Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 68

Janet

"Stop, Joey! My hair!" I covered my head with my arms and ran across the shore. It was day five, and I had no complaints. Well, except for the way Joey was splashing around like a six year old in the water, just as I had bent down to pick up a shell. I'd always collected one or two every time I got a chance to be at the beach, and to tell the truth, my collection wasn't as extensive as I wished it was. I simply could not get away to the ocean enough.

  "Oh, was that me? I'm sorry." He turned around violently just as the tide came in, sending the salty, crystal-clear water everywhere. I squealed and ran back on the sand.

  "You're fired!" I called be hind me, jogging back to Toni, who was laying down on a chair with her piña colada in one hand and a book in the other. I couldn't tell if she was watching the whole fiasco because of her big, dark shades, but she shook her head idly as she turned the page.

  "Y'all play too much," she muttered.

  "Come on, honey. At least go in to your knees."

Toni could sunbathe with the best of them, but when it came to anything remotely pertaining to the ocean, and sustaining herself in it, she backed away. The most I've seen was her dipping one toe in, then scurrying away. I was no Olympic swimmer either, but I at least got in to about my chest height once in a while.

  "Nope. That tide looks pretty strong. And y'all need to quit playing before you get swept out to sea."

  "Please? For me?"

She looked over the top of her glasses at me, then to the water, and then continued to read.
I sighed and sat on the beach chair next to her. "Fine."

  "Nothing personal," she said.

  "I take it personally anyway."

She put the book down and faced me. "You're a drama queen."

  "So what?" I stuck my tongue out.

  A smirk grew on her face and she spontaneously stood up and pulled me into her lap. "Come here, with your dramatic, fine ass," she grumbled. I squealed as she squeezed my body. "You're lucky I love that bikini so much."

  I grinned. "I know. The luckiest." I pecked her lips, noticing how red her shoulders were. "We need to get out of the sun for a little. You're already burning."

  "Girl, please. That's my color coming in." She craned her neck to get a look for herself.

  "Joey, come here right quick." I stood up and turned to see what he was doing. He was just sitting on the shore, letting the water come up to his lower half and rush down his muscular legs. He looked like a kid, complete with a bucket hat pulled over his head to avoid sunburn. I chuckled as he turned around and jogged to us.

  "What's up?" He adjusted his sunglasses and tried to appear more masculine and mannish.

  "Does Toni look like she's burning on her shoulders? Yeah, right?" I tapped my chin as we examined her. She put her glasses on top of her head and glared at us both.

  "Yeah. Black people shouldn't ever be that red. Time to hit the shade."

She slapped her legs and began to pack up her stuff annoyedly. "Just can't get any sun, can I?"

  "I just put sunscreen on you an hour ago! Your skin is sensitive. Nothing to be ashamed of. We can go do something else."

  "It's Hawaii, Jan. Its whole selling point is the outdoors."

  "Come on. Let's go get massages." I held out my hand and she took it, interlacing our fingers as we left. "You won't say no to that."

  "No, I won't, but that's not the point—"