"Friend, you smell."
"Hey, Mac," said a grinning Wallace, "Good to see you too," he replied sarcastically. "Africa was great, actually. How was working with Moms? Yep, yep, she loved it too."
"Okay, okay, point taken," said a sleepy Mac, yawning. She mustered up a huge fake smile, "Hey Wallace! I've missed you!" but, she did give her friend a hug. "Did I mention, you smell?"
"See? Now that's better," he said letting her go, "And no yawning! Need I remind you that you were the one to pick the time and the location of this little reunion."
"What's wrong with the beach?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, picking up her beach bag by her car, "I'm just not used to being here at 9:30 in the morning." They started walking toward the ocean.
"Well, if you hadn't had basketball practice at 7am we could have been here a little earlier." Wallace was still in his sweaty Hearst practice clothes and was still breathing hard.
"If I hadn't had basketball practice at 7am, I'd still be asleep in my bed. And if Coach wasn't such a Nazi, you'd be here all alone." Mac smiled, then yawned again. "And why, pray tell, are you so tired? I would have thought 9:30 would feel like sleeping in to a working girl like you?"
"Well, I only skipped one job today—Kane—I still worked campus IT last night until 3am."
"Three in the morning!"
"Yeah, it's freshman orientation and everyone needs help with internet hook-ups or Hearst email, yada, yada… The standards must be slipping at Hearst—those kids aren't too bright."
"So it's your job to go check on things if somebody can't get on facebook at 1am?"
"Sadly, yes. So let's enjoy our beachy morning, and I'll tend to the morons this afternoon."
Wallace shook his head in disgust. He stopped and looked around. "Here okay?"
"Yeah, this looks great," Mac said as they settled into a spot close to the water.
"You get set up, I'm going to go get a shower and find my swimming trunks."
Mac spread out her towel and arranged her cooler. Reluctantly, she got out the sunscreen: 75 SPF. Better safe than sorry, No need to fry. She took off her cover-up and started spackling.
She stretched out and felt the warming sand on her feet. How she had missed the great outdoors! My parents, well, the Mackenzies, would be proud. She'd probably be asleep before Wallace even got back.
She awoke to rain falling from the sky.
Even with her eyes closed, Mac could tell the sun was still beating down on her. Yet there seemed to be one dark cloud right above her.
She squinted through her hands and saw, not a cloud, but a man. A man-boy, to be more exact. Shaking his wet, shaggy blond hair over her once-dry little corner of heaven.
"Dick!—"
"Morning Little-Mac! Come to catch me in action?"
She sat up and found Dick hovering over her and Logan between her and the water , both with surf boards in tow . She jumped up to chase Dick—and his salty wet suit rain—away from her towel.
"Yeah Dick, did you see me there with my eyes closed sawing logs?—that was me reveling in the awesomeness of your surfing."
"Nice suit!" Dick said, walking a circle around Mac, leering at her in a black bikini.
Mac looked at Logan with a did he just do that? face.
Logan threw his hands up "I keep him out of jail. I make sure he registered for classes—that's about all the control I have."
"So, like, we have this website…" Dick started. Mac knew where he was headed.
"We do, do we?" Mac looked at Logan again, as if to say really? he's going for the most obvious joke?
"He's funny, but no one ever vouched for his originality," Logan said to Mac.
Dick ignored them, "it's called . You should really think of submitting some pics, Mackie." He leered again for emphasis.
"Who says I haven't?" she quipped. Logan chuckled, and Dick quirked an eyebrow, intrigued. Mac threw on her white cover-up dress to signify the topic had been exhausted.
"Speaking of which," Logan started.
"Not you too, Echolls," she said jokingly, "you'd better mean the website and not my ass."
"Only talking business here, Mac. Just wanted you to know the first-quarter earnings are back."
"Really? How is the ass-grading business these days?"
Both of them looked at Dick and waited for a joke, "Sorry, you dudes got boring. I'm not even listening anymore."
"Business is good, Mackenzie. Business is good. I'll cut you a check this week."
Before a giddy Mac could ask how much to expect, a beach-ready Wallace made his way back to the group. Handshakes and high-fives all around.
Mac made a show of sniffing him, "Much better. Almost all the sweaty jock-ness is gone."
"How are the men of Hearst going to fare on the court this year, Wallace?" asked Logan.
"Well, if this morning's conditioning and scrimmage are any indication—you fellas should bet on the other team. But, it's August, so we've got time."
"Good to know," said Dick, "listen, now that we're not talking about asses anymore," Wallace looked at Mac who shook her head, "I can only listen to my grumbling stomach. Logan, let's go get that breakfast."
