JASPER

***

I hadn't meant to come back to campus today.

I'd done my penance yesterday when I took those kids to their buildings and took them shopping. And from the obnoxious and ridiculous conversations, I couldn't take another minute, let alone another day. If it gave me a bad record then so fucking what.

But then after a couple of hours of lying around, and Libby's blue-grey eyes haunting me, I couldn't help the fact my feet were moving for me and dashing me out the door.

When I got there, the groups had already left. If it was me before meeting Libby, I wouldn't have even been there, but I found myself needing to see her again. To apologise. Or not even to do that. Just to see her. To see her beautiful eyes and see the way her smile pushes her cheeks up.

So I sit and wait. I don't even check my phone. I just sit and wait. And I wait for nearly an hour before I hear the piercing shrieking that's Laura's voice coming down the Walk, echoing back towards me.

I figured Libby would be with her, but it was a long shot. And as I looked at the group of people, I couldn't see her. Fuck. She must have been put with a different group and she could be anywhere across campus.

And now I had to endure a shouting match with Miss Priss, as she detached herself from the group. All I can do is grip my hands into tight fists as she verbally assaults me about why the fuck I didn't turn up, and how she's going to tell the professors in charge. I just end up laughing at her. I couldn't give a flying fuck about them. Plus I knew they're going to the beach later, for this stupid barbecue thing, so I could potentially make it seem I've been there the whole fucking time anyway. If I can even be bothered. Dad and the Chancellor agreed on yesterday... they didn't mention anything about today.

But I'm sick of her shouting anyway. So when she dismisses me a second time, sending me away, I do so without much pushing. But as I walk away, I take a final look at the group - one last check to see her - but she's definitely not there. So I walk away feeling completely defeated.

***

Yo. You on campus?

I text Ziggy. I can't be arsed to drive all the way home, only to come back via campus to get to the beach.

He doesn't text back for ages so I just wait in my truck for him to message back. I've got nothing better to do.

But, just my luck, that's when I see her.

She's with Steph, and she's dressed in a fucking awful tye-dye shirt, probably given to her by Laura as most of the group seemed to be wearing them. She's wearing a cap, but her long blonde hair is down and wavy after the braids she had in yesterday, and even from here in the truck I feel my crotch twitch.

Fuck.

She's wearing a short pair of shorts, supporting the weather today which was beating down sunshine and high humidity, and her legs look fucking amazing. I wish she'd been wearing those shorts yesterday.

"Fuck's sake," I say to myself, bashing my fist hard against the dash of my truck, trying to snap myself out of it.

I bash it twice more before I feel the skin on my knuckles break, and I'm saved from further injury when my phone beeps. It's Ziggy.

Not yet. But I will be in like 30 mins. We still beaching?

I shake out my fist, which actually fucking hurt, and type out the reply one-handed.

Still game if you are

I look up and I've lost Libby and Steph. I look behind me - nope. I crane my neck up to look near the gym? Nope. Fuck's sake, where did she go?

I'm actually shocked she'd managed to evade Laura anyway, and I find I'm genuinely impressed. It proves that my first thought about her being a fucking goody two-shoes was wrong. To be honest Laura is a horror, and her voice is enough to drive anyone away. So I'm actually surprised she's not lost more than just Libby and Steph by this point.

The only place I can think they've gone to is Wag. It's around lunch, and they wouldn't know where else to go at this point. Laura has probably only shown them the campus buildings, and not taken them to anywhere actually exciting. If it was me doing the tour today I would have taken them straight to Cookout and let them work the rest out for themselves. That's the only place on campus worth raving about in my opinion. Although not technically a campus building, it does sit just inside, and has the best food around.

***

Twenty minutes later, I see Ziggy's car. But as it comes a stop, my stomach drops. He's brought Lana, and then about four other people get out the back seat. Another car then pulls up and two more get out. The whole gang is here.

"Fuck's sake," I say under my breath as I jump down from my truck. I'd forgotten how much I didn't like them. Ziggy I could tolerate mostly, when he wasn't fucking around, but the others were knobs most of the time.

I stick up my arm, showing Ziggy where I am, and he waves back. As I get to the group the boys are already smoking weed, and I know I'm going regret hanging out with them today. They'll drag me into something and I'll end up getting in trouble.

And when I go home later, Dad's going to be fucking pissed. That said, I may end up just staying on the beach tonight anyway. Once we start drinking, there's no way I'm driving. I'm a rebellious person, but when your dad forces you to watch drink and drive death videos, it's enough to put you off. Usually the parents are okay with a message to say where I am, so if that's how it was today, then so be it.

