Growing up was not very hard at all. I had great parents that wanted the best for me. I was a military brat for a number of years, as a result I moved around a lot and had been in several different countries. I loved my life. We moved back to the states when I was 12 years old since my dad had gotten reassigned. My name is Ikaika. My dad had met my mother in California. She was full blooded Hawaiian and she taught me the true meaning of aloha. She never stopped teaching me that meaning, and what goes into having the aloha spirit. She and my father both raised me teaching me about respect. As I got older they started to teach me how to treat women. They taught me that women are to be treated with respect. Through their teachings I started to treat every girl I met like the people they were. It became so normal for me that I could never wrap my head around certain things. For example, why the hell would men call a girl out of her name, especially if it was their spouse or significant other? It made me sick to see how some girls were treated.
We would go to Hawaii a lot and my Ohana there would teach me the same things. It was a part of me. So yes, I am a nice guy. I didn’t care if that it left me in the “friends zone” as it were. I respected the girls thoughts, and feelings. As a result I had a lot of friends, both popular and not so popular. I treated everyone the same regardless. Unfortunately it was also my down fall in some aspects, and I’ll get to that later. Anyway more about me. If you are poly then you will understand this. My mom was the light skinned Hawaiian. She had red hair and fair skin, but she was Kapuna. My dad was houlie, or white if you will. He was a very good man, and was always very respectful. My moms aloha spirit bled off onto my dad. So much so that people on the mainland and other countries swore up and down that he was Hawaiian also just by his actions.
My dad was very tall, he had dark hair and bright green eyes. I got his eyes and brown hair. I had natural red highlights from my mom. I stood 6’3 by the time I was 14 years old and was still growing. I wasn’t in the greatest shape at all. And though I hate to admit it, I had a small dick. For a guy my size I thought I would have a large one, but that wasn’t the case. So here I was, fat with a small dick. That didn’t do much to bolster my self confidence at all.
My dad finally retired from the military and got a job in IT. He was to make very excellent money, and the best part was that we moved to South Carolina where his Ohana lived. I loved his side of the family as well, so I was excited to finally see them. I hadn’t even started school yet and my dad hadn’t been working very long. One night we were driving down an old country road in he middle of no where. It was dark since there weren’t very many lights. I still to this day have no memory of what happened. All I do remember was that I woke up in the hospital. I only remember bits and pieces of my hospital stay. When I finally started to come around, I realized that my left leg had been amputated below the knee.
It wasn’t until I was doing very well and learning how to walk again that I was informed that we had been in a bad accident. I was devastated to learn that both of my parents were killed. We were hit head on by a truck driver who was texting while he drove, but he was also intoxicated. I have the upmost respect for truck drivers, they are the reason we have the goods we have. There are a few that make the rest look bad. I suffered from depression for quite a while after that. It was a very bad time for me. During my stay in the hospital school started. I was suppose to start my freshman year, but for reasons I have just mentioned, I wasn’t able to.
As time went on I noticed that my aunt and uncle spent a lot of time in court, but didn’t know why. I didn’t find out until later that they sued the trucking company. First off, the company knew about his past infractions. He had his license revoked and he had several previous DUIs. They still hired him anyway. So my aunt and uncle sued the company, for gross negligence, wrongful death, and I was brought up. It was a huge very well known company too. They tried to settle out of court for a small sum, not caring that I had lost my parents and my leg. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a multi millionaire several times over and didn’t even know it. My uncle and auntie paid their house, all their bills off and all of my medical expenses and left the rest for me. Again I had no idea that I was loaded.
The accident happened when it was the middle of July, and when I finally got to go home, it was towards the end of November, in fact that week end was Thanksgiving. Through the rest of the year, my aunt and uncle home schooled me in order to catch me up. I spent so much time having surgeries and going through therapy that, that was the only option to keep me ahead of the game. That way when I went to school, I would be where I was suppose to be. During all of that I had lost so much weight that my Ohana in Hawaii didn’t recognize me. I was fat, but I lost a shit ton of weight. I went from 360 to 190. I had worked out a lot so I had quite a bit of muscle, but I ate more than I should have. I was in no way ripped, but my body looked good.
I decided to start working out once I got use to my prosthetic, but until then I walked a lot and kept busting my ass in physical therapy. By the time my sophomore year started I was almost walking normal. I had gotten use to my prosthetic and had started to run as much as I could to keep my body the way it was. I started weight training at a local gym and I had a personal trainer who helped me start packing muscle on like crazy. That being said my body began to change. By then I stood around 6’8 or 6’9. My first day of school was ok, I was nervous as hell for my first day. Everyone was nice, but the day a few found out I had a prosthetic, all hell broke loose for me. Those kids were very brutal. The way I was raised dictated my response for the longest time. But a dog can only take so much before he bites back. Let’s just say that two of them were hospitalized for a few days. Their families attempted to press charges against me but they were all dropped after all of the camera footage surfaced. I was never fucked with again from then on.