"Breakfast!" said a whiny Wallace to Mac. "That's what we forgot!"
"Want to come with us?" Logan asked them.
"You go ahead Wallace, but I'm going to hang out in the sun while I can," said Mac.
Wallace felt bad bailing on her, but he was starving. He knew Mac's cooler had drinks and maybe some grapes, but nothing more substantial than that. And he was a growing boy.
"We'll bring something back if you want," Dick told Wallace, noticing his dilemma.
"That'd be great," Wallace said, "you don't mind?"
"Nah, what sounds good?"
"Just get me whatever you get."
"Mackie?"
"Don't get me what you get, but I am hungry too, if it's no trouble."
"All right," said Logan, "you all get settled and your caterers will be back momentarily."
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Mac asked Wallace after they left
"Me?" asked a perplexed Wallace. "What did I do?"
"You left me alone with those two for the last two weeks—that's what! I know you were helping children in Africa, and then had jet-lag and family time, but seriously, I am not equipped for dealing with nightly movie-marathons or video game sessions for that amount of time without you or Veronica as a buffer!"
" Oh, I'm so sorry Mac. Yes, the children of Uganda are in need, but our little Cindy was here suffering."
"I'm just kidding Wallace! Tell me everything about your trip."
He smiled as he remembered. "It was nothing short of life changing. I thought Chicago and Neptune were about as different as two places could be—I had no idea how big the world was or how people in third world countries lived. Their lives are a struggle—water, food, education—all of it. But yet, I met some of the most kind and hospitable people I've ever met in my life. They had next to nothing, but were willing to share what they had with me. People there were truly thankful, you know? I've decided that I'm going to still be an engineer, but that I want to go back to Africa for my career and learning agricultural or civil engineering may open more doors for me to do that."
"Wow, Wallace, I'm so happy for you," Mac said, really impressed that his time there had made him re-evaluate his career. "All I learned at Kane was how to be a copy machine pro and not to eat the cafeteria food. But seriously, hearing you get all excited makes me what to find something I'll be happy about every day." She didn't' know what that was yet. She also thought of Max; Mac didn't see him passionately pursing anything these days.
"So how is Max?" Wallace asked. Yikes, psychic powers.
"Bad, actually. There was this party a couple of weeks ago at Logans—"
"Yeah, I heard something about that."
"Good news travels fast," she mumbled.
"Sorry, go on,"
"I thought I'd dump him right then, but he's been apologizing ever since and I've kind of been too busy to address it."
"Too busy to put Max in line, but not too busy for late nights at the Grand?"
"Oh, when you say it like that I feel awful."
"Mac, you have nothing to feel awful about. If Max is messing around on you—"
"Logan and Dick are just so uncomplicated. Uncouth, but uncomplicated. I do think Max was sorry and we've been out twice since then. But….I'm just…It's not…..he's not….."
"The train is headed to Dumpsville?"
"Yeah, basically," she said bluntly. Yeah, she finally realized. "And I guess I'm just putting it off."
"Putting what off?" Dick asked coming up behind them carrying boxes. Logan walked over and handed a box to Wallace.
She shook her head 'Nothing.'
"Cause if it's putting on more sunscreen, you really should. You already look a little pink, Macalicious"
"That's enough vitamin D for me!" Mac sat up and reached for her bag. She saw Dick fishing out her SPF 75 and he motioned to help her put on the lotion complete with a suggestive grin. Instead, she smacked his hand, he dropped the bottle, and she caught it.
"Food please," she told him and Dick shoved a box toward her.
Wallace was looking inside his box, "Now that's what I'm talking about! Bacon, eggs, pancakes!"
"Mac, yours was too hard," Dick said. "I knew no bacon and thought you were vegan, not just vegetarian, so that's no eggs, right?" She nodded yes. "And then I was so confused because pancakes are made with eggs and milk, and so are muffins, and bagels—I think."
Mac opened her box, and smiled a big smile, "You got me all fruit?"
"Yeah," Dick said sadly.
"No! That's perfect! Thanks!"
"Yeah, thanks guys, how much was this?" Wallace asked.
"It was free," said Logan, "they were running a Welcome Back Wallace special." He waived off Mac's offering of money as well.
"Thanks man. What are you in such a good mood about today? Waves that good?" Wallace asked him.
"Dude, get a clue," Dick told Wallace, "It's V Day. Logan's been excited about this day since….hmmm…I guess since he busted up that Gory guy in the cafeteria and he thought he had a chance again."
"V Day? As in, Veronica's getting back today?" asked Wallace.
"Yep," said a cheerful Logan, "her dad is picking her up from the airport this morning."
