New Romantics

Chapter 12

Oracle defeated Belmont 52-21.

It was cute of Belmont to think they truly had a chance against the might of the Archers.

"Come on!" Dani screamed, laughing harder and harder as the warm asphalt of Second Street gave way to grass, then gravel, and finally, hot grainy sand beneath our bare feet. "Move faster, you slow pokes!"

My chest heaved and my legs burned as I struggled to keep up—partially from the alcohol consumption of this beautiful Saturday, and another part from exhaustion. It was so silly how alcohol had the tendency to make you feel like your blood was helium but your bones were concrete, creating a tug of war between floating away and sinking into the center of the Earth.

Sasha struggled, too, her arm looped through mine, as we practically dragged each other across the sandy boardwalk onto the beach, students rushing past us, lagging behind us, the sky as clear and bright and blue as the waves cresting the shores of OU.

"Let's fucking go, Archers!" a burly boy shouted. The boy—a baby-faced freshman, no doubt—and the other group of shirtless boys painted blue and gold, rushed the beach with OU flags above their heads, triumphant, both high on the win and the drugs in their systems.

A tradition spanning a hundred years, every triumph against our rival school ended with an icy dip in the ocean, no matter the season, no matter the sport. And despite the September creeping in cooler day by day, a thick blanket of alcohol wrapped tight around their bodies, students dove into the water, headfirst, fearless.

"OU! OU! OU!"

"Fuck those Belmont snobs!"

Bouncing on her heels, pinwheeling her arms, Dani waited impatiently at the end of the boardwalk. "Guys!"

"The ocean isn't going anywhere!" Sasha countered, her long legs folding the second she stepped into a divot in the sand.

"Sasha!" I screeched. We hit the sand in an instant, and it felt like someone grabbed the top of the planet and spun it as fast as they could. "Holy shit—"

"Help me up!" Sasha demanded.

We attempted to stand and—fell again, tears streaming down our cheeks from how hard we laughed. I clutched my stomach, Sasha snorted and I laughed harder.

"Easy, easy!" I said when she scrambled to her feet too quickly. "We need to help each other—oof!"

"You need to hold your weight, Aria!" Sasha said, just as my knees sunk further into the sand, and I yanked her back down.

"I'm trying," I half-sobbed-half-laughed. "My legs feel like nooooodles."

Fists jabbed into her hips, Dani said, "You were walking fine twenty minutes ago!"

My brows furrowed. "It made me tired." I sagged into Sasha, and both girls looked at me with wide eyes, and shook their heads.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Sasha again.

"It's not over yet, sweetie!" Dani said, clapping her hands.

Sasha, with all her muscles and curves, hauled me up with ease, Dani locking her arms with us, and we raced to the water, laughing, screaming, gleefully, fearfully, trading jokes, then insults, and then the OU fight song.

These were the moments that made all of the stress and heartache and fear worth it. These were the moments, with my roommates by my side, with the sky vast and limitless above us, kept my head above water, fed the spark in my soul, and gave me hope. About the future. About my place here. I wasn't the best. I wasn't the prettiest. I wasn't the richest. But I was enough. I had enough.