Adopted by Jennifer Lawrence

[95:] Aftereffects

Maddie's P.O.V.

At first it was the pictures.

Josh is a sporty guy--from what I can tell. He decided to surf and I cheered him on.

I noticed pictures were being taken when I saw bright flashes using my peripheral vision, and also, fans decided to bring their phones out. There was absolutely no way to avoid that. Perks of being a celebrity or related to one.

Jen and Josh didn't seem to mind. They went on with their day, having a great time, just enjoying themselves.

I, on the other hand felt a little self-conscious. How would the pictures turn out? Will they be published for the world to see? What if I look bad?

That last one because I've seen some of the photos the paparazzi have taken. One word: yikes.

“Don't let them ruin our day,” Jen tells me. “I know this is gonna be hard, but try to ignore them. You wanted to come here, so we're going to have a great time.”

I nodded and continued to swim, loving every minute of it.

There was a nice breeze and the waves were great for surfing.

It seemed like other surfers were competing and I laughed when Josh slipped off of his surfboard. Luckily, he wasn't hurt nor injured, just really wet.

Me and Jen went underwater to see who could hold their breath the longest, all because I challenged her. She thought she could beat me, but I won, but coughed and gasped for air afterwards.

My sparkly blue suit was a little snug, and I'll just have to fix that later on. My main focus was to have a good time.

Jen wore a light blue bathing suit and Josh had on his swimming trunks with no shirt on, revealing his tattoo of an anchor I didn't know he had, and his trunks almost fell off due to some massive waves. I've never laughed so hard in one day.

It seemed like hours before we went back into the sand to dry out and eat what was packed.

Did I mention that I didn't put on any sunscreen?

My pale and sensitive skin was probably going to burn and peel shortly after this. And it wasn't going to be pretty.

Jen and Josh took the extra precautions to lather on sunscreen on each others backs while I played in the ocean.

My skin was already beginning to tingle and I already had an idea of the aftereffects. I rushed to the shade of the umbrella and sat on the towel that was laid out in the sand.

I was dehydrated, probably due to the fact that I accidentally swallowed a few mouthfuls of salty seawater. I chugged down two water bottles before I felt satisfied.

“Save some for us,” Josh teased.

We brought a whole cooler filled with ice and different drinks.

Using the sand nearby, I began to create a sandcastle, which looked more like a hill.

Normally I wouldn't want to act childish, but I begged Jen to buy a bucket and a shovel so I can play in the sand. Laughing, she agreed.

I now play in the sand like a kid again, enjoying myself and forgetting the paparazzi were even here.

***

“Ow, ow, ow,” I mutter to myself as I walk into the bathroom.

My predictions were correct. I was indeed sunburned. Not that severe, but painful enough.

The gaunt girl in the mirror had wild hair with skin beginning to peel. I was told not to touch it, but in some places such as my shoulders, I couldn't resist.

Jen thought lotion would be the best home remedy and it felt cold against my now sensitive skin.

My collarbones were prominent, and I liked it that way. But when I pinched the fat on my sides--also called “love handles”-- and I felt overweight. Maybe a little more exercise should do the trick.

Lately I've been running at night after Jen tucked me into bed with the usual kiss on the forehead.

I'd make sure she was asleep and I'd head out. I wouldn't go far, just circling around the neighborhood. Jen didn't have a treadmill or any exercise equipment, so I was forced to do it old school. Reminds me of Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Lining's Playbook--Jen's character who would jog around the neighborhood.

I was too fatigued to try to sneak out anywhere, so when Jen tucked me in that night, I'd stay put and rest.

^~^
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