When the school year started I began to notice something. I noticed a little red haired girl that kept looking at me, and even stared at me. I would always smile at her and she would light up every time. She blushed as well. She had a boyfriend already so I didn’t even attempt to try anything with her. One day as I sat with a few of my friends, they pointed out to me that she was checking me out. Because she had a boyfriend I never paid attention to it at all. Like I said, I have this thing with respect for others.
I will however say this. That girl was HHHHOT! She was so so gorgeous! She was very very popular and her boyfriend was just as popular. She was a tiny little thing. She was only 4’10 and weighed maybe 90 pounds, as little as she was, I wouldn’t be surprised if she weighed less. I have heard her speak when we were in the cafeteria many times. Her voice was so so tiny and very very cute. She had a very prominent lisp when she said her s’s. She had dark red, or auburn long long thick gorgeous hair, big deep blue eyes and very very kissable lips. Oh god her thick southern accent gave me chills every time I heard her speak. All I could do was wish that I could be with her. I liked her, but stayed away.
On a Saturday my friends and I went to the mall together. We were walking around and I was so bored I started to get a head ache. Later we went to a skating rink, I couldn’t skate, guess why. As my friends skated I went outside for fresh air. As I stood there I looked to my right to see her standing there with her boyfriend who was only 5’6. They were arguing and doing so very loud. Then my blood began to boil as he began to call her out of her name. He called her a bitch, whore cunt and many other words so loudly that everyone who was outside could hear him loud and clear. It wasn’t any of my business so I stayed out of it. I turned my head and looked over at them when he started to scream at her.
“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I WILL KILL YOU SO FAST YOU WONT KNOW WHAT HIT YOU. I WILL CUT YOU TO PIECES AND BURY YOU WHERE NO ONE WILL EVER FIND YOU!!” He screamed.
I stood up and started to walk towards them. I watched as he reared back and punched her in her face. She didn’t go down until he punched her again. By then my Hawaiian genetics kicked in bigger than shit. That is a huge no no in our culture. As I started to walk faster his friends stopped me and bowed up to me.
“You don’t want to do this man. This has nothing to do with you, it’s none of your business.” They said.
I very calmly looked at them standing straight.
“I am making it my business, and I think you had better move out of my way or you’ll get hurt too.” I said still appearing very very calm.
“Fuck you.” One said.
I pushed past them and I watched her start moving as he continued to scream at her. I watched as he kicked her in the face as hard as possible nocking her out. His friends grabbed my arm and turned me around. One of the douche bags punched me and I just stood there staring at them.
“You really don’t want to do this. Now let me go, your last and final warning.” I said still appearing very very calm.
They hit me as hard as they could several times and that’s when I threw a hard left hook hitting one and and upper cut hitting the other. I nocked both of them out cold. Just as I turned around I watched him kick her in the face again, then stomp on her head twice as hard as he could. As he lifted his leg to stomp her head again I had finally reached him.
His knee was up to his chest when I just dropped him where he stood with one hit. I hit him so hard that the people, who stood around watching with their thumbs up their asses, too chicken shit to stop him, watched his dome hit the pavement so hard it bounced. They also heard it hit the ground hard. The bystanders were all yelling but once my fist made contact with his face it got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. He just laid there out cold as I walked up to the little red head. She was convulsing. Her head was split wide opened and her face was starting to swell so bad that she would be unrecognizable. My heart sank as I kneeled down by her and yelled.
“Someone pull your head out of your fucking ass and call 911!” I said.
I didn’t know what to do. I felt so helpless as I watched her body shaking. After a minute or so I looked over at her boyfriend. He started to wake up and roll around a little. I leaned over him. He looked up at me with terror in his eyes.
“Does it make you feel like a big man to hit a girl you piece of shit? Huh?” I asked.
He just laid there looking at me. I went back to the red headed girl who had stopped convulsing. She opened her eyes and looked at me.
“I’m here to help you sweet heart, help is on the way. Everything is going to be ok.” I said.
