▲ Chapter 20 (Part 1) || I-I Can't Swim ▲
Sunscreen? Check.
Hat? Check.
Cucumber and Cream cheese sandwiches for lunch? Check.
Swim shirt? Check.
Picnic rug? Check.
Phone? Check.
Wallet? Check.
Towel? Check.
"Alright, I think that's it. I have everything," I announce to Elle excitedly, placing my notepad down on my bed and un-clicking my pen.
"Did you seriously make a list with all the things you need for the beach?"
"Pfft," I scoff embarrassedly, "...Yes."
She laughs and frowns when she sees my choice of equipment set out on my bed, "You made sandwiches too?"
"So no one gets hungry."
"And a swim shirt? Seriously Bronte, this is something a five year old would bring to the beach!"
I shrug. I thought my choice in equipment was just fine. I have plenty of sun protection, and at least with a swim shirt I won't have to display my half-naked body to four boys. I can't imagine how embarrassing that would be. They'd probably compare me to all the other girls they hang out with, who are skinny and toned and gorgeous.
"Come on Bronte, loosen up! Show off that sexy body of yours."
"Sometimes I question your sexual orientation."
"And sometimes I question your self-esteem. You're a stunner, Bront," she frowns, "Own it."
I purse my lips and hesitate, before eventually sighing, "Okay," I reply, stuffing all my equipment in my swim bag - minus the swim shirt. "Lets go. The boys are waiting out the front," I sling my beach bag over my shoulder and walk to the door.
"Oh I can't believe they actually invited us. They're so popular!" Elle cries, "I'm starting to like your over-friendly nature. Look at where it's taking us - the beach with four hot, toned and probably-shirtless boys."
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"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there now?"
"No."
"How about now-?"
"Jesus Alec, shut the fuck up!" Blake barks in annoyance. Alec slumps back in his seat miserably, his head bowed down and his mouth forming a pout.
"Aww, poor wittle Alec," Elle teases with a laugh, and Alec glares back at her.
"Shut up."
"Are Reece and Chase following us?" I ask Blake conversation-wise, and he nods his head.
"Yep. They're in the car behind us," he nods his head in the direction of the rearview mirror and I peer through it. Sure enough, in a black car, Chase and Reece are following suit behind us.
"Are you excited about the beach? I'm sorry if we're the party crashers but Alec, Reece and Chase invited us and I just thought it might be fine, and since I haven't been to the beach in ages I thoug-"
"Bronte," Blake interrupts. "I'm glad you came, okay? And yes, I'm excited. I get to try out my new board."
"Surf-board?"
"Yeah. You keen on having a turn?" he asks, looking over at me with the right side of his lips curved into a sexy smirk. Did I really just think that? He wriggles his eyebrows at me challengingly and I chuckle.
"Okay. I'll give it a go," I nod, "But beware because I probably suck."
"Awesome. Do you swallow too?"
I roll my eyes at his innuendo, "I have to admit, I walked right into that. You're very predictable."
Blake is a living, breathing innuendo.
"Aww, that's mean. What happened to nice Bronte?"
"She met Blake."
"Touché, Davis."
Alec's head pops up out of nowhere from behind us and I jump with a scream. "Alec!"
"Are we there yet?"
Blake's jaw visibly clenches and, with one hand, he grabs Alec's face and shoves him back.
"Fucking 7 year old," Blake curses under his breath.
This was going to be a long ride.
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"Cheers to the fucking weekend!" Chase screams, wriggling out of his pants and racing down the beach with Alec, Blake and Reece. They are all undressing into their swim clothes, leaving their normal clothes dumped on the sand.
I don't have the strength to pull my eyes off Blake as he runs, throwing away his shirt to reveal his toned abs and muscular body. He was certainly very easy on the eyes.
Meanwhile Elle and I are left to deal with all the luggage, courtesy to the boys' laziness. I grab a couple beach bags and backpacks from the trunk and follow Elle down the pathway to the beach.
