Ecie & Esme II: Another Day Like This

Kiss Me Like the Final Meal: One

'So where has Langley been lately?' Smith Bacon asked as he climbed down from his car with Ecie. They pulled their surfboards down from the roof of his car and made their way towards the beach.

'I don't know,' Ecie replied. 'I haven't seen him since I left school.'

Smith looked at Ecie. 'Do you miss him?'

'I haven't really thought about it,' Ecie replied as they came to their usual spot on the beach. They dug their boards in the sand then looked out at the rising sun. 'I like it this time of day.'

'Same,' Smith breathed. 'It just makes your whole day.'

Ecie nodded and they sat down.

'What are you doing today?' Smith asked stretching out his legs.

'I'm working today,' Ecie replied. 'Then I think I'll spend the evening at home.'

'Do you get lonely?' Smith asked looking at Ecie.

Ecie laughed and tuck some strands of hair behind her ear as the wind blew her hair wildly. 'Being here with you in the mornings are my favorite times of the day,' she replied. 'How can I be lonely when I have the sun rise and you?'

Smith grinned. 'I worry about you sometimes.'

'Really?' Ecie said looking at Smith. 'Why?'

'You just take on so much stuff,' he replied. 'You work too hard and you're always on your own. You need a boyfriend.'

'Ha, Smith,' Ecie laughed. 'That's the one thing I don't need. I've had enough boy trouble to put me off guys for the rest of my life.'

Smith laughed. 'Well then you need someone.'

'So what about you then?' Ecie said. 'Are you lonely?'

'You wish,' Smith laughed. 'With these good looks my door is getting knocked down every day.'

'You sure do know how to make a girl feel loved,' Ecie joked. 'Lucky you.'

'I think that college will be good for you,' Smith nodded. 'What you need is to get away from Malibu and focus your attention on something else.'

'Yeah,' Ecie agreed. 'So much stuff has happened in the last eighteen years already.'

'I know,' Smith nodded. 'Do you remember when we first met?'

'Yeah,' Ecie grinned nostalgically. 'I think I must have been about six or seven.'

'Yeah,' Smith laughed. 'You had this massive surf board with you and you didn't have any wax so you asked me. We got to talking and then we've been friends ever since.'

'It's so funny how things work out,' Ecie nodded smiling. 'To think that I've met a majority of my friends on this very beach.'

'I know,' Smith laughed. 'That's kind of weird.'

'Right?' Ecie laughed. 'It's so weird.'

'Can you remember when we met Ellis?' Smith said. 'You couldn't stop looking at him. You were standing and grinning at him.'

'Oh god,' Ecie laughed embarrassed. 'I wasn't, was I?'

'You were,' Smith laughed. 'You just grinned at him and wouldn't talk to him properly. Then I remember we all began to hang out and you became a little more normal.'

'I think I liked him right from the beginning,' Ecie replied. 'I thought he was the hottest thing on the planet.'

'That's funny because that's what you said about Caner after we met him in Newport,' Smith laughed. 'You loved his father's club and his yacht.'

'I can't believe that we've been surfing buddies for over a decade,' Ecie replied. She rested her head on Smith's shoulder. 'We've been friends for so long, it's insane.'

'I know,' Smith nodded. 'We've had some good times.'

'Yeah,' Ecie agreed. 'I don't think we've ever had a proper fight either.'

'We had that one fight a couple years ago when your wax ruined my board,' Smith laughed.

'It wasn't my wax,' Ecie laughed. 'You bought the wax. I just passed it to you.'

'That was totally your wax,' Smith laughed. 'I wouldn't buy wax that wasn't for my board.'

They laughed.

'But I bought you a new board for your birthday though,' Ecie smiled. 'I think that made up for it.'

'Yeah,' Smith replied. He looked at the sun as it was almost up in the sky. 'Do you want to go in now?'

'Yep,' Ecie replied. She stood up and brushed the sand from her.

'Help me up.'

Ecie laughed as she pulled Smith to his feet then picked up her board.

'That's what you get for ruining my board,' Smith laughed. 'You ready.'

Ecie pushed Smith then ran towards the sea with her board. She dropped it to the ground and allowed the shallow water to sweep it up before she jumped on top of it and paddled out.