The Only One Who Needs to Know

By the time Cali returned from getting dressed everyone was awake. Most were drinking coffee, either in the kitchen or in the living room where they were watching cartoons.

“At last, I’m starving.” Rachel announced on seeing Rachel walking into the kitchen.

“You know if you were really that hungry you could have had cereal.” Cali replied as she grabbed a pan off the shelf.

“Oh I have, I just need something you know, a bit more, stodgy.” She replied indicating first to the empty bowl in front of her and then to her flat stomach. Cali rolled her eyes.

“How does pancakes sound for everyone?” there was a unified agreement from everyone as Cali began to gather the ingredients she would need.

Soon everyone was gathered around the kitchen table filling themselves with the pancakes Cali had made.

“I want to do something fun today.” Rachel announced suddenly as she finished her second pancake that she’d covered with chocolate sauce.

“Such as?” Zack asked as he placed another fork full of pancake into his mouth.

“I don’t know, I’m new around here, I don’t know what there is to do here.” Rachel replied squeezing syrup over her third pancake.

“What about the beach?” Andrea asked. Rachel was silent for a moment as she thought about that idea.

“Do you fancy a day at the beach?” Rachel asked as she turned to face Cali.

“Yeah, that’ll be cool, I haven’t been to the beach since getting back.” She replied.

“Awesome. Beach it is then.” Rachel replied with a wide smile. “You know I haven’t been to a beach since I took you to Barry last year.” Cali rolled her eyes.

“Honey, the beaches in California are a little different from Barry.” Rachel replied.

“Really? How?” she asked.

“Well, they don’t do donkey rides and the water’s clean for a start.” She replied. Rachel scrunched her nose for a moment and shrugged before returning to her pancakes.

“Why don’t we all make a day of it?” Matt suggested. Everyone exchanged questioning looks with each other and began to nod.

“Yeah that sounds like fun, we haven’t had a beach day together in ages.” Michelle said taking a sip of her coffee.

“OK, so what if we all meet by the pier in say an hour? That should give everyone enough time to go home, freshen up and grab their beach stuff right?” Matt said, again getting a nodding response.

“What’s with the huge cooler bag?” Jimmy asked as Cali and Rachel walked over to where he and the others were sat beside the pier a little over an hour later.

“Provisions, mainly for Rachie.” She replied with an exaggerated eye roll.

“Provisions?” Johnny questioned.

“Hey I’m a growing girl.” Rachel replied with a satisfied smile.

“Guys, this girl has the most extraordinary eating habits I’ve even seen and you really don’t want to be around her if she’s hungry and there’s no food.” Cali explained as they began to walk along the beach.

They walked a few hundred yards down the beach to a quieter spot and began to lay down their towels. Cali sat down on her towel, placing the cooler bag at the top edge of her towel, between her and Rachel. It was only when she turned her head that she realised that Brian and Michelle had placed their towels next to hers. Sighing she leant over to the cooler bag and took out the bottle of sun screen she’d packed in favour of the baby oil Rachel had wanted to pack. She stripped down to her bikini before beginning to apply the sun screen.

“Oh, help Cali do her back Bri.” Michelle said causing Cali’s breath to catch in her throat. She glanced up to catch Brian’s gaze as he smiled.

“Sure, pass me the bottle.” He said crawling from where he’d been sat helping Michelle with her lotion and sitting next to her on her towel.

“I’m OK, really.” Cali replied nervously, knowing she’s started to blush.

“Don’t be stubborn, you’ll burn, so pass me the bottle and turn around.” Brian ordered. Cali sighed and followed his instructions. She sat, tensed waiting for his hands to make contact with her bare back.

“Oh god.” Cali breathed out barely in a whisper as his hands began to place the cold cream onto her back. She closed her eyes, concentrating hard on not moaning out loud as his hands moved slowly over her skin.

“I love the way you moan at my touch.” Brian whispered quietly, close to her ear so that only she knew he’d spoken. The feeling of his hot breath against her neck as his hands continued to massage the lotion into her back caused a barely audible moan to escape her lips.

“Thanks.” She managed to say as he handed her back the bottle with a smirk.

“Anytime.” He replied with a wink before he stood up from the towel and walked over to the other side of Michelle where he leant down and briefly pecked her lips before walking down towards the ocean with the other guys who were all eager to get into the water.

Cali passed the bottle of lotion to Rachel and took her iPod out of the bag. She lay on her back and placed her ear bud in her ears before turning it on, with the volume low enough so that she could hear what was going on around her. Ldn by Lily Allen began to play causing Cali to smile as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the Californian sun warming her up.

Through her music she could hear others in the group chatting happily and soon heard the guys returning to the towels. They hadn’t been at the beach an hour when Cali became aware of movement to her left with a rustling noise. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Rachel sat up opening a bag of chips.

“Rach!” Cali exclaimed catching her attention.

“Oh I thought you’d fallen asleep, I’m starving!” she replied grabbing a handful of chips from the bag. Behind her sunglasses Cali rolled her eyes and then rolled over onto her stomach. She turned off her iPod and exchanged it for her copy of The Deathly Hallows, quickly finding the page she’d dog-eared.

“Oh come on baby, come down to the water with me.” Michelle’s voice whined, interrupting Cali from her reading for a moment.

“Babe, I’ve only just come back from the water.” Brian replied. Cali stole a glance over at them through her sunglasses. Brian had claimed the towel closest to her and had his back to her as he tried to give Michelle his excuses for staying on his towel.

“Please baby, if you come down into the ocean with me then I’ll…” but that’s where it trailed off. With another swift glance in their direction Cali noticed that Michelle was now leaning over and whispering something in Brian’s ear. As Cali tried to find the part she was reading she heard a low growl escape Brian’s throat followed quickly by him jumping to his feet and picking Michelle up of the towel and throwing her over his shoulder as she squealed.

