Um I'm like in college now and should probably NOT be doing this but I finished this chapter for old times sake since it was sitting on my old laptop and I'm still confident about basically being an adult? Right? Ok yeah right.
She said
"Honey, y'gotta learn that love is simple just like mud.
If you play the dirt, then I'll play the water. All we gotta do is touch"
She decided she hated being under water. The waves tossed her around like a washing machine set on spin cycle, whenever she got back up to the surface and sucked in some oxygen, the water sucked her back down.
Today was no different, falling off the surfboard after standing for basically ten seconds; she hit the water hard and was engulfed by the sandy waves. Her body thrashed around violently until her head finally broke the surface and she was able to gasp for air.
"You're getting better" Liam paddled over on his surfboard.
"It sure doesn't feel like it" she coughed up some water as she lifted her tired and battered body up onto her surfboard.
"It's only your fourth day" Liam reasoned, "I've been doing this since I was twelve; you can't just get good, fast."
Miley rubbed the salt water out of her eyes, only making it sting more. "Well, I want to be good… right now" she sighed.
Liam laughed and shook his head, "this is gonna be a long month, isn't it?"
Miley looked at him strangely, "what makes you think we're stopping once summer ends? We're going all year buddy! Even if it's fifty degrees outside, we're going to be here, in this water"
Liam laughed as they bobbed up and down in the water; "Yes ma'am, whatever you say" he smiled at Miley in the way she was starting to hate.
It made her feel weird. She didn't know if it was a good weird or a bad weird yet. It just made her feel… well, weird.
"Good" Miley smiled, and then let out a huge breath, "Alright… let's go again."
As Miley slid the glass door shut she heard the clearing of a throat, turning quickly she saw Camille casually flipping through a magazine on the bed.
"So… when do I get to watch you?" Cami asked as she folded the top corner her page and then set it down on the bedside table.
"Never" Miley rolled her eyes as she made her way to the bathroom, she was all sandy and gross from the water and just wanted to take a shower.
"I'm sorry, let me rephrase that" Camille followed her into the bathroom, "when do I get to stop watching you in secrecy?"
Miley rolled her eyes as she turned the shower knob, "I knew I saw you yesterday" she shook her head as she started to take off her sandy clothes. Camille took a seat on the closed lid of the toilet and smiled as Miley jumped into the shower, still wearing her bathing suit.
"He's cute" Camille smirked.
In reply, Miley's sandy two-piece bikini flew over the shower curtain and landed in front of Camille's feet, "don't even think about it."
"What?" Camille asked mischievously, "all I said was he's cute. But, you know, if you're into him then…"
"I'm not" Miley cut Camille off.
"So you wouldn't mind if I went for it?" Camille asked as she stared at her reflection in the foggy mirror, running her fingers through her long, blond locks.
She really didn't care. At least she was pretty sure she didn't. "Nope, go for it."
"Great" Cami smiled, "Well, in other news, Elle called me this morning..." her smile grew wider.
Miley stuck her head out of the shower, drops of water splashing onto the floor from the ends of her hair, "And?"
Cami bit her lip, trying to contain herself, "I start in a week."
Miley jumped out of the shower, wrapped her towel around her body and then flung herself onto Cami, both jumped up and down, bursting with excitement. "You're working at Elle!" Miley said breathlessly. She couldn't believe it.
"I'm working at Elle!" Camille yelled, "Me!"
The blazing sun beat down on the two girls, darkening their skin more as they walked down the boardwalk. Store's doors were open, inviting in customers. The usuals who had just surfed all morning and were ready for lunch, sat at Jill's, the local hamburger joint. Kids who were bored of sitting in their air-conditioned homes and watching television all day were playing at the arcade or hanging out with their friends at the smoothie stand, run by Miley's father's good friend, Ryan.
Miley debated on stopping by to say hi or not. She chose not to. She didn't feel like dealing with the whole, "how's your family doing?" question. It was a long story.
Well, actually, she just didn't know how they were doing.
"Hey, looks like their carnival's opening tonight!" Cami pointed out. They stopped in front of a flyer, taped to a large pole in the center of the boardwalk that was covered in other multi-colored papers. It had flyers about everything; from band auditions and church meetings to memos about new construction and restaurant openings.
"Sounds fun," Miley shrugged her shoulders as she scanned the boardwalk, maybe Liam was here …
"We should go" the way Cami said it, Miley knew it was a done deal, they were going and she had no way out of it.
"It'll be fun" Cami smiled, "Maybe we'll find lots of hot hotties…"
Miley wasn't listening anymore. She knew once Cami said the words "hot hotties" she was on cloud nine and nowhere near reality anytime soon. Plus, she spotted Liam at Jill's sitting at the outside bar, eating a cheeseburger and talking to a young man next to him.
"Speaking of hot hotties, it's the god himself…" Cami's voice broke her trance.
What was it with Liam never wearing a shirt? Did he not own any? There he was, wearing nothing but board shorts. Maybe she should buy him one. No wait, why would she want to clothe him? Who in their right mind would want to cover that beautiful, muscled, tan chest? An idiot, that's who.
