Ecie & Esme II: Another Day Like This

Six

Ecie and Smith ran up the beach from the ocean with their boards and rested by their belongings.

'I'm so ready for the Malibu Surf,' Smith said wiping his nose with the back of his hand as they dried themselves with their towels and changed. 'It'll be really good this year.'

'Yeah,' Ecie nodded. 'I don't think I want to win. I just want to compete.'

Smith stared at Ecie confused. 'You've won like three years in a row.'

'I know,' Ecie said. 'Maybe it's someone else's turn.'

'You won't say that once you're out there,' Smith replied. 'When you're out on the waves getting thrashed, you'll want to win. Nobody competes to lose.'

Ecie laughed. 'I could start a new trend.'

'Ha,' Smith laughed. 'I'd love to see you try.'

'Do you want to get something to eat?'

'I'm starving,' Smith replied pulling a sweater over his head. 'I haven't eaten in hours because of that green diet thing I told you about.'

Ecie nodded. 'But look at you,' she pulled up his sweater exposing his defined six pack. 'I could totally eat off that thing.' She smoothed her hands over Smith's chest and pulled a silly face. 'Oh my god Smith,' she said in an exaggerated girly voice. 'Your whole body is so sexy. Take me baby, take me.'

'Ecie,' Smith laughed. 'You're tickling me.'

'Have you seen yourself?' Ecie said taking her hands away and putting on her own sweater. 'You look like a Greek god.'

Smith laughed and they collected all their things before heading up towards his car.

'Are we going to do this tomorrow?' Ecie asked looking out of the window as Smith drove.

'I think so,' Smith replied. 'Last year I came in third place. This year I really want to win.'

Ecie laughed. 'My poor Smithy. When was the last time you did win a surfing competition?'

'Just because you win all of the ones you enter,' Smith replied. 'I think I could be in with a chance this year.'

'I hope you win too,' Ecie said. 'It's no fun winning when you're not.'

'At least I'm still getting a medal,' Smith turned a corner. 'I think that scouts might be at this year's Surf.'

'Thanks Ruth,' Esme smiled. 'Thank you so much, bye.'

'Are you and my grandmother best friends or something?' Taylor said walking into his kitchen.

'I was only asking her something,' Esme replied. 'I liked talking to her last weekend. She was really interesting.'

Taylor looked at Esme for a moment before opening the refrigerator and taking out a carton of milk.

'I really want to go back to Sacramento some time and stay with your grandparents again,' Esme said. 'Ruth said it'd be fine.'

Taylor looked at the table and saw a note pad and pencil. 'What did you ask her?'

'I wanted to write about her,' Esme replied. 'So I thought I'd ask her if it was alright if I wrote a story based on her life...'

Taylor stared at Esme annoyed.

'...she said I could and that she couldn't wait to read it.'

'It's not just her life,' Taylor said. 'There are more people involved in her life.'

'Taylor,' Esme said. 'She said it was okay...'

'Whatever,' Taylor said. 'It doesn't matter anyway.'

'I wasn't going to write about your mom,' Esme said. 'Ruth was telling me about her high school sweetheart and I thought it'd be an interesting story.'

'She told you about Fred?'

'She said they were lovers for ten years.'

Taylor laughed. 'They were Sacramento lovers. It's ridiculous.'

'It's romantic.'