Coasting

Chapter 9

Day 24-Still.

The sun had finally set and darkness settled upon the island. Evan and Michelle rejoined us when the sun was just reaching the horizon, along with Courtney and Kyle. All the guys went off to the beach to go surfing and swimming in the last final sliver of sunlight, while the rest of us girls finished off the keg and talked.

Brooke confessed about Brendan, Michelle was physically blessed--if you know what I mean--by Evan, and Avery was depressed by her sinking relationship with Dan. Courtney was, as per usual, unreadable. Lucy was upset with her failure to win John's affection, but she was plenty pleased with the ocean dip she took with three guys earlier this afternoon.

"I didn't have sex with all of them!" she screamed at us when Michelle subtly questioned. "I'm not a skank."

I was taken aback by her outburst, but the others seemed unfazed, even laughing a little. Lucy then smirked. "I just had sex with one of them."

"Lucy!" Avery yelled, slapping her.

"What!" Lucy slurred, smacking her back. "I'm just living a little, as Court would say."

Courtney snorted. "Oh hell no. When you get a UTI, you are so not allowed to blame it on me."

Lucy playfully threw an empty can at Courtney. "Don't be a bitch."

As it got darker and darker, strews of people came over the dune, pouring into the valley. Finally Dan, Kyle, Evan, John, and Fletcher appeared and ran towards us.

"You guys better not have finished off all the beer," Dan said.

"Chill out," Avery told him. "We still have, like, three cases."

"Plus, Brendan has a hell of a lot of liquor," Lucy added with a smirk.

"Of course he does," Kyle and Courtney sighed at the same time and then looked at each other. Everyone looked away from them, knowing that when it came to Kyle, Courtney, and a cute moment, it was best to let them enjoy it, because those moments didn't come around often.

Dan opened one of the coolers and handed a beer to each one of the guys. Fletcher plopped down beside me, shirtless and wet from the ocean. I still only had my bikini top and denim shorts on because despite the sky turning a deeper and deeper midnight blue, the warmth was still there, still close.

Evan started the fire and finally it was just all of us. Maybe it was just me, but I felt after the craziness of the day everything had finally calmed down and we had all come back together.

It probably was just me. I had never had a group of friends like this before. People who I felt like I belonged with. I wanted to be there as much as they wanted me there. I helped them as much as they helped me.

Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was the truth, but I knew in that moment that I was home and that even if my last name was Prescott, this was my family.

As everyone began roasting hot dogs on the fire, my phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out, a tense fear already encompassing my body.

To: Jamie

From: Rory

Happy 4th! I just got my phone back. I've been thinking about you. I'm going to call and know you probably won't answer, but just know that I love you and I miss you and I hope you had a great day.