Her face winced in pain as she moaned trying to cry, looking into my eyes. I sat there and held her hand. She squeezed my hand as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She lost consciousness. She started to convulse as her hand gripped mine. Finally the police showed up. I let go of her hand and stood up. Next thing I knew I was being held at gun point. They didn’t even have to utter a word. I laid on my stomach and crossed my leg over my prosthetic. I spread my arms out and placed my palms upwards. I was cuffed and placed in a cruiser. On the way to jail all I could think about was that girl. I didn’t even know her but I was very worried about her. I was booked and charged with three counts of aggravated assault and battery. I was booked in juvenile detention. I called my guardians, my aunt and uncle and told them that I was locked up. Before they even made it to the detention center two police officers arrived. They took me into a room.
“Listen.” One of the officers began. “That girl you saved. She is my daughter.” He said.
“Sir I’m sorry about what I d..” I said as he interrupted me.
“Don’t be sorry. I wanted to thank you. The paramedics and doctors say you may have saved her life. We watched the video and saw everything that happened. They say that last stomp he would have taken had you not stopped him would have killed her right there.” He said.
“How is she?” I asked.
“She is in surgery right now. She has sever head trauma. She has a severe closed head injury. They say she has a slim chance of making it.” He said.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t stop him before it got to that point.” I said as I started to tear up.
“You couldn’t, his thug friends tried to stop you. You did what you could, and as her father, I can’t thank you enough.” He said.
“If you don’t mind my asking sir, how long has she been with him?” I asked.
“Way too long.” He said. “She needs to be with you.”
“I doubt that would ever happen, I don’t think I am her type.” I said.
“I wish it would.” He said.
“Are your parents coming?” He asked.
“No but my aunt and uncle are.” I said.
“Good, I posted your bond, it’s the least I can do. And trust me, you have the support of the entire police department. We are all family, and you just risked your teenage years for us. We are going to do everything we can to help you.” He said.
As I stood up he shook my hand. After well over an hour I was finally released on bond. When I walked out my auntie looked at me with a look of pride and shock. On the way home it was silent in the car.
“Ikaika.” Auntie said quietly.
“Auntie I know I’m sorry about all of this, but I couldn’t stand there and just let it happen.” I said.
“You’re a really good man for doing that Ikaika I’m very proud of you. I have no doubt that my girls are safe with you around.” She said.
“We were very angry until that police officer, that girls father told us everything that happened. We couldn’t be prouder. Your parents would be very very proud of you.” My uncle said.
“And don’t worry, we will find you a great lawyer and we will do all we can. We stand behind you all the way.” Auntie said.
We got home and my auntie and uncle let me stay up late. My heart still ached for that girl. She was all I could think of. I didn’t even know her from Adam, but I couldn’t help it, maybe it’s just that I care about others. Or maybe it was because I really really liked her. My uncle and auntie took me and all of my cousins out to eat that weekend. On the way we got pulled over, and it was the cop who was that girls dad. He asked me to get out of the truck, once I got out he smiled.
“I just wanted to let you know that the doctors told me that she is a fighter. They said that her survival chances have increased. She isn’t out of the woods yet. She is in a coma right now. I have no idea why but I just had a strong feeling that I needed to tell you.” He said.
“Thank you sir. I really appreciate it.” I said.
“No, thank you. I don’t know why you two didn’t meet a year ago” he said.
“I was in the hospital last year.” I said.
“What happened?” He asked.
“Bad car crash.” I said.
“Oh. I am so sorry.” He said.
“It’s ok I turned out fine sir.” I said.
“Well have a good one, tell your uncle to slow it down, he was speeding.” He said.
“We will do sir.” I said.
Once Monday arrived we went to court for my arraignment. As my name was called my lawyer and I stood up. I was told to plead not guilty so I did. When I went back to school that Tuesday I learned fast that news travels fast. As I walked in all eyes were on me. My cousin Amy was walking by my side with pride. I hung my head low and just kept walking. During lunch I sat with my friends who all talked about what happened. As I sat there I noticed all of that girls friends looking at me. They were part of the crew that just stood there with their thumbs up their asses. I just ignored them and went about my business. My trial date finally came when I walked into the court room I noticed a wall of police officers in the back. The trial began and to make it short and sweet, I was acquitted of all charges. It was over just as fast as it began. When I returned to school that douche nozzle came up to me. He bowed his chest out at me.
“I don’t think you know who I am.” He said.
I walked up to him and got in his face.
“You’re right I don’t, and I don’t give a shit. I don’t give a fuck who you are, who your mommy is, or who your dad is. I don’t give a fuck. You don’t scare me, not even a little. All I know is that you’re a little bitch who only feels like a man when he is hitting a girl. Keep in mind that I will be watching your little bitch ass, and if I ever see or hear about you hitting another girl I will take your fucking head off. Are we clear?” I asked.
