SERENDIPITY

CHAPTER TWO

"You look red, Goldie." Cove pointed out, pressing the back of his palm against my back. I twisted around to look, and, of course, he was right. There was a white print of his hand remaining on my back. It burned to the touch.

"Ow! You're right. It hasn't even been very long, though," I sat up, my crisp, red back throbbing.

Cove glanced down at his navy-blue watch. "It's been two hours."

"Two hours! That's crazy!" I exclaimed, shocked, "What the heck have we been talking about this whole time?"

"I don't know. Stuff?"

I laughed, pushing myself up. "I'm going to go in the water to cool off my burn. Wanna come with?" I offered warmly.

"Nah, I'll stay here. You go down to the water." He said, tearing off a piece of the turkey sandwich with his teeth.

"Okay. Be right back!" Then I sprinted down to the water where kids and their parents were playing and giggling in the shallows.

I waded into the water until it was up to my chest – which felt so amazingly icy against my back – then I dove under the water. I swam around for quite a while, as long as I could.

Oof! My head hit something stiff, which, strangely, stumbled back. Oh, no. I surfaced with a gasp, trying to apologize through deep breaths.

"I'm so sorry!" It was a boy, maybe eighteen, and his deep brown hair was in a wave so obviously constructed with half a bottle of gel, and he looked just as humiliated as I did.

"It's alright! Are you okay?" He asked shyly, pulling me up to stand in front of him.

"Yeah. Are you?" I asked, terrified out of my mind with embarrassment and just wanting to go back under the water and swim away – and not because my burn ached.

"'Course." He responded, a wave tugging at us, "My name is Jason, but most people call me Jay." He laughed, a warm, bubbling sound, "What's yours?"
"Goldie. Nice to meet you, Jay." I was proud of myself for not letting the waves to steal me as effortlessly as they usually did.

"Nice to meet you too, Goldie." The wind whipped past our faces, and I so dearly hoped Cove wasn't watching us. I would never hear the end of it. "Where are you from?"

"Around. Not too far. I always stay with my cousins and their parents at their beach house for the summer. My sister, Stephanie, and my mom come with me." I twisted around to point at Cove, a distant, probably asleep, tan smear lying on the sand. "That's my cousin, Cove."

"Nice." Then he scratched the back of his neck, reminding me fondly of Mr. Caspian, and said, "Do you, uh, want to go to the movies tomorrow night? I won two tickets from a bet and I haven't, uh, decided who I want to bring with me." He stammered.

Wow, he's quick. I just bumped into him like two minutes ago. I thought, keen.

I stroked my wet, still ever-so-slightly curled, blond hair and perked up, my hazel eyes glimmering in the sunshine. "Sure! Call me tonight." I started to turn, "See you later, Jay!" And then I glided away, trying to remain as elegant as I could with waves sweeping against me.

"Bye!" He called, waving.

When I reached me and Cove's base, you could call it, he stiffened and sat up. "Who were you talking to?" He bristled, and suddenly, I couldn't feel my burn anymore.

"Uhm. Jay." I sputtered, trying to remain calm and stifle a rosy blush.

"Who's Jay?" He asked coldly, "And what does he want?"