"That's great, man," said Wallace, "so you get to see her tonight?"
Mac interrupted, "Nope, she's got a date with the Sherriff all day today, then tomorrow is her date with Logan, and Friday she and I are going out."
"I'm sorry? Come again?" said Wallace. "Where does Wallace fit into this busy schedule? Raise your hand if your best friend is Veronica Mars. No, you put your hand down, Pretty Boy. You too, Albino. Oh, that girl is going to get called out! Where's my phone?"
"Wallace, she's probably still on the plane," said Mac reasonably.
"Speaking of phones," said Logan, "Where's yours Mac?"
"In my bag. Why?"
"I need it."
"Why? Where's yours, Logan?" she asked, protectively gathering up her bag.
"Dick, get her phone," Logan told his friend who had already been in her bag and was closer to the girl. Mac jumped up and ran away from Dick with her bag. He returned to the other boys carrying both Mac and her bag.
"What are you, his crony? Do you just do everything he says?"
Dick had to remind himself he was not carrying a cute girl in a skimpy bikini—this was Mac—but she sure looked like a cute girl in a skimpy bikini. Her skin was soft and she smelled like coconut sunscreen and the ocean. The fact that she wiggling trying to fight her way out of his arms was turning him on. He knew Mac was feisty, but he'd never put together that she may have more than just a feisty mouth.
"Pretty much," he tossed the bag to Logan and then whispered to Mac, "I'll put you down if you behave."
Logan rifled through the bag as an ever more uncomfortable Wallace said, "C'mon guys, what's going on here?"
Dick put Mac on the ground, but held her away from Logan by wrapping his arms around her. Both were surprised by the touch. Mac hated that her first instinct was to move closer to Dick when he did this; she quickly countered her momentary lapse in judgment with a more vigorous effort to escape.
"I knew it!" screamed a happy Logan looking at her phone. "There are five pictures of me with different girls at that party—you sent these to Veronica as they happened!"
Mac stopped squirming. This surprised Dick, and his limp grip allowed Mac to sneak out under his arms.
"I like your little captions too," Logan said smiling at a now free Mac and still looking at the pictures. Wallace had relaxed completely again. "Cindy Mackenzie, you're the best. And for this, you will be rewarded."
"No reward necessary," said a bashful Mac, "I honestly would have sent them even if you hadn't turned those girls down. "
Logan nodded; she probably would have, and he would have deserved Veronica's wrath if the night had gone differently. "I don't care, your funny captions alone show me that you're on my side. Logan Echolls owes you a favor—one that requires creativity and sacrifice—you'll need it one day."
"Okay, when the time comes, I'll take you up on that," she said smiling. She then remembered Dick holding onto her, "in the mean time, can you make sure your side-kick keeps his hands to himself?"
"I already told you, Mac, my responsibilities stop at keeping him out of jail and the registering thing." Logan said laughing towards Dick.
"Well, if keeping him alive is a priority of yours," Mac said eyeing Dick suspiciously, "you'll see to it that this doesn't happen again."
After finishing breakfast and a little time playing in the ocean, Logan and Dick were gathering their things to leave. Wallace looked at Mac who was beaming and giving them an exaggerated wave goodbye.
"Oh hell no!" said Wallace.
"What?" asked Mac.
"You're smiling like an idiot. There's no way in hell," almost to himself.
"I am not! What's with you, Wallace?"
"I feel that I am an understanding man," Wallace began. "A very understanding man. And smart! I'm smart too, but I will never be understanding enough or smart enough to figure out why cool chicks fall for punk-ass rich boys."
"Dick?"
"Yes, 'Dick?'" he mocked how she said his name in disgust.
"I don't like Dick!" she exclaimed, then they both giggled as people walking past them on the beach turned to look at her.
"But really," she whispered, "I don't."
"Well, he's sure starting to warm up to you." She looked at him with shock. " I'm not wrong. I've hung out with enough detectives to pick up on a few things."
Mac couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her words proved this, "I don't even…. He's so…. Think about Cassidy…. " and she finally settled on, " I have a boyfriend."
Even as she said it, she realized how lame her defense was.
"Yeah," said Wallace grinning and shaking his head, "you mentioned him."
"There is no way in the world Dick Casablancas and I would ever…." she trailed off.
"Well, if that's true," said Wallace, "you'd better button it up. Superfly is back in town."
I have been floored by all the thoughtful comments and story-update adds-what a huge compliment!
Honestly, the favorite story adds intimidate me—I'm happy with my plan for this longish story and I have several of the later chapters already written—I hope I don't disappoint!