“Is that a threat?” He asked.
“No, not a threat, a promise and a very stern warning.” I said.
I pushed him out of my way and started to walk off.
“Watch your back mother fucker, I’m going to fuck you up one of these days.” He yelled.
“Why wait? I’m right here you little bitch.” I said as I turned around.
He just walked away and waved his arm at me.
“Oh wait, I’m not a girl, you’re to much of a pussy to try hitting a man.” I said as I stood there waiting for him.
“Fuck you.” He said as he walked away.
“That’s what I thought you little bitch.” I said.
He never spoke to me again, in fact he couldn’t because that day he was arrested for attempted murder and aggravated assault. Guess who his arresting officer was. Yup, that girls father. Several months went by and her dad would keep me posted as much as possible. A month later I had turned 16 and my uncle bought me a truck using the money I didn’t know I had. I did think it was weird that my uncle let me pick out a very very expensive truck. We paid for it right there. I was excited as hell! It was a brand new Ford F 250 quad cab fx4 with a power stroke diesel. It had heated leather, custom rims, and all of the extras! It was the king ranch edition. It had head rest monitors and a flip down monitor. It also had one hell of a stereo system in it. Brand new! For my 16th birthday! Yeah I was excited as hell! I only had my permit so my uncle rode with me so I could drive it home. Once I got home with it we had a party and everything.
I never stopped thinking about that girl at all. I was still worried. I had just gotten my license and was finally able to drive on my own. One day as I was driving me and my cousins to school I got pulled over. It was that girls father. When he approached he seemed to be in very high spirits. He told me that it was official, I saved his daughters life. She had been awake for a couple of weeks and was doing very very well. He shook my hand and handed me a sticker and said to put it on my window. It was a police sticker that police officers have on their POVs he told me to say that my dad was a cop and I would get out of any ticket. He gave me a few of his cards to use should I need to verify it. He shook my hand and I was off to school. Her friends had been treating me really well for a while.
Several weeks had passed and it had been a long time and her dad had stopped giving me updates. When I asked him about how she was doing, he would smile really big and just say, you’re about to find out. One day It was lunch time and I was sitting with my friends. All of a sudden I looked up and I got butterflies. I froze and couldn’t speak as I stared in awe. There she was standing there looking at me, looking as beautiful as ever, despite the scar she had on her face. She looked incredibly nervous and slightly scared. She had several of her friends with her. It was then that I noticed that everything I was taught by my parents had rubbed off on to my friends. They all stood up and moved for her and her friends allowing her to sit.
“Ummmmm. Hi.” She said nervously.
“Hi, wow you look good. How are you feeling?” I asked as I stood up.
“I’m feeling ok.” She said.
“Can I sit with you?” She asked.
“Ummmm, yes please do.” I said as my palm began to sweat like crazy.
“I’m sorry I’m really nervous.” She said.
“No reason to be nervous. So um like I said you’re looking very good.” I said.
“You’re nervous too aren’t you.” She asked.
“Yeah I am.” I said.
“I’m Cheyenne.” She said as she extended her hand out.
“I’m Ikaika.” I said as I shook her tiny soft hand.
“I know who you are, and I must say that it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said as she smiled very warmly.
“Pleasure is all mine.” I said as I looked into her big blue eyes.
“So how have you been?” She asked.
“Worried.” I replied.
“About what?” She asked.
“Honestly, you.” I said
“I wanted to talk to you about about what happened that night.” She said.
“Ok.” I said.
“Look I really do appreciate what you did, but you need to know that it wasn’t any of your business. That was between me and him.” She said.
“So I should have just stood there and let him kill you is what you’re saying.” I replied.
“He wouldn’t have killed me.” She said sounding irritated now.
“I didn’t have my psychic hat on that day so I didn’t know that. I wasn’t going to stand there and take that chance.” I said.
“Where I come from I learned to mind my business and not stick my nose where it don’t belong.” She said getting more and more angry.
“Where I’m from it is a huge no no to hit a woman. Where I am from I have been taught to protect women. I refuse to change that about me regardless of what you think.” I said.
“Well you need to know that I am pissed off wi…” She said as I interrupted.
“I’m not trying to be an ass I’m really not, and if what I am about to say comes across that way, then I apologize, but I don’t care. I don’t care if your mad at me, I don’t care how mad you are at me, the only thing I care about is that you are sitting here talking to me. That’s the only thing that I care about.” I said.
“That doesn’t mean that I’m going to be your friend.” She said.
