"Holly, let's go swimming!"
I looked up at Casey as she hovered over me, her hands on her hips. I raised an eyebrow.
"Right now?"
"We've been here for four hours, and all you've done is sit there and be depressed," she accused.
"I haven't been depressed," I accused, frowning. "What is there to be depressed about?"
"Hmm, let me think," she started, putting a finger to her chin. "Could it be that Mr. Heywood isn't here?"
"What? No! I-I... it isn't that," I stuttered, feeling my face heat up.
Casey rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you don't just tell him you like him."
"Shh! Lower your voice!"
"Sorry," she said, quieting voice. "But if you like him, I think you should just tell him."
"I can't!" I cried, my eyes widening. "Casey, you don't understand the situation."
"What's the situation?"
"Oh, I don't know... he's a teacher and I'm a student?"
"And?"
"That's illegal, Casey."
Casey waved her hand. "You're a senior. It shouldn't matter."
"He doesn't even like me," I continued, digging a hole in the sand with my bare foot and burying it in it.
Casey heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "You don't know that."
"He's got a girlfriend."
Casey's eyes widened in surprise. "Did he tell you that?"
"Well, not in those words," I responded, biting my lip. "But lately he's been going on dates."
Casey rolled her eyes. "Holly, it sounds to me like your making up excuses not to like him."
I gaped at Casey, unable to think of a reply. She frowned at me, crossing her arms.
Was I making up excused not to like him? No, that wasn't it. I was just being rational. Yeah!
"I'm just being rational," I explained, furrowing my eyebrows. "I don't want to get my hopes up."
"Well, even if he doesn't like you, there's something special about you to him," she pressed. "Why else would he keep making you stay after school?"
"Because he's a black mailing devil," I muttered.
Casey sighed. "Holly. C'mon."
I glanced up at her with a frown. "Casey, let's forget about it. It's wrong, and impossible, and I just don't want to think about it anymore, okay?"
"Fine you keep on making up excuses," Casey responded, her face serious. "But when he stops chasing after you, and you lose any chance you have with him, don't come crying to me. You need to stop thinking of wrong and right, Holly, because when it comes to love there's no such thing. When you love someone, nothing should be able to come between the two of you. You're just going to be hurting yourself thinking along the lines as 'he can't like me, it's impossible'. Nothing is impossible."
And with that, she turned and started walking away from me. I watched her walk away, my mouth hanging open slightly.
My best friend had just scolded me about love.
Her words sunk in to my mind, and I knew she was right. I groaned, putting my head in my hands.
I was making up excuses. But it wasn't that I didn't like Mr. Heywood, no, I knew I liked him, loved him. But what was there not to love? He had beautiful grey eyes that seemed to pierce right into your soul. His somewhat messy, brown hair could make him look boyishly cute, or look like a young handsome man. Sure, he had a split personality, but it was sort of a charm point.
I groaned again. But there was something else that kept me from really accepting my feelings, something I didn't want to admit to myself.
I didn't know anything about Mr. Heywood.
What I liked was his looks, his actions, and personality. But I didn't know a single thing about his past, besides that he was a gang leader, and he did something that now has the gang wanting him dead. And I didn't know what that was.
What if it was something really bad? Would that change my views of Mr. Heywood?
I rubbed my forehead, trying to clear my thoughts. For now, I couldn't let Mr. Heywood know of my feelings. I didn't want him to think they weren't real. That I was just like all the other girls at school. For now, I'd deal with my unrequited love, even if it hurt. I could deal with it.
My phone suddenly went off and I jumped, my heart rate spiking. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. The caller I.D showed Lance. I flipped open my phone and put it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Holly! How's the beach?"
"Okay."
"You sound excited," he commented with a chuckle.
I laughed. "Don't I? I thought you were working."
"I am," Lance responded. "I'm on break."
"Oh. How late do you have to work till?"
"Closing."
"Fun," I responded, playing in the sand with my feet again.
"Is Heywood there?"
"No."
"That's why you sound so depressed."
I opened my mouth in shock, narrowing my eyes. "I'm not depressed! You're just like Casey!"
"Hey, I'm just stating the truth," Lance defended, amusement in his voice. "Admit it."
"Have a good shift, Lance!"
"Holly-"
I snapped my phone shut in a huff, blushing furiously. I wasn't depressed! I was just...
I looked around me to see I was the only one sitting on the bench, dressed fully. Everyone one else was running around the beach playing Frisbee, or volleyball, or they were playing in the water.
I scowled.
I wasn't depressed.