The beach isn't too crowded and only has a few families and teenagers scattered around, which was fortunate for me because it means that there'll be less witnesses for when I attempt to surf.
We set camp by the water and watch the boys swimming for a while, before Elle hops out of her clothes; leaving on her bikini, of course.
"C'mon," Elle says, standing up and brushing off the sand from her legs, "Lets go."
"You go ahead."
"Bronte. Get out of your damn clothes! I don't understand this insecurity of yours, you freak."
A wolf whistles sounds from the water and Elle and I turn to see Alec grinning at Elle mischievously, "Damn girl!"
Elle scrunches up her nose, "Idiot," she mutters. "Now I'm going into the water. If you are not out there in 5 minutes, I will drag you there if I have to."
"Yes Ma'am," I reply, saluting her cheekily.
She rolls her eyes and retreats from me, over to the four boys.
I don't understand why I'm so fearful getting into a bikini now. Sure, wearing a bikini was a fairly rare occasion since I only do so when I'm in the pool with Elle, but it isn't like it is a major insecurity of mine. I'm smart enough to know that I'm not overweight, but I'm still not the fittest person in shape either.
I guess it's just that now that I'm with a bunch of buff Greek gods, my slight insecurity has jumped up a peg or two.
I really need to stop overthinking.
Clearing my thoughts, I slide off my shirt and shorts and jog down to the water, my arms folded across my stomach. I smile broadly when I reach the group and send a small wave.
"Look who finally decided to join us!" Chase bellows with a large grin.
"Yeah. Hey!" I say, slowly stepping into the cold water. "Holy-moly, it's so cold," I laugh, my teeth chattering as I step further and further into the water. I catch Blake's gaze and the way he looks at me makes my heart skip a beat. I quickly look away and convince myself that it was just me trying to convince myself that Blake might be into me the way that I am into him.
"Chicken! Just go in fully, it's a lot easier then," Elle tells me.
"Says the one who took 10 minutes to get in the water," Alec remarks. He turns to me with a cheeky chin, "C'mon babe, I'll keep you warm," he opens his arms and reaches them out to me, but I stay in my place because he is drenched in water.
"No thanks."
Blake smacks Alec across the head and turns to me with a smile, "C'mon, it's not too bad," he reaches his hand out to me with a gorgeous smile and I take it gingerly. Who could say no to that face?
But before I can register what's happening, Blake pulls my hand and throws me forward into the water with one fast jolt. The icy, cold water hits me hard and goose bumps form across my skin. I shiver from the cold and look at Blake with wide eyes. He laughs evilly and that's when an idea hits me.
"I-I can't swim!" I splutter, splashing water around and feigning panic. Blake's face immediately drops.
"Shit," he curses, racing over to me and quickly scooping me up into his warm arms.
Cue the fake crying.
I begin to tremble and sob, being sure to cover my face with my hands to make the charade seem more believable.
"I'm so sorry," he says worriedly, holding me tightly in his arms as though he had just saved my life. Well, in his head that would've been the case.
I begin to shake again, but this time from laughter. At the same time, realisation hits Blake, "Wait a second. You can swim!"
I was unable to hold my laughter in for any longer and I double over, "You-you were so scared!"
"You little shit," he replies and with that, he throws me up in the air and I plunge right back into the water.
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This next scene was inspired by a scene from the book 'The Popularity Debt' by bryonymagee.
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"Okay, so you need to lie flat on the board," Blake instructs and I climb atop the board, nervous as it dangerously rocks side to side.
"You don't want to be too far forward, so you need to move back. Otherwise the head of the board will sink underwater when you're catching a wave," he states, using his arms to grip around my waist and pull me further down the board.
I try to ignore the butterflies I feel from his touch and decide I need to distract myself. It wasn't healthy for me to fall for a boy who obviously wasn't interested in me. "So. I didn't peg you for the surfing type..." I drawl, "How long have you been surfing?"