“Again, I don’t care. Are we done here mam?” I asked.
“Yes we are.” She said.
“Have a good day mam.” I said as I stood up.
“Wait, I’m not done yet.” She said.
“I said have a good day mam.” I said as I walked away.
Truthfully my feelings were hurt from that conversation. But it wasn’t so bad that I moped. For the rest of the day I avoided her like the plague, and did so for the rest of the school year. At one point her friend Reilly came up to me. She was also a little cutie. She had brown hair and green eyes.
“Hey I just want you to know that I do not agree with Cheyenne. I think that what you did was very brave. In fact, my boyfriend hasn’t hit me once since that day. He and all of his friends are scared of you because of what happened.” She said.
“Thank you.” I said as I shook her hand.
“I have no idea why she loves him so much. He has been hitting her for the longest time and she refuses to leave him.” She said.
“I’m going to be perfectly honest, stop asking why she stays with him, and start asking what you can do for her. She needs her friends and family more than anything right now.” I said.
“I’m going to be honest, you are a really hot guy, even Cheyenne knows this. She needs to be with you, like, really bad.” She said.
“At this point it’s never going to happen, and truthfully, I’m not really worried about it.” I said.
“Well, I hope one day she will see the light.” She said.
Well, her seeing the light never happened, at least not that school
Year. I had a girlfriend by then so it was all good. I lost my virginity to her and everything. She broke up with me at the end of the school year because I was leaving to spend the Summer in Hawaii, and honestly, because of my small dick. I loved going to Hawaii because I would spend the Summer learning about the culture. This time it was different. I was there to learn the culture of my ancestors, and I planned on diving into it completely. My auntie in South Carolina had sent them pages and pages of poly designs I drew. I used a lot of symbols and markings that told stories of my ancestors, but more importantly my late parents. I was still grieving, and still suffered from depression. My auntie thought it best to have my uncles tattoo them on my body. I wasn’t even 17 yet. My first day in Hawaii my uncles tattooed my back, chest and half sleeves on my arms. They also tattooed my right leg. Several days later the tattoos were done. It was done the old tapping way. From the day on, I spent a lot of time in hÄlau. It was a little more than half way through Summer and I just happened to be on a run. I had just gotten a new prosthetic for that purpose.
I went to the beach where I could relax for a while. My uncle Kawika was with me and I had my shirt off. My tatts were pretty well healed. I looked a lot different that I did before Summer. As I’m walking around the beach I was shocked to see Cheyenne there, mainly because I wasn’t expecting to. She looked right at me. The look on her face was priceless. She looked at me like she knew who I was, but wasn’t sure. She watched me, and her and her mom followed me around for a few minutes. I did eventually run into her dad who did recognize me.
“Uh, Ikaika?” He asked.
“Yes sir how are you doing sir?” I asked.
“I’m great, on vacation. What are you doing down here.” He asked.
“I spend the summers with my moms side of the family. All my aunties, uncles, and cousins all live here.” I said.
“So are you Hawaiian?” He asked.
“Yes sir.” I said.
“That explains a lot. Did you just get these tattoos?” He asked as we both sat down.
“Yes I did, in honor of my ancestors and also my parents who died.” I replied.
“I’m not one for tattoos myself, but yours have great meaning. Those kind of tattoos I like. Look, I have some potentially good news, my daughter has finally opened her eyes. I have no idea what you said to her but what ever it was, it impressed her, beyond words. You’re all she has been talking about all Summer.” He said.
“I’m really glad to hear that. No disrespect, but your daughter is very beautiful.” I said as I smiled.
“So first off, do you live here? Are you staying?” He asked.
“No sir, I’m here for the Summer and that’s it. I’m going to graduate there but I come here every Summer to stay in touch with my Hawaiian roots.” I said.
“I know I shouldn’t really ask this, but what are the chances of you actually dating my daughter?” He asked.
“That depends on her sir. I would honestly date her sir. From what everyone says, and what I have seen myself, she is a really sweet girl. She always seems to be happy, even when she was with that douche nozzle.” I said.
“Well, honestly speaking, if you were to date her, I would approve. You’re very respectful and you seem to be a really good man. I can’t see her dating anyone else but you. You just need to know that I already like you, and like I said, I already approve it. I have no doubt in my mind that she would be very safe around you. I would have absolutely no problem with you keeping her out past curfew because I know she will be safe. I just want you to know that. Her mother feels the same way.” He said as he stood up.
“Thank you sir that makes me feel good. But keep in mind that I’m not going to try. If we are meant to be together then it will happen. I will be honest though, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to date her.” I said as my uncle walked up.
