by Katie Wright
Mickey put in a cd, which happened to be Coldplay. At least I could somewhat enjoy the ride. It would take at least an hour to get down there and I didn't know if I could make it the whole time in utter silence.
Mickey started talking to Jane animatedly and she looked genuinely interested. She had told me at the bar she had tried to ask him to dance but his drunken state made him irritable and full of self pity. It annoyed her.
Then I felt a tap on my leg. I looked over to see Casey staring at me.
"What?" I guess he wanted some sort of confirmation I felt him.
He leaned over into my ear. He had nice breath I had to admit; always mint.
"Sorry you have to sit back here with me but Mickey wanted Jane up front with him."
I actually heard sincerity in his voice. I looked back at him once he pulled away. The sound of his voice gave me goose bumps. Something about someone speaking in my ear just gave me a little tingle. I rubbed my arms to remove them. They were on my legs too! I looked up to see Casey smirking at me. This had nothing to do with him per say but the fact that he spoke in my ear. Anyone could have done that and it would have given me the same effect.
I glanced at him again but he was looking out the window. The rest of the drive neither I nor Casey spoke. For one thing it was too difficult above the music and the windows to speak and two Mickey and Jane hadn't even turned around to ask us anything. For instance, 'are you guys going deaf back there?'
Ah, the beach, I loved it. I didn't like it all the time but once in awhile it was fun. I only went a few times during the summer and usually they were good times. I had wondered if today would play out the same way.
We pulled all of our bags out from the car and went up the board walk. There were so many people here on a Saturday. I looked out towards the beach. Where were we going to find a spot to park at?
Mickey seemed confident, "Let's go over there by the pier." We paid for our beach tags and started for the area by the pier.
I knew that spot was mostly entitled for families. I actually liked it over there because there were less young people. Sometimes they just couldn't enjoy the beach they had to make a scene and speak a little louder than necessary. I've seen couples making out on towels in broad daylight in front of everyone including children. I mean what was wrong with these people? Did they have no decency?
After trudging in sand for about 500 meters we found a nice spot not too far from the ocean. I didn't want to send my bare feet on hot sand too far away.
I opened my bag and placed it on the ground. Now was that special moment where I took my top and bottom off to expose myself to the world. Jane was already taking off her clothes. She was a lot more comfortable with her body. But if I had hers I would be too.
She looked up at me, "Now's not the time to be shy Heath."
"That's easy for you to say," I spat back at her.
"What are you talking about? You have such a cute little figure, I wish I was built more like you."
I gave her a look of total disbelief, "Are you joking?" Then I hushed my voice so only she could hear, "My boobs are too freaking big and I have a tummy!"
She started laughing and the boys look up from their chairs. Mickey pulled out a soda from his small cooler and started drinking. I realized I was the only idiot still in my clothes. I should have just taken them off and lied down now it was obvious why I was taking forever.
Jane sat down on her towel and started putting on sun tan lotion. Mickey was eyeing Jane and I had to glare at him. It was kind of revolting and I didn't think she would have enjoyed him gawking at her.
He caught my eye and shrugged, "Why aren't you taking off your clothes?"
If that came from anyone else I would have been thoroughly disgusted but the context was not the same. I knew why he was saying it. I had embarrassed him and now he wanted to embarrass me.
In frustration I undid my pants and threw them in my bag. I felt the cool air hitting my thighs. I sat down quickly and pulled my tank top off and put it in my bag. Grabbing the lotion from my bag I started to lather it on. I tanned pretty well even when I was using sun screen so I tried to buy in the middle.
Jane on the other hand seemed to burn and come out looking like a boiled lobster. She used the highest SPF. I didn't see the guys put anything on, but I figured they were stupid like that.
I continued to smother it on me and reached my back as much as I could. I covered my legs and stomach now it was time to do the chest. I started rubbing quickly, because it always made me feel like someone was watching me when I did it. It surprised me even more when I looked up and saw Casey staring at me doing it. It was like he didn't even see me looking at him. My hand stopped and then pulled away.
He managed to look away and I still wondered if he knew that I just saw him gaping at my boobs! He placed his sunglasses on his face and leaned back in his low beach chair. He stuck his feet in the sand. Now I had no idea if he was looking at me behind his shades.
I laid down feeling very naked. I didn't mind once I got in the ocean because most of the time my body was covered but out on the beach it was just very different.
I must have nodded off when I felt sand touching my left arm. I took a peek out of the side of sunglasses. Casey was positioning himself on his towel next to me. He turned on his stomach but put his head down on his arms so he was facing me. I felt like he was staring but I wasn't sure. He may have been trying to avoid the sun's rays.
"Heath." I turned my head to the right.
