The Beach

After two and a half hours driving and singing along with the radio, we arrived at the beach. It was packed already, not surprisingly, it was freakin’ hot outside.

“Shoes off!” Lily shouted over the car to me.

I stood up and kicked my beat up converse off and threw them on the back seat. I considered taking my top off but thought better of it, no one wants to see my milky white chest.

“Right, let’s go find a spot!” Lily slammed her door closed and came round to my side of the car. We had parked up away from the beach so had to walk a bit, she linked her arm through mine and pulled me away from the car.

“Wait let me lock it!” I protested pulling away from her.

“Come ooooon Frank!” Lily tapped her bare foot at me.

I rolled my eyes and locked my car then swung my bag over my shoulder, I took Lily’s bag off her too and she grinned at me.

She walked a few steps in front of me swinging the bucket and spade I bought her. I smiled, she was such a big kid, I wish I had of bought myself one now too.
We had been walking along the beach for about five minutes before the groups of families started to fade out.

“What about there?” I suggested pointing to a large free space at the bottom of some sand dunes.

“Perfect!” Lily ran ahead and stood waiting for me to catch up.

“I have a blanket in my bag,” she said taking it off me and pulling a few things out. Then she spread a brightly coloured throw from her room over the sand and collapsed on it.

“Let’s go in the water!” I said excitedly watching a few kids splash down at the shore.

“Ok, but I have to put my bikini on first…” Lily sat up and pulled it out of her bag she also pulled a huge beach towel out.

“Ok I am gonna attempt to get changed wrapped in this…” she held up the massive beach towel. “If you laugh I will kill you.” She said seriously pointing at me.

I giggled and pulled my own towel and a pair of shorts out of my bag. It only took me a minute to get changed, I tried not to look at Lily but it was hard not to and one point she was holding the towel around her but above her head. I stifled a laugh and sat down on the sand, digging my toes right into it.

“For fuck sake… Frank will you tie this please?” I squinted up in the sun and saw Lily standing with her back to me holding her bikini on at the back of her neck.

“Sure,” I stood up and took the ties off her, but they slipped and she immediately grabbed her chest.

“Tie them Frank, not let them loose!” she snapped.

“Sorry!” I laughed and tied them, I smiled down at her, I’d seen Lily in a bikini before, but that was when we were kids, Lily in a bikini now was… well she looked hot!

“Ok seriously Frank what are you looking at?” she laughed shoving my shoulder.

I looked away and blushed. Did I really just think my best friend looked hot?

“Naw Frank was you checking me out?”

“NO!” I said defensively.

“It’s ok, I was checking you out too, you look good in shorts,” she said nodding her head and smiling at me.

“I- what?”

Lily laughed and looked down at the sea.

“Last one in buys lunch and ice-cream!” she said with a smirk then took off down the beach, I watched her mesmerized for a second until I heard her yelling, then I started running after her. She won obviously and was already splashing about by the time I reached the water.

“Guess lunch is on you!” Lily laughed and splashed me.

“No way, you cheated.” I argued, splashing her back.

“I did not!”

“You did!” I replied.

“How?” she had stopped and stood waist deep in the water and crossed her arms. Waves moved up against her slim body and mine, the water was cool, it felt nice under the warm sun.

“You distracted me,” I said quickly.

“How?” she asked again.

“Wi-” I started but stopped myself quickly. Lily looked at me expectantly, I was about to say that seeing her in a bikini had distracted me, but knowing if I did, I would probably have to explain how it distracted me.

“You are weird Frank.” Lily laughed and splashed me again.

I smiled at her and lunged forward; we both fell and went under the water for a second.

Lily screamed and hit me a few times when we resurfaced.

“I hate you Frank!” she moaned standing up and wading away from me.

“What? You know you love it,” I said following after her.

She glared at me, but a second later she smiled.

I watched her as she made her way out of the water dodging some little kids on the way, when she reached the shore line she turned round and looked out at me.

“Come on Frank!” she called waving her hand.

I made my way towards her and she linked her damp arm with mine.

“So did you like what you saw?” she asked me casually as we made our way back up the beach.

“What do you mean?” I asked letting my arm fall away from hers.

“Well when you were checking me out before, did you like what you saw?”

I stopped and looked at her then smirked. “Of course I did, you are hot.”

She stopped to and looked at me a little surprised.

“You’re kidding right?”

“No, why would you think that?” I asked.

“Well, because I am anything but hot,” she said, then continued on to the blanket.

“Lily, you are fucking gorgeous, how could you not know that?” I asked.

“Come on Frank you know me better than I know myself, I have had one boyfriend in my life, I am weird, people laugh at me and you are the only friend I have.” She replied defiantly. I watched her dry her legs and body with her towel then she put some sunglasses on and lay back in the sun.

“You are just shy, and it doesn’t help that you only ever hang out with me, but you are awesome Lil, you are funny, caring, and I mean it, you are beautiful.” I said sitting down beside her.

She sat up and pulled her sunglasses to the top of her head. She was giving me a weird look, but she definitely looked flattered. I was a little surprised at my words, I mean I guess deep down I always did think Lily was good looking, maybe seeing her today really helped me realise it.

“Well, I think you might be the only one,” she said then lay back down.

I didn’t reply, instead I moved a little away from her and stretched my legs out. I tried to pretend I wasn’t watching her, but truthfully I was finding it hard keeping my eyes off her.