“Howzit?” He asked.
“Maika’i this da police officer Steve Jensen, he da police officer from hale.” I said.
“Very good to meet you sir. How do you know my nephew?” He asked.
“Here I’ll just show you.” Cheyennes dad said.
We all sat back down and he pulled his phone out. He started to show my uncle the video of that night that I stopped that piece of shit from killing his daughter. My uncle put his hand on my shoulder as he watched his dome bounce off of the pavement. He watched the entire thing.
“That girl he just saved, she is my daughter.” He said.
“Tida would be very proud Ikaika.” My uncle said looking at me with great pride.
“I only did what had to be done.” I said.
“But Ikaika, you saved her from getting killed. How is it that you don’t see the importance in that?” Uncle asked as her dad nodded in agreement.
“I did what anyone would do uncle.” I said.
“No you didn’t, everyone stood around and watched. No one even tried to help, so do not give me that what anyone would do shit” Her dad said.
“He is right Ikaika, I just sat here and watched the video.” He said.
“Well, uh you’re welcome I guess. I don’t know what else to do or say.” I said.
“You can start by dating my daughter.” Her dad said as he laughed.
“Like I said, it’s going to be up to her.” I said.
“You’ve already planted the seed. Like I said, you are all she has talked about all Summer. She has been asking about you and wondering why she hasn’t seen you.” Her dad said.
“I hope so, she is very beautiful.” I said as her dad’s cell phone rang.
He answered and put it on speaker. “Daddy, where are you? Mom
Is getting worried.” Cheyenne asked.
“I’ll be right there, I just ran into a friend of yours.” He said.
“Who?” She asked.
“Ikaika. He is here.” He said.
“Really?! He is? Where?” She asked sounding excited as hell.
“We are at the bar by the lifeguard tower.” He said.
“I was wondering what happened to him! I want to come say hi.” She said.
“Well get over here.” He said.
“We are on the way dad.” She said sounding excited.
“See? She sounds excited.” Her dad said.
Minutes later her, her mom, sister, and brother all came walking up. I stood up and looked at her. Her eyes glanced down my body as she walked up.
“Hi Ikaika.” She said all chipper.
My god I wish you all could see how she looked. She had on a bikini top that was red. It had a ring in the middle separating the two sides. Her skin was a lot whiter that I thought, and she had freckles all over her body. Her long auburn hair was up in a ponytail. She had on a thin wrap around her waist and I could see her bikini bottoms through it. Her eyes, oh my god her eyes, so so beautiful. She took my breath away when I looked at her. That was the last thing I expected to happen to me.
“Hey Cheyenne, how is your Summer so far?” I asked.
“It’s awesome. I love it here. Do you live here now or something?” She asked.
“Just for the Summer, I’ll be going home before school starts.” I said.
“Good. We have to hang out when you get back.” She said.
“I would like that actually.” I replied.
“So can I like, talk to you for a minute?” She asked.
“Yes you can.” I said.
“C’mon, let’s give them some room.” Her dad said as everyone stood up and walked away.
“So listen. I have been thinking about that day I all but yelled at you when I went back to school. When I got home that day I told my daddy what I did and he got really mad. He yelled at me and told me that I was I ungrateful. He showed me the video of that night you beat my ex boyfriend up really bad. After I saw the video my daddy had, I realized how ungrateful I really was. I watched all my so called friends just stand there while he was hitting me, and then I watched a total stranger, someone I didn’t know, walk up and nock him out right as he was about to kill me. All I’ve been able to think about since that day was my hero, you. So for what it’s worth, I apologize, I am really sorry, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about all of that, but most of all, thank you. Thank you so much.” She said as tears streamed down her face.
“Three things one, you’re very welcome, like I said, I couldn’t just stand there and watch him do that to you. No woman deserves to be treated like you were by him. Second, apology accepted, and third, I forgive you.” I said as she all but sobbed.
“Why me though?” She asked.
“Cheyenne, I honestly, I like you, I’ve liked you since the first day I looked at you. You’re funny and you light a room up when you walk in. You have a very infectious smile and personality. That’s why you. You’re a great great person, I’ve always thought that about you. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but you are incredibly beautiful.” I said.
“Why haven’t you ever talked to me?” She asked as she blushed.
“Respect. Respect for you and your wishes. One day you were In the lunch room and some ass hat came to you and started to hit on you. You were really nice to him, but you made it clear that you had a boyfriend and that you weren’t interested in anyone else. I heard you loud and clear so out of respect for you and your wishes I stayed away. And the main reason, I was to chicken.” I replied.
