Best Friends Forever?

Chapter 11 - Beach Bonding

Chapter 11 - Beach Bonding:

 “Remember when we were kids, we used to come to the beach and build sandcastles together?” Ben spoke up as we stared out towards the ocean. For the past twenty minutes we had spoken, if only small talk, it was at least something.

 “Together?” I laugh, “I seem to remember it being more of a competition to see who could build the biggest castle by the end of the day.” I smile to myself, remembering how much fun Ben had once been to be around, it was a far cry from how he was now and a striking reminder of just how much he had changed.

 “Well it wasn’t really much of a competition now was it?” Ben smirked, knowing that he had always won those stupid competitions, my sand was too dry, it wasn’t my fault.

 “Oh stand back, here comes that overpoweringly cocky attitude again” I joke, but notice the slight look of hurt carved in Ben’s eyes for just a split second before he retaliated.

 “Hey, at least I didn’t have to cheat to win” Ben said, kicking sad an me like a little kid who hadn’t gotten their way.

 “That wasn’t cheating…that was…being tactical!” I strike back, pushing Ben in some sort of feeble attempt to make him fall into the sand, in turn leaving all my weight leaning against him as I struggled to even move him an inch let alone to the ground.

 "No, ruining someone else’s castle by kicking it is definitely cheating” Ben laughed, moving out of the way and allowing me to topple into the sand head first. Whoever called it a sandwich was obviously being hugely ironic, because there is nothing that quite compares to the dry, sharp taste of sand…well maybe Ben’s attitude at times but still, it was unpleasant to say the least.

 “Just admit it and no one will get hurt, I didn’t cheat to win” I state firmly glaring up at Ben with a playful smirk on my face.

 “Okay, I admit it…” He finally gave in, sitting down slowly in the sand next to me as we stare out towards the sea, “I admit that there wasn’t very much winning involved in your cheating!” He teased as he burst out laughing at his own comeback. I had to admit, it was witty and the sort of humour that I had missed that only Ben offered but still I couldn’t have him tarnish my good sandcastle building reputation.

 With that, summoning up all my might, I hit him with a mighty forearm to the chest, causing him to topple back onto the sand before cupping my hand and throwing some on top of him. Maybe I could bury him alive for being so infuriating? At least now, I guess it was meant in a friendly way.

 “What was that for?” Ben laughed as he sat up, looking at me with those diamond eyes, “Can’t take it that you’re a cheater?”

 “What’s wrong?” I say slyly, “Can’t take getting beaten by a girl?”

 “Hold up, I did not get beaten by a girl…” Ben said in his most serious voice but I could tell he was joking with that ridiculous grin plastered across his face.

 “I’m not talking about the sandcastles” I laugh, alluding to how I had just handed his ass to him, checkmate.

 “Yeah Yeah, whatever you say! I have a proposition for you” Ben states firmly, that same devilish smile arched across his lips as he had always had before he came up with one of his ‘ingenious’ plans. He’d had it before his plan to use my mother’s red drapes for pretend bull fighting in our muddy backyard, and before talking me into helping turn his trampoline into a makeshift wrestling ring, oh and the time where apparently trying to skateboard down a steep hill was a good idea… it wasn’t. This was not going to be good.