RemembeRED: The Beach

It was my sophomore year of high school. I was back on track, focusing on my school work after falling apart my freshman year. Science was one of my favorite subjects and I was currently taking Zoology.
Half way through the year our teacher announced that we would be going on a field trip to St. Augustine Beach. Our class and several of the other science classes would be going together. We would be exploring marine life and the eco system. I was pretty excited about this because one of my best friends, who was in another class, would be going too.
I'm not sure what it is about bus rides for me, but I always seem to find some boy to adore. I saw him in the back of the bus. Attractive. A "baby face". Eyes that captured your heart. I wanted to meet him.
The buses pulled up along side the beach side parking. We unloaded and I didn't rush off the bus. I wanted to make sure he noticed me too. Without making it too obvious I exited my seat just a few people ahead of him.
The teachers were organizing us into small groups of ten students. I got lucky and was in a group with him. I was still nervous. He wasn't paying that much attention to me, he was listening to the teacher give us instructions. Something I should have been doing. I don't even know to this day what we were instructed to do.
The beach was empty except for our groups. We headed to the large rocks that were onshore. Climbing up them was not an easy task. Opportunity number one. I asked him if he could give me a hand up. Without much thought, he gave me his hand. Butterflies in my stomach. My heart was racing.
The rest of our trip continued that way. I took advantage of any opportunity to talk to him or ask him for help. He was enjoying the attention. The attraction between us was growing. As much as he tried to concentrate on the sea life growing on the sides of the rocks, he couldn't keep his attention off me long.
Opportunity number two. When it was time to load up to leave I changed seats and sat next to him. I wanted to get to know who this guy was who had captured my heart. His name was Shane.
Ah, Shane.

This weeks prompt for the Red Dress Club was to write about School trips. We all go on them. What trip do you remember the most? Where did you go? Who was with you? How did you get there? Have you ever been back?

Write a memoir post about a memorable school trip.

RemembeRED

My boyfriend decided he wanted to get a tattoo. It was his first one and a friend had suggested he go to the same guy he used. The tattoo guy was supposed to be reasonable and he was in the next city in the next county.
We pulled up to the house and it looked a little run down. What kind of guy does tattoos from his house. Being naive and young in love I went along with my love. I wanted to be there to see his first one.
It hit me like a ton of bricks when the guy opened the door. The smoke in the house was like a warm haze. The lights were dim through out the house and you could see the smoke like a large cloud in the room. We followed the guy through the house into his tattoo "parlor".
I hoped it would get better once we entered the room. Hoping for cleaner air. It should be sanitary when using needles. Not so much. It was just as smoky in the room.
I did my best to stifle my coughs and utter repulsiveness of the smoky smell from burning cigarettes inside a house. It didn't help that the house smelled like a humane society with cat urine. Cigarettes and cat urine. My eyes burned. It was like the moisture was sucked out by the smoke.
I don't remember how many hours I stood in that room watching...waiting... for them to finish his tattoo. It felt like forever.When I finally was able to escape the smoky hell, I breathed in like I had been drowning. I couldn't get home fast enough that night. The anticipation of a hot shower to remove the stench from my skin and hair. My clothes reeked that night. I don't know which was worse. The urine or the smoke.
I have never forgotten that evening and the sight and smell of it.

It's time for another image prompt.

Write about the first (or second) memory that comes to mind when you see this: