Guilty Conscience

1. A Night to Regret

The crisp, salty sea air breezed in off the rolling waves; undulant watery hills slowly being pulled to shore by an almost full moon. The warm night presented perfect conditions for drinking on the beach.

That's exactly what a small group of friends were doing. Every second Friday night (or sometimes third if they were too busy), since they graduated high school, they all got together to drink and have fun.

It used to be going to night clubs, then local bars and now that they were getting over the public scene they got together at each other homes or sometimes at the beach if the weather was ideal.

They usually sat together drinking and talking but on this night for a moment, the group was divided.

"I don't like the way he's been actin' with her," Jimmy said, looking over towards where two of the group of friends were off on their own. "What's he playing at?"

"Who? Tom?" Ben asked as he swigged down the last of his semi-cold beer and threw the bottle into the fire. The beach they were on was nice and secluded so they could get away with a little campfire and a lot of noise. "I wouldn't worry 'bout it much man. Tom and Kasey are just mates, like they have been for years – it's all innocent."

"Huh, yeah right," Jimmy said as he passed Ben another beer. "He's never been that friendly with her and earlier I told him I was interested in her more than a friend and tonight I was gunna finally tell her. Now look at him – keen as cat shit runnin' round playin' chasey-chase like a kid. He's barely left her side all night. Now you tell me again that it's just innocent shit."

"He's got a point you know," Kent said to Ben as he threw another small log onto the fire, sending a spray of bright sparks into the air. He backed Jimmy up, not only because they were close mates but because he also had noticed Tom's overly amorous behaviour towards Kasey. "I've been thinking the same thing man and I didn't even know Jimmy and Tom had had that little chat but now it's obvious, isn't it? Toms keen on her too and now he's tryin' to get in first."

"Exactly," Jimmy agreed, relieved at least one of his friends was seeing sense. "And to be honest, I-"

"Shut up, they're coming back over," Kent said, just before Kasey and Tom plunked themselves down on the sand next to the others.

Jimmy took a huge swig of his beer, staring into the hypnotic flames of the campfire and forcing himself not to look at Tom for he knew if he did his glare would be much hotter than the fire in front of them. He debated whether or not he should talk to Kasey after all, whether it would even be worth it. Maybe she only saw him as a friend? Maybe it was Tom she had been interested in all along and he'd been reading her wrong all these years?

Tom cracked open a cruiser and handed it to Kasey before grabbing a beer for himself. Jimmy couldn't help himself from looking over at Tom and seeing the grin his so called friend was giving the girl Jimmy had loved for years made his mind up for him.

"Hey Kase, can I talk to you for a minute," he said and got up to show he wanted a word in private – away from the others. He put out his hand for her to grab.

"Sure Jimmy, what about?" She grabbed his hand and pulled herself to her feet.

"Let's just take a walk and have a chat."

He could almost feel Tom's eyes on them as they walked away and he grinned, although it wasn't an entirely satisfied grin, nor a confident one. He was nervous – no terrified – that he was too late.

As they strolled slowly along the beach, their bare feet sinking into the soft white sand, Jimmy did most of the talking. He had tried to prepare himself for this earlier but now the moment was here, everything came out differently. He was too drunk to even think straight – let alone remember what he'd planned on saying. He didn't think he was doing too badly anyway. Originally, he had planned on making a few all too obvious moves on her and hoped she'd make a move back before actually coming right out, telling her how he felt and putting his heart on the line but Tom had put a spanner in the works and now Jimmy had to tell her straight up before it was too late.