flip flops ; hemmings

3 years before

Dedicated to my weird Internet friend wherecanibuymichael who urged me to finally start Flip Flops. Go read her stories they are 200x better than mine.

//

It was hard not to notice him. His completely black attire stood out in the pale yellow sand, that engulfed the area.

The boy faced the ocean, his eyes hidden by a pair of large black sunglasses. An air of coolness seemed to settle around him, despite the radiant sun that beat down on us. Curiosity flowed through me. The boy seemed so intriguing and interesting. I shrugged the feeling off.

No one that attractive would ever notice me. My shoulders slumped. I doubted if I'd ever get a boyfriend. My awkwardness often shied people away from me. Not mention that I am a pretty average looking girl. My straight brown hair fell halfway down my back, and my matching colored eyes were dull.

Suddenly the boy jumped up, patting his pockets, then frantically rummaging around the collection of items surrounding him. "Shit! Jack is going to kill me," He groaned, running a hand through his blond hair.

It was then when I noticed a slight shine halfway in between his beach towel and mine. Slowly I stood up, brushing the excess sand off my body. The sound of delighted children splashing in the water and the annoying click-clack of my flip flops were the only noises to keep me occupied.

When I got closer I noticed it was adorable penguin figurine.
My first thought was to keep it, but as I uncovered it from the sand, I noticed it was attached to a large silver key.
Biting down on my lip, I looked at the surrounding people around the area.

While it was a slow day on the beach, there were still too many people to discover who the owner was. But the foreign boy caught my attention again. "Where the hell did I put that key?" He exasperated. Glancing down to the key in my hand, and back up to the guy; I connected the dots.

I hesitated, gulping down my nervousness. He seemed to not notice me though. His tense back still turned towards the waves. Before I could even say anything, he whipped around. The boy raised an eyebrow expectantly.

My heart rate picked up, realizing I was only in my bikini. "Uh, I-I found this behind you," I opened my palm to reveal the key. His lips turned up, as he eagerly snatched them. Our fingers grazed against each other's.

"Thanks!" He grinned, then started to tap something on his phone. Thanks? That's it? I should've known he wouldn't want to talk to me. The feeling of rejection gnawed at my insides.

Disappointedly I started to leave. I slipped on my clothes, grabbed my stuff, and took off down the beach in record time. My sadness prickled at my skin, as I trudged away from the intriguing teenager. Once again it was a missed opportunity to be social with someone who I wasn't related to, I chastised myself.

How was I ever going to meet anyone if I just freeze up every time? "They are just as nervous to meet you, Marina," My mother's voice reminded me. Sighing, I mentally made a promise to myself that I would try harder next time.

I continued on my path back home, ready to snuggle up in my pajamas. But something stopped me; well someone. "Wait!" I recognized the Australian accent. Was he running after me? I spun around, and there he was. He jogged over, arms loaded with random beach equipment.

Crap, what do I say? I started to get nervous, but before I did anything that would surely embarrass myself; he spoke. "You left before I could talk to you." My cheeks turned bright red. Partly because of my stupidity of leaving before he could say anything and also because he was doing this adorable pout thing that just made me want to melt.