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Angela thought Frankie was insane as she stood in the sand in just a pair of sweat pants and a bikini top, her long hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Everyone else was bundled up with knit caps and wool blankets wrapped around them as they got ready for the beach trip.
"I hate you sometimes," Angela said, shaking her head. She felt colder just looking at Frankie's exposed, tanned skin.
"I'm not even in the water. It's not that cold," Frankie told her while sitting next to Bella in Tyler's van.
Across from them, Jessica, Mike, and Eric were getting dressed in their suits so they could go out in the water without freezing to death. Tyler was already ready and ran out there with his orange surf board in hand, not slowed down by the weather either.
"I'm paddling out, Coates," he declared fearlessly.
"I don't know if it's worth it anymore," Eric whined, regretting coming outside at all.
"We drove all the way out here. I'm at least paddling out," Jessica said as the boys groaned. "You guys are babies."
"We've always known that though," Frankie chimed in. Then she heard Angela speaking quietly with Bella.
"So, I keep thinking Eric's going to ask me to the prom, and then he just... doesn't," she said, sounding so sad.
"You could ask him," Bella then told her, seeing her flustered expression over the idea. "Take control. You're a strong independent woman."
"I am?"
"Yes," Bella said firmly while Frankie nodded in agreement.
Then Jessica approached them and turned her back to Angela. "Hey, will you do me up?"
"Yeah."
"Make me proud out there, Jess," Frankie requested. "And don't get hypothermia."
"Promise," she grinned. Then she eyed the bruises that were still on Frankie's face. "How's the head today?"
"Better. I can remember the whole crash now," she told her. "Shouldn't be long before I'm back in working order."
"Bella! Frankie!" It was Jacob who called out to the girls, two friends from his school following behind him. Frankie wasn't familiar with them, usually seeing him with Embry and Quil, but she still smiled at them nonetheless.
"Hi, Jacob. Guys, this is Jacob," Bella quickly introduced.
Angela and Jessica greeted them with smiles as Angela finished up with Jess' suit. Jacob came and squished Frankie between him and Bella when he sat with them in the van. Bella looked around her and smiled at the younger boy.
"What, are you, like, stalking me?"
Jacob just laughed and shook his head. "You're on my rez, remember? Are you surfing?"
