Waves

t h r e e

~PRESENT~

Amelia fluffed out the bouncy curls that Sarah had twirled for her, staring at the back of the drivers seat where Rafe was seated.

She pressed her lips together, rubbing them against each other as carefully as she could to make sure her lipstick was still intact and hadn't faded. She felt edgy as she shifted in her seat, knowing that the chances of seeing JJ tonight were very high, and she ran the possible scenarios through her mind of how it was going to go when she saw him.

"You okay?" Sarah asked from the passenger seat, picking up on how visibly noticeable Amelia's anxiety was, her eyebrows furrowed.

Amelia nodded, trying to push the nervous vomit that was fighting its way up her throat back down as Rafe parked the truck amongst the dozens of others at the Boneyard. She climbed out of the backseat, readjusting her skirt back down from its new position up her waist and thighs, smoothing it out from any possible wrinkles and swallowed, trying to ignore the nausea that just wouldn't leave her be.

Sarah grabbed her hand, pulling her down the beach where Amelia saw the same familiar sights that hadn't changed a bit since last summer: dozens of people standing around, talking and drinking. Kegs and red solo cups appeared all over, and the music was playing so loudly that she could barely hear herself think. Girls that looked to be around her same age dancing around with cups in hand, wearing only swim suit tops with their shorts. The usual fire was burning bright, the flames touching the sky. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, and a wave of euphoria filled her as the memories from last summer came flooding back.

Rafe followed closely behind them, and as they reached a keg, he filled up a cup for Amelia and handed it to her. "Thanks. I need this." She spoke, taking the cup from him and instantly started chugging, watching Rafe disappear into the crowd, positive that he was looking for Topper.

She nonchalantly scanned her eyes around the crowd of people, not being able to stop herself as her nerves were still taking over. She knew exactly who she was looking for, praying silently that she wouldn't find him.

"Please don't go." She shook the words from her head, silently begging it to forget them.

Her heart stopped as she felt two hands cover her eyes, everything suddenly going dark. Her breath hitched.

"Miss me?" The voice whispered in her ear. She quickly pulled away and whipped herself around, knowing exactly who the voice belonged to.

"John B!" Amelia let out a squeal, wrapping her arms quickly around his neck as he embraced her in a hug.

As she pulled away from him, her eyes scanned around him, making sure that he was alone. Wherever John B was, JJ was usually found within a ten foot radius.

"Looking for someone?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows with a smirk.

Amelia let out a small sigh. She hated that he knew without Amelia saying a word. "Is he here?"

John B let out a chuckle. "JJ? Not come to a kegger? That's pretty unheard of." He gave Amelia a gentle nudge in her shoulder. "But don't worry. He's almost completely plastered and was rambling something about wanting to catch some night waves."

"I don't think I want to see him." Amelia spoke, watching as John B's eyebrows furrowed at her. He reached his arm out for Amelia to link hers through. He guided her down to the water, walking along the shoreline just the two of them.

"You really don't want to see him?" The confusion was prominent in John B's voice. "I thought you would've been on his doorstep the second you got here."