"What up, J!" Smith and Ziggy are first to greet me.

I greet them back, along with others, declining a bump off Smith, and stand awkwardly with my hands in my back pockets.

Mum and Dad had me on house arrest all summer, so I'd spent the whole summer either in bed or downstairs in the gym. I haven't seen my friends for nearly six weeks, and although I'm a lot trimmer because of it, I was standing here awkward as fuck. But at the same time I was definitely fucking ready to let loose a little now.

"Is anyone else starved? J, can you hook us up with meals?" Glennie asks and I nod. I have the most meal plans this year so I have enough to waste on them. I barely ever eat on campus anymore.

"Wicked." He grins and throws his cigarette onto the floor without putting it out.

We make our way towards Wag, and I drop my hoodie off at my truck before we go in. I'd dressed in my usual black jeans but I hadn't washed much in terms of shirts, so I had an annoying white one on today. It was too hot for jeans, and by the time we get to Wag my legs are fucking sweating. I had shorts in the truck too, so I'd probably change into those if we were actually going to be going to the beach, but for now I tried not to think about how sweaty my balls felt.

"Hey Bri!" I greet the man behind the counter as I come in the door. I'm in senior year now, and this guy has been here since my first day. Absolute fucking legend. But what's best is that he lets my friends in, even though he knows they've graduated. To be honest it's probably more likely that he doesn't want any trouble... but I like him all the same.

"Yo Jasper!" He bumps my fist as I hand over my meal card. He rolls his eyes as he sees all the guys come in behind me. "How many we swiping today?" He asks.

"Seven. No... eight."

"Okay," he nods to each of my friends as they come past him.

Most of them just take a seat to start with, throwing napkins at each other, but Ziggy and I go and get food. I can see Steph looking at us, being not so subtle at all, and Libby has her head down, probably trying to keep herself hidden. But there's no way I wouldn't look at her. No way anyone wouldn't look at her. I'm drawn to her, even after so little time, and it's making me feel a little strange.

I'm closer now, and as we weave through the tables to get to the burger station, I risk a look round at her and her beautiful blue-grey eyes lock on mine. I rip my gaze away and shake my head, trying to keep up the pretence from yesterday, but it makes me feel nauseous. I can't believe she affects me this much after just one day. One fucking day.

I'm just about to reach and grab a basket of fries before getting my burger when Steph comes up to us. I roll my eyes and try to warn her away, but Ziggy sees her, and from the way he looks at her, he'll probably have his way with her by the end of the night. Steph either doesn't seem to notice or care, as she just stands there, blocking the path between me and the food counter.

"Hey Jasper," she greets me, looking me up and down in a way that makes me think Libby must have told her about our kiss. Those eyes are definitely knowing eyes, and I glare at her, just daring her to open her mouth and rat me out.

She falters a little, which is something, but she really starts to fuck me off when she steps in front of me twice as I try to get my food. She's being deliberately annoying, probably to get me out of the way, and I don't want to bite. I'm about to warn her off, but when she does it a third time, I've had it. I walk away to a different counter and grab some other food instead. I probably shouldn't have left her with Ziggy, but if she's going to be childish about, then she'd have to deal with it.

As I head back to the tables, I can see Libby has her head in her hands, as if she's either embarrassed or angry. I expect it's probably both. I want to go over there but I can't.

"Who's that talking to Zig?" Lana asks, getting defensive as I sit down on the bench.

"One of the exchangers I brought to campus yesterday. The other one's sat down over there," I jerk my head in Libby's direction and I hear Smith make an approving noise, which makes me tense.

"What's Ziggy doing?" She asks.

She stands as if she's about to go beat up Steph, but Glennie manages to talk her down when Ziggy comes back towards us, a new spring in his step.

"We got two takers for the beach over there..." he says slyly and gives Smith and Glennie a high five. They all cheer and catcall and I grip my fork hard to stop myself from stabbing one of them in the leg.

I shake my head as I eat my fries, keeping quiet, and I take another look at Libby across the room. She's not happy. She has her arms crossed, but when I see her look up at the ceiling and her shoulders slump, a cold shiver runs through me. Then, when Steph smiles and pumps her fist a couple of minutes later, I know she's agreed.

Fuck.

I don't want her to come to the beach. I mean I do, but not with the rest of the guys. I want to take her just her and me. I don't want to bring her with the guys because they'll probably try and make me drink, and I'm a fucking dick when I drink. She's already seen me like that, worse even, and I didn't want to be a dick to her ever again. The look on her face after I kissed her yesterday was enough for a lifetime.

