Rachel was a backstabbing, crap-talking, crush-stealing monster. Mandy didn't even want to think about the things she had done to her growing up. The fact that Elijah had swooped so low to pick up someone like Rachel when Mandy didn't show up made her cheeks turn red hot. Who did he think he was, using her worst enemy as a rebound?

Oh shoot, Mandy thought. It would probably seem like she was using HIS worst enemy as a rebound instead.

She needed to hide. Fast. Mandy had never been good with confrontation, and she knew that was what she was about to get. Before Elijah and Rachel could get their eyes off each other and notice the world around them, Mandy grabbed Xavier by the forearm and pulled him into the nearest building.

"Woah, Mandy," Xavier chuckled. "If you wanted to ask me out on a date, you could've just said so."

What is he talking about? Mandy was flustered.

"Are you two lovebirds gonna buy a voucher, or are you just going to take up space?" a girl behind the counter said, smacking her bubblegum between her molars.

She had a big, curly brown afro and shiny, honey-bronze skin with numerous freckles on her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were like caramel, warm and soft, and accessorized with long, thick, double-layered eyelashes. She had a single stud ring on her nose, which shined like a diamond.

Mandy knew exactly who that girl was, though she doubted the girl was familiar with her. Her name was Arya Jenkins, and she had been the most popular girl since, well, forever. Everybody had wanted to push her swing on the playground in first grade, and everybody had wanted to be invited to the house parties at her three-story mansion in seventh. She had been captain of the volleyball team in eighth grade and had dated at least twelve guys during her middle school experience.

"We'll take two vouchers for two hours," Xavier reached into his pocket and grabbed a $50 bill. Leaning on the desk, he waved the money in Arya's freckled face before she snatched it.

"Been a long time since I've seen you out here with a girl," Arya said, nodding at Mandy. "Or out on a date at all."

"We're not like that," Mandy burst into the conversation. Seashell Beach was a small town, and rumors traveled fast. The last thing she needed was for Elijah to think she and Xavier were an item.

Arya blew a big, pink bubblegum bubble and let it explosively pop. She sighed and rolled her eyes, letting her 5-inch wide hoop earrings dangle. She admired her clawlike blood-red manicure, saying, "That's a shame. Nearly not enough drama happens around here, and I've been craving some tea."

Xavier cleared his throat, and Arya slammed two vouchers into his hand. "Have fun," Arya rolled her eyes and started to scroll on her phone.

Mandy had no idea where they were or what they were going to do, but Xavier seemed eager as she followed him through a big, black push door. After walking through the door, she could see countless bowling alleys with bright, beautiful, colorful bowling balls being rolled down them. She could see numerous couples holding hands, pushing each other playfully, and looking into each other's eyes.

Mandy and Xavier did not belong there. They were just friends, and they always had been. Always would be.

"Come on Mandy," Xavier's eyes sparkled in excitement. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the shoe rental with him. Her heart was beating rapidly, but not in the same way as her heart had been beating when she was with Elijah. This was different. Xavier was...

...her best friend.

Their friendship had already been tampered with when she left, and it didn't need to be damaged anymore.

Plus, she didn't even like Xavier like that! The next time she saw Elijah, she would apologize to him for not showing up. She swore.

Well, the next time he saw him alone. Without Rachel.

"I bet I'll beat you," Mandy teased, running to the nearest alley in the worn-out white bowling shoes.

"Oh, you wish."

Mandy and Xavier bowled for two hours. In all her years of knowing him, she didn't know that he had such a competitive side. Or maybe that was just a part of him that grew in her time away. When they were done bowling, the two hit the arcade. 

"I hate this stupid machine," Mandy bumped her head against the glass.

"What, the claw machine?" Xavier smiled.

"Yeah, I can't win anything," Mandy complained. "This thing is rigged."

"Which one do you want?"

"The pink octopus."

Xavier inserted a quarter into the machine and Mandy watched as the claw snatched up the octopus plushie with ease. 

"A cute stuffed animal for an even cuter girl," Xavier handed the octopus to Mandy, whose cheeks turned rose-red. The plushie had a beautiful scent, like fresh strawberries plucked from a Californian garden in the spring. It smelled even sweeter than that to Mandy, knowing that Xavier had won it for her.

"You hungry?" Xavier asked. "Barry's Burgers is nearby."

Amanda Campbell, New York model and magazine covergirl hadn't touched a burger in the past two years.

"No, thanks, I don't really eat burgers." Mandy's modeling agent always forced her to keep a skinny silhouette, and she wouldn't want to lose that over the summer. Who knows the harm a cheeseburger could do to a girl who'd lived off of avocado toast and keto salads for so long?

"Stop lying," Xavier laughed. "Don't you remember? You liked them more than me!"

"Yeah well, I'm not a pig anymore. I like to think about what goes into my body."

Mandy indeed used to like fast food. Heck, she loved it. Every last Friday of the month in fifth grade, she and Xavier would bike to Barry's Burgers after school and have a competition of who could eat the most burgers. Each time, Mandy won. She would stop by fast food restaurants on the way home from school at least twice a week, whether it was to get strawberry milkshakes, chicken nuggets, or double bacon cheeseburgers. Her mom would take her out to a diner every Saturday night, and the two of them would gobble down an amount of food meant for four. 

But that life was gone. The life she had now was made up of salads, skinless chicken breasts, and whole wheat bread.

Xavier sighed. He had that same look on his face that Elijah had on the beach. The kind of look someone has when they want to say something, but don't know exactly how to say it. "I can take you home," he shrugged his shoulders.

Mandy nodded her head and walked with Xavier to the parking lot of Pancake Palace.

Great, I screwed up again. Mandy was annoyed with herself. Did he think I didn't want to go eat lunch with him? I was just trying to stay away from bad food...

Wait, why do I even care? It's not like I want to go out on a date with him or something.

But isn't that technically what I just did?

Right when Mandy and Xavier made it to his red Chevrolet Cruze, Mandy's thoughts were interrupted by blasting music, which boomed louder as it moved closer. A hunter-green Ram 1500 came into view, with a familiar cute guy driving it.

"Mandy, let's go," Xavier quickly motioned for her to get into the car.

"Mandy!" Elijah yelled. "Where are you going with that prick?"

"I'm taking her home, dipwad!"

"She doesn't want to go anywhere with you, idiot! She was supposed to spend the day with me!"

Mandy watched as the two boys insulted each other, yelling over the car's eardrum-shattering music. She wanted to be able to spend the time with both of them over the summer, but how could she? If the one of them knew she was hanging out with the other, they'd kill each other.

Xavier stomped over to his car, then spun around to look at Mandy. "Mandy, are you coming?" he asked rudely in all his anger, steam practically shooted out from his ears.

Mandy stared down at the ground and kept silent. She'd already technically bailed on Elijah that morning and needed to explain. Plus, she didn't know the next time she'd be able to ride with him. It's true that there were many fish in the sea, but Xavier was one washed up on the beach and Elijah was one deep in the bottom of the ocean. She didn't know when she would catch such a rare one again.

"I'm sorry," Mandy looked up at a shocked Xavier. She walked around Elijah's truck and entered, slamming the car door shut.

Mandy stared straight out through the windshield. "Let's go, Elijah," she commanded, avoiding any and all eye contact.

"Anything for you," Elijah smirked. "And please, call me Eli."

Eli stomped on the gas and they drove away, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.

"I hope you go to hell, Elijah Carter!" Xavier cursed in frustration. But Eli couldn't hear him.

He was too busy celebrating his victory.