Your Smile to My Polaroids - the Official Five-Chapter Trailer

Chapter 4

He cut his springy ebony-black hair much shorter than when I last saw him, and his complexion got much more athletic.

"Erica? You good?" Micaela leans in to take a closer look at my face, then turns around to face the direction I'm staring in.

But I can't utter a single word as old memories and feelings wash over my entire being like a massive ocean wave crashing onto a lone boulder.

Visions I've tried so hard to suppress for years of us finding mutual comfort in each other's presence, of me calming him when he had mental breakdowns, of us promising we'd be by each other's side until our last breath invade my consciousness. And memories of how he cheated so ruthlessly, so suddenly, so unforeseeably merge with the rest, threatening my eyes to fill with tears.

"Girls, I-I think I'm gonna go now..."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that my-"

As I attempt to voice the problem, the surfer boy from earlier passes right behind Sienna, slightly bumping her with the edge of his surfboard.

The pretty white top she is wearing gets soaked in a neon shade of orange as her drink flies out of her hands - the result of the sudden push.

The girls gush, my mouth flies open.

Eyes wide, she turns around to see the culprit of the situation.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sienna screams out in fury to the poor boy, unknowingly continuing to stroll forward. He turns around, eyebrows flying up as his eyes dart towards her chest.

"Oh no, I am so sorry-" he stammers in a deep, husky voice.

"You'll be sorry if I break your nose! Watch where you're going!" Micaela hisses at the guy, drawing a look of utter disappointment on his face.

"Hey, it's not my fault you have decided to make a fiesta in the middle of a surfing area!" outrage erupts in his facial features, the submissive look fading completely as he words his mind.

He spins on his heels and storms up a stone staircase, leading up to the road.

"Well, it's not our fault some individuals don't know how to handle a piece of wood!"

The fair-haired guy continues ascending the stairs until his silhouette disappears above the wall.

Why did they get so aggressive with him?

Sienna turns around towards me, arms crossed on her chest. The girl can't keep any sort of eye contact with none of the other females, eyes glaring into the sea in absolute mental demolishment as they crowd around her, some trying to get rid of the ugly orange stain with tissues through her arms, some off to get more paper. When Sienna thanks them for their worry and whispers that there's no need for all the hustle, Micaela links arms with her and drags her away, murmuring something to her quietly.

I sigh as I make a certain decision.

"Sienna!" I yell.

She turns around reluctantly, silently questioning my cry. Micaela faces me too.

I jog up to them.

"Do you want my shirt?"

Sienna's eyes fall to scrutinize the Donald Duck print for a split second, and then lift up to mine. I can't tell if she looks disgusted because she despises the Disney character, because she thinks I'm sweaty, or both.

"I mean...Do you have a swimsuit under it?"

Ah.

"I forgot to mention that I wore a crop top beneath it," I let out a bitter-sweet giggle.