Die Young, Stay Pretty - S.H

018

"Are you really going away for the whole summer?" Steve stood next to Mom's car after putting one of my suitcases in the boot. "Like the whole summer?"

"No. I'll be back for the last two weeks, don't worry Harrington."

"That's basically the whole summer." Steve sighed. "Can't you just ask your dad to bring you back earlier?"

"Steve... you know I can't. I don't get to see him all year, I have to make the most of it... besides it's not like I will be bored, I mean I'm going to be in California!"

"Yeah I guess..."

"Steve..."

"I know, no more Debbie downer."

"That's better!" I laugh at Steve as he finally cheers up.

"Dusty-Buns! Come on, time to go!"

"Coming Mom!" Dustin came out of the house, dragging his own suitcase. Steve looked past me and called out to him.

"Need help?"

"I got it thanks." Dustin muttered sarcastically.

"Ignore him, he's also pissed about spending most of the summer away from Hawkins."

"It's bullshit..."

"Dustin..." I sigh as I look over to the boy, before turning back to Steve.

"Right, I'll leave you to it. I only came round to say goodbye."

"Thank you, Steve. I'll see you soon okay?

"Okay." I quickly give him a hug and get into the passenger seat. Mom came and also gave him a hug while Dustin pulled himself into the back seat.

*****

"Home, sweet, home."

"Don't see what's sweet about it." Dustin muttered under his breath before heading up the stairs to his designated room.

"Right, okay." Dad said, watching him leave the room. I gave him a tight smile before following Dustin.

"This is stupid..."

"... Dustin..."

"... we're missing everything in Hawkins. I'm not even able to go camp this year because of him!"

"I know it's shit, Dusty, but let's try to have some fun this summer. Just me and you." I offer him a smile, knowing that he'd give in sooner or later. "How about heading down to the beach? Just cause we're forced to be here doesn't mean that we have to lock ourselves up in our rooms." He looked over to me, away from the comic he held in his hands.

"The beach? I'm not a child, Ronie."

"Okay, well then I am the designated kid for this summer. Come on grab your swimming trunks and meet me downstairs."

"Hey, Dad?" I call for him as I knock on the open door. "Me and Dustin were going to head down to the beach, is that okay?"

"Yeah, it sounds fun!" He says, his face shoved in some paperwork. I stand just out of his office, like I used to do when I was little, always too scared to go in.

"Did you want to come with us?"

"No can do, I've got some more paperwork to prove before it gets sent off..."

"Okay."

"Take the car though. No need for the walk down there." I nod before moving away from the door. Knowing that this visit to see our dad was just going to be like any other visit.

Dustin met me at the door, ready to go. Now dressed in his trunks and a shirt. "I'm just going to put mine on, Dusty."

*****

I drove us down to the beach, parking just off the sand, a good distance from the actual beach so as to not lose the car like we'd done the year prior after the tide washed in. "Did you have to pack the boards?" Dustin asked as he jumped out of the Jeep.

I hummed in response as I began to grab them from the open boot of dad's car. "I'm going to learn this year, Dusty."

"You say that every yeah..." He sighed. "What makes this year any different?"

"Cause this year -" I grabbed the board under my arm and began walking away from the car, securing the key to my bracelet, "I'm going to do it."

Dustin watched from the shore as I tried my hardest to balance myself and stay with the current, rather than get pulled back inshore by the waves, until the fifth time I fell off. "You know, I find staying on your feet helps you from falling off." At his sarcastic voice I raise my middle finger as I swim back over to the board.

I pull myself up into a standing position and start to ride the wave, a lot less confident than the group of surfers in front of me.

"Veronica?!" I hear Dustin call out to me.

"I'm good!" Just as I say that a wave totally takes me out, flipping me off the board and into the salt water. Just as I'm beginning to swim back to shore, completely ready to eat my own words about learning to swim this year, a board pulls up next to me. A guy straddling it.

"Need help? I can give you a ride back to shore." I look up to see a boy smiling down at me, his lips screaming trouble.

I've seen this movie before - I thought to myself as I held out my hand. "Thanks." He held my upper arm and pulled me onto his board behind him.

"I'm Billy."

"Veronica."

"You're not from here?"

"No." I paused. "I'm visiting for the summer." I hear him tut, completely putting me in a tizzy.

"That's why I've never seen you before... would have thought I'd seen an angel like you before." My heart beated a little faster as I stared at Billy's back, trying to calm my face down before I had to face him again. "Well if you need any more surfing lessons, give me a call. No one around here is better than me."

I laugh at his confidence. "A bit full of yourself."

"Have to be around pretty ladies."

Another laugh came from my throat as I flung myself off his board, finally reaching the shore. Dustin had grabbed my own, and was now holding it and watching me with this stranger. I turned back to Billy to face him, way too close than I would have hoped, but it allowed me a better look at his face.

"Thank you, Billy." I said breathlessly as I took in his appearance. He screamed trouble. From his thick mullet that seemed to not have been in contact with water, still bone dry. To the muscles and tash. He licked his lips, causing my eyes to drift down to them, before pulling myself back up to his eyes, which were clearly doing the same as mine.

I perked my eyebrow up confidently as I stepped back out of the water, away from the boy. "I hope I see you around, Veronica." He said, his eyes not leaving mine.

"Me too." I offered him a smile before I started to walk back to the car, closely followed by Dustin.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked, looking back to the sea.

"I have no idea... Is he still looking?" I ask, refusing to look. Dustin turns, then answers.

"Yep." I smile to myself before turning around to get one last glimpse at Billy. Sure enough he was looking, just like Dustin had said. I smile back at him, receiving one back.