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A Day at the Beach

Chapter 3- Cassie's POV

I'm Cassie.  Just Cassie.  I know I risk sounding like a psycho when I say that there's a war going on with aliens from outer space, but we have to warn you.

So, doesn't it make sense then, that when I see ten or fifteen oil tankers congregated out on the horizon, I should question that?

Marco didn't think so, obviously.  And, I could tell by the look in Jake's eyes that he wasn't too thrilled either.

That's one thing I don't like, getting Jake upset with me.  I could tell he just wanted to spend the day relaxing on the beach, and don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have spent a bit more time with Jake shirtless than I had already.

Duty calls, I guess.

I was chosen to take the blanket, umbrella, and cooler into the dunes to hide them.  Ax and Tobias came with me, for a quick morph and remorph into seagulls, then flew out to wait for us.

I could just make them out, bobbing on the waves, when Jake, Rachel, and Marco approached me as I was walking back towards them.

"Change of plans," Jake muttered, trying to keep his voice low so the women passing us wouldn't hear.  "We've got to go seagull and meet them out there, it's too crowded to even try and morph dolphin."

"Righty-o," Marco said cheerfully, "Here we are, ruining our day at the beach, the day where I was destined to find the perfect girl-"

"Marco, I doubt you'll ever find the perfect girl."

Ignoring them, I turned to Jake.  "I'm sorry for ruining your day."

Jake smiled that smile that makes me go weak in the knees.  "Don't worry about it, Cassie."

"But I do worry about it," I said wistfully.  "What if I'm wrong about this whole oil tanker thing?"

Jake looked thoughtful.  "Cassie, your intentions are always right.  And, I trust you.  And if you're wrong, Marco will make fun of you forever.  It's not much of a change from usual Marco behavior, though, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

I smiled at him, then put my hand in his own.  Somehow he always knew just what to say to make me feel better.

By the time we arrived in the dunes, Marco was singing a song, and Rachel was getting aspirated, so we morphed quickly to seagull and quickly flew out to meet Ax and Tobias.

There is no way that woman needs a whole bag of Doritos to herself.

Marco, this is the first time I find myself agreeing with you.  They say that 1/3 of America is obese, which means that woman should totally be sharing those Doritos with us.

Because it won't be weird if she starts inviting seagulls to sit on her beach blanket, Tobias said.

Hey Tobias, Rachel called cheerfully, I didn't know you were in range.

Actually, Ax and I are right to the left of you.  He found someone's leftover soft pretzel and he's infatuated.

I had to stifle a thought speak laugh for that one.  It's just funny to think that for Ax, the temptations of being in a seagull body and being a human are so similar.

Everyone ready? Jake asked.  We all responded yes.  Good, he said, Because the tankers really aren't as far as they looked out on the beach.

Straining our seagull eyes in the sun, we looked out towards the horizon.  The tankers, from here, only looked like they were eight or nine miles away.

That's not far at all, Rachel said happily, Let's go get them!

Actually, that was exactly what I was going to advise not to do, Jake said.  Another couple of minutes of flying and we are going to peel off and morph to dolphin.  Seagulls don't fly ten miles out.

So, we morph to dolphin and we get them! Rachel said excitedly.

Tobias, man, I don't know how you can stand her sometimes, Marco said.

I've learned not to listen, Tobias said dryly.

Excuse me?

A joke, Rachel, a joke.

It better have been a joke.

Hey, Jake, I called to him privately, What are we going to do when we get out there?

I could almost hear him sigh.  Not a good sign.  He wanted to be back on the beach checking out the hot girls in bikinis.  If I was human at the time, I would've cringed.

Well, we'll have to play it by ear, he said quietly.  Cassie, don't doubt your instincts.

It figures.  Jake knows what I'm thinking even before I'm thinking it.

I'm not doubting myself. I said.  It was a feeble attempt though.  I felt bad, really, for ruining everyone's beach day by getting suspicious of a couple of oil tankers out on the ocean.

Cassie, maybe later tonight we can do something?

Yeah, Marco would probably like that, if we made up for his ruined chance of getting a date.

That chance was ruined the moment he arrived on the beach, Jake said laughing.  But, I meant, you know, just us.

I was silent.  Like a date? I blurted.

Well, you could say that, Jake said awkwardly.  Okay, peel off.  Tobias, Rachel, morph to dolphin.  Rachel, hold Tobias up while he's in his bird form, okay?

Sure thing. Rachel said, doing a neat dive down to the water and beginning to morph.  When she was fully human, Tobias flew down and landed nearby her and began to morph.  She held him above the water so that his feathers wouldn't become so waterlogged he would drown.

So, Cassie, what do you say?  Maybe a walk alone on the beach tonight?

Sure, Jake.  I'd like that. If I was human, I would've smiled.

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