This is a bit of a short one, but these characters were thought up by my friend, so I thought it would be a nice gesture to put them in. Thanks for all the nice comments, I'll try to keep writing!

Jesse Alabaster adjusted his grip on his surfboard and looked over his shoulder at his sister.

"I guess that's Pride Rock." He suggested to her, looking back at the stretching pier, decorated with basking teenage bodies.

"Very funny." His sister, Francesca, groaned. "I don't know why we're here."

"Dad and Nadia are unpacking." Jesse told her, walking and willing her to keep up.

"No, why we're here on this puny island." Chess moaned. Jesse sighed.

"Because dad lost his job and we couldn't make rent. Thus, we're taking over a small island community's ice cream bar."

"I bet that'll pay for your surf habit." Chess quipped.

"Or your Chanel purses." Her brother returned. "Come on, let's go and introduce ourselves." They'd stopped at the foot of the pier. The crowds were chatting, while some were eying them.

"We're fresh-meat." Chess sighed. "And you just want to meet some hot girls." She scowled.

"I'm sick of you complaining." Jesse said, finally. "Just stay here if you don't want to come." With that he walked off down the pier, looking for someone friendly to talk to. He stopped where a guy with short, crew cut, brown hair, wearing a pair of Aviators was standing drying his arms. Next to him, a dark-skinned girl with curly black hair was sitting, reading a book, Indian-style on the dock.

"Hi." Jesse said. The guy with the Aviators looked him up and down, chewed his gum and smiled.

"You're new." He said.

"Yeah." Jesse said, thinking perhaps this wasn't the friendliest person to talk to. The guy grinned and took off his sunglasses, revealing surprisingly blue eyes.

"I'm Rowan." He said, putting out a hand jovially. "Welcome to our humble little island." Jesse relaxed.

"I'm Jesse." He said. "My dad's taking over the ice cream bar."

"Oh, cool." Rowan nodded. "That place needs a reboot. I think all the toppings are at least three years old. Is that your sister?" he asked, pointing down the pier to Chess, grumpily holding her hands and being eyed with dismay by a few of the island girls nearby.

"Yeah, Francesca. Chess." He said. "She's sixteen."

"She's gonna get eaten alive," Rowan muttered, shaking his head. Before Jesse could ask what he meant, Rowan cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Chess! Over here!"

The girl looked confused, but eventually came over to her brother. Walking briskly and overtaking her came a dark-haired young man looking somewhat angry. Jesse saw Chess start at his appearance and physique and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," Rowan said, "I should introduce you." The dark haired guy picked up a towel and set about drying his legs. "This is Jason," the dark haired guy nodded a hello, "and this is Aja." He said, poking at the girl on the floor with a toe.

"Shh.." she said, holding up a finger, engrossed in her book.

"Jesus." Jason said, pulling the book away from her. "I'm supposed to be reading it, not you!" Aja scowled, pouted and looked up.

"Hi new people." She said, waving.

"Hi." Chess said quietly. "I'm Chess." Aja smiled.

"That's a weird name." she said, teasingly. She looked over at Jason again. "Give it back!" she whined. "I liked it!" she pouted. Jason threw it in his bad and gave her a look. From behind them, coming away from the sea, another guy with longish blond hair came over.

"Hey Ro, Jason." He said.

"Hey Dave." Jason said.

"New kids?" Dave asked.

"We're standing right here." Chess said. Aja stood up.

"Come on," she said. "We'll let the boys talk boy stuff, I'll show you around to the ladies." She took Chess's arm and led her away.

"I'm Jesse." Jesse said, holding out a hand to Dave.

"Sweet." Dave nodded, shaking it. "So you guys must have just, like, arrived." He said.

"Yeah. From San Diego." Jesse asked.

"Sweet." Dave said. Jason and Rowan shared a look.

"Have fun in the water?" Rowan asked Jason.

"I guess." Jason shrugged. "I got wet."

"I see." Rowan smiled. "What? She give you a run for your money?" Jason frowned.

"Don't even talk to me about it." Before Jesse could ask who they were talking about, Dave interrupted.

"So you probably want to know about the ladies here?" he said. Jesse couldn't voice his answer.

"Smoothly put, Dave." Rowan said sarcastically, patting the blond on the shoulder.

"It's not out of the question." Jesse shrugged, dropping his board. The other three laughed and they sat.

"Right," Dave grinned, looking fully prepared to inform Jesse of everyone's business. "We've got your general Bettys and Veronicas here, Gingers and Mary Anns." He said. Jason shook his head.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation." He laughed, flipping through his book without interest. Dave shook him off.

"So, here we've got," he pointed towards Chess and Aja who were at the back of the pier, near the beach, talking to a group of clustered girls, one in a small yellow bikini, "Your sis and Aja,"

"Hands off, by the way." Rowan interrupted swiftly. Jesse nodded, a little disappointed, but not surprised. Dave kept on,

"Alex, Chloe, Dixie, also taken," he looked toward Jason who shook his head. "Seriously dude?" Dave asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Whatever. It's over." Jason shrugged again.

"Does she know that?" Rowan asked, replacing his Aviators.