We lay in a comfortable silence for a while; at one point I think Lily might have fallen asleep. I didn’t really notice the time go by, I was relaxed and enjoying the sun, something I rarely do.

“We should get something to eat,” Lily announced suddenly sitting up.

“Ok,” I agreed.

“Pass me my bag? I’m a bit cold,” she asked me.

I handed her the bag and she pulled a pair of shorts out and slipped them on. Then started rummaging frantically in her bag.

“Shit. I forgot to bring a shirt,” she said with a sigh.

“What’s wrong with the one you were wearing?” I asked.

“It’s damp and covered in sand,” she complained shaking it out a bit.

“Well you can wear one of mine if you want?” I pulled my spare t-shirt out and threw it to her.

“Thanks! I really did not want to walk about in my bikini top,” she said with relief.

I sighed and shook my head before pulling my t-shirt back on; my shorts were pretty much dry so I left them on.

“Now I feel attractive, Frank how old is this shirt?” Lily asked sarcastically, she was standing up now, tugging at the t-shirt, it hung loosely over her slim body. She still looked beautiful in it though.

I smiled up at her.

“What?” she asked with a laugh.

“You know what I am going to say,” I said. I picked my stuff up and stood beside her.

“Yeah the whole beautiful thing, whatever Frank,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

I rolled my eyes and ignored her comment and lifted her throw and folded it up for her.

“No what would you like to eat?” I asked.

“Lets get some chips then walk along the shore,” she said with a smile.

I smiled too, that was a good idea. We left our bags back in the car, and then while Lily nipped to the bathroom I went down the road to a burger van and ordered us some chips and got a few bottles of water.

I saw Lily perched on the hood of my car as I walked back, the wind was blowing her messy hair in front of her face and she kept trying to tuck it in behind her ears. I found myself slowing down to I could admire the sight in front of me, she saw me coming and smiled ignoring her hair.

“Frank you have a really weird look on your face right now, are you high?” she asked me, she looked right into my eyes with an amused expression.

Then without thinking I moved forward and placed my lips against hers gently, she froze immediately but I moved my lips slightly then I felt her kiss me back, just for a split second, before I moved away.

Lily tilted her head at me her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied my face.

“Did you just kiss me?” she asked quietly.

I smiled, and nodded with confidence I did not know I had. She continued to look at me, slightly bemused before I handed her the paper package of chips.

“Lets go,” I said and turned back towards the beach, Lily didn’t say anything, but I stole a quick glance at her and she was smiling to herself gazing off at the ocean.

We walked and ate, occasionally talking about something random, including a jellyfish we found some kids poking at with sticks. Lily chased them off, claiming that jelly fish have feelings too.

We walked to some rocks and sat down and watched a few jet skies out in the water.

“I think I’d be too scared to get on one of those,” Lily said nodding to the water.

“Nah, it’d be fun,” I smiled.

“I wonder, can you rent them out here,” she said thoughtfully.

“Why, you just said you would be scared,” I replied with a laugh.

“Well I was obviously thinking for you,” she said laughing herself.

It was kinda awkward, not for me, but I could tell Lily was itching to ask me about the kiss. To be honest I don’t know what possessed me to do it, she just looked so perfect and I did it without thinking. What did alarm me slightly was how right it felt and how it made me feel inside. I had never kissed someone and felt like that before.

“Ok, it’s killing me, Frank why did you kiss me!?” Lily exclaimed loudly, making me jump in surprise.

I smiled. “I wanted to.”

“You wanted to… what does that mean?” she asked me.

“It means I wanted to kiss you and I did,” I replied.

“But why?” she asked immediately.

“I duno, just you…” I paused and thought about it for a second, “you looked so perfect, I just felt the sudden urge to kiss you so I did, without even thinking about it too much. I’m sorry though, if it annoyed you or if you feel awkward or anything, but it felt right to me.”

I shifted my position so I was sitting sideways and looking at her, she smiled then shook her head.

“I’m not annoyed, and to be honest it didn’t feel awkward at all.”

I smiled and looked down at my lap.

“So you don’t just think it’s the sea air getting to us?” she asked.

I laughed. “Maybe? But I doubt it.”

“Do you want to kiss me again?” she asked quietly.

I looked up at her, but instead of answering I lent forward and placed my lips against hers, this time because she was expecting it I felt her kiss me back.

When we broke apart she smiled and licked her lips. “I agree, it does feel right.”

“But why do you want to kiss me, Frank? You could get any girl you wanted.”

“And what if I want you? Don’t make me use to beautiful argument again.” I replied firmly.

“You don’t want me, we are best friends,” she said then jumped off the rock and started walking back along the beach.

“Lily wait!” I jumped down and jogged after her.

“Frank I don’t want to ruin what we have, our friendship is the best thing in my life,” she explained as we walked.

“Lily we won’t ruin anything, not if you don’t want to,” I said carefully.

She stopped and turned to face me. “But what if I want to?”

“Then we can, but no matter what, nothing can spoil our friendship,” I said.

She smiled then wrapped her arms around my neck and crashed our lips together, I didn’t ask for permission to enter her mouth, I didn’t need to because her mouth opened as I opened mine and our tongues danced together. I dropped the bag of rubbish I was carrying and wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close to my body. It really was perfect; I had never imagined it could be.