Lover Dearest [3]

17.) Awkward Awkwardness

"Normal."

I smiled in the mirror at myself.

"Yeah, normal."

Sure, I was talking to myself, but I was in a fairly good mood. It has been a week since the whole situation with Jackson and I am proud to say that it has officially blown over. After I vented to Damon about it, it wasn't really eating at me anymore and Holly was always out with Kale, so it's not like I could really tell her anyway. I haven't really talked to Jackson about anything either other than that night after I'd spoken to Damon. So, yes. Everything was going back to normal, finally.

And today, we were all going to have a normal trip to the beach, all of us. It'll be the first time we're all at the beach at once and, if I keep my distance from Jackson, everything will be really fun. Even if I didn't avoid Jackson, this day would be fun, because we're friends, like we always have been. Just like nothing has happened.

After one last confident smile in the mirror, I was on my merry way. Today, I was wearing a simple black bikini covered by a pair of shorts and a "fringe crop top", that's what the tag said. It was a dark blue tank top-like thing that cut off half way between my belly button and boobs and there was fringy stuff that hung down to my waist. Alone with white flip flops and a Hollister tote bag that was holding my towel, sun screen, and other beach necessities.

Soon, we were all herding towards the beach. The part of the beach outside of the house is always vacant considering its private, I think, but a little farther down the beach, it's fairly busy and I think there's like a beachside restaurant there, which is why there's always so many people there. It's funny, I doubt any of them realize that there less than half a mile away from three of the most famous teenagers in the world.

Today will be the first day since the incident that I'll actually be spending time with Holly, since she's always with Kale now. Elle and Andy, too, they spend most of their time with their boy toys, so I've been hanging out with either Damon, Taylor, and/or Jackson, Ryder, and the twins.

Once we got our towels spread out, we all abandoned our clothes so that we were all in our bathing suits and this is when the debating started.

"Let's go swimming." Ryder suggested.

"No, tanning is first." Andy insisted.

"Well, I want to build a sand castle." Isaac suggested.

"Why don't we all do what we want to do?" Holly asked. "And then we'll all meet up for lunch."

Everyone seemed to like that idea, so we all dispersed to their desired activity, which for me and the girls was tanning. I'd go swimming later, but tanning first.

We laid our towels in the sand and laid on our backs in a row, I was between Holly and Andy with Elle on the other side of Andy.

"So, Libby, you seem to be getting pretty cozy with that Damon guy." Holly grinned at me suggestively.

"Really?" I chuckled. "We're just talking. But not like talking, talking. Just friends."

"Well, you have to like somebody." Holly said firmly. "And it's not just because I think you should have a boyfriend, but I see that smile on your face and you only smile like that when you like somebody."

That made me blush. I didn't like Damon like that, we were just friends and that was that. I would try to lie to Holly and tell her that she was wrong and that I don't like anybody, but she wouldn't believe me. She knows me better than anybody, she would know that I was lying. But what was I supposed to tell her? I didn't have a crush on Damon, but I thought that I might have just the slightest crush on Jackson? That wouldn't go over well at all.