Emily
''Stell, what are you up to?'' She is sitting on the gray sofa in the living room watching some awful reality TV. She is all huddled up in a blanket looking like a small parcel. Her hand is sticking out of the blanket to hold on to a cup of something steaming. It's not at all cold in here but she looks like it's December and we are in Alaska.
''Just watching the ''Cake Boss'', why?'' She says not turning her eyes away from the TV.
''Me and some of my friends are going to the beach to play volleyball. Wanna come?'' I offer. I just got a call from Annie that they are going, the boys want to play some volleyball.
''Sure. Now?'' She turns her eyes on me and looks excited.
''We'll meet them in the beach in a half an hour.'' Stella places the cup down on the coffee table and tosses the blanket messily on the sofa.
''Sounds good!'' She hops off the sofa and quickly disappears to her room.
I gather my things. I put on my bikini, just incase, it's not really that warm today. It's the end of September and it looks like it's mostly cloudy.
''Em, I'm ready!'' I hear Stella call from the living area. I quickly gather my car keys and take my bag.
Stella is wearing short jeans and a shirt that's almost see-through. Her bright red bikini is showing under it. She looks amazing and I forget myself for a second. I've gotten into a habit of staring but I really shouldn't.
''I'll drive,'' I say and off we go.
***
''Annie, this is Stella.'' We meet Annie at the parking lot and I introduce them. Annie is cheerful like always already from a far she waved for us.
''I think we have met briefly before, nice to meet you,'' Stella extends her and to her and they shake. Annie is smiling wide and nudges me with an elbow teasingly. She always does that to me when there are cute girls around, but because Stella saw it I feel like sinking 10 feet underground.
''Yeah, was it Evan's sorority party, you were there with Lily and Christian?'' Annie asks Stella like she didn't just make me red as tomato and starts walking to the beach.
''Yes, that's it!'' Stella smiles big and the girls carry on the conversation.
''Hey, girls!'' Devon, is the first to greet us out of four boys that are already waiting for us. Devon is my last roommate. He is tall and tan, looks like a real Cali surfer boy. His blond hair is long enough to be put up into a bun and his wrists are covered with wristbands.
We all greet them and I introduce everybody to Stella. They all greet her with warmth.
''How's the new roomy? Better than me?'' Devon teases nudging my shoulder and winking at me.
''Yes, much better to look at then you,'' I tease back.
''No, can't be, look at me,'' the pearly white smile disappears and he has a pout oh his face, and is gesturing to himself.
''Oh yeah, my bad, I forgot how you looked like,'' I laughed. His face lights up and knowing smirk appears on his lips.
''For reals, she looks smoking, how do you live like that?'' He asks humorously.
''With great difficulty,'' I joke, but it is somewhat true. She is having an effect on me and I'm a little afraid. I looked to my right where Stella was in deep conversation with Annie and Liam. She was smiling and laughing lightly looking good in the sun. Her laugh echoes into my ear and it's a lovely sound.
Liam is a real flirt, he takes on everybody and anybody – literally, that's the ways of a bi guy who has confidence. His hand is placed on Stella's forearm and I feel a tinge of jealousy again. He is a good looking guy, I can't see why Stella would not be interested.
''Don't stare,'' Devon laughs bringing my attention back to him. I hit his hand playfully and he pretends to be hurt.
''Do we do boys against girls or mixed teams?'' Annie hops to her feet when Dylan arrives and there is 8 of us in total.
''There is tree girls and five boys,'' Sebastian corrects Annie, ''can't do boys and girls.''
''Oh right, my bad,'' she laughs, ''mixed it is then.''
Dylan, Liam, Annie, and Evan is a team. I am in a team with Stella, Devon, and Sebastian.
The sun is out and it is warm enough to wear a bikini even when the clouds are blocking the sun. Everyone is getting their playing uniform on, so to say. Stella discards the see-through shirt and is now just wearing the red bikini. Her figure is flawless. Her long legs look tanned and smooth like silk. Her red hair is up in a bun now few strands are loose from it that she has tucked behind her ear. She fishes her shades out of her bag and her eyes land on me after. She smiles sweetly and I feel my heart rate increase.
''Don't fall for a straight girl!'' Annie says over my shoulder and quickly takes her position on the court.
''I'm not,'' I say to myself.
But maybe I am.
Before the first serve Stella whispers in my ear, ''I don't really know what I am doing.'' I can feel her breath on my neck and for a second I imagine her lips on my neck. Emily, stop thinking about her like that!
''Neither do I, and the boys aren't any better. Just don't let the ball drop,'' I whisper as I turn to look at her. She is looking straight ahead and doesn't see my eyes flicker to her lips. Our lips are just inches apart, but she isn't bothered by that. She smiles sweetly and repositions herself behind me.
Boys are jumping and running in the sand. Liam is more lying on the ground than standing up and Annie can't get her serve right. Stella is actually really good at keeping the ball up and passing it on.
Sebastian, who is tallest of us, seems to be best at it. He barely needs to jump to have his hands over the net to block the ball. He and Devon are a good team so me and Stella don't have to worry too much about it.
Evan and Dylan, the twin brothers, are having trouble with understanding each other. Worst twins ever as we always say. But it's good for my team that the twins are having an off day.
But in the end, after all this trouble, we forget to count the points and we don't even know who won.
''I think we won, Annie gave the point away by sucking at serves.'' Devon says cockily smirking at Annie.
''I did not, I got some serves over the net, too,'' Annie fights back giving him a pointed look.
''Like one maybe,'' Sebastian pipes in with humorous laughter.
''Don't you guys have anything to say for our defense?'' Annie addresses her team.
''Not really, they are right, and Liam was on the ground more than up, so we probably lost.'' Evan jokes and Dylan high fives him.
''Hey, I sacrificed myself to bring the ball back up,'' says Liam.
And they kept on bickering about the game till we made it to the parking lot and said our goodbyes.
''I had fun today, thanks for inviting me.'' Stella gets on the passenger seat and buckles up. She sends a warm smile in my direction.
''I had fun, too, looks like my friends like you,'' I say happily.
''Is your date tonight?'' Annie brings me out of my thoughts with nudging me in the ribs.
We are sitting on the beach with Annie. It's not beach weather but it's nice to be here. People are walking along the shore line, couples, people walking dogs. Some jog in the sand. It's peaceful.
''Yes,'' I sight heavily, ''I'm not really interested.''
''Why not? You have to go!'' Annie gasps and gives me a disapproving look. Annie introduced me to this girl last week and she asked me out. I did not have a say in it, Annie agreed and that was that. For a week I have been trying to not to think of it. But today I just feel anxious about going.
''I don't want to go,'' I confess. My head is resting on my knees and my fingers are making random patterns in front of my feet.
''Still hung up on Stella? You have to forget it, she is not interested. Stop torturing yourself!'' She has given me the speech many times before. She is not even trying to sound concerned anymore. It's monotone, she has it on repeat.
''What am I supposed to do, huh?'' I say desperately my words get stuck in my throat and I can feel tears behind my eyes.
''Oh for God sake, go to your date, have fun. Stop sitting at home thinking of her, you have to go out and find someone else!'' She sounds mad and probably is. Her hands are now angrily making shapes into the sand and her eyes are sending daggers at me when she looks up again.
I don't know what to say. I know she is right.