H2O | ✔

Chapter Two : Mr. Sunshine

Sam

One year before...

I reached into the drawer blindly and groped around for a pair of swim trunks. Slipping them on, I also attempted to walk over to my desk where my phone sat. All I succeeded in was tripping over myself. Nice going, Sam.

My phone buzzed again from above me, taunting me. I sighed and took the time to put the trunks on properly before standing up and grabbing it.

From: Xander

Where r u? We r outside

To: Xander

I'm coming! B there in 5

I stuffed my phone in my pocket and threw on a singlet over my bare chest. Sliding my feet into my flip flops, I grabbed a towel and quickly texted my mom to let her know that I was going out with the guys.

And just as I was walking out the door, I felt my phone buzz again from its place in my pocket. He should really learn how to be patient, it's a virtue.

From: Xander

Hurry up

I sighed and chuckled to myself as I walked out and locked the door behind me. Opening the car door and jumping in, I looked at Xander.

"Fast enough for ya, Xander? Or should I have taken a shower while I was in there? You know," I said, putting my hand back on the handle,"maybe I'll go back and do that now."

I could see Xander roll his eyes in the rear-view mirror. (He was sitting in the passenger seat, and I was in the back.)

"Let's just go already!" Gabe whined from his seat next to me.

When we got there, the sun was already high in the sky, and the air felt stuffy from the humidity.

"Why don't we just go straight into the water today?" I suggested. But really, I was going in whether they wanted to or not. It was fucking hot.

"Sounds good," Jake said, grabbing his floaties from the trunk. He was too lazy to actually, I don't know, swim, so he just laid in the middle of the big plastic donut thing he had to blow up.

We all made fun of him for it. Until we tried it. That thing was surprisingly comfortable.

"Well come on!" I shouted, walking ahead of them towards the sand. As soon as my feet touched it, I kicked off my sandals and bent down to pick them up.

Someone jumped on my back when I did, and I let out a loud oomph!

"Giddy up, Sammy!" Gabe, of course.

Playing along, I grabbed his legs that were dangling on either side of my torso and took off. I ran as far as I could with him on my back before I fell over, gasping for air.

"Bad horsey!" Gabe pouted. "Move." He kicked me like a little kid, but not hard enough for it to actually hurt. He was always the goofiest one of us all.

With what little air I had left in my lungs, I laughed.

"This looks like a nice place to set up," Jake said once he and Xander reached us. Jake looked excited to throw down our things and race to the cool water, but Xander seemed indifferent.

He was never very good with his own emotions. He would become angry or excited very visibly, but when he was simply happy or sad he concealed it well. Sometimes he masked what he was feeling with another mood. He was hard to get a read on at times. But I'd known him forever, so I knew how to handle him and his odd outward expressions.