And So, This Is Love

When we got to the beach later that week, Jack and Abner didn’t help us carry anything from the car, choosing instead to run screaming to the water and diving in. We all laughed as we watched them engage in a splashing fight, them jumping on top of each other when the other had made a particularly nasty splash.

So the rest of us carried the beach towels, umbrellas, radios and such. We set up by the water, and suddenly the rest of All Time Low, Brynn, and Erix ran off to join in the splash competition.

“Guys,” Mauve said, playfully fanning her face in a snotty way.

“Yes, I totally agree,” I said, but threw off my extra stuff and ran to join them with Emmie tailing behind me.

It wasn’t long before we all climbed out of the water and made our way up to a sunbathing Mauve. She had gotten quite a tan since we moved here. She had a book in her lap. I put my wet hair up in a ponytail.

“Ah, Pride and Prejudice,” Jack said, plopping down next to her and taking the book from her. She whined about how he was all wet and tried to snatch it from him, but he wouldn’t let her. ‘A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.’” he read from the book. “Ah, Jane Austen, I adore you.” He mock-sighed.

“Oh, shut up, you,” Mauve shoved him playfully on the shoulder, taking her book back. “Now look, see, you’ve gotten it all wet.”

Jack grinned at her, “I sowwy.”

Alex laughed, distracting me from them. I turned and looked up into his wonderful eyes. He pulled me into him.

“Ouch! You feel like sandpaper,” I told him, trying to brush off some of the sand that clung to his wet body.

“Well you’re not as smooth as a baby’s bottom yourself,” he said, feigning offense. I giggled.

Most people had left the beach by now and it was getting dark. For this, we had gotten a fire permit and brought bonfire wood. As it got colder, we dried ourselves off with the many towels we had brought and I pulled my over on. Alex and I put two towels next to each other as we built the bonfire.

“Hey, let’s stop and watch the sunset,” Emmie said after a while, as the sun began to dip below the water. We all paused and watched in awe.

Alex pulled me into his arms. We looked away to give each other quick smiles, only to again be captivated. It was absolutely beautiful.

After the sun had went down and we were smothered by darkness, we lit the fire and tried to get as close as we can to it for warmth.

“Are you going to drink tonight, Cayne?” Jack asked me, pulling out a bottle of Green Apple Smirnoff.

“Uh, sure,” I answered, slightly running my fingers over the ‘X’ on my thigh before taking the cup he had handed me.

It had been a long time since I had drank hard liquor, and it burned my throat as it went down. After awhile, the guys took out their guitars and started playing a couple songs.

“I never make a promise I don’t intend to keep,
So when I say forever, forevers what I mean
And just know that I’ll always love you heaps
From the moon and back, and everything in between”

Alex and I sung along to the lyrics of a Friday song, You Mean the World to Me. Despite sounding like a love song, it was a song Emmie and I had written together about being best friends.

Afterwards, we sang Vegas, before putting the guitars away and laying beneath the star filled sky. After awhile we heard lip smacking, and curious to know who was making out (Will you blame me if I said that I thought it was Brynn and Abner?), we sat up and saw Mauve and Jack with locked lips.

I giggled, “Finally.”

Alex and I sprawled back out in the towels, wrapped up in each others arms.

“They’re making me miss Darren,” Emmie whined, eyeing both Mauve and Jack and Alex and I.

“I feel your pain,” Erix replied, patting her on the shoulder.

“I’m cooold,” Abner moaned, giving everyone his puppy dog eyes.

“It is getting awfully late,” Erix said, checking the time on his watch.

“It’s not thaaat late,” Jack complained, pulling away from Mauve only to say these words.

“Its okay, Jack,” she whispered to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You can stay the night at my place tonight.” I could hear the suggestion in her voice.

His eyes widened, “You guys are right, we should be heading home,” he said, getting up and beginning to pack things up.

“We should stop on the way for burgers,” I suggested to Alex as we folded up our towels and put them in my beach bag. “I’m starving.”

“Are you drunk?” he asked me, taking note of my flushed face and slight slur.

“No,” I said quickly, pulling the bottle of Cherry Smirnoff that I had in my hand closer to me. “No, not nearly.” He cocked a brow. I smiled shyly at him and began to follow him up the trail to the cars, a couple umbrellas in my arms.

We made it to the car and climbed in. I leaned the seat as far back as I could without bugging Zack’s knees behind me, and took a long sip of the Smirnoff.

“We should probably be putting that away, babe,” Alex suggested.

“Why?” I asked, taking another sip, feeling the familiar burn in my abdomen. I hadn’t realized how much I missed getting drunk.

“Because you’re far past your limit and you don’t want to puke up the burgers we’re about to get,” he told me.

“I’m fine, I can handle my alcohol,” I snapped at him, completely forgetting that we weren’t the only ones in the car. “God, Alex, you’re such a stick up my ass.” I closed my eyes and leaned back, taking another long sip.

“Rian, take the bottle from her, please?” I heard Alex ask. It took some fighting, but Rian wrestled the bottle out of my grasp.

“Fuck the burgers, just take me home,” I growled to Alex.

“I thought you were staying the night tonight?” he asked me. That was the plan, it was why I had hitched a ride with him.

“No, just take me home.” I leaned down into the seat. Alex sighed and turned the car around.

After he dropped me off, I walked in and walked straight to the kitchen. I made myself a sandwich and grabbed the bottle of Coconut Captain Morgan from the alcohol cabinet, and stumbled off to bed.