Childhood memories capture in a few words.
She could see little hairs poking out of its fat yellow and black body. The wings sounded like a Harley Davidson as it marched up and down her arm.
She knew that if it stung her, she’d be toast. Her Epipen rested in her nightstand three miles away. Her mother’s words echoed in her head. “Don’t get near them. Run when you see them.” But her body wasn’t listening.
Her breath grew shorter as her brain oozed into a numb trance. Her voice chanted, like a broken record, “Oh my God, it’s going to sting me.” Each repetition grew softer and higher until her raspy voice uttered nothing but nonsense.
In a final effort to stop the madness, Sonja looked away from the beast toward the pool, where hopefully, someone would see her plight. Beyond the sea of grass and the valley of concrete, her friends played in the pool, unaware of her dire circumstances.
Then she saw him. Justin. Justin the hot, dreamy lifeguard. His golden locks bounced as he jumped down from the lifeguard shack. Was he going on break? No, he couldn’t see her like this.
The bee moved on her arm. Sonja turned. It walked, slowly, closer to her face. “Please, don’t eat me.” By now her arms shook and sweat ran down her face. Tears welled in her eyes.
“No, I’m not going to scream. No way!”
The bee continued its march. Step, step, step.
“No. No! No!”
For a second, the bee took flight, but only to settle even closer to her face.
The scream erupted. “AAAAAAAAAH”
Through blurry tears, Sonja saw Justin turn and hustle towards her.
“Hi Sonja, what’s wrong?”
Her voice disappeared and her brain only registered one thought. “He knows my name. Oh God.”
Justin knelt down next to Sonja and gently asked, “Why did you scream?”
A fog lifted as Sonja stared into his beautiful, blue eyes. She stuttered. “B, B, Bee.”
“Where?”
“On m,m,my arm.”
Justin searched for the bee then saw it perched on the back of Sonja’s shoulders. “Oh, there it is. Don’t move, okay?”
Sonja nodded, her voice gone again. The smell of suntan lotion wafted in the air. She heard his calm breathing. She could see the tiny speckles of green in his blue eyes.
Then he gently touched her shoulder with his hand. Sonja swooned.
In one quick motion, he swiped his hand down her arm. The bee smashed onto the warm towel and walked in circles. Justin leaned back ready to whack it, but it fluttered its wings and flew off into the summer day.
Gently, like a father, Justin pushed a lock of hair behind Sonja’s ear. “Are you okay?”
Sonja nodded again. Her cheeks grew hot and she looked away so Justin wouldn’t see her blush.
She heard him get up and only looked back at him when he had gone ten steps. His oil slicked muscles glistened in the hot sun.
Nobody would believe her. Justin touched her face. Her heart beat faster as she fingered the spot where his warm hands grazed her skin. She would never wash her cheek again.
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