FALLING in love

Chapter 28 - Spring Break pt. 1

Kacie

I've known for a while that the guys were going to Florida for Spring Break, and I convinced the girls to go there too. I mean, everyone is going somewhere warm for Spring Break, and Florida is the most affordable. However, I might have conveniently forgotten to tell the girls that we're basically following the guys. No one could have foreseen the shitshow that went down a few days ago at St. Paddy's. I sure as shit didn't, and now I'm no longer sure that going to Florida was such a good idea.

But now we're here, in a bungalow by the sea at Daytona Beach. It's close to 85 degrees, the sun is shining, and there's happy drunk people everywhere. I've made sure we have enough food, snacks, and drinks for the first two days. Nancy and Char have never been to the south, and they're pretty excited being away from everything. I'm not sure they'll continue being happy once they find out about the guys though.

Angie, Char and I are in the kitchen and I'm putting away the groceries while they sit on the high stools at the breakfast bar watching me work. We agreed to start our trip with spicy drinks, so I'm getting on that as soon as I have everything packed away. Nancy bounces joyously into the kitchen.

"This was the best idea, Kacie. Getting away is just what I needed," Nancy beams with so much excitement it makes my stomach turn with guilt. I'm not so sure she'll be beaming at me when we inevitably stumble upon the guys. Char agrees with Nancy, and I just nod and smile, not knowing what to say. Angie observes my unease and smirks at me. Yeah, I'm sure she knows that something is up. Dammit. Why do girl groups have to be so complicated? I've never had to deal with these sorts of things in the past. I never had girlfriends before and I've never been part of any girl-friend-groups. Finally having packed everything away I start to find all the things I need to make my frozen chili margaritas. I'm glad the task gives me something to do so my guilt won't keep eating at me. Char and Nancy leave for their rooms to unpack saying that they'll be back in a jiffy. Once they're out of hearing range Angie leans into me and whispers:

"The boys are here too, aren't they?" Busted!

"Uhm... They might be..." I say hesitantly.

"I knew it!" She laughs as she claps her hands.

"Shh... The others don't know, and I don't know how to tell them, and when they find out they're gonna hate me and then..." I begin. Angie interrupts me.

"If! If they find out. Just don't tell them. We might not even run into the guys. Daytona will be filled to the brim with college students this week. It will be like finding a needle in a haystack. And if we do run into them, you just act like you didn't know anything. I'll have your back."

"I don't know..." I mumble. With our collective luck we'll run into them within the next ten minutes and find out that they are our neighbors for the week. Jeez, this is stressful already.

"It'll be fine," Angie reassures me. "Honestly, I'm just happy to be back in the damp heat. I don't care what happens. I'm sure things will work themselves out. Partying with the boys here of all places might just be what everyone needs!"

"Yeah well, I hope you're right. But hey! 'May the odds be ever in our favor', right?" I say with my most Effie-like-accent.

"Right! Now where is the tequila, my little mockingjay?" she says, reaching her hands out towards me making grabby gimme-like-movements with her fingers at me, as if I'll magically produce a bottle of tequila from my ass.

***

Later that day Angie and I bump into Luke, Nate and Hadrien at the beach. I knew it! I knew we'd run into them right away.