Can You Hear the Ocean?

Chapter 7

Once Leila had taken a shower and changed out of her sand-soaked outfit, she put on something more comfortable and took a seat on the couch, figuring she could watch an episode or two of something on Netflix before heading over to her family's house for dinner.

Her eyes drooped slightly as she sat in front of the television. Running around with Mia had tired her out, just as it had done when they were children. Fuji found a comfortable seat on Leila's lap and purred softly as Leila stroked his fur. Leila let her eyelids slowly shut and took a deep breath, feeling herself drift off to sleep, when suddenly, a text notification startled her.

Fuji quietly stirred and climbed off Leila's lap to go sleep in the corner of the couch while Leila reached for her phone. Ashlynn had sent a text to her friends' group chat.

Ashlynn: Leila when were u going to tell us about the new girl ur seeing?!

Elena: LEILA UR SEEING SOMEONE?

Leila herself was confused and responded with the following text: I'm not seeing anyone tho??

Ashlynn: I stopped by the shops today to grab a bite to eat and saw u sitting on the beach with some blonde girl I didn't know

Elena: OMG LEILA!!!!

"Oh," Leila murmured to herself before responding the following: That wasn't a date. I ran into an old friend from elementary school recently. We've just been hanging out.

Ashlynn: Just "hanging out"

Leila could practically hear her redheaded friend teasing her from afar. She angrily typed back on her phone: It's not like that! Besides, she has a bf.

Elena: You'll just have to sweep her off her feet then

Leila: Omg you guys are obnoxious

Ashlynn: What's her name? I wanna stalk her on Instagram

Leila: Her name is Mia, and she doesn't have any social media. I already checked. Like I said, she's an old childhood friend and there's nothing romantic happening between us!!!!

Elena: Whatever you say ;)

Leila groaned to herself and silenced her phone afterwards, not wanting to be bothered by her friends anymore. She forgot that any female acquaintance she made were a love interest in her friends' eyes. Besides, it was as she said, Mia had a boyfriend and—Leila wasn't sure why she was letting herself dwell on these thoughts. Instead, she reached for her things and headed to her parents' house for dinner.

Leila's father had decided to grill burgers outside. She, her parents, her brother, and Shannon sat outside under the shaded patio while the scent of grilling meat filled the air. Leila leaned back in the chair cushion, once again trying not to fall asleep. Her mother placing a glass of lemonade down beside her jolted her awake once more.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" her mother asked.

"Slept fine. I'm just tired from today," Leila said, rubbing her eyes. She reached for her lemonade and began guzzling it down, hoping the sugar would wake her.

"What were you up to today?" her mother wondered as she took a seat on the chair next to Leila.

"Oh, I met up with Mia actually. We got some coffee together last weekend, and she texted me again this weekend asking if I'd want to go down to the beach," Leila explained. "We ended up walking a lot. I always forget how tiring it is walking through the sand."

Gavin set his beer down and stared at Leila, confused. "Mia? Who's she?"

"Is she your new girlfriend?" Shannon guessed.