Cami grabbed Miley's hand and dragged her over to the outside seating area. Crossing the boardwalk, they heard Liam.
He saw them first.
"Well look here!" turning around in his seat, he smiled cheekily, "come to stalk me?"
"She hasn't, I have" Cami winked.
Liam's eyes widened and aligned directly with Miley's, who was trying to hide her glaring from Cami.
"Liam, Cami. Cami, Liam" Miley introduced, "you'll get used to the stalking" she joked.
"It's just one of my many likable features" Cami smiled brightly.
Liam chuckled, "so I'm guessing that was your spot of blonde hair ashore the other day, I knew I saw someone watching…" he teased.
Miley intervened before Cami could cut in with a cute line Miley knew Cami would have prepared, "yes and that would be her stalking at an all-time high. So, how's the food here?"
Cami playfully frowned and let out a small "hmph" in Miley's direction. Miley stuck out her tongue at her overly endearing friend.
Liam's smile grew as he nodded his head in the direction of the boy sitting next to him. "Ask my brother, he owns the place."
The boy, rather she say, the man turned to face them after finishing a bite of his burger. Wiping his face with a napkin, he smiled brightly and Cami forgot about Liam in .5 seconds. As did Miley for a moment. "Chris, this is Miley and her friend Cami. Miley's the one I told you about, the girl who forced me into teaching her to surf."
He was gorgeous. Beyond. His golden hair, all sandy from the ocean but dried by the sun was tucked behind one of his ears, his tan shoulder muscles glistened in the sunlight and his blue eyes pierced through your goddamn soul. Miley couldn't even process the defined structure of his jaw line… Miley's mouth went dry, she then came to and realized Liam had just insulted her.
"I did not force you! I simply stated I would like your help… that's all" she blushed, "and anyways you could have said no, you ass."
Chris interjected, "Yes, yes I like her. Only a few days in and she just really gets you." Liam pushed Chris' large arm and muttered, "you're the ass" in his direction.
Cami did all she could to not openly drool. Chris smiled in her direction, "As for the food – sit down and have a bite with us and decide for yourselves! It's always nice to get the opinion of some non-locals around here."
Cami stepped in before Miley could, "food and a view? I'm in baby."
The blonde slid onto the stool of the bar next to the older brother while Miley slid onto the stool next to Liam. Miley peered over to Cami whose eyes were complete stars staring at Chris. "So Liam tells me you two are from South Carolina, eh?" Chris eyebrows rose, "What made you guys come out here?" He slid his plate over to Cami for her to steal a fry, she happily obliged. Grabbing a fry and drowning it in ketchup, she motioned to Miley with the drenched potato stick, "miss thing over there is attending boarding school out here in less than a month, while I'm starting my new internship."
Liam turned to Miley, "if you say East Valley I'm no longer your friend…"
Miley pretended to be in shock, raising her hand to her heart, "we're friends?" she teased.
"Aw no it's East Valley isn't it…" he shook his head.
"What's wrong with East Valley? When I looked into it everything looked great!" She didn't understand.
Liam sighed, "nah it's fine, it's just the people there are so…" he couldn't find the right word.
"Uptight, assholes, pretentious, loaded beyond imagination, assholes, annoying, high maintenance, difficult, artsy-fartsy, did I mention assholes…" Chris rattled off words for Liam.
"Boom. There it is" Liam agreed, "Everything Chris said and more"
"Phew" Cami wiped off imaginary sweat from her forehead, "Boy am I glad I don't have to go there!" Stupid Cami deciding to take the public school route instead of going to East Valley with Miley.
Miley glared at her best friend. She groaned outwardly, had she made a mistake?
Liam cut off her thoughts, "but I mean… hey! You'll fit right in there!"
Miley punched his shoulder with the intention for it to hurt. He laughed rubbing his bare shoulder and smiled at her, "only kidding. You'll make it out alive – you're better than all of them put together anyways."
Miley's playful anger simmered towards the boy – she was finding he had a way with words.
"Hey can we get another plate of fries!" Cami's loud voice overpowered her thoughts. Chris chuckled, "make sure you bring her a gallon of ketchup too!"
Cami's eyes crinkled from a wide smile – Miley could see Chris spoke Cami's language as well.
"Make that two gallons!"
A petite, brunette waitress brought over Cami's plate of fries with a few ketchup packets. Cami frowned. The waitress eyed Chris as if he were a slab of prime rib on sale at the supermarket. Chris didn't even look at her, he saw Cami's face fall. "Hey Evelyn" he called, the waitress scurried to his side of the bar, "Could you grab Cami about 10 more packets? She's a bit of a ketchup fiend" he joked. Cami's smile returned. The waitress stalked away, dissatisfied and off to find more ketchup packets.
"Hey are you two going to the carnival tonight?" Cami asked excitedly.
"Are you?" Chris asked in return, wiggling his eyebrows in a playful way.
"Only if Liam and Miley are..."
Oh Cami played dirty, Miley thought to herself.
Liam turned to Miley, "How do you feel about stuffed animals?" he asked.
Miley laughed, "I tend to love them"
"Good" he beamed, "I'm winning you one tonight."