Derrick
Derrick squinted his eyes as he looked into the expanse of pink and orange sky that bordered the clear, blue ocean. He wasn't one for sunsets. He could enjoy their sheer natural beauty, sure. But he didn't like the romantic connotation that always went along with them. Sunsets were in the category of romantic walks, chocolates, and herbal tea. Derrick didn't believe in mushy stuff. Thus, the disdain for sunsets.
Derrick was contemplating this as he trudged down the beach, watching the warm colors of the sun setting reflecting off the waves. He was nearing the bonfire, and the medley of hip-hop and Top 25 songs from competing iPod speakers were melding together to produce a sort of cacophony. His phone vibrated in my pocket with a new text. He pulled it out.
Josh: where r u?
Derrick: near bnfr. Looking 4 u guys.
Josh: We r at lifeguard stnd #3. Move it.
Derrick shoved his phone back in his pocket and kept walking in the direction of Lifeguard Stand #3. All around him, people were getting totally smashed and running around like idiots.
"JONAH!" A disheveled girl ran up and practically body slammed him. She reeked of beer and who knows what else.
"I'm not Jonah." Derrick gently told her. She looked confused, then started cracking up and ran off towards the bonfire.
That was random. Derrick thought. He was almost at the lifeguard stand. He could see his friends sitting near it in a circle, with a few other people standing up and talking to them.
"Hey, Derrick!" Chris greeted Derrick once he had arrived. Derrick waved back. "How's it going?"
"Good. How bout you?" Derrick asked in return. He was a little confused. Derrick was pseudo-friends with Chris. Chris was Josh's older brother, and Josh was Derrick's summer best friend. By succession, Derrick and Chris spent some time together. But nonetheless, Derrick wondered what Chris was doing hanging by the fifteen year olds. He usually hung out with kids his own age.
"Doing great." Chris grinned back at Derrick. "I have some people I want you to meet. This is Dylan and Claire."
'Nice to meet you." An older girl with bright red hair who Derrick guessed was Dylan cordially shook his hand. Claire waved at him.
"And this is Massie and Kristen." Chris gestured at the brunette and the blonde who where sitting on either side of Josh. "Okay, correct me if I'm wrong. Dylan and Kristen are sisters, and Massie and Claire are sisters?"
"You got it." Claire winked at him. Dylan shot her a look.
"Hey." Kristen smiled over in his direction. Derrick took that as his cue to sit down. He wedged himself between Josh and Massie.
"Hey. Sorry I'm late, guys. My mom made us eat dinner together. You know she is." Derrick rolled his eyes for dramatic effect.
"Rough for you, D. Okay, me and these fine ladies are now going to make our way over to the bonfire and the refreshments." Chris shook out his sandy blonde hair. "See ya."
"Bye" The group chorused collectively. Derrick turned and surveyed the group. Most of their usual group was there. Josh and Alicia, the two dark haired twins were in attendance, as were Griffin, Olivia, and Cam.
"So you guys are cousins?" Alicia asked in attempt to make friendly conversation.
"Yeah. I know we don't look that alike." Kristen's phone went off in her pocket to the sound of Metro Station's Shake It. "Hey, Massie. My mom just texted me and said we have to be home by eleven thirty."
"Okay." Massie nodded. "Then we've got some time."
"Where do you guys stay on the island?"
Derrick paid little to no attention while the others talked about boring topics like surfing and such. He focused his attention on studying Massie instead. She was half listening to Cam drone on about some awesome waves he caught, while she absentmindedly braided a small lock of her shiny brown hair.
"So. Where do you live?" Massie asked. Derrick stared blankly at her until he realized she was talking to him.
"Um, I live in Greenwich." Derrick blurted. He attempted to regain his composure. "What about you?"
"Westchester." Massie fixed her amber eyes on Derrick. He was mesmerized. "It's in New York."