Kicking up sand, I stood up, marching towards the changing area with my bag. I didn't need Mr. Heywood to have fun.
Casey mock wolf-whistled at me when I came back to the beach after changing into my swimsuit. I blushed, glaring at her.
"Nice legs, daisy dukes, make's a man go," she paused to wolf-whistle again. "The bikini top is a nice addition."
"I hate them though," I muttered, crossing my arms in front of my chest subconsciously.
I glanced at my blue and white bikini top. It was tied by strings, which I thought was a bad idea. There were some real idiots in my grade, and I didn't really want to take the chance of having one of them untie my top.
"If you don't like bikinis, then why are you wearing them?"
I gave her a sour look. "My mom replaced all my swim suits with bikinis. She took my board shorts too, and there's no way I'm walking the beach in just a bikini."
"Flaunt what you got, Holly," she told me, rolling her eyes.
I stuck my tongue out at her childishly. "Sorry, I like having some modesty."
She just rolled her eyes at me. "Come swimming."
I shook my head. "I'm going to go for a walk. I want to go check out those rocks." I pointed to the rocks in the distance that led out into the ocean.
"Oh! Can I come?"
I nodded. "No Willis though."
We both glanced at Willis, who was roughhousing in the water with some boys from our class. Casey smiled for a second while staring at him, but then turned back to me, waving her hand dismissively.
"He won't even notice I'm gone."
I chuckled, pushing my hair behind my ear. "Fine, let's go."
Together we started down the beach, walking along the thin wash of broken waves. Our feet splashed in the shallow water, the current trying to drag our feet back to see. Casey began hopping over the small waves of foam that came after the wave breaks.
"I want to skimboard," she complained, kicking a wave, and sending the water spraying up at us.
I winced at the cold feeling on my arm. "Did you bring a skimboard?"
"No," she muttered moodily.
I laughed, pushing her slightly. "Then that's your own fault. Borrow one from someone."
Casey sighed. "I guess I'll have to at some point. But it's almost curfew. I'll have to do it tomorrow."
The walk to the rocks was taking longer than I had expected. I must have misjudged the distance. The closer we got, however, the larger the rocks appeared. Casey sped up slightly.
"Look at that!" she cried, her eyes wide. "It's like a fort! Hurry, Holly!"
"Casey, we still have a way to walk- argh!" I cried out as she suddenly grabbed my wrist and started sprinting. "Casey!"
"C'mon, c'mon!"
I scowled slightly, but didn't dare to stop running. Knowing me, I'd probably end up tripping over my feet and fall into the water at my feet.
When we finally reached the rocks, we were both panting, and holding stitches in our sides. I leaned against one of the large, cool, black rocks trying to catch my breath. Casey regained her breath quicker and admired the rocks.
She started climbing one, and I followed in pursuit. The top of the rock was flat, and stable to stand on. Casey started hopping to the next one, which had a two feet crevice between the one I was on and it. I stepped over it cautiously, looking down to see a black hole.
"Casey!" I cried as she jumped from the rock, into a crevice.
"Follow me," she responded.
I looked over the crevice to see Casey at the bottom looking up at me. The crevice was taller than her head. I nervously lowered myself down, dropping onto the sand. Casey started walking down the crevice and I followed, running my hand against the moist rock walls.
Casey turned a corner, and I followed, surprised to see it led to a small section of the beach, even though rocks sectioned it off. Casey turned and grinned at me.
"This is so cool."
I couldn't help but return her grin with one of my own. "You've always been good at exploring."
Casey smirked smugly, before walking to the other side of the small beach area. I followed, staring in wonder at the area I was looking at. It was literally a part of the beach that was sectioned off by rocks. The large black rocks even went about ten feet into the ocean, and the tops of the walls also went higher than the flat tops of the rocks we had first came off. It was totally private.
"I bet people like to have sex in here," Casey commented, grinning cheekily. "It's so private."
"You have such a dirty mind," I responded, rolling my eyes.
"Check this out."
I walked over to where she was, and peered around her. There seemed to be a tunnel in the rock.
"Should we go in there?"
I shook my head. "There's probably only trash and stuff. Let's go climb the rock pier before the curfew comes."
Casey stared longingly at the small cave before sighing. "Yeah."
We made our way out of the little private area, and with some effort, pulled ourselves out of the crevice and onto the flat rock. The sun was beginning to set now.
"Should we go back?" Casey asked.
I glanced back at the beach where our class had set up, and could still see people playing in the water.
"I think we're okay," I told Casey, who was also looking.
"If we go fast."