“Why didn’t you talk to me after I broke up with the asshole? Why didn’t you talk to me when he went to jail?” She asked.
“I just thought you didn’t want anything to do with me after you chewed me out.” I said.
“Well, I wish I knew then what I know now, if I did then I would hope we would at least be friends by now. You’re a really great guy. My daddy and my mom both love you. I only know that because they have been all over me about how I treated you. You are unlike any other guy I have ever met. You’re very smart, you’re a smart ass which I love because my family are all smart asses like you. And honestly, you’re really really, really hot. Truth is I like you too. I honestly have since I first saw you.” She said.
“Awesome!” I said grinning from ear to ear. “Look, I forgive you, as far as I’m concerned we never had that conversation that day. I would love to be your friend, I really would.” I said.
“Ok but friends only. I’m not quiet ready for a serious relationship, at least not now. When I am ready, I want a serious relationship with you.” She said.
“Understood. So it’s safe to say we are finally friends.” I said.
“God yes.” She said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
We hugged for quite a while as we sat there. Finally, she has seen the light. I fully planned on being the best friend to her as I possibly could be. I wanted to be there for her through everything. She let go of me and was glowing as she smiled really big. She stood up and took my hand and I stood up. She looked down to see my prosthetic leg.
“What happened?” She asked.
“Car accident. My parents both died in it and I was in the hospital all through my freshman year. I lost my leg and now I have a prosthetic.” I said.
“I am so sorry.” She said.
“It’s ok.” I said.
“You can’t even tell you even had no leg. I’ve never seen it until now, and it’s only because you’re wearing shorts. By the way, that will have no bearing on my decision to be with you when I’m ready.” She said.
“Good to know.” I said.
“That last girlfriend you had said she broke up with you because of it. I almost punched her in the face.” She said.
“Thank you.” I said laughing.
“You’re welcome.” She said.
We started to walk out of the bar as she wrapped her arm in mine. As we walked out her mom came up to me and hugged me.
“Thank you for saving our daughter.” She said.
“You’re very welcome.” I said.
Cheyenne stood there and smiled big as her mom hugged me.
“Who is that?” Her 10 year old brother asked.
“He is the man who saved your sister honey.” Her mom replied.
Then both her brother and sister hugged me and said thank you. My uncle smiled and watched the entire time. Then he got an idea.
“Hey why don’t you all come to my place for dinner.” He asked.
“Are you sure?” Her dad asked.
“Yes I am sure. Here is the address, it’s only a few miles from here.” He said as he wrote the address down.”
They all agreed and left. My uncle and I ran back home and took showers. I was so nervous about having them there that it wasn’t funny. Just as I finished getting dressed my uncle and auntie came in the room.
“Did you see how she look at you?” My uncle asked.
“Yeah I did, I like it.” I said as we all laughed.
“She is so so beautiful Ikaika. Geez, you’re a lucky guy.” My uncle said.
“Listen, there is mana loa coming from her. She feels so safe and comfortable around you. The connection between you two is very very strong brah.” My uncle said.
“That’s a good thing.” I said.
“She is tiny. You look like a giant around her.” He said laughing.
“She is little.” I replied.
Later that afternoon we went to the store to get some food. Once we had the food we went home and started to cook. Then finally they came over. Cheyenne was all over me from the very beginning. I was absolutely loving it. She wore a sundress and had her long hair down. My good god she looked so beautiful. They ended staying there for quite a while. They tried awa for the first time and all hated it. They were champs about it and kept drinking it as we all jammed. During that time Cheyenne took a bunch of really fun and silly selfies with me in them. Everyone saw that and my uncle photo bombed us with a look of, “what da lolo keki doing?” Then her siblings, her parents, my cousins and auntie all photo bombed us. In one Cheyenne and I were looking at each other like, what the hell?! It was a lot of fun. She posted them to her social media profile. One of them she put a caption that read, “look who I ran into on my vacation!!”.
Later that night, it was almost 1 in the morning they had to leave so they could get some sleep. I walked Cheyenne out to the car. She reached up and hugged me. She looked into my eyes.
“This had been the best vacation I have ever been on thanks to you.” She said.
“I’m glad I could help.” I said.
“Have a good one, can I see you tomorrow?” She asked.
“Of course you can.” I said.
“Ok, I’ll call you.” She said.
“Well, you’re going to need my number for that.” I said.
“Yeah that might help.” She said.