"I know. I went there for a soccer tournament one time." Derrick volunteered, tearing himself away from Massie's slightly gold-tinted eyes and focusing on a string sticking out of his sweatshirt. He wasn't going to get pulled in that easily. "Its pretty close to the city."
"Yeah. So you play soccer?" Massie asked Derrick in a lilting tone.
"Uh huh. Goalie." Derrick noticed that Griffin was staring at him and Massie from the other side of the circle. Make that glaring. Apparently Derrick wasn't the only one who had noticed Massie. "You play any sports?"
"I run." Massie explained.
"Cool. So-" Derrick began but was cut off.
"Derrick, do you know what time it is?" Olivia whined. Derrick felt half-angry and half-happy to be out of the conversation with Massie.
"Its 10:30." Derrick checked his watch.
"Frick!" Olivia exclaimed. "I gotta go. Curfew."
Olivia got up and skipped away from them and towards where her bike was parked. Griffin scooted over and took her spot next to Massie. Griffin started talking to Massie about something that sounded to Derrick
"Yo, Josh. Are we going out on the yacht tomorrow?" Cam called out to Josh.
"Sure. I don't think my dad is using it." Josh thought about it for a minute. "What do you think, Alicia?"
"Yeah! I want to go." Alicia squealed. "Massie, Kristen, you guys have to come! It will be so much fun! And they don't want Olivia to come because they think she's annoying, so we need as many girls as we can get!"
"Sounds good." Massie tore herself away from her conversation with Griffin to smile brightly at Alicia and Josh.
"So should we just come by and pick you up?" Josh asked Kristen.Derrick grabbed a handful of sand and sifted it through his fingers.
"Yeah. We just live up on the bluff." Kristen gesticulated in the general direction of the bluffs. Derrick turned his head to look where she was pointing, with a feeling of surmounting dread and excitement. He had a feeling that Griffin was starting to like Massie, and Derrick's own feelings for her were a little more than friendly. But if Derrick knew one thing, it was to never break the Bro Code.
"That's where Derrick lives. How about he picks you two up and brings you to our house?" Josh turned to Derrick. "That okay with you?"
"Sounds good." Derrick smiled at Josh and Kristen. "Should we just meet you guys at the harbor? That would save some time."
"Oh. Good idea." Kristen pulled out her cell phone and looked at the screen for the time. "Ugh. We better head home. We'll see you guys tomorrow."
Kristen hopped up, and pulled a grimacing Massie to her feet and they started off in the direction of the house. Massie turned around to wave and glanced back at Derrick. He felt as if a million firecrackers were going off around him.
"Derrick. DERRICK!" Cam's voice brought Derrick out of his semi-trance.
"Wha?" Derrick turned to Cam, still in a daze.
"Are you okay? You seem really quiet tonight." Cam's brow furrowed, a sign that he was going into lecture mode.
"I'm fine." Derrick told Cam in an attempt to ward off the impending lecture that was most likely on the tip of Cam's tongue.
"Whatever you say, man." Cam shook his head. But Derrick wasn't listening anymore. Derrick was wondering how he was going to avoid getting to know and being around and thus falling for Massie when he was about to be stuck in a car with her alone with only her cousin, and then on a yacht.
"Dude. That Massie chick is hot. Dibs." Griffin called out, casting a look in Derrick direction. Derrick sighed and returned to picking up sand and letting it fall through his fingers.
Authors Note: Sorry for the crap chapter. Although I kind of prefer writing in Derrick's perspective, I wasn't really inspired about the bonfire. Only so much could happen when meeting someone at a bonfire. (Well things could happen but Massie isn't a slut, and that's not how the story is going to go!) By the way Massie and Claire are sisters, and Dylan and Kristen are sisters. They are cousins, and because of their ages, Massie and Kristen hang out mostly and Claire and Dylan hang out mostly. Finally, Alicia and Josh are twins, and their older brother is Chris (Plovert). Hope that clears everything up! Anyways, bear with me and keep reading/reviewing please! I promise more good stuff in the next chapter. :)