Starlight

Chapter Seven

The drive to the beach is spent playing car games and blasting the radio with the windows down. We get to the beach house around 7 and we unpack. It's a gorgeous house. It's right on the coast, giving it an ocean view that is to die for.

The kind of view that resembles the one from my window back in California. Memories come flooding back, making my heart ache with homesickness. "Maylee you doing okay?" Alaska asks, coming up to me. I wipe a tear that threatens to spill and nod. "Yeah, just missing California. That's all. I'm fine. So where do you want me to sleep?" She leads me to one of the bedrooms.

"My grandpa has four bedrooms. He has requested that we stay out of his room, so that leaves us with three. I figured we could all double up. You can share a room with me, Kelsey and Sadie in one, and the boys in the other. Is that okay?" She says, explaining on the way. "Yeah sounds great." I say. The bedrooms have two beds in each room, so I claim the one by the window to get a good view of the ocean.

"Hey is anyone going to complain if I order a pizza!" Dane shouts from the boys room. "Sounds good to us!" Kelsey shouts, as Alaska and I add in words of agreement. Pretty soon the pizza delivery guy shows up, and the scent of cheese and pepperoni floods the room.

We play cards as we eat, playfully arguing over who's cheating, and who's turn it is. "Alright. It's time for tradition. You all ready!" Sadie asks, with a smirk. "What's the tradition?" I ask, suddenly wishing I hadn't asked. "We have a tradition that is so insane that it's actually kind of normal. This tradition is...blind folded relay races in the dark!" She shouts, making me laugh.

"Okay so here's how it goes. We team up, and go through a series of events, while one of us is blindfolded. The other person who isn't blindfolded has to tell the other person what to do. The first event is blindfolded tricycle riding. The person has to ride a tricycle while the other person goes with them and guides them to the finish line. Whoever gets there first wins. The second event is blindfolded pie eating contest. The third is blindfolded find the object. And last but not least, blindfolded hide and seek to find your partner. You switch up whoever's blind folded every other activity." Sadie explains.

Dane comes up to me picking me up like a rag doll and runs out the door with me in his arms while shouting, "I call Maylee!" The others eventually join us outside, Peyton and Alaska, and Kelsey and Sadie as the other two partnerships. "Do you want to be blindfolded first?" I ask Dane when he sets me down. "Sure." He says with a goofy grin. "Okay everyone on your tricycles!" Sadie shouts. Dane sits on the trike while I stand on the bar in the back. I quickly tie the blindfold over his eyes. He makes a funny face, making me laugh.

Once everyone is ready, Sadie shouts, "On your Mark. Get Set...GO!" Dane starts furiously pedalling. I scream at first, just from getting startled. My screams soon turn into battle like cries, as I give a fist pump into the air.

We're in the lead, and I spot a turning point ahead."Turn right!" I yell. Dane however takes it a little too sharply, causing us to topple over. "No! Come on Dane, let's go!" I shout, quickly picking up the trike and leading a very confused Dane to the seat. "Alright. We're back on. Go go go!" I say. The others have caught up with us, with threats of passing. We make it to the finish line with seconds to spare. "YES!" I say, getting a little competitive.

We head to the picnic table not to far from here, where the pies have already been set up. "Alright so this is a little different from regular pie eating contests. This one, your partner has to feed you the pie." Dane explains as he ties the blindfold on. "Okay. I'm ready." I taking a seat. "3. 2. 1. Go!" Kelsey says this time. I open my mouth wide, and Dane shoves a piece of cherry pie in my face. We continue this for a while,me trying to eat as fast as I can, while doing my best not to choke myself in the process. I can feel the food getting all over me, and I'm sure I look like a mess. "We're done!" Alaska yells, and I take off the blindfold.

Peyton is covered in pie, and has the biggest grin on his face. Getting self conscious, I touch my cheek, my hand getting slimmed in the process. Dane laughs. "Here let me help you." He offers, grabbing a paper towel and wiping the food off my face, as though I was a child. He looks into my eyes, his strokes becoming slower and slower. "What?" I ask softly, and he just shakes his head, looking at the ground. "Nothing...you're just really pretty." He says, making me blush.

We soon finish up, and get ready for the next round. "Alright. Here's an object for each of you. Your job is to tell your partner where to go, without leading them there. And...Go!" Alaska says. "Okay keep going straight." I say as Dane stumbles his way though the darkness. "Alright now turn left." I say, and Dane starts to go right. "No, your other left." He turns the other way, and I compliment him. After a few minutes of giving him directions, I hear a bunch of screams coming from Kelsey. "Yes! We win this round!" Followed by a bunch of laughter from Sadie.

"Okay guys final round, you ready?" Peyton asks. We all give signs of agreement. "Alright. Those of you who are blindfolded, spin around in circles for about 30 seconds. The rest of you go hide." We spin around, counting to thirty. When we finally reach thirty, I'm very dizzy. "Ready or not, here we come!" We all shout.

I stumble around for a few minutes, before bumping into someone. "Oof!" I say as we fall down. "Its okay. Go find Dane so you can win." Peyton's voice says. I nod, starting to leave when I feel him grab my arm. "He's hiding behind a tree a few yards ahead. Just go straight, and you'll find him." Peyton's voice whispers in my ear. "Thanks." I whisper back, and continue walking.

Slamming into a large tree, I fall down. Well I'm here. I think to myself. "Oh Maylee are you okay?" Dane asks, worried. He gently pulls off the blindfold. "Yep I'm fine. I found you." I say, bopping his nose. He chuckles under his breath. "We win." He says, giving me a big hug. I burry my head in his chest, taking in his scent.

Breaking away, I turn and start running towards the house while singing/shouting, "We are the champions my friends!" Dane laughs, joining in with me. "And we'll keep on fighting till the end!" Everyone else soon joins with us. "We are the champions. We are the champions! No time for losers cuz' we are the champions...of the world!"

Once we calm down from our fit of laughter, we decide to turn on a movie. I sit down next to Dane, offering him some popcorn. Dane wraps his arm around my shoulders and takes my hand. He rubs small circles with his thumb, making me feel completely at peace. Fatigue soon sets in, and before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep. My head rests on Dane's shoulder, and my eyes flutter closed. The last thing I notice before sleep taking over is a gentle kiss on my forehead and the scent of Dane's cologne.