We exchanged numbers and we programmed them in our phones right in front of each other. She gave me another big hug and I watched as they left. The night she called me just say goodnight. That girl was making it very difficult to not fall in love with her. She was all I could think about all night. So much so that I couldn’t sleep. I went to her profile on the social media and apparently she couldn’t sleep either. She added me as a friend and we chatted on it for quite a while. I started to learn more and more about her that night. We both eventually fell asleep but she called me the next morning. I was actually excited to hear from her. I met up with her family and I spent the entire day with her and her family. God, the way she looked at me just melted me. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t keep her hands off of me. I was in heaven. Later that night I took her to dinner. It was just me and her. We took that time to learn more about each other. It was a great night I’m telling you. I took her back to the hotel and walked her to the room and she just held me.
“Our plane leaves in the morning. I really don’t want to go.” She said looking into my eyes.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I want to stay here with you.” She said.
“You do know I’ll be home in two weeks right?” I asked.
“Oh I forgot you aren’t staying here. Good, I feel better now.” She said.
“I really really like you, a lot.” She said.
“I really like you too.” I said.
“Good. I’ll see you when you get home then?” She asked.
“You’ll be the second, or third person I see when I get home.” I said.
“Why not first?” She asked as she pouted.
“Because my auntie and uncle are coming to pick me up at the airport, so they’ll be the first and second.” I said.
“What if I come get you?” She asked.
“Then you’ll be the first I see.” I replied with a smile.
“I may just do that then.” She said.
“I would actually love that.” I said.
“Really?” She asked.
“You’re my friend so yes, really.” I replied.
“Keep making me feel like this and you’ll be more than just my friend.” She said softly.
“Now that you say that, I may just keep making you feel like that.” I said as she giggled.
“Thank you for making my vacation the best I’ve ever had.” She said.
“You’re welcome.” I said.
She reached up and pulled my head down. She pressed her full soft lips against my cheek and held it there for a few seconds. She kissed my cheek and backed off.
“Hurry home to me, I need my best friend.” She said.
“You got it.” I said.
She went into their room and I went home. The next morning they left and my uncles all finished my tattoos for me. My left arm had a full sleeve now and I had a band on my right lower arm. It was connected by triangles to my half sleeve that went from my elbow to my shoulder. My arm tats all connected to the ones on my chest and back. I had triangles that went down my entire left side. Even my stump was tattooed. My right leg was covered completely. They looked so awesome but my god was it painful as hell!! My uncles designed my band for me. It represented the warrior in me and told the story of what happened with Cheyenne and what I did to stop her from being killed. Two weeks later it was time for me to go home. And though me and Cheyenne talked every night she never eluded to what she had planned for me.
I wore short sleeve shirt and jeans. My tats were still sore but were healing fast. When I arrived home I walked off of the plane and when I got to where my auntie and uncle were I noticed they weren’t there, Cheyenne was standing there waiting for me. Once I got there I dropped my bag and hugged her. I picked her off of the floor and held her for a few minutes before I put her down.
“Are you surprised?” She asked as I picked my bag up.
“Pleasantly surprised. How did you pull it off?” I asked.
“Well, I got brave and I went and talked to your aunt and uncle and they said I could come and get you.” She said.
“I’m really glad you did.” I said.
“Me too.” She said as she slid her arm into mine.
We got my luggage and she took me home. I laid down to rest a little when she did something I did not expect. She laid down facing me and scooted up to me wrapping her arms around me. She held me tight and sighed.
“I missed you.” She whispered.
“I missed you too.” I said, both of us smiling.
We laid there and eventually fell asleep. Next thing I knew we were being awakened my my cousin. She smiled at us when we woke up.
“It’s about time.” She said.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Her, she is finally your girlfriend.” She said.
“Oh no honey, we are just friends.” I said.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it looks like.” She said.
Cheyenne laughed as we got up. The week came to a close and we were enrolled in school for our junior year. School started and Cheyenne and I became inseparable. We had become best friends, we did absolutely everything together. Her friends were jealous of her because of me. Cheyenne loved my tattoos and made sure they showed whenever she was around me. We were so close that people approached us a lot asking if we were together. We would answer no, unless it was someone that would flirt with us. Things were great between us. We had our moments like any other friends would but we learned how to work through them. We went from arguing to just talking things out and compromising. There was just one problem. I was falling in love with her bigger than shit. She told me that she wasn’t ready for a relationship when we were in Hawaii so I did all I could to hide that fact.
Here is the kicker, just by the way she looked, touched, and talked to me I had the feeling that she was falling in love with me. It was even more obvious when other girls flirted with me. I never flirted back because by then, I had my heart set on her. I was about to find out that my wait was about to be over.