time if she was okay. She felt stupid to feel so bad over somebody like Jake.
     
    Henri cursed himself, standing up. “What if I said I’d go swimming with you?”
     
    Maven stood. “Really?” She already felt a little better.
     
    Henri nodded. “Sure. If it makes you feel better.”
     
    “ It would.”
     
    “ Well, let’s go.” They started to the water and Henri was the one with the chest pains now. He thought about backing out of it, but when he looked at her and the big smile on her face he couldn’t. He thought about going in with his shirt on, but knew that would only cause more questions.
     
    “ Ok, are you ready?” Maven asked excitedly, waiting on Henri to remove his shirt. He gave a nod and drug his shirt over his head. Suddenly he felt as if everyone on the entire beach was looking at him. It wasn’t a great feeling.
     
    Maven noticed the scar close to his shoulder. It was new she could tell. She was the daughter of two doctors she knew a lot about stuff like that. She noticed several gawkers nearby. She took Henri’s hand in hers and pulled him toward the water, not bothered in the least by his scar.
     
    “ I feel better already,” she said, running into the water until it was touching her thighs. Henri stared down at the current. “Isn’t this fun?” she asked.
     
    He had to admit it was a bit fun. He moved further in, until the water was covering the parts of his body he was ashamed of. “Pretty fun.”
     
    Maven disappeared under water. Henri searched for her and finally she emerged behind him. She poked his shoulder with her fingertips. “Boo!”
     
     
     
     
     
    An hour later when their skin was shriveled and resembling that of old people they found a spot on the shore, Maven found her beach towel and they both sat staring at the water, tired and at peace.
     
    “ That was fun,” Maven said for the third time since they finished.
     
    “ Yeah it was.” He smiled. Already back in his black t-shirt. She was okay with that, it didn’t take much to realize how insecure he was with the scar. But it didn’t bother her at all. She wanted to tell him that. But she worried bringing it up would end their fun time and make him withdraw in his shell.
     
    “ Maybe we could do it again sometime.” Maven hoped he would agree. She liked being around Henri. He was a nice person.
     
    Henri admired her pink bikini, and the dewy glow her skin held after their swim. He thought her hair looked amazing wet. It made her look shimmery. Even better then when she was dry. He knew deep down he wanted to see her again, his head was screaming it the entire swim. But the idea of another swim was torture.
     
    She could see how reluctant he was. “I understand if you don’t want