"Yeah?" I asked Jane.
"You wanna go in the ocean in about ten minutes?"
"Yeah, how long have we been here?"
She looked over, "Well I'd say probably about half an hour. I'm starting to get real hot."
I sat up and stared at the ocean, "Me too."
I looked at my cousin who was lounging in his chair, "Hey Mickey?"
He looked over, "Yeah?"
"Me and Jane are going in the ocean in about ten minutes or so."
I don't know why I told him but I didn't want to just get up and leave both of them there that would have been rude.
"Casey did you hear me?" And now I was asking him. I hadn't even spoken to him at all but now I was asking out of courtesy.
He pulled his shades up and squinted up at me. Then he looked out at the ocean. How hard was it to make a decision? Either he heard me or he didn't.
Then his eye's looked up at me again. They weren't as dark as I had seen them the first time. They were almost light blue. I wanted to know what was going on in that head of his.
"Casey?" My voice sounded too light. I sounded very concerned and I didn't understand why. Maybe he didn't go in the ocean. Maybe he couldn't swim.
"Um, yeah I'll be in, just make sure I don't nod off."
"Okay." Wow that was the most I had ever spoken with him without us freaking out at each other. Although I still felt like he was giving me orders. Yeah I'll make sure he doesn't nod off.
That was when I came to the conclusion that I wanted to play a joke on Casey. I noticed that Casey was indeed falling asleep and when he finally did I let Jane in on my little plan.
I slowly started placing sand on his now overturned body. First I placed sand on his feet and waited to see if I got a reaction. He didn't move and I assumed he was in a very deep sleep.
Mickey looked over and was about to say something but I tried to tell him to be quiet. He snickered and dropped off his seat to help us. With all three of us we were able cover him that much faster. In about ten minutes he was completely covered from neck to toe. I kind of considered stopping because his towel would be filled with sand but then I decided it would be too much fun to do.
Finally I knelt down and whispered into Casey's ear. The reaction I got was not the one I expected; he moaned my name and I jutted back a bit. Mickey and Jane busted out laughing so I started throwing sand at them.
Casey finally moved his head. I removed his sunglasses and let him realize what we had d
one. His mouth turned into a scowl and then into a sly smirk as he eyed me. This was bad. He started to pull himself out of the sand. Jane and Mickey made a dash for it to the ocean leaving me stranded with Casey. Well I wasn't going to wait very long. He noticed I was about to run and when I did he took off after me. I hit the ocean with a splash. Casey had once again tackled me with all his force.
This time I held my breath however. I screamed just as I did and thankfully because a wave decided to haul itself over us. When we both resurfaced I started to splash water at Casey.
"Oh yeah hit me with more water!" He was laughing and I couldn't help but laugh too. He was right it wasn't going to do anything for me to hit him with water.
I took another approach and swam down under the water. He didn't see me as I neared his legs. In one swift action I had pulled down his trunks. I could have said I wanted to see his you know what but opted to witness his reaction. He was pulling his trunks back up quickly before the water receded.
This time he didn't look as fine as he had with the whole sand incident. He jumped at me in the water but I swam further out. We were in a race out into the ocean. We finally both ended up as far as we could; both of our heads bobbing up and down in the water. This way there was nothing he could really do to me. The water was too deep.
"You suck!" He said it loud but he said it with a smile so I guess he wasn't that mad at me.
"I try," smiled back.
He moved towards me as I watched his eyes study my face. I started to feel a blush rise. The goose bumps were back but I dismissed them. There were cold spots everywhere.
He moved nearly inches from my face. I could feel his breath on me. He was so attractive I couldn't deny it anymore. He was everything I wanted as far as physical appearance. He had dark brown hair with deep blue eyes. As I searched them I noticed they looked more like aqua again.
"You know," he started. His one hand rested on my neck and the other at the small of my back.
"What?" I said in a low, perplexed voice. The waves were passing under us and the ocean was very calm. It was very quiet where we were at. The crowd seemed to be miles away.
"You should always…"
"Always?" I shook my head confused.
Then in a speedy move that James Bond would be impressed by Casey pulled both ties to my bathing suit; the one on my back and the other on my neck. He threw the top over my head.
"You should always double knot your strings." He finished with a wink.
I was in shock, "You bastard!" I covered my breasts up with an arm even though they were covered by water. I turned around and tried to swim with the other. I was so humiliated because at least I didn't throw his trunks out in the ocean. What if the waves took it back to shore? Then where would I be?
He was just laughing like the asshole that he was. Why did he have to be so callous to me? I swam and grabbed my top. I heard the life guard whistling at me to get over. I tried to swim while holding my top and covering myself up. Now everyone was looking at me. I just hope a wave wouldn't come and toss my half naked body around.