"She'll get over it." Jason said. Jesse tried not to laugh.

"Okay, Dixie's the cute blonde one, total Veronica type," Dave said.

"What'd wrong with her?" Jesse asked Jason.

"Clingy." He said, shortly. Jesse laughed, looking back at the group of girls. A girl with long, wet, brown hair walked up onto the pier. Jesse had to look at her. She was slender, curvy and beautiful. She grinned at a boy with spiky dirty blond hair and stopped to talk to him, laughing.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Er…that's Kayli." Dave said anxiously. Jesse looked back at the three of them.

"What?" he asked, noticing the tone of Dave's voice.

"I don't know if I can talk about it with these two here." Dave shrugged.

"She's a tease." Jason said abruptly, rubbing his brow.

"Hey!" Rowan flared immediately. "What's this fucking vendetta you got against my sister suddenly?"

"Forget it." Jason muttered. Rowan exhaled angrily.

"Whatever, man." He said.

"She's your sister?" Jesse asked in disbelief. Rowan smiled.

"Good looking family, right?" he teased, his empty black lenses adding to his dry humor.

"Is that her boyfriend?" Jesse asked, looking over his shoulder at Kayli and the blond guy again.

"Flavor of the week." Jason spat.

"Dude, Jason!" Rowan shouted again.

"What?" Jason asked, spreading his hands.

"I'm so fucking close to hitting you, man." Rowan said. He looked back at Jesse. "Ignore the Neanderthal to your right, he's just bitter."

"Really?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah." Jason said. "Like a hole in the head." Jesse looked back at the girl again.

"Dude," Dave said, "You guys have some history." Jesse didn't hear.

"I'll be right back." He said, getting up and walking over to the girl and the guy with her.

"Now she's fighting them off." Rowan laughed, taking a drink from his beer.

"How come you're cool with everyone gawking at her but me?" Jason asked. Dave took the moment to slip away from the uncomfortable situation.

"Cause' you get everyone, Jase." Rowan explained. "I don't want to see her hurt. Besides, we can't talk chicks if you're going out with my little sister."

"Sure." Jason said, trying to smile. He looked over to where Kayli, Adam and Jesse were standing. Jesse was talking to them both casually, but then Adam left to get a drink and he and Kayli spoke alone.

"I'm gonna go get a beer." Jason said, and he got up and left. Jesse sighed and looked up at the roof of the pier.

As Jason got to the end of the pier and picked up a bottle of beer from the six-pack in the nearby freezer box, he heard someone call his name.

"Jason!" He turned. Dixie was walking towards him in a huff, arms crossed.

"What?" he asked, opening the bottle.

"What were you doing with Kayli Moore under the pier?" she asked, tapping her foot and doing her best to look intimidating.

"Swimming." Jason said, blowing her off and drinking his beer. Dixie narrowed her eyes.

"You were down there a pretty long time." She said. Jason groaned.

"Okay, fine." He said. "You caught me. We were making out." Dixie's eyes grew wide. "I'm teasing you!" he said. "Come on Dix, take a joke." Dixie set her jaw.

"Whatever." She said, pursing her lips. She took a step towards him and kissing him on the lips, unofficially pronouncing him 'hands-off' again. "I'm going home." She said. "Do you want to come over later?" she asked.

"I…" Jason thought a moment. He was in a bad mood, true, but he didn't want to do anything to hurt anyone's feelings, even Dixie's. "I've got some reading to do." He said.

"You can read at my house." Dixie offered with a smile.

"I rather stay home."

Dixie pouted grumpily and shook her head so her hair tossed in the wind.

"Fine." She said. "I'll guess it's for the best anyway. That new boy is coming over to talk to Dad about a sales pitch." She smiled, sneaky. "I'll see you later." With that she walked off across the beach back towards the café. Jason watched her.

He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous now. True, Dixie wasn't his damsel in distress, but that didn't mean some new kid could jump into bed with her. He turned and saw Jesse and Kayli walking down the pier.

"Where're you two going?" he asked.

"I'm just showing Jesse around. He hasn't seen the whole town yet." Kayli said, rather coldly. Without waiting for a reply, the two walked off, laughing. Jason fumed.

That night as the sun sunk beneath the sea, Alex stood, sitting at the edge of pier, looking out to the water. She felt footsteps behind her and figured it was just a few last stragglers, going home before the cold set in. Someone said her name.

"Alex?" she turned to look over her shoulder. Sam was standing a few feet away.

"Oh, hi Sam." She smiled, looking back at the horizon. Sam came and sat next to her. "What's up?" she asked him.

"Thanks." He said.

"For what?" Alex asked, grinning. Sam smiled.

"Just… today, I guess." He said. Alex laughed.

"You're funny." She said. "You don't have to thank me for that." Without realizing, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Sam looked shocked.

"What was that for?" he asked, looking astonished. Alex bit her lip trying to think of an answer.

"I dunno." She shrugged, getting to her feet. "My thank you." She said once she was standing. "Come on, I'll race to back to the shore." She laughed, starting to run. Sam quickly stood and ran after her.

"Wait, no!" he shouted, sprinting and laughing at the same time, "That's cheating!"