Athena woke to the sound of the sea lapping at the sides of the boat. She peeked out the porthole over the bed and saw nothing but blue sky and even bluer water. Sy's arm was draped over her back; she smiled and gently wriggled free of his grasp, pulling the sheet with her. He looked so peaceful, his hair tousled from sleeping, a contented smile on his face. Athena vaguely wondered what he was dreaming about. She hated to wake him, but they had to get back to port and get ready for the bonfire. She crawled over so that she was right next to his ear and breathed, "Wake up, seahorse nose."
His smile widened slightly, but he didn't budge. Athena kissed his neck softly, leaving a trail along his shoulders before moving to his cheek. Before her lips made contact, his head jerked up, and Poseidon caught her kiss, grinning. She smiled against his lips, then tried to pull away. Sy whined in protest, grabbing her waist and pulling her back down. Athena squealed, half-heartedly trying to wrestle out of his grip.
"We have to go!" she said, laughing.
"Five more minutes," Poseidon mumbled, pulling her closer to him.
"The bonfire's tonight," she reminded him, tracing a finger along his collarbone.
"Let's skip it and drift at sea forever…" Sy was kissing her neck, almost convincing her to stay. Then she glanced at the clock on the wall, decorated as a life preserver. It was already past two in the afternoon; they had to get moving.
"C'mon, Mermaid Man," she said, sitting up and wrapping the sheet more tightly around her. Poseidon pouted, which soon turned into an evil grin. "What are you—" Athena squealed, falling back onto the bed. Poseidon had started tickling her, making her scream with laughter, ribs aching. She squirmed under his grip, but he was too strong. He was already on top of her, tickling her ribs, her feet, anything he could reach.
"Please… stop…" she gasped, unable to control her laughter. It was cruel, really. But she loved every second.
Finally, Poseidon's fingers slowed their movements, and she was able to regain her composure. She lay on her back and gulped down air, chest heaving, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Never… do that… again." Her smile betrayed her, though, and Sy just laughed. After a few minutes, she pulled herself up. "Time to go."
Poseidon groaned, but rolled off the bed anyway, pulling on his jeans. "Fine, but I have breakfast." He held out his hand, and Athena took it, hopping off the bed next to him. He held her thin body against his, and for a brief moment Athena forgot about the bonfire, Dartmouth, everything. For a moment, she was willing to reconsider drifting forever. Too soon, Sy let go. "You get dressed, I'll cook." And with that, shirtless and stiff from sleep, he made his way to the small kitchen at the back of the boat.
Athena sighed and gathered her clothes from the floor. She got dressed quickly, pulling on her shorts and Poseidon's soft sponsor shirt. He was one of the best surfers in California, might even go pro. She smiled with pride for her boyfriend, rubbing the hem between her fingers and inhaling deeply. It even smelled like him. She walked silently into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Sy's waist. "I love you."
Poseidon grinned, but didn't stop cooking. He simultaneously pushed the scrambled eggs around with a spatula and flipped sausages in another pan. He turned his head slightly to look at her, and his grin widened. "Nice shirt," he said.
"I couldn't find my tank top," she mumbled, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"It looks better on you anyway."
Athena watched him cook silently, listening to the sizzle and hiss of the pans. "How do you do it?" she asked, mystified.
"Do what? Manage to look effortlessly handsome this early in the morning?" He smiled down at her, chuckling.
"It's almost three o'clock," she sassed. "I meant how do you cook like that? It's like you're not even trying." To confirm this, Sy tilted the pan of scrambled eggs into a bowl and slid the sausage onto a plate without even looking.
"Natural-born talent," he announced, holding the plate of sausage up for her to see. "After so many early-morning fishing trips, I have become a pro at the boat breakfast."
"Mmm, that you have." Athena breathed in the heavenly scent of the sausage, taking the plate and plopping down in an impossibly small chair built into the wall.
"Hey, share," Poseidon commanded as she bit into her second piece of meat.
"Fine, I'll swap you." Sy handed over the eggs and a fork, taking the sausage. They ate in contented silence, switching the food back and forth every so often.
"Ok," Athena gulped, swallowing the last of the eggs, "we should really get going."
"I hate it when you're right," Poseidon groaned, tossing their dishes into the small sink. They migrated above deck, pulling on their shoes on the way. Sy, still lacking a shirt, took control of the boat, raising anchor and spinning the sail to take them ashore. Athena watched the horizon fade, noting with a sad sort of finality that it would be the last time she'd see it for a while.
"Land, ho!" Poseidon shouted after what felt like an eternity at sea. Athena cheered; she'd never admit it to her waterlogged boyfriend, but she could get a little seasick. Ok, a lot seasick. "Hey, bookworm, you're looking kinda green..." She could see the concern etched on his handsome features, mixed with a slight guilt. She immediately felt terrible.
"Just a headache; I'll be fine." She gave him a weak smile, but Sy wasn't convinced.
"Luckily for you, I know the perfect headache cure!" Sy proclaimed, steering the boat into the dock. He paused, looking at Athena expectantly.
She took her cue. "And what is this mystical headache cure, O Wondrous Sea Sage?"
"I am glad you asked, my darling prodigy!" Poseidon straightened up, taking on an (unwarranted) air of extreme wisdom. "Every natural scholar knows that the cure to any headache is a counteractive dose of brain freeze. Milkshakes at Connal's?"
"Why, what a spectacular idea!" Athena exclaimed, laughing. She watched as he expertly attached the boat to the dock, heaving the anchor over the side and skillfully tying knots she couldn't name if she tried. After only a few moments, he was done, and they were off.
