Black Diamonds

I guess this whole horrid trip happened before the summer even began. I hadn’t seen Renee in ages. How was I supposed to? She lives halfway across the country from me in Arizona. She moved back when we were about to go into high school and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I would always visit her or she would visit me. And every time I would feel inferior because Arizona sounded like an amazing dream with beautiful people, hot weather, and always something to do. And every time I saw her, she was more and more perfect. She had long, light brown hair and pretty green eyes. For awhile, I thought that being in Arizona and being rich just did that to you because she wasn’t like that before she left. And I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in one of the smallest towns. Thankfully a few years after I graduated high school I was able to get out of there. Little did I know I would have to have visits from my past.

Inside the mansion of a beach house in California were Renee, Kayla, and Sloane. They’ve been close friends of mine since middle school and I was completely fine with staying with them. I already saw Kayla and Sloane most of the time already, so this wasn’t much different.

Kayla was the chatter box of the group, if you couldn’t already tell. It was only Sloane and Renee with me for awhile but Kayla joined in later. She kind of was the odd one out if anything. People always loved her and she could get along with almost anyone. I wasn’t envious though, not at all. I liked my select few friends back then. I stuck with them. Kayla had dark hair and dark eyes and glowing tanned skin. She was only a bit taller than me, but I was short. Sloane was the opposite, minus the short thing. She had longer hair than Renee’s but it was lighter and wore glasses. She was pretty wild, too, but was also the bookworm and the smart one. I never really got how that worked out, but it did and she played the part well.

For the guys of the group, there was Jacob, Brian, Trey, and Nick. I already have talked about Trey and Nick, but for the other two, they were okay. Jacob was Kayla’s clingy boyfriend that could never be apart from her. Something was always weird between them, at least I sensed it. Maybe it was just how close they were all the time. Anyway, Brian was just the goofball who didn’t really get along with anyone besides Renee, Sloane, and I. He had history with Kayla so Jacob wanted nothing to do with him. And by that time, Nick and Trey had practically disowned them.

Our whole group was a disaster and I did not want to be there. And the last thing I wanted was for Jackson to come over if anything did develop. I could already see it now. Just a hot mess. That’s why a small part of me absolutely did not want him to call and he could just one of those nice guys out there that you keep a little memory tucked away of.

So I suppose this whole disaster began when I got the call from Renee saying that she was able to get some tickets for Sloane, Kayla, and I to come out there. Kayla then asked if Jacob could come, of course, and Renee said he was already coming out with Trey and Nick and they were on their way. Kayla forgot to mention this part. The extremely crucial part of the whole plot. I would not have came on this endeavor.

I know it might sound childish of me to say all this, but really it’s not. I couldn’t stand these two guys and I thought I could at least have a small break from them before being shoved into a house with them for a month or so. Just a tiny little break would have been nice. And I didn’t even know until they arrived while Kayla and I were on the back porch and they just came out with Renee. I couldn’t even react because it would have just made the whole entire trip awkward. I had to be friendly. And that was the hardest thing in the world after what had happened before.

Now I’m sitting on the porch with Renee, Sloane, and Kayla and it’s four in the afternoon. Kayla already had blabbed her mouth about Jackson to them. Now I have all of them on my case about him and I could hardly handle it. Plus Sloane was upset now because she didn’t get to go out last night. I told her she wouldn’t even had wanted to be there, Renee and Kayla only ditched me.

“But then you got a guy,” she added in. She sat across from me in our small circle of chairs around the round, glass table outside. She had her feet kicked up on the table as she painted her toenails with a new red color.

I sighed and turned towards her. “And that’s a good thing?” I asked. Kayla then turned towards me as if I was asking to be smacked. Then she smugly sat back in her chair.

“Speaking of him, he still hasn’t called, right?” she asked, even though she already knew what my response would be.

Renee turned towards her and snapped, “Don’t discourage her.” She looked at me and smiled as genuine as she possibly could fake it. “I’m sure he will.”

Kayla scoffed and reached for my phone. She started flicking through it and within the few seconds of it being in her grasp it started to ring from an unfamiliar number. She was startled and tossed it between her hands before I hissed, “Give me that.” and yanked it from her hands. I answered, “Hello?” I started to get up and I walked away to where they couldn’t hear me and mock me as I talked on the phone. I made it out to the water quickly and paced around in the sand.

“Is this Lacey, or did I get the wrong number last night?” a newly familiar and deep voice said over the line. I instantly knew it was him once I heard the subtle southern drawl in his tone.

I lightly chuckled over the line. “No you got the right number all right. As long as this is Jackson.”

“It is.” I could almost hear him smile over the phone. “So when will I be able to see you again?”

I bit my lip to hold back the smile and nervous giggle in my voice. I have never really been this way ever with anyone so I was feeling even embarrassed for myself. “I’m free whenever. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to come back here when people are awake,” I teased lightly, but I knew that he couldn’t come back here. At least not right now.

“You could come to my place. I’m actually not that far away from the house you are staying in. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Is six okay?” he offered.

Agreeing, I said, “Six is great. Sounds like fun. I’ll see you then.”

“See you soon, Miss Lacey,” he cooed, then hanging up the phone. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and slowly made my way back to the girls, who I noticed were watching the whole time.

I sat back down, feeling quite satisfied with myself and leaned back in my chair with a pleasant grin on my face. Each of them had their eyes fixated on me until I said something. Kayla was obviously the first to say something. “So? What happened?”

“I’m going over to his place tomorrow,” I stated, now shooting a smug grin her way knowing that she had been in the wrong.

Her face changed instantly. It went from pure curiosity to almost worry. I felt my brows furrow. “What?” I asked demandingly.

“He totally reeled you in and now you’re going as a booty call, you idiot!” she raved. “How could you be so idiotic. You’re going over their just for him to get what he wants and then bam, you’re dropped instantly.” Her hands were flailing over in my direction at this point.

“For your information, he’s picking me up,” I protested quietly, now second guessing this whole thing myself. Nevertheless, I kept pointing out facts myself. “And it’s not a booty call if it is at six in the evening. I’ll be back before the night is over.”

“That’s what you think,” she said pointing her finger at me. I groaned loudly and started to get up. “I’m just warning you.”

“No you’re freaking her out for nothing,” Sloane added in sharply. Kayla rolled her eyes. I kept going for the door and as I reached for the handle I looked up and Trey already had pulled it open. I looked up at him, quite startled for more than one reason. I had nothing to even say and I could my heart start to pound frivolously at the idea of him finding out something about Jackson.

Luckily Nick popped out behind him before things got too awkward and I just had to swerve around Trey. “Hey, guys!” Nick excited, scooting along beside both Trey and I. As much as I disliked Nick, he could remove any awkward conversation, I will give him that. “What’s going on?” he asked, taking my seat I just left and leaning back and forth in the wobbly chair. I made room for Trey to go by and I just stood at the door.

“Oh nothing,” Kayla started to say. “Just helping out Lacey with--” Renee, Sloane, and I shot her death glances. “some school stuff she was asking about,” she quickly added in, smiling broadly to Nick, trying to cover up the pause in her sentence.

I internally sighed and decided it was my time to leave. I opened the sliding door and made my way in and to the couch. I couldn’t be more thankful to get another small break from them tomorrow.