The Beach

“So Jack Bassam Barakat. I can basically make up any story I’d like and you’ll go along with it. You’re the wildest one, and the guitarist of the band. I should monitor my liquor cabinet around you, and according to everyone, I should be able to beat you at poker every time unless I truly am horrible at it.” Sawyer said with a snicker, and Jack gave her a bit of a scowl before laughing himself.

“And then we have Zachary Steven Merrick. Bass player and beyond quiet according to pretty much everyone who doesn’t know you very well. You talk more when you know people, so Jake won’t think it’s weird if you’re quiet. You like to surf, swim and are into photography. And you’re dating Jayce.” Sawyer said, earning a nod from Zack.

“And Jayce Lynn Kearns. Dating Zack for 5 years almost. You met him through Rian, who was your best friend in elementary school. You’ve known everyone since high school pretty much. You are a year younger than Zack, and you go to college and study accounting.” Sawyer stated. “Really, accounting?” She asked.

Jayce shrugged in response. “I’m good at accounting. Math speaks to me.”

“And you date a rockstar. Somewhere in there is both symbiosis and backwards-ness.” Sawyer remarked, shaking her head.

“And Robert Rian Dawson who hates his first name so he goes by Rian instead. You’re the drummer for the band. You sometimes throw drumsticks at the rest of the members while on stage just because its funny. You’ve been dating Austin for the last year. You were with a girl named Kara before that and parted on good terms. You tend to be very outspoken, but not in the media, just around normal people.” Sawyer stated, earning a nod from Rian.

“Austin Marla Reeves, girlfriend of Rian and the youngest of the group. You met everyone your freshman year of high school, while everyone else was a sophomore. You are going to school for teaching and you want to be middle school English teacher. You also are a big exerciser, like Zack, and tend to work out with him when they are home.” She earned a nod from Austin, causing Sawyer to smile in return.

“Not bad. Alex wasn’t kidding when he said you do well cramming.” Rian complemented.

“Yea. I kinda was a big procrastinator in school, so I became a cram study pro very quickly.” Sawyer said with a chuckle. Various laughs echoed around the room, and Sawyer felt oddly comfortable. She hadn’t known these people more than a few hours but she felt as though there was a certain harmony in the air. It felt as though these people had been in her life for more than just a few hours.

“Well. Since we have all day tomorrow to do this, I think we should call it quits for tonight and eat something. I’m starving.” Austin stated, a chorus of multiple agreements following her suggestion.

“Well, me and Alex were thinking we could go down to Mama’s. Introduce you to our favorite diner. I mean, Mama’s gonna have to know sometime what’s up, because she is kinda a loud mouth. She’ll accidently spill that she’s never seen any of you if we don’t warn her.” Sawyer stated, and Alex nodded.

“Mama doesn’t do well filtering herself unless she knows she has to.” Alex agreed.

The group got ready and followed Alex and Sawyer out of the beach house into the dusk of the beach.

The group was silent, taking in their surroundings as they followed the knowledge couple along the beach. They took in their surroundings, trying their best to remember which way they were walking so that they could replicate it for later if necessary.

The group made it to Mama’s restaurant and walked in, catching Mama off guard as she saw two of her favorite regulars accompanied by an additional 5 young adults.

“Well what do we have here? Darlings, you done and conjured up a whole group of friends. I’d started thinking that you two didn’t know no one but each other.” Mama remarked upon looking at the arrivals.

“Hey Mama. So. We need a favor.” Sawyer said with a cheeky smile, and Mama just raised her eyebrows in response. “A really big favor.”

“Uh oh.” Mama said, looking at the group of kids before her.

“Well let’s get you sat down first. I have a feeling that I’m gonna need some water and a chair for this one.”

The group was sat at a table in the corner, and Mama was sitting at a corner seat, looking at the group of kids before her. She looked at Alex and Sawyer expectantly, who delve into their story, They told Mama everything, which surprised the rest of the group. They had thought that Alex and Sawyer would have another story lined out, that they would bend the truth, or something. They hadn’t expected brutal honesty.

Mama sat there and listened as Alex and Sawyer told her the story, not once interrupting, or even changing her facial expression. She nodded her head in understanding once in a while, but not once while the two were talking did she interrupt.

“So, can you help us?” Alex finally asked, and Mama looked between the two of them and sighed.

“You two have done got yourself in a bit of a hurricane’s mess didn’t ya?”Mama asked, and Sawyer and Alex both nodded solemnly. Mama sighed, shaking her head back and forth in disappointment.

“You two. I just don’t like lying. And Sawyer. You’re engaged.” Mama said, shaking her head.

“I know Mama.”

“You two know I love you, so I’ll help you. But you need to fix this somehow. You can’t go gallivanting on the beach just because it suits you to do so” Sawyer and Alex just nodded in response, eye flowing downwards, not wanting to look Mama in the eye.

Mama stood up from the table, brushing off her apron.

“I’ll go get your drinks started.” Mama said, turning away and leaving the group of kids at the table.

“Well. At least she said yes?” Alex said unsurely, breaking the silence over the table.