In 1988 when Dylan Montgomery moves to Beverly Hills after her mother remarries, she must navigate the challenges of fitting into a glamorous but daunting upper-class life. Living across from the charmingly cocky Nicholas and his introspective broth...
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UPPER CLASS | cherriasian
april '89
Soon the friends decided it was finally hot enough for a dip. The group was already splintering out, each person drifting further into the ocean, but Dylan stayed near the shore, her feet sinking into the sand as she let the cool waves lap at her ankles. Katie, Marissa, and Tiffany were already laughing and splashing each other while Carter and Eric waded further out, deep in conversation about their next matches. At some point they even started talking to some other kids they recognized from school.
Dylan was unsure whether to join them or stay back, but something about the open water felt intimidating. She wasn't from California, and while everyone else was comfortable, she wasn't even sure how to swim. The ocean had practically been her friends' backyard forever.
"Not joining the fun, Montgomery?" Nicholas's voice broke through the moment, his tone light but teasing. She looked up to find him standing in the shallows, the water splashing around his waist, even running down his abs, as he shot her a playful smirk. "Not afraid of a little ocean water, are you?" The way the sunlight caught his wet skin made it impossible for Dylan not to glance at him.
Dylan rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool. "No, I'm not scared," she shot back, though it came out more defensive than she meant. "Just don't feel like getting wet."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "It's the beach. You're gonna get wet, one way or another. You sure you don't just want to stay out here all day watching us have fun?" His eyes flicked to her torso again, the way she was standing so stiffly at the edge of the water. "Or is it because you don't want to get your hair wet?"
Dylan felt a flicker of irritation. She knew what he was doing—teasing her, poking at her in that way he always did. But there was something about it that made her uneasy. She hated the idea that she was being judged for something as simple as the fact that she wasn't used to the ocean. But it wasn't like he knew why.
"I'm not going out there. I don't swim," she explained, hoping he'd just drop it.
But Nicholas didn't let up. He stepped forward, a casual confidence oozing from every inch of him. "You sure about that? You're acting like you've never been in the water before. Come on." He gave her a grin, daring her to argue, though there was a softening in his expression, a flicker of something that told her he wasn't just messing with her. Not really at least.
Dylan stared at him for a moment, torn. Her chest felt tight. She'd never been much of a swimmer, and every time she'd tried as a kid, she'd floundered. The only body of water she'd ever known had been a small lake back home in Springfield, and she'd never really learned how to handle anything more than a shallow paddle.
"Dylan, come on," he said again, stepping closer, the water lapping against his ankles. He splashed her lightly, smirking when she jumped back. "See? You're just scared of a little water."