“You coming Cal?” Rachel asked. Cali turned her head to look up at her.

“Nah, I’m going to stay here and read for a bit.” She replied with a smile.

“Ok, later babes.” She replied before taking hold of Johnny’s hand and walking off towards the ocean. Cali turned her head and realised she was the only one of the group still at the towels. She sat up and glanced around the beach, quickly finding the other ten people she was looking for either on their way towards the ocean or already there. It was then that she realised that she was the only one there without a boyfriend. Everyone else had been coupled off.

“Well, I’m not having that.” She muttered turning back to her bag and taking out her cell phone. She began to look through her contacts list and cursed loudly when she didn’t find the name she was looking for. How had she not got Andy’s number?

She dropped the phone on the towel next to her and turned her attention back to her book. She tried to concentrate on reading but didn’t get far. She marked her page and pushed her book towards the bag before folding her arms above her and resting her head on them and closing her eyes.

Even though she was aware that some of the group had returned from the sea Cali kept her eyes shut and allowed herself to listen to their conversations. Amongst the random chatter from most of them she could hear the distinctive laughter of Rachel. Cali began to concentrate on listening to what her best friend was saying and also to what Johnny was saying to her. A grimace crossed her lips as she listened to them whisper to each other, their plans of what they were planning to do to each other once they were somewhere more private.

“You know Brian, I think it’s a shame Cali hasn’t been down to the water yet.” Zack’s voice drew her attention thankfully away from Rachel and Johnny.

“I know, maybe we should do something about it?” Brian said causing Cali to open one eye in caution. On opening her eye she noticed her towel covered in a shadow, a shadow that seamed to be taking the shape of a person.

“Don’t even think about it!” Cali warned opening the other eye, just in time to see the shadow move and to feel a set of hands grab her waist. She screamed loudly as she was lifted off her towel and was held close as the person’s arms tightened around her arms and waist and they began to walk towards the ocean.

“Put me down!” she yelled, kicking her legs and waving her arms as best she could.

“Keep still.” It was Brian who spoke with a chuckle.

“Brian!” Cali yelled, stopping struggling as she tried to turn to take a look at his face.

“Hey baby.” He replied with his trademark smirk.

“Put me down!” she yelled with a squirm.

“Oh god don’t do that.” Brian groaned into her ear.

“Then put me down!” she repeated with another wriggle of her hips.

“Ok, in about thirty feet.” Brian replied after another moan. Cali turned her head and suddenly realised that they were quickly approaching the water’s edge.

“Brian, please no!” she pleaded.

“You’re going to have to do better than that beautiful.” He whispered into her ear. A frustrated groan came from Cali’s throat as she realised that they’d reached the ocean and Brian was carrying her towards the deeper water as she felt the water splash against her feet. Again she began to wriggle against him as the water began to reach their thighs. “And you’ve really got to stop wriggling against me like that.”

Cali couldn’t help but smirk as she realised that her wriggling was making him hard against her. She didn’t have time to think about it or react as suddenly Brian stopped wading through the water and loosened his grip dropping her into the ocean.

She waved her arms around as she struggled to find the ocean floor with her feet, the sound of Brian laughing ringing through her ears. Her feet finally found the sand and she quickly stood up straight wiping the water and her hair off her face. She turned to see Brian almost bent over with laughter.

“Fucking asshole.” She muttered before taking a small step forward and quickly placing her hand on his chest to push him over. However, she wasn’t quick enough to avoid him grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the water with him. Again she scrambled to her feet as she felt Brian’s hands on her hips. She tensed up as she felt him pull her closer into him, his lips touching her earlobe.

“I was doing so well until last night, when I saw you kiss him.” he muttered causing her to tense even more.

Cali took a deep breath before she spoke to make sure her voice sounded strong. “Well, that’s not my problem.” She said pulling herself out of his grasp. “You’re the one in a relationship Brian.” she spat with a smirk as she moved past him.

“We both agreed it was only going to be a bit of fun and that we could be friends.” She added as she turned back to face him. “Smile Haner!” she said scooping a handful of water and throwing at his face. The serious look he’d been wearing quickly disappeared as he snapped his head up to look at her. With another smirk she splashed him once more before she took off running as quickly as she could through the water, sprinting as soon as her feet touched the sand.

“Jimmy! Save me!” she yelled as she approached the group, aware that Brian was gaining quickly on her. Jimmy turned quickly to see Cali hurtling towards him with Brian close behind her. When she was close enough to him she grabbed onto Jimmy and spun him around so that he was between her and Brian.

“What’s going on?” Michelle asked as Brian came to a stand still, Cali peering from behind Jimmy who was stood with his arms out, willingly protecting her from Brian.

“Brian didn’t like it when I got him back.” Cali replied gaining her breath back.

“Brian, sit down, you shouldn’t have thrown her into the ocean if you can’t handle her getting revenge.” Michelle said in a matter-of-fact tone. Cali poked her tongue out at him as she moved to Jimmy’s side. Brian’s eyes narrowed at her slightly as a smirk played on his lips. He winked at her quickly before taking a seat next to Michelle on her towel.

“Thanks for the protection Jim.” Cali said looking up at him with a smile.

“Anytime baby.” He replied kissing her temple before she moved from his side and sat down on her towel, where she suddenly realised that Rachel had disappeared, along with Johnny.

“Um, where are…?” she began.

“Back to Johnny’s I believe.” Jenni replied from the other side of where Rachel’s towel had been.

“God I hope so, I’m really not in the mood to have to listen to them having sex all evening.” She replied with a grimace.