Finally I placed my top back on and double knotted the ties. Casey was no where to be found and neither was Jane or Mickey. I went back to my towel and lied down. I put my sunglasses on and tried to not get upset. But the tears started to well up anyways. I don't know why I was crying I guess I was just so embarrassed and I didn't understand what I had done to Casey for him to be that cruel. That was it I wouldn't speak to him for the rest of the day or ever again.
Chapter 5: Why me?
I had returned to my blanket practically in tears. Why did I let someone I hardly knew work me up this way? I was mad at myself more than at him. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it but I couldn't help feeling the utter humiliation.
Luckily it wasn't too long before I let the warm sun come and bake me. I was so comfortable I fell fast asleep. And then I was awoken soon by Jane.
"Heath," she pushed my shoulder not too lightly, "Are you awake?" Did she sound like she was crying too?
I jumped up and looked at her. "What's wrong?" I could tell now that she looked as though she had been crying.
"I, just, Mickey…" She was taking deep breaths.
I pulled my sunglasses off, "What the hell did he do!" I was furious, I didn't give a damn if he was my cousin I would kill him if he hurt my best friend.
She shook her head. My stomach dropped did something happen to Mickey?
"What Jane?" I didn't mean to yell at her but she was starting to agitate me.
She took another big breath and looked up at me. "He kissed me and I," another breath, "I kissed him back."
Now I was really confused, "How? What happened? I thought you weren't interested in Mickey?"
"I'm not!" She screamed. "We were having such a good time playing in the ocean then he grabbed me and kissed me. I don't know what I was thinking and I pushed him away. I saw the look in his eyes he was so hurt. I knew I confused him but I don't know what's wrong with me!"
She started sobbing again. Well being the good friend I was I pulled her into a hug and let her completely drenched self on me. Jane was always confusing like this but I never expected to see her cry about it. She usually acted so calm and collected, especially when it came to Mickey.
I pulled back and looked at her, "Do you want me to find the guys and tell them it's time to leave."
She seemed startled, "Oh no! I don't want Mickey to know I'm upset too."
I blew out a breath, "I don't understand you."
She placed a hand to her forehead, "Sometimes I don't understand myself."
"Relax I'll tell them I have cramps. The day would be too awkward between all four of us if we stay any longer."
Jane perked her head up and looked at me curiously, "What happened to you?"
Did I really want to tell her that mimbo took my top off and threw it out into the ocean? Maybe it would cheer her up. I told her the account of what happened after we covered Casey with dirt. She looked at me with a blank face and then in a blink she was rolling on the beach covering her wet body with sand while laughing hysterically.
"Not funny!" I yelled at her. She didn't hear me. Oh well, at least she wasn't crying anymore. Although I still can't figure her out. I decided it was time to go I had enough of this day. It wasn't even six yet. We'd be home three hours before I planned. This day at the beach had not gone how I planned.
I stalked off leaving Jane to laugh like a moron in front of everyone else on the beach. As I made my way to the water however I started to feel a distinct sick feeling in my stomach. I knew I was nervous on account of what Casey had done to me but I didn't care. I once again tried to replace my anxiety with rage.
I saw the two of them talking with some girls obviously too young for the both of them but the teenagers didn't seem to mind and neither did Casey or Mickey. Now I really wanted them to feel stupid.
"Hey boys!" I screamed. They looked over and noticed me. Now I had them and the crowd of underage girls staring at me. "Me and Jane want to go home, I have cramps, and you know how bad they get Casey!" I whined like a little girl.
Casey gave the most perplexed look. Mickey started scratching his head and then talking to the teenagers. Both of them trudged their way back out of the water towards me.
"What the fuck was that about?" Mickey asked sounding very mad at me all of a sudden.
"I was trying to keep you from getting arrested. I mean come on how old were they? Ten?" I gave them both disgusted looks.
"They were seventeen and eighteen," Casey mouthed off.
"Still too young for both of you and I think it's pitiful and gross." I crossed my arms.
"Is that why you really got us out of the water?" Mickey stared back at me while we walked to our beach towels.
"No, I did want you guys to come we want to go home. We've had enough of the beach today to be honest." I added nothing but gave Mickey a little glare. He got the hint and readily agreed. Casey seemed more
confused but also said something about not feeling good. Right, I'm sure it was just his conscious letting him know what he did was wrong and curing it with a little guilt.
If I thought the ride to the beach was uneventful this was ten times worse. One problem was we had decided to make a stop at a Wendy's only a few minutes out of town. For some reason Mickey decided to take the back roads home. He was worried the expressway would be crowded. Great that meant it would take longer. I never understood his logic.