We nodded at each other and started carefully climbing across the rocks that led to the rock pier. I wanted to make it out to the last rock. There were puddles of water on some of them, and every now and again I'd step on one and scare myself.
Casey was kicking a rock, expertly getting across crevice after crevice as I barely managed to stumble from rock to rock without falling in one. There was a large crevice between the rock and the one we were currently on, so Casey gave a hard kick to the rock, sending it soaring. It went way past the other rock.
I snickered as Casey flushed in embarrassment.
"Ow!"
Casey and I looked at each other in surprise and scrambled across the crevice, looking down the other side of the rock. A pair of teenage boys was standing below us. One of them had shaggy brow hair, and the other had a buzz cut. The one with the buzz cut was holding a hand to his head and holding the rock in his other hand.
Casey jumped down before I could stop her, and jogged up to the boy with the buzz cut.
"I am so sorry!" she apologized.
"I think I'm bleeding," he said, pulling his hand away from his head for a second, before quickly replacing it. "Yeah, definitely bleeding."
I rolled my eyes. Yeah right.
"Sorry!" Casey apologized again, sounding flustered. "Let me check it out."
Casey reached a hand up to the teen's head, but before I could protest, the teen grabbed her wrist, a smirk spreading across his face. I immediately tensed up, watching them carefully.
"Let go," Casey demanded, trying to yank her wrist free.
"Are you alone? You don't look busy right now, so why don't you have some fun with us?"
"I'm here with my boyfriend," Casey retorted, trying to pull her hand away.
I scowled, preparing to shout at the guy. Then the guy with the brown hair finally made his mouth, grabbing Casey's other arm.
"It'll be fun," he told her.
"Let go!" Casey repeated, with more force.
I caught my breath and watched nervously. What should I do? Go get someone? No, there wasn't time for that.
I realized they hadn't noticed me, so I quietly backed away from the rock, and started going around it. I could hear Casey's angry voice and the boys' joking ones as I slyly came up from behind the boys. I quietly begged Casey not to look at me.
"Stay still," the one with the buzz cut said, jerking Casey's arm hard.
"Ow!" she cried, being pulled forward.
I quietly dropped behind the pair of boys, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. To my dismay, I landed with a thud. They heard me land, and turned in shock.
The buzz cut boy smirked. "I see you want in on the fun."
Without thinking, I punched the buzz cut teen in the face, using my full force. He let go of Casey in surprise, stumbling back a few steps. I silently scolded myself. I needed to stop punching people.
After I got Casey away.
I turned to the shaggy haired one, holding up my fist threateningly.
"Let her go."
He snorted. "You may have caught him off-guard, but you won't-"
I sent my fist into his face, cutting him off. Casey managed to free herself, and started sprinting away, grabbing my arm and dragging me with her. The buzz cut guy looked up at me with a scowl and flipped me off.
"At least I wasn't beat by a girl," I yelled back childishly, rounding the corner with Casey.
We scrambled up the crevice, quickly making our way across the rocks, and back to the beach, were we continued running back to the class site. I feet splashed through the cool water as I kept throwing cautious glances before me.
I wasn't that worried. I had taken on a gangster before; I could take on two teenaged guys.
We didn't stop running until one of the chaperones on the trip was in our sight. We slowed gradually to a walk, and the finally slumped onto the benches, out of breath. I leaned back, my throat burning.
"I hate running," I panted.
"Where," Casey started, taking a deep breath. "Did you learn... how to punch... like that? I thought you couldn't even make a fist."
I gave a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders, and Casey let it go.
Like I would tell her I needed to learn how to punch someone because I was involved with gangsters. Hah.
"If anyone asks, that didn't happen," Casey said seriously, her breath regained. "Willis would kill me."
"I'm bleeding," I mocked, a smirk on my face.
Casey scowled. "I was being polite."
I rolled my eyes. "This is why I don't like the beach. There are tons of perverts around, waiting to scoop up girls in bathing suits."
Casey stuck out her tongue. "Not always."
I laughed, letting out a sigh of relief with it. At least it wasn't anything serious. I have expected something like that to happen anyway. I mean it happened in movies all the time.
Suddenly I remembered we hadn't made it out to the last rock on the rock pier.
I groaned and Casey looked at me with a worried expression.
"We didn't get to go on the rock pier!"
Casey shoved me hard. "There's always tomorrow."
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I've started putting up banners people have made me (they are all on my facebook page) where the images go. Unfortunately, I can only put one image at a time, so if you made one, it might be awhile before yours comes up since I have over 20 haha :)
Facebook page in external link :D