"Since I was 4," he replies, glancing back at the sea, "Looks like a good set is coming up. Let me know when you're ready."
"Okay," I nod. I wasn't ready at all, "How'd you get into surfing?" I ask, trying to savage the short amount of time I have left before I have to go and catch a ginormous wave.
"Dad taught me. He's always been the surfing type. Used to live for it when he was younger."
I glance back at him, ready to ask another question, when I catch his eyes looking somewhere they shouldn't me. My cheeks turn red and I clear my throat. His eyes snap away from my butt and he looks at me with wide eyes, "I... I was just... There was a ladybug on your... I..." he slaps my butt and I look at him with wide eyes, "There, I got rid of the bug."
Then, realisation dawns upon him.
"Holy shit," he breathes, "I just did that. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," he apologises frantically.
I can't help laughing, "It's okay, Blake."
The set of waves grow closer to us - and larger too. What used to be a mere bump in the ocean was slowly transforming into a wave.
"Shit," Blake curses, "There's a big one coming. Hold on tight and don't move. I'll do the rest. Got it?"
"Yes sir," I joke, trying to mask the fear bubbling within me.
In a split second, Blake has his arms on mine and his body pressed against my back as the first wave bypasses us. The wave is smaller than the others soon to come, but it is enough to make me slip down the board.
"Oh God, I'm slipping!" I laugh, my body slowly falling lower down the board and my legs slipping onto the right side. In his best effort, Blake tries to lift me back onto the board, and at the same time steer the board so that it's facing the next wave.
However this fails, since by the time he has me fully on the board and the board itself steered parallel to the wave, it has already arrived, knocking the two of us sideways.
Blake staggers slightly whilst grabbing on the board in an effort to keep it steady. Meanwhile, I'm laughing, "I'm gonna fall," I cry, wriggling onto the board as quickly as possible.
Blake presses his body against my back again in preparation for the next wave and I can feel him shake with laughter as I scramble up the board. I try my hardest to conceal my laughter as the final wave approaches. I'll probably drown due to laughing too much.
"Push yourself up the board, Bronte!" Blake shouts, "Fucking hell. You're gonna fall off! Hold on tight! Don't let the board come near your face. It-it could flick up and hit you!"
What he says barely registers in my head since I'm now in hysterics. "Oh God. I can't do this!" I call back to him. His body presses tighter against mine as he faces the board to the upcoming wave. It is massive - towering over us in a mess of white water.
"Fuck!" is the last thing I'm able to shout before both Blake and I are engulfed by the wave and thrown around in a mass of water and sand and seaweed.
It is at this very convenient time, note the sarcasm, that the humour of this situation consumes my thoughts and I begin to laugh, coughing and swallowing sea water as I try to simultaneously resurface.
I finally manage to paddle atop the crashing waves and release a breath of relief when I finally resurface. I hear cough beside me and I glance over to see Blake huffing and spluttering up water, bits of seaweed on his face and in his messy hair. I was pretty sure I looked the same.
He looks over at me and a small laugh escapes my mouth at how he looks. And then I think back at what just happened and I begin to laugh even louder.
You know when you start laughing hysterically and you don't even know why because it isn't even that funny?
That's what I do.
A smile forms on Blake's once-dazed face as he stares back at me. The occasional chuckle starts to escape his mouth.
Then, moments later we are both laughing; the two of us doubling over in hysterics.
After that, I don't even know what I am laughing at. I just was - And I couldn't stop.
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A/N
Lol, hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - and the entire book. I've been really busy lately so I haven't been able to update as often, but once assessments are over I'll be able to work more on this book and update more regularly.
Just in case you missed my previous comment - THE ENDING OF THIS CHAPTER WAS INSPIRED BY A CHAPTER FROM 'THE POPULARITY DEBT' BY BRYONYMAGEE. Check out her book, it's awesome.
- M
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