By Chance

Chapter Two

Cole

"Cole, your sisters want to go to the beach, will you take them?" my mom asked me.

I was on the couch, watching tv.

"Sure," I said, standing up, "why not?"

The twins squealed in delight as we left the hotel room and headed down to the beach.

"It's warm here," Macie said as we walked outside and onto the warm sand.

"Yes it is," I said, looking down at her.

"Can we go in the water?" Maggie, Macie's twin, asked me.

I nodded. "Let me get your floaties blown up first," I said.

Maggie and Macie were my seven year-old twin sisters. They were very energetic and exuberant. They wore me out. A lot. Almost too much.

They were also an accident. My parents were satisfied with one child, me. Then my mom found out he was pregnant when I was eleven. Then she found outbshe was having twins. And thus, Maggie and Macie Meyers were born.

I loved being an only child and getting all the love. And at first, I hated them. They took all my parents attention. It was so sudden. Then, as they grew older and less needy, and I grew older and less stupid, I learned to like them. Now, I love them. They haven't gone through the seven year-old girl bratty stage yet either. And hopefully not soon.

I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes. The beach wasn't too crowded. There were people tanning and children playing. The water looked very inviting as well. Too bad I didn't change from my khaki shorts and plaid button up into my swim trunks.

I fetched the twins' floaties from out of the beach bag and started to air them up. The twins watching me and waiting impatiently as I did so.

"Can you hurry up, Cole?" Macie said in her sassy seven year-old voice.

"Macie," I replied, "do you want to go back to the room?"

Macie gave me a look and sat down on the beach towel spread out on the sand, arms crossed over her chest.

"Here you go, Mace," I said, handing the floaties to her once I finished them.

She took them and slipped them over her arms. I hurried up and got Maggie's ready. When the twins were set, we made our way to the shoreline.

"Stay close. Make sure you can touch!" I yelled at them as they ran into the water.

They've never been in the ocean, neither have I. I don't know much about it either. All I know is there are undertows you have to watch out for. Especially if you're a lanky seven year-old.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and began pacing the shoreline, keeping my eye on the twins. I had kicked off my shoes over by our stuff. The warm sand seeped between my toes, sending warmth through my body.

"Hey," said a voice.

I jumped and turned toward the voice.

"Woah, easy there. I'm not going to kill you!"

It's her. The girl from the lobby. The one that boldly walked up to me and asked for my name. What was her name? Abbigail.

"You--" I began, but was quickly cut off.

"Yepp. The weird girl from the lobby," her long brown hair was in a braid down her back and her skin seemed to glow in the Aussie sunlight.

"Weird? Hardly! It takes guts to walk up to a complete stranger," I said, stifling a chuckle.

"Well, I've always been pretty exuberant. That's what people say anyways."

"I believe them," I said, giving her a smile that I hoped wasn't too terrible.

But it apparently worked because she smiled back. A radiant smile with bright white teeth in perfect, straight rows.

"You're cool, you know that?" she said with a laugh in her tone.

"No, but thanks for bringing it to my attention."

She pointed to my face. "Nice sunglasses."

I impulsively touched my glasses with my hand. They were a pair of aviators with silver mirror lenses. I had bought them a couple years ago from a mall stand. A cheap knock-off of the actual thing.

"Thanks," I replied. "I like your top," I blurted out, trying to find a compliment to give back.

She looked down as if forgetting what she was wearing. "Thanks," she said, then laughed again. A sweet, high pitched laugh that seemed to ring. "Why aren't you in the water with your sisters?" she asked, looking out to the water at the twins, who were splashing each other.

"I'm not dressed appropriately. I wasn't planning on coming down here, but the twins insisted," I said, gesturing to my clothing.

"Oh boo! Who cares? You can always wash them, right?" she said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Me? I would, but," she leaned in closer, as if telling a secret, "there are people around."

I gave her an incredulous look.

"I'm totally kidding!" she laughed loudly. "Me brother and I just came down to explore."

"And what have you found?"

"It's pretty swanky, I suppose," she replied.

I laughed. "Swanky," I said, playfully mocking her.

"Hey, don't make fun of my lingo!" she said, playfully hitting my in the arm.

"I do what I want."

She rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"So--"

"Abby!" yelled a voice from behind, for we were facing the water.

We both turned around. A tall guy with light brown, crew cut hair was standing in front of the Beach Bar, waving his hands.

"That's my brother. I probably need to get back," she said, beginning to leave to join her brother. She turned back to me. "See you around soon, yeah?"

"Yeah," I said, unable to think of anything else to say.

Abby half ran, half walked up the beach to join her brother. He said something to her and she laughed and they both turned and left.

I turned around back to the water to watch the twins, who were still splashing each other. My mind wandered to the girl who just left. Her sweet voice, her ringing laugh, her bright smile. That long brown hair that I so baldly wanted to pull out of that braid and let blow in the warm Aussie wind.

"Cole," said a smal voice.

I look down toward it, finding Maggie looking up at me with big blue eyes. "Yes Maggie?"

"I'm hungry," she said as Macie walked up behind her.

"Okay," I said, leading them to the beach bar. "Let's get something to eat."