Jude

"What's good, nerd?" Abbey joins me in my car. "Pass all of your finals?"

I nod. "That was fun."

"You know what's fun? That high school party you're going to be at." Abbey rolls her eyes. She can't tag along since she has a soccer match in Fleming Island. "Have loads of fun for me, Judey." 

"Thanks." 

"I'm sure you and Emi's babies will turn out lovely, but I don't want to be an aunt just yet." She teases as she buckles her seat belt. I want to put her in her place, but don't feel like crashing the car over the shots she's fired at me since the day she learned to speak. 

I glance at my sister playing with one of her perfect blonde braids. "You're strange, Abbey Anne." Her jab gets me thinking about the future for the rest of the drive. If babies are in the cards, I hope they have Emi's milk chocolate eyes, tan skin, and straight, white teeth.

"But I'm right." I give her a serious look so Dad, who is working from home today, doesn't catch us arguing. Abbey sticks her tongue out and goes to her room to pack her things for this weekend. While she'll get yelled at by my parents in the bleachers, I get to hang out with Emilia while the setting sun paints the sky the prettiest colors.

The party isn't for another few hours, and Lucy wants to play with me for as long as she can before I leave. 

I unlock her cage. "Hey, girl. We're gonna walk, mkay?" 

Lucy bolts to the front door at the prospect of giving her favorite owner his daily exercise. We step into the warm sun and take in the blue sky and houses minutes from the beach. The clouds decided not to ruin the perfect sky and let the blinding sun steal the show.

While my Pit Bull gets her energy out, music from my AirPods drowns out every other noise. Enjoying that song about four guys thousands of miles away and their yellow submarine runs in the family. My dad's been a fan since birth, given he named his two children and dog after songs of theirs. They mix in pretty well with Tyler the Creator's whole discography.

That's my playlist for you.

Within ten minutes of walking my favorite dog, I can't breathe and sweat dampens my face. At the end of some song, I end up taking Lucy home and letting her get the rest of her energy out in the yard. I never have the energy to play with her and she's too energetic to care about me. After she nearly falls asleep on the overgrown grass, I let her back in through the sliding glass door. 

"Son." Dad emerged from his office recently. "How were finals?"

"Too easy." I say. Teaching what I know to others will definitely guarantee me at least mostly A's. "Wait. Are you about to head out?"

He nods. "Mum will meet me there."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly 5 o'clock." He turns to face the stairs. "Abbey! We're leaving!" 

My sister looks like she might fall over with all the heavy equipment she has. Abbey's head comfortably fits under my chin, but she's quite lean thanks to soccer and track. The weight of the bags might cause her to fall over. 

As she struggles, it registers to me that Emi said our party transportation will arrive at 6:30, an hour and a half away. After I say goodbye to my dad and listen to the whole "don't do drugs whilst at that party, love ya" speech he gives, I dash upstairs to get ready to see her. I believe she said Tori from last night's brother is giving us a ride.

My skin, hot and flushed because of the sun's heat, welcomes my shower head's frigid water. It darkens my hair and makes me look like a person again. After my shower, I put on some shorts and don't bother to add a shirt. I'm by myself with no one to body shame me. After plopping onto my bed, I send Emi something impulsive.

Me: can i ask the best looking girl at sp something?

She's been on my mind since I last felt her in my arms. It's definitely normal for any girl whose beauty warrants a modeling contract to take up a guy's thoughts, and I feel weird without feeling her warm body on mine. 

Emilia: haha you shouldn't have

Emilia: what's up?

Me: what's the dress code for the celebration?

All of the high school movies in the world couldn't tell me if a suit, hoodie, or tee are appropriate for wild, alcohol-filled parties. I'm sure Emi can weigh in. Sure enough, her usual helpful response flashes across my screen.

Emilia: pretty casual. this isn't the oscars after party :)

Emilia: i know many people are coming in swimsuits for obvious reasons, myself and tori included 

Casual. It doesn't make sense to arrive at the beach in what her dad wears to work every day, so I wear a tank top and shorts with a loud Hawaiian print. Every time I wear a wife beater, she gets these stars in her eyes for some reason. Even though there's nothing to show off for her, I hope she sees me as more than her super smart meal ticket to passing finals. If her swimsuit is anything like the bikinis she rocks in her social media pictures, I can't wait to lay eyes on her in half an hour.

The time between getting dressed and my ride's arrival are filled with watching some stupid videos about talking to females other than my mean sister and awesome but always stressed out mum. They're all the same: be yourself and flirt a lot. In my sixteen years of being alive, I sit and watch beautiful girls go for guys with Popeye's muscles. 

"Shower her with compliments," followed by my phone's ding telling me my ride's here. Ugh, Emilia's awesome for that. She said that I'll get along with Leo, her mate's brother. 