Just as they had on the way there, they cruised away from the marina in a comfortable silence. It was different now, though, almost imperceptively. The perfection of the night before still hung between them, the excitement still coursed through their veins. The air inside the Jeep was electric, and neither of them said a word, for fear of dousing the spark. A wild grin was plastered to each young face, however, and stolen glances connected them on the trip to Pasadena.
When they arrived at Connal's, the spark was still intact. Poseidon rummaged around his messy backseat, pulled out a crumpled t-shirt, and yanked it over his head. Athena was about to protest, but Sy just laughed, pointing to the sign on the door: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. They trudged through the thick, humid air into the air-conditioned bliss of the tiny burger joint. The line was remarkably short, and after only a minute, they placed their orders.
"One vanilla milkshake, please," Athena told the woman behind the counter.
"You are so boring," Poseidon said, turning to give the woman a charming smirk. "I'll take a chocolate banana, with extra love." He touched his heart, and the woman chuckled.
"That sure won't be a problem, sugar. Not for a handsome face like yours!"
Athena burst into laughter, earning a hurt expression from Sy. "I happen to be extremely lovable!"
"Sure you are, honey," the cashier said, winking. She pushed their shakes across the counter, accepting the few crumpled bills from Sy.
They plopped down in their usual corner booth, settling into a light-hearted conversation about the bonfire that night and how amazing their milkshakes were and how great the summer had been. Neither mentioned the fact that Athena was leaving tomorrow—they were both just happy to enjoy the time they had left.
"I have to pee," Athena suddenly announced, hopping out of her seat.
"Thanks for sharing!"
"Ha-ha. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Sy watched her make her way to the register, her flip-flops thwacking along the tiled floor. She took the bathroom key from the woman at the register, nodding at something she said, and disappeared around the corner.
Athena smiled at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands. Everything was going great—perfect, even—on her last day with Sy. She couldn't help being sad, though, that their summer together was coming to an end. It had been one of the best summers of her life, and she was so grateful to have shared it with him. But it wouldn't be the same at Dartmouth without Poseidon; sure, they could video chat and talk on the phone, but it would never compare to feeling his arms around her, his lips on hers… She shook her head, stopping her thoughts. She couldn't let the future ruin her present. Taking one last look at herself, she adjusted her ponytail and wiped away her smudging eyeliner. She was determined to enjoy the day, and nothing would stop her from doing so.
Or so she thought.
For when she walked out of the bathroom and turned the corner, returning the key, there was Poseidon, just where she'd left him. But he wasn't alone. Sitting in her seat, in front of her milkshake, was Amphitrite. Amphitrite, the professional surfer. Amphitrite, the most gorgeous girl on the planet. Amphitrite, Poseidon's ex-girlfriend.
Athena felt like puking. She watched them talk, Amphitrite waving her arms animatedly, Sy shaking with huge, gasping belly-laughs. She wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. She took in Amphitrite's long, sun-browned legs, her honey-blonde waves, her sparkling blue eyes. She was pretty, so much prettier than Athena could ever hope to be. How could she compete? This girl was perfect. And Athena was far from it.
Swallowing hard, she started toward the corner booth. No matter how terrified she was, she never backed down from a fight. She just needed a strategy. Brute force seemed like the way to go in this situation.
"Hey, Sy," Athena crooned, coming up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her eyes never leaving Amphitrite. The blonde girl looked stunned, then her features arranged themselves in a look of pure malice.
"Oh, hey, 'Thena," Poseidon said lazily, accepting her kiss. "'Tri here was just telling me about this wicked surf competition she was at last weekend. Wish I could have been there!"
"Mm, but we had so much fun camping last weekend, Sy," Athena murmured, straightening up.
"That is true…" Poseidon smiled knowingly, glancing up at his current girlfriend. 'Tri looked murderous.
"Anyway, Sy," Amphitrite sang, "I should probably get going. Gnarly waves at the sound today!" She smiled sweetly at Athena, then, standing up, touched Poseidon's hand. "It was so great to see you, Sy. Really." She shot the brunette girl one last poisonous glance, then left the restaurant, her tan hips swaying. Poseidon stared after her a moment too long, his eyes lingering on her retreating form.
He was still staring when Athena slapped the back his head. "Ow! What the hell?!" he shouted, rubbing the sore spot.
"Seriously, what the fuck was that, Poseidon?" Athena asked, sliding into the seat across from him. She rarely swore, or called him by his full name. That got his attention.
"Athena, what's wrong?" He tried to grab her hand, but she yanked it away. "Is this… Is this about Amphitrite?"
"No," she sniffed, "it's not about your gorgeous surfer ex-girlfriend. Why in the world would I be mad about that?"
"Sarcasm does not become you," he pointed out, earning him another slap.
"This is serious, Sy. You know how I feel about her." Athena shifted uncomfortably, staring at her lap.
"Hey," Sy whispered, tilting her chin so she was looking at him. Stormy eyes met tranquil ones, and he could see the tears filling hers. "She's not going to steal me from you. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"But she's—"
"Athena. My girlfriend is the most beautiful girl on the planet. Why the hell would I want anyone else?" He brushed away a stray tear as it rolled down her cheek, cupping her face in his hand.
Athena smiled through her tears. "It's no big deal, right? We can survive a little rain." Poseidon laughed. He pulled her in for a kiss, their lips hovering near each other long after it was over.
"You wanna know what the lady at the register told me, when I got the bathroom key?" Athena whispered against his lips. "She told me to hold on to you. To never let you go."
Their grins met, and they left, hand-in-hand, to get ready for the bonfire together. And everything was perfect.