Emilia

"Oops." 

Don't ask me why I'm in more pain than a ball from the pitching machine attacking me. This ball, however, is five foot eleven and a cutie.

Jude avoids my stare. "I'm so sorry, Emilia."

"Your neighbor isn't very graceful." Rishi Gupta interrupts. It looks like Jude found a friend in Rishi. He's known for egging people on and his loud mouth, a stark contrast to Jude's quiet and non-confrontational personality.  

"No biggie. I'm fine!" Fine is pushing it, but the pain I'm in should only last a few moments. 

"You sure?" Jude looks at me apprehensively while Rishi disappears, placing his soft hand on my shoulder. His touch is like an angel or a baby's hand; whichever is softer.

I stare into his eyes. "You're good, big guy."

"That's what I like to hear. I can't allow you to be in pain."

"How are you?" I ask, remembering I'm not the only one involved in this collision.

"Never better." He shoots me a smile with all his teeth. Even without braces, they're not perfectly Calvin Klein model straight. His British genes came through, giving him his goofy yet mesmerizing grin.  

I frown after I find out Tori left from behind me. At least she isn't here to tease me in front of my new crush. While I haven't liked him for as long as he's had the hots for me, my small crush on him makes me grin randomly. I can only thank my mom for manifesting this.

When he snaps, I get closer and closer to sending him some bikini flicks. Sadly, my insecurities keep me from doing it. Guys usually like a flat tummy and a size 4. What ran through his mind after he saw me half naked? Maybe he isn't voicing his disgust with the extra fat on my body, but does he throw up in his mouth and participate in degrading discussions about girls' appearances in my absence?

That's right. He doesn't have friends to do that shit with.

"Can I get your number, Emilia?" 

I snatch Jude's iPhone 11 mini and stab my number into it. Jude raises his eyebrows so high they almost disappear into his fluffy hair. No noises of judgement escape from his full lips as he takes his device back. 

"Thanks." Traces of shock still remain in his face. "I would ask you about how you think you did, but we're here to have fun."

"Outstanding, thanks to you." My words get him all flustered as he smiles his goofy smile again. 

"Don't mention it." I hate how modest this boy is sometimes.

Still, I pretend to zip my lips. "Fine, big guy." It hits me that this might be the last time I'll be able to call him that until school starts. The last time I'll get to see him at that. Every summer, adventures at the beach club and my friends' houses scream my name every hour of every day. I can't wait to feel the sun cooking my skin and the heat on my cheeks every day. My complexion might get darker and my dark hair is gaining a little red, but I can't say my friendship with Jude will get any better after this. 

"I'll miss you so much, Emi." He's cute, a sweetheart, the next Einstein, and telepathic? The elephant on the beach is finally out in the open. Those angel soft hands grip my waist as he pulls me in for another hug. 

He's like a pillow that sits in the sun all day. When he touches me, the sounds of music and conversations leave. 

"I'll smack my softballs into your yard just to see you." I tease, tapping into my flirty side. 

Jude gives me a look that calls me a weirdo without him even speaking. We pull away, the chill in the air hitting me like a truck again.  

"Emilia! Let's go to the bonfire!" Eva squeals, an out of it Tori standing nearby. 

The fire has every young person in the city around it holding yummy stuff over the fire. I see the girls who participated in an intense volleyball match before the sun set are chowing down on juicy and well-cooked hot dogs while some intoxicated seniors hit on us three. Because I have boobs and an ass, they think they have the right to spew disgusting things to me.

Eva's upturned nose wrinkles. "That's unacceptable." 

"Be more like Papi Jude." Tori gives those dogs the finger. 

Luckily, Jade is many steps ahead of us. She demands they leave us alone, uppercutting one of them into complying. 

"Wow." I say as she approaches us. 

"Emi's beautiful, but what those guys did is disgusting."

"You're awesome." Tori and I say in unison. Jade saved my ass, Tori is flustered because of her presence alone. 

Jade winks, tucking a loose wave behind her ear. "Girls support girls. They wonder why I don't like men at all."

