Crushing On The Enemy

27 - holidays

Soraya's POV

The church choir's voices soar, filling the air with the sweet harmonies of "On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, a partridge in a pear tree." The congregation joins in, their voices blending in perfect unison. It's a beautiful, angelic sound, but my mind is far from peaceful.

My phone buzzes again, and I feel my mom's sharp gaze land on me from beside. Her eyes are practically shooting daggers, warning me to put the phone away now. I quickly silence it, trying not to make a scene, and sneak a glance at the screen. It's Natalie. I sigh, realizing I'm supposed to meet her and the guys at 2 PM, and it's already 2:30.

I glance up at the front of the church. The service was supposed to be over by now, but there's been tons of activities due to the fact that it is Christmas, and it looks like we're in for a long one today.

I tap out a quick reply to Natalie: "Go ahead without me. I'll meet you guys at the beach as soon as I can—it's not far from here."

As I hit send, I can't help but feel the impatience gnawing at me. The beach is so close, and yet I'm stuck here, pretending to listen while my mind drifts elsewhere.

Finally, the church service ends, and I make a quick exit after letting Mom know I have to leave. To my relief, she doesn't protest—too wrapped up in chatting with her church friends. I silently thank my luck as I slip out.

Fifteen minutes later, I arrive at the beach. From a distance, I spot them—Natalie, Nathan, and Henry—waving at me. I wave back, a smile creeping onto my face as I make my way toward them.

"Hey, guys," I greet them as I reach the group, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "Merry Christmas!" I add excitedly as they all respond with the same expression.

Natalie's bright smile matches her big beach hat, which shades her face from the sun. She's dressed in a black tank top and blue denim shorts, looking effortlessly chic. Nathan sports a flowery shirt that flutters slightly in the breeze, paired with crisp white shorts, giving off that laid-back, vacation vibe. Henry, as always, keeps it simple with a red T-shirt and black shorts, but somehow manages to look good doing it.

"You guys look great," I say with a grin, feeling the warmth of their presence wash over me.

"Thank you, girl!" Natalie replies with a bright smile.

"And you look... churchy, " Nathan teases, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Joke's on you!" I fire back, playfully rolling my eyes. "I brought my own beach outfit." Without missing a beat, I grab Natalie's wrist and start marching toward the restrooms. She laughs as we hurry away, the sand kicking up beneath our feet.

Once inside, I quickly slip out of my church clothes and into a light, flowy yellow sundress. I toss on a pair of sunglasses for good measure, feeling the transformation complete.

"Ouuu, I love your dress, Soraya!" Natalie says, her eyes lighting up with admiration.

"Thanks, Nat," I reply with a grin, and together we head back to where the guys are already lounging, drinks in hand.

We settle into the beach chairs, the sun warm on our skin, and for a while, the conversation flows easily, the sound of the ocean blending with our laughter.

"I wish the holidays lasted forever," Henry sighs, gazing out at the waves. "Can't believe we only have two more weeks before we're back in school."

"And the worst part?" Natalie chimes in, her voice tinged with frustration. "No breaks until finals are over."