Royal Disaster

the disastrous broken tradition

I pounced on North's back as soon as I saw him down at the beach. His quick reflexes had him dropping whatever what was in his arms to grip my thighs tightly so I wouldn't fall.

"I'm here!" I chirped, pressing a kiss at the center of his nape.

He chuckled, turning his head so I could give him a proper kiss on the cheek. The contact was brief and as soon as we separated, I slid off his back and helped him pick up all the stuff he dropped. It happened to be all sticks.

"I'm guessing this is for the fire?"

"Yeah, everyone will be too drunk to think of getting some later," he told me with a one-shouldered shrug as he led me towards the bonfire. There were white tents set up around with empty coolers lying under each. I was assuming that that was where they were going to put the drinks. We dumped the sticks around the pits and then he led me back to grab more. "Why're you here so early?"

He held a hand out to me. When I took it, he tugged me towards him and wrapped his arm around my waist. I wrapped my own around his.

"My babysitter's got a stick hot glued up his ass," I informed him irritatedly.

"A babysitter?" he asked, curiously.

I shrugged. "Yup." His brow arched questioningly and I waved a hand up, saying, "I'll explain later. But he was saying that what I was wearing wasn't 'appropriate' and that I wasn't going to come here like this."

North shook his head, taking the time to look at my clothes. I stepped back to give him a better view, adding a twirl. He smiled, bringing a hand up to his chin. "Well, he may be a little right."

At that, I frowned, propping my hands on my hips, disbelievingly. "Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded, letting out a whistle. "Those legs are gonna be tempting a lot of people tonight."

I shook my head at him as a grin slowly stretched on my face, giving him a playful punch in the arm. He laughed, pulling me back into his side. "He's right though. It's gonna be cold later."

"Well, grandpa, we're not staying too late, remember? Just late enough till everyone gets too drunk to notice us leave. Plus, it's not like you're dressed either."

It was true. All he had on were some black and red board shorts and a grey muscle tank that did nothing to cover him from the breeze that began to ruffle up his dark hair.

"Unlike you," he gave me a pointed look. "I have a jacket in my car."

True. Huffing, I relented, "Okay, fine."

"You can borrow it when we head back home."

I shook my head. "I'll just turn the heater on, while you drive us."

It wasn't my idea to come, but seeing as it was my last summer before college started, I thought, "why not," and accepted the invitation. North's friends and our small group didn't generally huddle together. We weren't close and he only hung out with them because of the pre-established social hierarchy of high school that dictated jocks had to stick together, at least, schedule-wise. Their classes were in sync so that there were no complications with scheduling during games and important practices.

"Right," he murmured, reaching a hand over to scratch the back of his neck.

I stopped, not happy at that gesture. He only did that when he had something to tell me that had a high chance at making me angry. "I don't think I'll be driving you guys and we're gonna have to stay a bit later..."

"And why is that?"

"I sort of promised Hollie that I would take her home..."

My eyebrows rose. "Hollie? Hollie Fray?"