I can tell he doesn't have a long list of Tori complaints like I do for Abbey. From her body shaming (I believe that's what sisters are for) to leaving her bloody panties in common areas when she's on her lady's days, she's a handful.

A lustrous red sports car with the roof open is parked on her. There's an empty seat next to the driver, a young man in his twenties who must love wearing wife beaters as much as I do. His muscles bulge out of his sandy arms and his gaze is fixed on the homes ahead. I climb into the seat next to him.

"Good evening."

"Hey." He mumbles, avoiding my eye contact as we pull out. This seems like it's going to be tense when Emi speaks up.

She reaches over to pat my shoulder. "Hey, big guy!"

"Emi!" I smile, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. 

"What's up, Jude? Don't worry about Leo, he'll warm up to you in a few minutes." Tori says. 

Leo finally speaks. "And my sister warms up to everyone within a few seconds of being in their general vicinity." He glances at me. "Pleasure to meet you." 

"Likewise." I reply, my heart rate slowing down and my fear of him leaving my body. Leo looks like something out of a cologne commercial with his messy black hair and hazel eyes. His nose has a bump, making it droopy like Emi's. 

The women sing songs at the top of their lungs the entire drive while Leo tunes them out. He just finished his sophomore year at the University of Miami, making him significantly older than me. According to him, college won't be as lonely for me as my first two friendless years of high school. 

Luckily, my lack of a social life changes that night. Leo turns out to be a cool guy with a lot of advice for me. 

Plus, socializing isn't an option with so many young people from across the city representing several schools. A large group of girls in bikinis play volleyball and sit around a bonfire while other people play in the salty ocean water like my sister and I used to. The sky is still bright blue and the sun is still shining, but a breeze in the air makes it feel significantly cooler than seventy-nine degrees. 

As we leave the car, Emi approaches me since she didn't get to do so during the brief but scenic drive up to Jax Beach. Her warm skin counteracts the cold breeze that glides across my arms as she hugs me from the side. 

"Are you excited?" Her eyes glitter like a child's as she stares at me. 

I nod, turning to see her pretty face better. "That swimsuit looks amazing on you." I comment. Every time I say she should model, I'm being serious. Emilia is wearing an orange bikini that compliments her tan skin. 

"You're the sweetest." She smiles, folding her arms across her chest. "You don't look too bad yourself, Jude. Wife beaters are your thing." 

See what I mean? I'm setting my hoodies that hide my body on fire if it means impressing her.

Tori grabs her and they run off to God only knows where on the beach, leaving me alone with Leo. I watch the girls in bikinis run off and join a larger group. 

"What are you doing?" Leo's voice startles me. 

"Just...thinking." I gasp, leaving out the part about how good she looks.

"I take it y'all are close?"

"I guess. She's my neighbor and I tutored her at one point."

Leo nods. "I've known her since fifth grade Victoria invited her over for the first time." He follows my gaze. "She gets more mature every time I see her."

"Hopefully that's the case with Abbey after I go to college." I say under my breath. "My younger sister. She's going to be a freshman after summer's over." Leo's confused face makes me clarify. 

"And I thought Tori was annoying." Leo smirks for the first time. "So...you play any sports?"

"I'm not athletic at all, Leo. Other guys chase starting positions, I chase A pluses." I admit. "What about you?"

"When I was your age, I loved lacrosse. After I graduated, I picked up boxing. It's pretty fun." He replies. "Studying is great in the long run, but do you ever do anything that makes you happy?"

"If getting straight A's count, then yeah." Once the reply tumbles out, I realize how sad that sounds. Unlike everyone else on the beach, I had no friends to do memorable things with over the summer. I can only hope this one is different. 

Leo inhales sharply like he's about to give me a talking to. "Honestly, I love that for you. Sometimes you need to take it easy, Jude. That's what summer is for." The same guy who initially freaked me out is St. John's County's own Dr. Phil.

"Every time I'm with Emi, I feel like I don't have to put so much pressure on myself. I wish I could spend my whole summer with her." 

"Damn." He whispers after he puts two and two together. "I don't understand why you like her specifically, but ok."

I put my head in my hands. If I keep this up, I'll just be the boy that has a huge crush on Emilia Shapiro at school. 

"Crushes are totally normal at your age, man." Leo reassures me, pulling my arm so we can walk around. "She has her quirks, but I have to admit, she turned kinda pretty."

"Should I shoot my shot?"

"You only live once, kiddo." Leo pats my shoulder.  

Two guys who look a year or two older than me approach us. A blonde and tan surfer boy tries to doggy pile Leo. "Al's back, y'all!"

"Calm the fuck down, Carson." Says a husky South Asian. "You've seen Leo before."

The blonde, who I'm guessing is Carson, flips his friend off. "You suck, Rishi."

"All good, man." Leo shrugs, pushing the clingy blonde guy off of him. "How did this school year treat y'all?"

"Glad it's over, honestly." Rishi says. 