"They're so weird..." Tori sees Eva's shocked look and rephrases. "Sometimes. Not always."

Eva pipes up. "I only love my daddy, my man, and Carson and his friends." While Eva thinks cute boys are the best part of school, she only truly cares about her cousin Carson and boyfriend Elijah Hart. 

"I'm gay as hell and you're not." Jade says flatly. 

"Good to know, sweet girl." Eva smiles. "Let me know if you need anything."

The corners of Jade's almond shaped eyes crinkle. "Will do!" She turns to Tori. "See you at the beach club?"

"I'll definitely request you." Tori says, forgetting she's not alone with her. 

Eva and I share a she's not fucking slick look as we grab cold hot dogs. They catch fire and go from their raw pink state to charred at the ends instantly. The hot juice burns my tongue, but it's too yummy to stop eating. 

"These are edible, but nothing compares to my dad's." Eva comments. She and Mr. Hamilton are two peas in a pod despite their thirty-three year age gap. 

"Just edible?" Thomas Hamilton is a seasoned griller whose barbecue should impress Gordon Ramsay, but the fire alone made this one memorable enough. I look for Jade and Tori, their spots around the hot fire empty.

Eva speaks up. "Damn. They're already hooking up."

"You don't know that." Sure enough, they're walking around with less than a centimeter between them.

"Look at the lovebirds." She giggles. "When will it be you and big guy's turn?"

"Evelyn, I swear."

~
Sure enough, I kicked poor Jude Merryweather to the curb. 

For the next week or so, I wake up at 11:30 to meet up with the girls at Silver Palms Beach. The water glitters like a disco ball and the sand is the metallic glitter on a little kid's art project, hence its name. After a lot of tanning and swimming, we grab food at the beach club and watch sparks fly between Tori and her favorite waitress. 

Jade clears our table and refills Eva's water. "How were the wings?"

"Really, really good." Tori left out the "because you gave them to us," but you get the idea. 

"That's good. Have a good one, ladies."

We unanimously agree we're too lazy to head back to the beach, so we spend the rest of our day chilling by the pool. My skin welcomes the hot sun, grateful to feel it after my wet bikini and cold restaurant air froze it. Other people seem to enjoy the heat too. Every chair is taken, families with young kids enjoying the first day of summer. The kids themselves fight like they're married instead of family. Some moms break it up and restrain the instigator against the burning hot straw chairs, but most of these kids' parents are gossiping. 

Thanks for the birth control, y'all.

Eva finds an empty chair and lays down so her back faces the sun. I figured she's taking advantage of the sun and getting a nice tan. 

"Don't mind me. Just getting ready for the Keys." Her face is squished against the chair, making her words muffled. 

That's right. The Hamiltons spend time at their beach house in the Keys during the summer. After a memorable week of swimming, tanning, and water sports, she's leaving me for three days. On top of that, Tori's mom planned a last-minute family trip to Seaside for five. I guess it's just me and my tee. 

I poke her burnt and crispy shoulder. "I'll miss you two."

"Same here, beautiful." Eva doesn't move an inch from that uncomfortable position. Her face must hurt like crazy. "I'll post pictures."

I look around and see no trace of the tall Brazilian. "Where's Victoria?"

"Still talking to Jade, I bet." Her voice gains some sleepiness as her accent gets thicker than her mom's. "We'll accept 'er once they're a thing, right Emilia?"

"I wouldn't rush them." I kick myself mentally as Jude and I hug like, every day after knowing one another for such a short time. "But certainly. She's my ride or die, Eva."

Eva sits up to face me. "Alright. I see how it is." She fidgets with a red strap from her top as her head hits the chair again. With Eva fast asleep like a handful of the young kids at the pool, I scroll through my phone since Tori isn't here. 

As I fill my online shopping cart with bikinis I don't need, a Snap notification pops up from surprise: Jude. Since I'm never home nowadays, we only communicate with pictures as we go about our days. Sometimes he smiles that cute smile or catches me while he walks Lucy. His most recent one features the dog in his arms. 

I think I know who to hang out with while my girls are away. 

~

hello!!! had a half day at school so used it to knock this out :)