Tall 15 year-old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Shane, was the king of the Sandos Playacar Lite Teen Club. The boys admired his skill at the various table games, and many girls, stars in their eyes and hearts aflutter, admired his good looks.
Wherever Shane went, his devoted fans followed. Among them was 13-year-old Bryana – 13 and a half, she would be quick to correct you.
Bryana was no stranger to Sandos Playacar, this being her third visit. But it was the first visit she was old enough to spend time pursuing her own interests, even if that interest was a tall, handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Dutch boy by the name of Shane.
No more Kids Club for her! Every day was the same: Bryana would patiently spend some time with her family, but yearned to break free of the steel grip of her parents and grandparents. Understandably naive in the ways of courtship as she was, she rushed to the Lite Teen Club at every opportunity in search of her prey. He never had a chance. Game on, even if her family was observing them through the windows from a safe distance.
The inevitable happened when one day Shane told Bryana that this night would be his last. His family was leaving for the Netherlands in the morning.
Would he see her tonight at the Sandos beach party after sunset? There would be music and dancing and games and…would there also be romance?
The sun could not set fast enough. Bryana was anxious about finally spending time alone with Shane away from the noise and flashing lights of the club, and especially away from the group of fans who always surrounded him.
Until then, in reality, it had only been a group date, however much Bryana might have fantasized about them in a romantic way. What she didn’t understand then was that Shane had become an obsession; her first “serious” love. You know – the one you never, ever forget.
The announcement was made from the entertainment stage that the beach party was about to get underway, the signal to head to the beach. What adults also didn’t fully comprehend at the time was that Shane had actually become Bryana’s first love.
As the group strolled across the Plaza, and through the Meeting Point lobby of the resort, Bryana scanned the crowd in search of Shane and his family.
“There they are!” she exclaimed, seeing Shane and his family on the beach.
Walking ahead, Bryana caught up to Shane and the two of them disappeared into the sea of party-goers.
To be continued…