Just Kidding | ✔️

Chapter 18: A Day On The Beach

 
♡

"I am not lying." My voice cracks.
    "Mhm." Cooper nibbles his bottom lip to keep from laughing.
     "Screw you, Rhodes. I'm telling you the truth." I stomp my foot impatiently.
     "I'll see you Monday." He blatantly ignores me as he starts down the path back to his car.

   Sneaking back inside I quickly make my way upstairs to find Chloe and Riley darting away from the window. "Were you two watching me?" I ask, already sure of their answers even before they nod in unison. "Can you blame us? Your life is our main source of entertainment." Riley shrugs. "There's always something interesting happening. It's like a movie but it's free." Chloe says before her attention is captured by her phone screen. Her face brightens and Riley and I share a cheeky look.

Chloe only smiles like that for Chris. It's pretty adorable actually. "Sorry to cut this conversation short ladies but Chris is coming to pick me up." She begins to pack up her cheetah print duffel bag with the clutter she left scattered all around the room. It was only a day, how she manages to make this much of a mess is beyond me.

"Imagine being in love." Riley rolls her eyes. I nod agreeably at her remark and announce "I refuse to fall in love again." The girls laugh at this and Chloe, now zipping up her bag and tying her sneakers, says "then I wish you luck on that tremendously unlikely journey." She hugs us each goodbye before heading out. The sound of Chris' car horn is followed soon after.

"What are your thoughts on a beach day? I'm in need of a little stress reliever." Riley rummages through her dresser. "I could use some vitamin D." I claim.

"You could use Cooper's vitamin D—"
"Okay if we're having a stress reliever day then that name can't be mentioned. Not once. Okay?"
"Boring." Riley snorts, changing out of her pajamas into a dark green bikini. "Okay why don't we talk about your love life for a minute then?" I wait for her to toss a swimsuit my way as she contemplates her answer. "I'm still at a roadblock." She sighs, it's obvious she's more upset than she's letting on so I drop it and change into the slinky black bikini she tosses to me.

Within thirty minutes we're hopping into her car and speeding down the freeway to the nearest beach. It's a rather warm day even the breeze is hot as I stick my hand out the passenger window. Up until we pull into the boardwalk to find it's busier than usual, the day was relaxing. "Damn. Did everyone and their mother decide to come to the beach today?" Riley parks the car and hesitantly we start our trip down.

"I'm sure we can find somewhere more secluded." I feign optimism but the closer we approach the sandy shores littered with families and groups of high schoolers, the more obvious it is that I'm wrong.

Regardless, Riley and I trudge far to the left and plant ourselves down between a mother and daughter on one side and some unaccompanied towels on the other. "Rub this on my back?" Riley winks at me, holding out a small bottle of sun tan lotion. "Yes, my love." I answer sarcastically, retrieving the bottle and applying it accordingly. It's a peaceful moment until the owners of the vacant towels return.

"Well, hello." The voice is familiar but not enough to grab my attention until another voice chimes in. "Enjoying the sun ladies?" It sounds like Cameron and I'd be right. Looking up to see him and two other of Cooper's buddies almost completely ruins this day off. "I just can't catch a break." I mumble, sitting back down on the towel.

"Don't worry girls. We were just heading out, you two can continue. . .what it was you were just doing." One of the other boys grins, I believe I've heard people call him Aaron or something. "Yes. Please leave. You're bothering my girlfriend and I here." Riley suddenly changes coarse and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss. I try to maintain my laughter when she releases me.

I eventually turn back towards the boys who stare blankly and hungrily for a moment longer until Riley shoos them and they scatter. "Why?" I shake my head humorously at her sly grin. "Sometimes I like to create drama. So what? I get bored, sue me." She throws her hands up theatrically then falls back onto her towel.

"Alright I'm gonna nap. Wake me only if I start to boil or sizzle." Riley throws on a pair of sunglasses before falling silent. I take this time to scroll through my phone, checking in on everyone's weekend updates since we apparently live through social media but once I've exhausted everything on there I find myself dozing off. Due to my recent lack of sleep, I welcome it.

Before I know what's happening I'm being shaken awake. It's Riley, she's clearly had one or two drinks in her and appears to be excited to tell me something as she continues to poke at me until I sit up where she then says, "these two cute boys came up to me like thirty minutes ago. They have booze and a bonfire and said we should come over when you wake up and look you're awake."

Once I'm able to fully process what's happening I notice the sun has sunk quite a bit in the sky. I must've been asleep for a couple of hours, it still doesn't feel like enough. "Here." Riley watches me sluggishly collect my things and, out of pity apparently, she hands me the remainder of the beer I assume she got from these strangers I haven't met yet. I'm growing more and more anxious by the minute until we finally land upon the small group of friends. A couple of girls and boys are gathered around a makeshift fire. Soft rock is playing on a portable radio.

"Hey! Look who's awake!" Riley swiftly approaches the boys who turn and smile at our presence. Riley was right, they are cute. Especially the one making eyes at me right now. His shaggy black hair falls to his shoulders, a sleeve of patchy tattoos wrap around his entire forearm and from what I can see he's in pretty good shape. So why don't I feel anything? "It's nice to officially meet you. I'm Emmett." The boy laughs and for a while we engage in bleak small talk.

Even when the sun lowers further in the sky and the boy I've forgotten the name of wraps his arm around my waist I can't help but doze off. Meanwhile Riley and her stranger peel off somewhere to do God knows what, I remain in the presence of unwanted company to which I wind up straying from just slightly. I'm far too enthralled by the different colors painted across the sky to hear the boy approaching until he's throwing his sweater around me, remaining at my side. It's in this moment that a horrifying thought momentarily flashes across the back of my mind.

It's the thought of Cooper and the way I feel in his presence that I don't feel now. Safe. He makes me feel safe in a way I can't explain nor comprehend.

Thankfully not before long does Riley come hobbling back with the widest grin on her face. We end up all exchanging numbers before leaving and just to appease the curious side in me I allow the boy to peck me on the lips just once and with that my brief night of promiscuity comes to a close.