Life After Dinosaurs

7 - Alicia

I tried playingBlack Ops, but it didn't really bring me any joy. I just got my asskicked and passed the controller to the next player. I was going towait for my turn again, but took off instead. I wasn'tsure where I was going to go, or what I was going to do. I justwanted to be alone to brood. I noticed that no one was riding on thedune buggies so I made my way over there. Behind the dune buggy racetrack, was the only part of the beach not littered with people orsnow cone machines, or TV monitors.

The waves came inwith slow rolls and they seeped over the sand leaving tiny bubbles.Some of them were sand crabs I was sure of it, but you couldn't seethem. They were lived unnoticed and unjudged. That was the great part about nature, it was simple.

I walked along the surf traveling farther and farther away from the free junkfood and leisure buildings. I wanted to stay focused on nature, ormaybe on Rodger, but I kept remembering Mindy. I remembered how softher lips had been. How we taught each other to kiss, and we just keptgetting better and better at it. We had started making out so quicklythat I hardly even remembered the beginning of things. Even though Iknow it had lasted for a few months at least. I couldn't rememberwhat it was like before that, no matter how hard I tried.

I heard some sandshuffle on the ground.

I looked back andsaw a girl. She was a light brunette with long straight hair andaverage white skin. Her body was just average looking, maybe a littleon the thin side. She looked like so many girls at my school that Iwould've just overlooked her normally. But this girl in a thin greenjacket and blue jeans stood out for some reason. She had thick eyebrows with intelligent green eyes and a very modest nose. Her facewas a little round, but her chin was very slight. Even her cheekbones were just kind of there. There wasn't anything reallyremarkable about her. Maybe that was what drew me to her.

She was looking atme with this severe nervous expression. It was like I was a wolf whohad just found a rabbit.

"I'm sorry," Isaid. "I didn't know anyone was over here. Do you want me toleave?"

She bit her lipand looked back from where I came. She returned my gaze with a shake of her head. "You just startled me."

I wanted toapologize again, but decided not to. Instead, I turned around and lookedback at the waves. The soft ebb and pull of the waves had a calmingeffect on me. It made it easier to push Mindy out of my mind.

"What's yourname?" The girl asked after maybe a dozen waves.

I walked over toher and awkwardly waved. "I'm Ian."

"Alicia." Shewaved back. "Why aren't you back at the party?"

I shrugged. "Idon't really like parties. I was kind of dragged here."

Alicia nodded."Same with me. I love going to the beach though. There's so muchbeauty here."

She was serenelylooking off into the ocean, and I kind of tilted my body to the sideto share her view. The last strands of sunlight were dancing on thetop of the ocean crests. The sun itself was almost down past thedistant hills.

"I know what youmean. People are so concerned with making the world beautiful, buthumans are kind of what make it ugly in the first place. Even adesert is a gorgeous sight, we just can't live there," I said meaning every pretentious word.

"Kind of makesyou want to be a hawk, huh?" Alicia said, wistfully.

I looked back ather and returned her content smile. "Exactly."

She patted theground next to her. "You can sit next. I'd hate for you toget a sore neck from looking at the ocean and back."

I laughed louderthan I meant to. "Good point." I took a seat next toher. There was maybe ten feet between us. After what had happenedearlier, I didn't feel like getting to close to her, but there wassomething inside of me telling me that I didn't need to worry. I wentback to watching the waves.