Carson nods in agreement. "Another year with my favorite cousin Eva Belle." He glances at me. "Who's your friend, Leo?"

"Yeah. Isn't that Dawn Psycho's man?" Rishi's words make me feel uneasy within this friend group. 

"Dawn scares me too much, so no." I shoot back. 

Carson dies laughing while Rishi gives me a dirty look. "He woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It's alright."

Leo puts his head in his hands. "Y'all are going to freak Jude out."

"I don't care." I finally say, shocking all three of them. "I'm guessing you guys go to Silver Palms or something?"

Carson rakes a hand through his beach blond hair. "Yeah." 

"Have we met?" Rishi finally stops being rude. 

"I don't think so..." As it comes out, his face looks familiar. Rishi and I were on speaking terms before he got a social life and forgot about me. "Wait. You were my good mate in middle school, correct?"

His eyebrows almost converge with his hairline. "Jude Merryweather? Didn't recognize you at all."

Carson, acting like he's known me forever, adds, "Puberty was good to you."

"I guess." I concede, knowing that I'm insecure about the weight I put on at the end of eighth grade. 

"How have you been? Still keeping to yourself after all these years?" Rishi's voice contains something condescending, leading me to only answer with a nod. 

"Leave him alone, Big R." Carson snaps, his laid back disposition leaving his body. "He's a teddy bear once he gets used to you."

Leo attempts to change the subject. "Anyways, what's new with y'all?"

Rishi shrugs. "Sophomore year was fun, but I'm still bi and still can't pull anyone." 

"As a proud aromantic, I don't get how y'all do it." Carson winces. "I don't see what the hype around girls is about."

"And certain cute guys," Rishi includes. "It is what it is. Us Gupta men don't usually pull until marriage." 

"High school sucks compared to college, y'all." Leo repeats the advice he gave me earlier. "Not for our buddy Jude, though." 

Carson's face turns green. "Personally, if Dawn asked me out, I'd run."

"Agreed." I giggle nervously. "It really wasn't that great for me either. I don't even have friends, so a significant other is out of the picture."

Leo gets a twinkle in his eye. "You like someone, correct?"

"We don't judge in this friend group." Rishi gives me a smile that destroys my preconceptions about him. 

"Fine." I succumb, trying not to tell these three what makes Emilia perfect. "You know Emilia Shapiro? The softball player?"

The gears in Carson's brain turn before he figures out who I mean. "One of my cousin's close friends?" 

"Depends. Who is-" The cousin turns out to be Eva. I have nothing against her, but her bubbliness scares me sometimes. How can someone smile twenty-four seven like she does?

"Hey!" She nearly knocks Carson over. "Having a good night?"

"Adds up." I try to kick the annoyance out of my tone. 

Eva acknowledges me. "It's me again, big guy." 

"Good evening, Eva." I'm praying that this fat mockingbird covered in Cheeto dust doesn't tell her cousin. 

My prayers are answered when her focus returns to her cousin. "What took you so long?" Leo, Rishi, and I let the family reunion transpire and walk around. 

As the sun sets and the heat dissipates, so does my fear of Leo's friend and the future. With my two friends, one new and one not so much, I feel like I can exhale a little easier. Letting my guard and allowing my smile to  spread across my face for one night makes me feel like a brand new Jude. Leo and I compare AP classes while I converse with Rishi about our demonic sisters.

"At least Aneesa is too stressed out with medical school to mess with me, man."

I laugh. "Lucky. You don't have to see her, while I have to put up with Abbey the minute she comes home Sunday morning." 

"Sucks to be you." Dimples deeper than mine form in both of Rishi's cheeks. He glances behind him. "Hey, where's Leo?"

I don't even have to open my mouth when we see him chatting with a singer from tonight. The woman is around his age, hundreds of long braids in her hair. Rishi and I share a look, both of us smirking.

"It looks like someone's got a crush!" I whisper. 

Rishi replies, "No shit, Merryweather." His dark eyes gain a twinkle. "In all seriousness, you have no room to speak."

"Fuck you!" My language shocks me, but using profanity when this weirdo I barely know started running his massive mouth again is pretty warranted. 

"You win." He rolls his eyes. 

As we continue down the beach in silence, the sky has darkened. The sun is ready to tuck itself beyond the horizon. The bright blue gives way to orange, the orange soon leaving to make room for the navy blue sky and stars that pepper it. With the scorching sun in bed, the moon shines and the breeze picks up. Freshmen in the frigid and salty water evacuate soon after, including Emilia and Tori. 

Beautiful Emi. I can't keep my eyes off of her moonlit frame. As she gets closer, Rishi's eyes violate me further.

"There's your bae!" Rishi giggles, reminding me of Abbey's response when she found out. 

I shake my head. "You suck."

What else sucked that night? Running right into Emilia.

~

what a chapter :)

like, comment, and share! six more months until we can possibly re-enact this irl!