Worse than making me drink is that they'll make her drink. And then she'll be vulnerable and something could potentially happen. And that would be on me. And then there was Steph to worry about as well. I couldn't keep an eye on both of them, especially when there were eight of us and two of them. But as much as it shames me to admit, I'd be more concerned about Libby. If Steph can get Ziggy to do what she wants, I think she'll be okay...

Fuck's sake, this really isn't going to go well.

***

After another ten minutes, the two of them wander over to our table and even though I don't look at the group, I can practically hear the boys panting.

Now that Libby is up close, she looks fucking amazing. Her legs look incredible in those shorts and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a hard-on right now. Thank fuck I'm sat at a table. She's already caught some colour from the sun, and I can see that she'll blossom here. It's like she was meant to be here.

Even though part of it was auto pilot I reckon, she was the only one yesterday to call me out on my shit. And although I didn't appreciate it at the time, when I apologised upstairs and she smiled at me, I felt giddy. Actually giddy. And when she locks her eyes on mine, I feel giddy and lost again. But to keep up the bravado I have to be rude, and I hate it. I just wanted to make her smile again. I already love her smile.

"We'll come get you in half an hour," I say it without feeling as I dip a fry in the mayo on my plate. "I'm not waiting. If you're not there we're gone." It's a half warning, half plea. If she's late she won't have to come to the beach, which means I know she'll be safe.

I can see she's about to answer me back, but she stops. It surprises me. She must read something on my face as she looks at the group. If she'd answered back, I would have been ripped to shit and they wouldn't have left her alone. So I'm glad when all she does is narrow her eyes and pull Steph away. Ziggy and Steph are practically eye-fucking and Lana is not happy about it.

I'm definitely keeping an eye on both girls if they do end up coming. Steph was clearly stupid when it came to decisions, and I genuinely think Libby is only coming to make sure Steph comes home in one piece. Either way it's on me if anything happens. Fuck's sake.

"If we're taking everyone, we're taking your truck, J." I shrug. I can get five in the cab and then the rest can ride in the bed easy enough. They'll probably end up moving on, which is when I'm hoping to get the girls away, but I'm not sure how successful I'll be. As I haven't seen them all summer, I doubted I'd be able to get away. I just have a horrible feeling about tonight and I just fucking hope that nothing goes sideways.

It's all so fucking complicated. I want to pay attention to Libby, I want to make sure I can protect her, but then I also don't want my friends to work out how fucking infatuated I am. I don't know why I care, or why I should have to take such measures, but I just know it's all going to fucking bite me in the butt if I wasn't fucking careful. Ugh... I have a headache already.

Before we all stand, I check my pants situation, and thankfully my boxers are fitting better again, probably due to my over thinking. I stand and we leave our bowls and plates, even though we're supposed to take them, but at this point I'm thinking too much about too many things to say anything.

As we pile into my truck I can see the girls have just got to the apartments. My mind went further on and I hope to god they don't come out in bikinis. Because when we go to the beach we don't actually swim. We usually just build a huge bonfire out of stray driftwood right at the opposite end of the beach and drink. We drink, tell stories, sometimes play games, smoke some weed. Yup, we are that cliched group of burnouts on beaches. Every beach town has them. And we are it.

***

The girls are thankfully in the same as what they were previously in, minus the hideous tye dye. Libby is now wearing a light blue beach shirt, still with her shorts. She's kept her flip flops on and I can see she's packed a bag which includes a big hoodie, which actually disappoints me. In a small bout of curiosity I wondered if she'd want to use my hoodie to keep her warm later. I shake the thoughts from my head... or at least try to. It's fucking pathetic really. Steph has an off the shoulder t-shirt on but I can see the telltale signs of a halter bikini. She's wearing denim shorts as well, but she doesn't look as good as Libby does in them. Nowhere near.

Three of the boys in the back jump out to greet them, and they both give them wary nods. I feel my grip tighten on the steering wheel, my bruised knuckles protesting, as Ziggy kisses the heel of Libby's hand. She looks visibly uncomfortable but credit to her, she takes it, probably understanding the consequences could be worse if she didn't.

After Lana jumps out the front seat after Ziggy, probably to smack him round the head - hopefully hard - Libby quickly takes her seat and Steph follows her. There's only one long seat in the front of the truck, and I try to suppress my smile when Libby sits as close to me as she deems necessary. There's still a huge gap between us, but I'm revelling in the fact she feels vaguely safe around me, and that she's so close. She's holding her hands nervously in her lap, and I have to grip the steering wheel hard to stop myself from taking her hand in mine.

After a few minutes I'm getting impatient of the others, so I start the engine and honk the horn. Immediately they all jump in, and after a few more minutes, we're on the open road.