{WATTYS 2021/2022 SHORTLIST}{Editor's Pick} {Featured Story}
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One girl. Two boys. An impossible choice.
Stella LaFever, a theatre student from California, can't wait to spend a summer in Newport, Rhode I...
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Chapter Song: Blank Space by Taylor Swift
At six, Leona and I made our way to Second Beach, boozy popsicles in hand, ready to play a game of volleyball with these Rhody boys.
Spencer, Graham, and Marcus versus me, Leona, and Wyatt.
The game of three on three quickly got out of hand. Everyone on Spencer's side of the net was shamelessly flirting with everyone on our side of the net. I hadn't picked up on the sexual tension between Marcus and Wyatt when I'd first met them, but now it was clear they were into each other.
Even though cute jokes and insults were flying back and forth across the net—I knew Leona still wanted to win.
"We grew up on oysters, baby," Graham teased Leona from across the net. Their fingers intertwined. "Stamina is in our blood."
Leona threw her hand on her hip. "Stamina or not, you cheated, you little shit. That last shot was out of bounds, so we get the ball back."
"I think you need to cool off, feisty pants." Graham ducked under the net and scooped Leona up in his arms, carrying her kicking and laughing into the water.
Marcus and Wyatt raced off into the water after them, splashing and wrestling in the waves.
Then it was just Spencer and me.
His lip was between his teeth. Fine grains of sand dusting suntanned skin.
He was tossing the volleyball lazily in the air. One brow cocked.
"You wanna play some one-on-one?" Spencer asked.
I couldn't help but grin back at him.
"Are we still talking about volleyball?"
Spencer laughed. "How about the loser owes the winner a favor."
"A favor?" I dipped beneath the net, tossing my hair over my shoulder. "What kind of favor?"
His lip was between his teeth once again. I could tell he was holding back. He wanted to say something dirty, but for whatever reason, he wasn't.
"How about I do you a favor?" I said.
He tossed the ball in the air again. "Oh yeah?"
I took a step closer before snatching the ball from Spencer's hands and running towards the dunes. He was on my heel, trying to grab the ball back, but I kept ducking and spinning away from him.
"You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" Spencer called after me.
"No," I shot back. "I don't think. I know."
He chased me down the beach until I was breathless. When his hands finally circled my waist, Spencer pulled me against his back and we toppled onto warm sand, laughing harder than I'd laughed in a long time. Our legs and arms tangled together.
