It Started in Sydney - l.h.

Chapter 21

Luke's POV

*Flashback*

"Where even is this place?" I mumble to myself, staring at the address scribbled on the back of my receipt. I've never even seen this girl before but she swears she goes to my school. Every year our class goes on spring break together. This year we're in California. Santa Cruz, to be exact. I type in the address to my phone, which shows my destination only 3 minutes away. I finally get to the hotel and start throwing pebbles at the room I assume is 221. Bitches love that shit, right?

"What the fuck?" I hear a girl scream. "Who are you?" Okay, guess I had the wrong room.

"Sorry, I uh.. wait - aren't you in my math class?" She wasn't the girl who gave me her address, but she definitely looked familiar.

"I don't know, um yeah I think. Hold on, I'll be right down."

Okay, did not expect that. I guess this girl is better than none.

"Sorry, what was your name again?" She asks, stumbling out of the hotel's front doors.

"Luke. And yours?"

"Taryn."

"Well, nice to officially meet you Taryn." I laugh. It's odd to think that we've sat in the same classroom this whole year, yet have never spoken to eachother.

"Sooo..." She says after an awkward silence. "I have a bottle of jack, wanna go get drunk on the beach or something?"

"Yes. Alcohol sounds good right now."

"Whats up?" She asks, handing me the bottle as we start walking toward the beach. I take a long pull before answering.

"You know how Calum, Michael, and I have a band?" I ask. She nods, of course she does. The whole damn school makes fun of us for it. "Well we're doing pretty well but we need a drummer. We won't get anywhere without one."

"Hmm.." She says, grabbing the bottle from my hands and pressing it to her lips. "Isn't there that one kid a few years above us thats pretty good? Austin or something."

"Ashton." I laugh. "Yeah, but none of us have ever talked to him so I don't know, what if he says no?"

"Well you'll never know til you ask." She smirks and takes another shot. "The beach!!!" She squeals, running through the sand toward the shore. I laugh and jog after her.

---

Half a bottle of jack later, she's drunk.

"Okay, time for me to take the bottle away." I laugh, grabbing the bottle from her grasp. She pouts.

"Awww how cute." I joke, pinching her cheeks. She laughs.

"Cooome sit down with me!!!!" She half-yells.

"Okay, okay." I sit down on the white Santa Cruz sand and she sits down next to me, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Luke?" She whispers.

"What's up?"

"How come we've never talked before?"

"Hmm, I don't know. We kind of run in different crowds if you haven't noticed." I chuckle.

"But you're hottt!!! You always have been!" She quickly covers her mouth with her hands, making me laugh harder.

"You're quite the looker yourself, angel." I wink. She punches my arm playfully. "Hey, don't bruise me. I'm going to be worth a million dollars one day." I say half-jokingly. She whispers something. "What was that?" I ask.

"Nothing. We should hang out more after this. If you want."

"I definitely do." I say, resting my head on hers.

"Hey, this is spring break. We have to do something crazy.." She suddenly perks up.

"Like what?" I ask, suddenly interested.

"Let's go streaking. On the beach."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, you're pretty drun-" I look over to see she's already taking her shirt off. "On second thought, let's do it."

Pretty soon we're both running around naked, screaming at the top of our lungs. I start running toward the water.

"Luuuuke!" She screams, running in after me. I slow down once the water gets waist deep in order to catch my breath. I turn around to find Taryn right behind me.

"Goddamn, you are so beautiful." I whisper and she steps closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. Before I know it, her lips are on mine. Electricity runs through my body, goosebumps covering every inch of my skin. I think I'm in love.