Strictly Summer Romance (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five, Naked Bases

"Race you there!"

Alice and I take off in as quick a sprint as we can manage in the sand. She'd decided a midnight dip in the Ocean was on our agenda. She'd gotten her power nap in on the car ride down, and she is on a second wind. I, however, am exhausted, but what Alice wants, Alice gets.

We charge into the shallow waters. It wasn't near as cold as last night at the cove. Maybe partially due to the fact that I'm sober tonight. It feels nice though.

"I win!" Alice claims.

"Pfft, yeah, whatever," I say, "You were a mile behind me."

"Because I was doing laps around you!" She fires back.

I cup my hands and throw a handful of water straight into her face. She stands waist deep, eyes closed, and takes a deep breath. She slowly wipes her eyes, and lasers me with a death glare.

"You're done," she threatens.

"Come on princess, let's see your tough side," I taunt.

~~~

"I'm sorry, Em..." Alice says. She digs her hand into went sand. "I shouldn't have said that earlier. It wasn't fair. I just... I want to enjoy this summer with you. I'm not going to have you next year, and I don't want the months leading up to that to be as miserable as I know college is going to be without you."

I smile sadly at her. She's right. "No, I'm sorry. I overreacted. You were just trying to be optimistic," I squeeze her hand.

"You really think we're going to be able to go a full semester without seeing each other?" Alice asks lightening the subject.

We've discussed what college is going to be like. Mostly tried to figure out exactly how many miles there will be between us, and how long flights will be. Neither of us have fully comprehended how hard it's going to be being so far apart.

"Probably not. We'll end up seeing each other every weekend," I laugh, "Airports are good study halls though, right?"

She laughs. "Of course! The best recommended," she says but gets quiet. "But seriously Em... I've never not had you by my side. I'm not ready for that." She gives me a distraught look.

I'm not ready for that either. Alice has been my other half since we were in the womb. Our moms always joked that we were best friends before we even came out of their bellies. Any time they'd get in the same room when they were pregnant, we'd go crazy kicking.

We were born eleven minutes apart. Alice, on July third at eleven fifty-three. I, on July Fourth at twelve o'four. We went through everything together. We've been inseparable for eighteen years. I don't know how I'm going to make it through college without her.

"Oh, you'll flutter away just fine social butterfly," I say pushing her shoulder lightly. "You'll replace me in a heartbeat with some bimbo that laughs at all your jokes even though you're not funny. And you'll drown my memory in the sea of hot guys bombarding you for a chance at your womanly essence," I joke.

"Hey! My jokes ARE funny! And my womanly essence... well yeah, that'll probably get bombarded," she says and laughs with me.

"Hey...so, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but... what did Alex say?" She asks tentatively.

I deadpan her. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"I'm sorry! I didn't know he was here, and when my mom told me I tried to warn you, and then I was too late, and I froze!" She exclaims throwing her hands against her face with a guilty look.

"You did put on quite the theatrics," I say shaking my head with a laugh.

"I was trying to help!" She splashes me and tries to hold back a smile. "...so...what'd he say?"