The Fast Lane [gxg]

Open Book

There was some feedback over the speaker, but after a moment, the grinding noise halted and Kass' voice came through clearer. "It's fine. I'm just at the shop."

"How long are you gonna be there for? Hypothetically. I-I mean, ballpark estimate—"

"Depends. I was planning on leaving early to hang out with Willa and Grace at the park—"

"Oh! Perfect, because Brielle was just about to invite them and—We're all going to the beach and I think you should come. Since, you know, it's so hot out and it'll be nice to swim even if it is Lake Michigan—"

"Fine."

She hadn't realized she was pacing until she came to an abrupt stop on the pavement. "Wait, really? Wow, that was easy."

"I'll convince the idiots to go to the lake instead."

Maze was almost too shocked to realize that they were saying goodbye until Kass hung up and left Maze standing there looking like a kid on Christmas morning. There were so many things they needed to do—they needed to hang out at the diner's bar and eat french fries, visit the local rollerskating rink, and whatever else they used to do back in the day—and going to the lake was one step closer to fathoming what life could have been like these past four years with Kass.

Maze went into it expecting it to be just like before. They'd eat icy pops on the beach and jump the waves and make dribble sand castles, and she would be perfectly content with that. In her book, that would be the perfect day.

But then, upon arriving, two differences became abundantly clear, and the first of which appeared the second Kass showed up, practically shirtless (the bralette didn't count), and sporting defined abs that Maze really didn't recall from high school.

Sure, Kass was a known athlete in grade school, but Kass' abdomen had always been lithe and flat like most girls in their grade back then. Kass always did have a hard time maintaining muscle mass and Willa used to call her a frog because of it—smooth everywhere like a frog, but at the very least she was quick on her feet.

Maze looked away. Maybe her eyesight was going? Kass was still so far away, maybe she didn't actually have muscle now? Maze caught Shelby's eye from the other side of the sand castle as she asked her to pass the mini shovel.

And then, a minute later, Maze caught sight of Kass' legs standing right next to her and holy shit—

"What're you doing," Kass said.

Maze laughed nervously, brushing the sand off of her hands. "We're, uh, making a drip castle," she said, and made the mistake of looking up.

Kass had her hands on her hips, towel strewn over one shoulder, and a flat look on her face. The towel did little to hide the fact that Kass' torso was toned beyond belief.

She had to be working out two, three times a day—

Kass pushed her sunglasses up, holding her hair back as she nodded to Shelby and said, "Hey."

"Hi again," she said, smiling up at her. She squinted against the sun and said,

"You should join us—if... you want."

Maze blinked, reminded of the fact that right, everyone thought they were on bad terms still. They may have gone on a drive together in Kass' pickup, but they couldn't judge the result of that.

"Maybe later," Kass said.

The second issue Maze soon identified happened shortly after Kass left to stand in the water like that meme of the cow looking out at the ocean.