Amberian (Gods of California I)

Chapter 32: A Girl

The first day of Amber's vacation was spent in bed. It always felt like what she imagined a hangover would feel like the day after a migraine attack. 

A day later, with painkillers, she felt well enough to go down to the actual lake and spend some time in the sand. As they drove from the rental home, she felt herself come back to life from the smell of the surrounding pine trees and the sight of snow in the mountains.

I could live here one day... I wonder if Ally would like it.

__

The beach was busy with out of towners.

It was unseasonably warm in the mountains. Autumn foliage lined the natural landscape in every direction she looked. Even with the crowd, it was a peaceful place, every time she was there she felt she understood why hippies hugged trees.

She'd never been one to wear swimsuits, and certainly not bikinis. There were certain times especially when she hated showing her arms and legs, and that day she chose a long sleeve shirt and loose-fitting beach pants. 

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and the unpolluted air calmed her mind.

When a soft, feminine voice rang out behind her, her heart skipped a beat.

"Hi."

She turned and her eyes went wide.

Oh. My. God.

There was a girl there who looked to be a year or two older than her, with very blond hair and blue eyes. She was tall, and fit, and when Amber noticed she was wearing a red bikini her heart fluttered and she averted her widened eyes. 

At a very young age Amber had realized something about herself.

She liked girls. 

The way they looked, the way they sounded, hell, even the way they smelled. Her shyness had prevented her from ever having girlfriends as she struggled to connect with others.

Except Ally. With her, it had always been so easy.

So many times, she'd almost worked up the nerve to tell her, about her preferences, about her being her main preference but she always talked herself out of it.

Plus, Ally had always spent just as much time with Ethan as with her. That was a hint in itself, she thought. 

Quit looking at her legs, ya dummy!

"Uh, hi."

Amber forced herself to look at the sand and count the grains. 

Must not look, must not look, damn it!

"I'm Maggie. How are you?"

If only you knew, Maggie, if only you knew.

"Uhh, I'm... I'm..."

Fucking hell people literally just walk up to random strangers nowadays? What does this mean?

Maggie smiled a lot, the positive vibe she gave off seemed to make her sun kissed skin glow angelically.

"A few of my friends are hanging out at the tables, wanna come?" the beautiful stranger asked, the perfect white smile lingering.

Will I marry you? Yes! I mean, wait what... Uh...

"Sure..." she said with a choking voice.

God damn it I sound pathetic right now.