Before we start I'd just like to apologise for not doing my usual shoutouts. I've just been writing writing writing and get a little sidetracked because I really need to update it all so it's fresh in your minds for the next part...but whatever, after the Memory Lane Parts I will resume my usual shout outs, and on my last Memory Lane Part, I will shout out too. Adios, N x
Last Easter
The scorching afternoon of the hottest Easter PCA had ever seen was drawing to a close. The sky was beginning to tinge with a dark red, signaling the distant calling of dawn, as the sun began setting over the inviting blue ocean.
Zoey, Nicole, Chase, Dana, Logan and Michael were sitting on the edge of the PCA beach around a big, soda cooler, their feet all stuck in the ice. The girls were glowing in their bikinis, Nicole and Zoey were trying to tan while Dana was more concerned on looking aloof. Logan was tanning as well, as was Chase, but Michael was reading a magazine he'd picked up on the way over.
"Awesome. This game called Doom X is coming out next year," he marveled, "it looks gory."
"I hope you don't get obsessed with it," Dana frowned, "a la Ratchet and Clank 2."
"Hey hey, I don't get obsessed with anything. I just got involved that's all. I mean, it's totally normal for a guy to not sleep for a week on the verge of completion of probably the hardest platform game ever. I don't get obsessed, in fact, I might not even play it." He set down the magazine onto the hot sand, "In fact, just to prove you wrong, I won't even buy Doom X."
Chase rolled over on his towel, so he was stomach down. If he turned like this every now and then, he could see Zoey sunbathing. Chase had to admit the girl that probably looked the best on that beach that afternoon was Dana, but no one else saw Zoey the way he saw her.
"Hey Mike!"
A group of three boys, the two at either side reasonably tanned, the one in the middle obviously was a permanent coffee-colour sort of skin tone approached in dark swimming trunks, their wet hair flopping in their eyes. Behind them, was a consort of giggling girls. Adrienne, Shannon, Christina and the rest of the 'Pretty Clique' were eyeing them up from the waves.
"You heard about the new Doom X game coming out?" Nate Williams asked, running his hand through his sandy blonde hair, spraying Nicole with drops of water, "It looks violent."
"All the more better," Michael grinned, "but I can't buy it. I'm proving a point."
Harry eyed Dana who was sitting defiantly on the towel at his feet.
"Looking good there Cruz," he nodded approvingly. Dana scowled.
A tall, towering dark guy with big, round almond shaped eyes and muscular, tight legs strolled up to them all, rivulets of water dripping down his toned, fit frame. Many of the girls broke into more fits of giggles.
"Rennison," Michael nodded in acknowledgement.
"Barret," Jackson returned, then turning his attention to Art and his consort.
"Waves are awesome," he rasped, "you don't wanna miss 'em."
"You heard the hulk," Nate shrugged, ruffling his hair again, "I'll see you later Mike."
Jackson, Art and Nate began to saunter off, the girls right behind them. Harry stayed still for a bit.
"Are you coming Onslow?" Jackson boomed.
"I'll catch up with you guys in a minute, I'm just going to talk to Mike and that," Harry waved them off, taking Quinn's empty towel and dragging it near Michael, Dana and Chase.
"Wicked Summer, huh?" He mused, shimmying into a comfortable position, "Good weather. For chicks in bikinis."
Dana rolled her eyes and stood up.
"I'm going to see Alex," she said, indicating towards a tall, Chinese girl with long raven hair that reached the small of her back, before walking off. Logan stirred from his tanning position, propping himself up on his elbows.
"You dig her, right?" Harry asked casually, picking the sand out between his toes, as Logan shook his head furiously, "No point denying it Reese. You got to remember other guys like Dana too. We've been waiting kinda respectfully for you to jump her already. Well, except Art."
"Why?"
"He's got the hots for Miss Southern Sunshine over there," he nodded towards Zoey, who luckily, was asleep. Chase turned a deep scarlet.
"Woah…" Harry looked at Chase's cheeks, "sun stroke?"
"No I just er –"
"HARRY!" A brunette, with slender legs and a thick, Spanish accent was waving and shouting from the tips of the waves, "COME SIT!"
"Sorry guys," Harry began to stand, "but that's Nina calling for me. Spanish exchange student. Won't go in the water. Looks brilliant wet so I might just go chuck her in. S'later."
Harry jogged off into the sand. For a while there was a silence between the group away from the waves, punctuated only by what could be presumed to be Nina's protesting shrieks and then a loud 'splash.'
Zoey rolled over on her towel, so she was facing inwards to Nicole. Nicole was already staring at her expectantly.
"OhmyGod girl, did you hear that?" She hissed quietly, "Art Sinclair totally has the hots for you!"
Zoey blushed.
"I heard."
"So you gonna act on it?" Nicole asked eagerly.
Zoey bit her lip. She didn't mind that Art liked her. Fair enough, Art was an extremely good-looking guy that girls dreamed of having him crushing on them, but Zoey didn't care about Art.
Well, maybe a little.
As the lights began flashing drastically and the hall was plunged into darkness; Zoey, Nicole, Dana, Michael, Chase and Logan walked in through the swinging doors. They were greeted by loud screams – not screams of horror or terror but jovial screams along to the loud music which was pumping out of the DJ's speakers.
