Pope Heyward sat on the edge of the boat, his feet touching the water as he listening to the pattering of footsteps behind him. He had a can of soda in his hand, his hat keeping the sun from his eyes as he took a sip of his drink. Sometimes on days like these he could find the beauty in the water that tourists did, when oftentimes the beach faded into the background of his everyday life. And while he had invited all of his friends out on the water today, the only person who ended up showing was one June March, trusty and reliable June March. And what better company could he have?
"I keep looking for Dr. Pepper and all I'm finding is Coke Zero. Who the fuck loaded the cooler?" She said from behind him, the boy continuing to stare out at the water as she shuffled around a little bit more. He thought about her question and had an answer, shrugging one shoulder and answering.
"It was Kie."
"Yeah well—figures she'd put a fucking Coke Zero over Dr.Pepper." The sound of the cooler shutting and then a loud sigh and footsteps followed, the girl heading to the spot beside him. He didn't turn his head as she sat down, her legs too short to touch the water. However she was looking at him, an irritated expression on her face as she waited for him to look back. He kept looking at the water, and soon she followed his eyes, and found the same beauty he had. "So how are things?"
He looked at her now, noticing she was holding a water in her right hand, the girl now seeming mesmerized by the view like he had been. His eyes traced over her and she was wearing shorts and a bathing suit top, a flannel over her arms and her hair over her shoulders. She had a soft look on her face now, the irritation having melted away. He pondered her question and remembered why he had decided to hang out with friends today, his head shaking slightly as he looked down at the can of Coke in his hand.
"We're having...issues."
"Issues? What do you mean?" She asked and she seemed genuine about it. Pope felt a twinge in his chest when she asked, June always concerned for how others actually felt. In fact it agonized her to not know. He looked at her and their eyes met and he saw the twinkle in them, something he hadn't seen in a long time in her eyes. Peace, perhaps? Joy? He wasn't sure. But he was mesmerized by it. She brought the water to her lips and he followed it, trying to find the way to explain his problems.
"I mean we just—I don't know how to explain it."
"Wow. You don't know how to explain it? That's a first." She joked, Pope chuckling lowly and taking it. However his low laugh tipped her off to the fact that he actually seemed bummed, the girl looking at him for a moment before frowning. She leaned towards him, nudging him with her shoulder and getting his attention. "What's wrong?"
"We're just...we work good together but we're just not good...together. Like sometimes I don't even know what she's thinking. And if she never tells me what she's thinking then how am I supposed to know what she's mad at me for?" He spilled, June feeling accomplished that he shared with her. She nodded and took another sip of her water, shrugging her shoulders and deciding to give him her input.
"Well I don't know if I can give you relationship advice considering...but I will suggest we just have fun and try and forget about it." She said , gesturing with her head towards the water and hoping that the two of them could maybe escape relationship talk and just breathe. She loved JJ and was glad everything had worked out between them, but she didn't want who they knew to be the only thing that related her to her friends. She didn't want JJ and Cleo to be their only connection.
