12:22

eight

inez

I rise up from the water, running a hand through my soaked hair and feel another freezing wave sweep under the lower part of my body while my eyes remain closed. It felt nice to swim after a while, especially since summer was returning.

My eyes quickly open and I make my way back to the shore, getting closer to where the water was more shallow. I feel it shift beneath my feet and step out of it.

The sunlight hits my eyes as I get out and water drips down my body, August throws me a towel that I barely manage to catch. I wrap it around over my shoulders and sit by him on the picnic blanket.

"Where's Alisha and Jackson?" I ask, throwing on my beach coverup and keeping it unbuttoned.

"They went to get us drinks at the juice bar." He replies, giving me a bottle of water. I unscrew the cap and drink it so the water falls into my mouth while tilting at an angle, nearly drinking half of it because of how thirsty I was.

It was almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit right now, I don't know how I'm able to handle this.

I watch as my other friends come back, setting themselves down onto the cloth under us as well with no drinks in their hands.

"They fucking ran out of them." Alisha states rather loudly, laying on the cloth.

"Shit."

"It's way too hot today." I sigh in discomfort, drinking out of the bottle again until there wasn't any liquid left.

"It's cause I'm here." August says, smirking.

"Shut up." Alisha slaps his arm and he gives her a fake wince in return, being amused by her reaction.

"Guys! There's an ice cream truck." I say, sounding like a child, I point to the ice cream truck that stops by the beach we're at.

I put on my flip flops, quickly making our way to the truck. I step up to the front window about to hand a couple dollars without even looking in that direction, when I do I perceive someone familiar.

"Oh my god! Inez?" I come to the realization that the familiar person is Viola, she has her hair tied into a ponytail in the back with pink ribbons. Her bangs peeking out in the front.

"Viola!" I hug her quickly and she pulls back, "You work here?"

"Only on weekends, I'm helping out my grandma. Do you guys want anything?"

"Hi." August greets and a lopsided smile appears on his face, leaning on the front of the truck. His expression changes when Alisha slaps the side of his arm harder this time.

"Ow!" He furrows his brows, "That fucking hurt."

"Good."

I watch as Alisha makes eye contact with Viola, which soon becomes short lived since Alisha begins to pick at her nails, ignoring it. She stares at the cemented sidewalk below her instead.

"Could we have four cones of ice cream?" I tell her.

"We're severely dehydrated." I hear Jackson say.

She hands me back the money I was about to use to pay for the ice cream, "Shh, keep it. It's fine, no one will know."

"Viola, no."

"It's okay, it's not a big deal." She smiles, giving us the ice cream.

"I'd come along with you guys but I can't leave the truck alone, another time for sure though!"

"Bye! I'll see you!" I say, running back to the shore.

-

"My arm still hurts." August confessed, laying on his bare stomach. The hammock beneath him rocking side to side.

"You were embarrassing herself, I had to stop you somehow." Alisha laughs, throwing a handful of chips into her mouth.

Jackson looks up at me, "So, you met her in a bar bathroom?"

I nod.

"And she pulled back your hair while you threw up?" August asks.

I sit back up from my previous position on the couch, turning my head to where they were. "Are you guys finding this hard to believe? It's literally how I met Alisha."

"Shit, really? Tell me about it." Jackson chimes in, sounding more intrigued.

"You don't know?" She hysterically laughs between her words, "I was a fucking mess."

"She was crying really loudly and when I stepped in, she buried her head in my shoulder." I barely contain my laughter while talking.

"Why were you crying?" Jackson asks, giving a worried look.

"I was 17, and I was very drunk. For the first time actually." She smiles slightly.

"And she couldn't handle it."

Alisha smacks my arm lightly, "She drove me home because I came alone and I couldn't drive."

"Consequences of your own actions."

The wind combs through my tresses, making the hair tucked behind my ears fall out and block the view of the Pacific Ocean in front of me.

I struggle to keep it away from my face, the wind growing stronger.

Alisha hands me a claw clip and I twist my hair, clipping it in the back so my hair stays in place in the wind. I leave a few strands out so my face doesn't appear strange.

I always had to have those few strands of hair out or else it just doesn't seem right.

"Are they tired or something?" I ask, referring to the boys who've barely managed to keep their eyes open.

"Yes we are, let's leave." August suggests, getting an eye roll in return from Alisha.

Instead of answering, she grabs my wrist and drags me closer to the water, 2 surfboards in her other arm.

God knows how she could carry both in one hand.

I watch the sunset from where we stood, right above the waves crashing onto the surface of the shore. The alluring shades of blue and pink in the sky combining with one another in the process.

I set my surf board down in the shallow part of the ocean, setting my feet down on it as I balanced myself on the board.

As I felt the waves carry me back and forth, I watched as Alisha went underneath the water for a second. Bringing herself back up and uncontrollably smiling while doing so.

I laugh hysterically at her reaction, not being able to contain myself at that moment. I was happy.

-

i'm sorry abt the delay for those who read !! i love you so much thank you for 19k <3 my final exams are over now so i'll have more time to write. take care of yourselves