In the middle of the dancefloor, Adrienne and her clique were already dancing with the 'Popular and Good-Looking Sport-Player' Clique. Quinn was standing by the refreshments table, a large bowl of something neon yellow by her side as she tipped in various test tubes and shakers. Zoey and Nicole went over to see her.
"Hey guys," she said vaguely when they approached, "I like your trousers Zo."
Zoey looked down. She was wearing a dress.
"Riiiight," she peered over the bowl on her tip-toes, "what's that you've got there?"
"I'm trying to concoct a liquid that tastes different to everyone," she breathed, wiping beads of sweat from her forehead, "I was asked to do refreshments that would suit everyone so I decided to have a go at this. I've been working on it ever since I came to PCA. I'm just putting it together…"
"What, you mean like it may taste like marshmallows for Zoey and lima beans for me?" Nicole frowned, fixing the ribbon tie on her own dress.
"No," Quinn said irritably, as though the whole thing was as simple as knowing your alphabet, "the potion –"
"Hang on a minute!" Nicole interrupted hastily, "Potion? That makes it sound scary and very, very bad. Like magic, Quinn, this is PCA. Not Hogwarts."
"As I was saying," she continued, ignoring Nicole's outburst, "the concoction is made so it will taste whatever entices you the most. For me," she dipped her finger in, "it tastes like plutonium, salted crystals and disinfectant."
The girls pulled disgusted faces.
"No, it's actually quite appetizing," Quinn insisted, dropping three more drops of green liquid in. The contents inside the punch bowl began steaming and swirling. Quinn grinned manically.
"Yes!" She cried, "It's aliiiiiive!"
Nicole shot a worried glance at Zoey, a 'on-the-count-of-three-we-run' sort of glance. Zoey nodded.
"One…two…" Nicole began.
"Taste it!" Quinn shoved a spoon into Nicole's open mouth. At first she began gagging but then her expression softened.
"Mmm…tastes like…candy-flavored lip gloss, DKNY Be Delicious for Men, and…and…styling gel."
Zoey grimaced.
"No Zo, it tastes real good!" She licked her lips, "Like…it tastes like heaven. Try some."
Zoey gingerly dipped in her finger in the potion and licked it reluctantly. It happened all at once, the smooth, sweet taste of honey from the garden at home, the warm sea breeze at the beach at sunset and…she blushed as she recognized the last taste.
Freshly washed t-shirt mixed with Lynx deodorant and a sort of chocolate-y aroma…
"What does yours taste like?"
"Honey…" she said, licking her finger again, from the yard back home, "sea breeze," from the shore down from PCA "and…uhm…"
Chase.
Michael had disappeared long ago with a girl Logan vaguely knew as Addie Rennison or something. He would have been jealous, because Addie was looking particularly nice that night in a short, little black dress and her hair set into angelic blonde curls, but he had something better right by his side.
"Want to dance?" He asked casually. Dana sneered at him. "I mean, we just look like total idiots standing here."
Dana glared at him again.
"Excuse me," she said stiffly, "but I don't really remember giving you permission to speak to me."
This didn't deter Logan.
"I love the way you tease me," he knocked her chin lightly, she pushed away, swatting with her hands, "come on, dance with me. You know you want to."
She stared coldly at his outstretched hand, perfectly aware that other girls were now staring on enviously. A red-head was glaring over in Dana's direction.
Hey, well, if you don't want to dance with him, do it for the jealousy points.
She slapped her hand down like it was some big chore and allowed Logan to drag her onto the dancefloor. When they got there, she put her arms around his neck awkwardly, and he slid his arms around her waist. They slid down.
"Hey!" She said, slapping them, "Hands up!"
She felt them recline back up her back. Logan grinned at her.
"Why do we even bother Dana?" He said, rotating her slowly, "We both know we like each other."
"Do not," she said stubbornly, hating herself for lying to someone she cared about.
"Don't pretend," he continued, "I know you want me. I've read your journal. I've watched the way you look at me. I've talked to your frie-"
Dana shot back out of his grip.
"You read my journal?" She screeched disbelievingly, widening her almond shaped arms alarmingly, "What is wrong with you! Ever heard of privacy?"
"Shhh, now now babycakes," he took her back in his arms. She stood stiffly, like a wooden plank.
"Don't call me babycakes," she hissed.
"Don't pretend you don't like it," he whispered in her ear, so close, she could feel his breath making her short hairs prickle.
Please, don't do this Logan. You know why I can't be with you.
"What's up lonely?"
Zoey slid herself into the seat beside Chase, sitting at the side of the dancefloor, slumped in his jeans and dress-shirt.
"Just watching all the girls flock around Art and that like they're sugar coated candy," he sighed, nodding gravely over in the direction of a crowd of swarming girls, glancing hopefully to see if Art or anybody was watching them.
"You can just expect girls to act like that Chase," she said, resting her head on his shoulder, "Some girls have no moral backbone. They'll see soon enough that they're just pretty faces."
The scent of freshly washed t-shirt mixed with Lynx deodorant and a sort of chocolate-y aroma reached her nostrils, causing her to blush furiously. She thanked God the hall was so dark.
"The concoction is made so it will taste whatever entices you the most."
Is that what she wanted?
Chase?