A Summer's Love Story

Sometimes I just want to disappear. That summer was no different. There was a guy I really thought I liked. He left for a couple months towards the end of summer. While he was gone we didn't talk. I am okay with that.
One evening it was blistering outside. All the kids flocked to the river where the trees canopy over the swimming hole. Just down about a rock's toss was my favorite secret. The water was clear as day and the trees made just the right amount of shade, but didn't leave their branches to crowd the water. The high rocks on the far bank made perfect jumping spots. You could barely hear the kids in the other swimming hole. It was peaceful. I snuck off there many times those evenings. Mainly I did just to think and be alone.
I had been there maybe all of 5 minutes when I heard someone coming. I jumped up to leave. "You don't have to go anywhere." He said. A smile swept across his face and his green eyes lite up. "My name is Carson. I go to Lee." He sat down next to where I ws standing and dangled his feet into the water. I sat back down and joined him. Of course I was thinking stranger danger, but in that moment's mood I didn't care what happened. He told me more about himself. I gave him my name. We began to talk. Soon we were laughing a joking around. "Carson! Where are you?!" We heard a woman yell behind us. He told me to hide. I hid behind a boulder as she came closer. "Yer daddys lookin for you! Get back to the house now!" She hollered. "Meet me here at 6 tomorrow." He whispered before he ran off. That I did.
I climbed througb the bushes to see him swimming in the water. "Hey!" He climbed out. His eye was black and swollen on the left side of his face. Of course he gabe an excuse, but later that summer he revealed to me that his father was quite the abuser and his mom the enabler. That summer we snuck off everyday together in the evening. I told all my friends I was going to.bed, but I was really going to meet up with Carson. We kept each other calm company. Thats what we both needed. Some days we sat by the river, sometimes we swam, other days we'd walk for miles that only seemed like a few feet together. His smile always cheered me up. He said my adventurous side always gave him meaning. The last day I saw him he said he was transferring schools. Said he had to get out of this place and away from the people. He told me if I ever needed him I knew where to find him.
Today I went back to that secret spot.
Love, A Schizophrenic