Plain Jane

Intoxicating

"You two were seriously the cutest thing I think I have ever seen." Mileigh Joe gushed.
"Calm down it was just a dance." I laughed.
We were at an ice cream parlor and the LA heat was at a sweltering 99 degrees the day after my party. I licked away at my strawberry and chocolate cone quickly melting from the Suns rays beaming in through the window.  We were having a day at the beach with the Hughes' but made a quick stop to shop on the boardwalk. It was almost 12 and so we were about to head that way.  My red sunglasses pushed onto the top of my head, my white sundress laying softly on my mid thighs.
"Just wait till he sees you in that bikini, he will be begging for date. I mean full hands and knees mode." She giggled.
"Shouldn't it be Vern on her hands and knees?" Carleigh Jean butted in.
I gasped but then bursted into laughter.
"You suck." I cried.
"You know it." She winked.
At that we all were dying.
"Hey what's so funny, sweet thangs?" A dude interrupted.
I turned to see a blonde guy with short swim trunks and a baby blue tank top.
"It didn't involve you." Carleigh Jean said rolling her eyes talking another lick of her ice cream. He wasn't even that cute and we were already annoyed by his presence.
"I know something else you can lick baby cheeks." He said winking.
"Hey pal, your dick is apart of your anatomy not a personality trait." I butted in.
"So you're the one interested in my dick." He winked.
"Dude seriously. Make like a 12 year old boy, and beat it." I said rolling my eyes.
Mileigh Joe's eyes got wide as she stifled a laugh. 
"I can show you the world." He started.
"Okay Aladin, the ladies asked you to leave." A familiar British voice interrupted.
"Hey I was here first, I have first dibs on these ladies. Who do you think you are ." He asked crossing his arms.
"That's our brother." Carleigh Jean said proudly.
His eyes got wide and he quickly retreated.
"Thank you Ollie." Mileigh Joe smiled.
"No Problem MJ." He said returning the smile.
"Where are Phel, Lorraine ,and Jude?" I asked as Oliver sat down beside me in our booth.
"They took Jude to the Soda shop and then we're headed this way." He said shrugging.
"Oh my god Oliver did you hear Verny?" Carleigh gushed.
"No I just saw the guy start quoting Aladin and got annoyed real quick." He said shrugging.
"Well.." Carleigh said the recounted the whole tale of my awesome comebacks. I sat there grinning as I finished off the last of my ice cream. When she was done  MJ and Carleigh excused themselves to the bathroom.
"Seriously a 12 year old boy?" He said chuckling.
I shrugged turning to him
"It was pretty good."
"I have my moments" I laughed.
"Did that guy say anything else? Do I need to go defend your honor?"
"I thought chivalry was dead?"
"Oh ye of lil faith." He said shaking his head.  
"You excited for the beach?" I asked changing the subject.
"Yeah, Liverpools is neat but nothing compared to the west coast, so I hear."
"Venice is probably the nicest but I always have loved Santa Monica's." I smiled.
"Why is that?"
"My mom used to take me and we would spend the whole day there. Just the two of us." I said with a soft smile.
"Speaking of your mum." Oliver muttered digging into his beach bag. "I almost forgot."
My eye brows furrowed at his actions.
"What are you?"
" Look, before I knew Phel was alive I missed him. You know all the things we could have done. So I understand that even if you don't want to you miss your mum. So instead of waiting for the stars I thought I'd give you a star."  He said pulling out a silver single star necklace. "It's not much, but it's something. just know it's okay to miss her."  He said quietly.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Oliver." I choked out.
"You have to accept it, it's my birthday gift to you . Lorraine helped me pick it out." He smiled.
"Thank you." I whispered the tears rolling down my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
"I doubt that, you saw the rented out night club." He said laughing softly. "But I wanted to get you something."
"Will you put it on me?" I asked softly turning around and lifted
my hair. I felt the cold charm rest against my chest, where I knew it would stay.
*******
13. 13 girls have flirted with Oliver since we got here exactly one hour and 36 mins ago.
I mean who's eye would he not catch. He is literally the most attractive person I have ever seen.
"Verny stop staring, and start tanning."  Carleigh Jean grumbled from beside me.
"But there is another girl over there. That's 13 Carleigh Jean!"
"Dear god you're counting?!" She said exasperated. "Verny let me tell you something. There are things you can count and things you can't. Things you can count are things like the amount of 20's you wish you had in your wallet, the amount of times you wish you were beyonce, or how many more times you can sleep in and skip school without being truant. Things you can't: the amount of pizza you eat, and how many girl flirts with your boy. No exceptions. So stop counting."
"But-"
"Do I care about eating 13 tacos? No, so you don't care that 13 girls are flirting with Oliver."
"What if it's 14?"
"No."
"What if that 14th is Marlene Janson?"
She shot up to look and pushed up her glasses.
"Hell yes go get em." She said then we both made our way over to Oliver.
He was previously playing beach volleyball with Dean and a couple of other dudes from school, but got pulled away by Marlene.
Marlene has always hated us. Her dad has a competing firm with Phels, after Phel had kicked him out of his own.  I guess she just holds onto her parents anger. She has spent her whole school career trying to piss us off and make us look bad, which might add has yet to work.
"Ollie!" Carliegh Jean smiled as we approached.
"Oh look who the dogs drug in." Marlene said rudly.
"Hey dipshit it's Cats." Carleigh Jean said rolling her eyes.
"What ever, just go away I saw the new hunk first."
"Yeah no you didn't."  I laughed.
"Yes I did." She snapped" now go away you whores."
"Marlene, please don't talk to my sister and my... Friend like that." Oliver said politely. I hoped I was the only one who noticed his hesitancy on calling me his friend.
"Your what?"
"Yeah meet Phel's son, Oliver."
Carleigh grinned.
Marlene's sunburned face turned even more red until she turned and strode away.
"Who was that?"
"No one of importance." Carleigh Jean said lightly. "Like I was saying earlier Vern, You know how I get motion sickness really badly so I'm really sorry but you're going to have to either go alone or suck it up and be the third wheel when you ask MJ."
"Wh-" I started.
"at a shame I know. I'm so sorry to disappoint." Carleigh Jean continued to say, confusing me even more. What the heck was she talking about?
"Go where?" Oliver asked.
"To The Pier. She wants to ride the rides but I can't ride any of them and so she will just have to ride them by herself."
"Nonsense, I will go with you Jane." He grinned.
"Oh really! Thank you Ollie!" Carleigh Jean Cheered.
"Yes, thank you." I smiled at him. He merely nodded then ran over to tell Dean and MJ where he was disappearing off to.
"You sneaky little-"
"You're welcome." She grinned. "I'm just going to go tan- TACO STAND BYE." Then she was off in a full sprint to the food stand.
"You ready?" Oliver smiled.
I just grinned at him and we headed to the pier.
****
I was lost. Like there is the cute lost where you loose sight of your family for 2 seconds and the there is the holy crap where am I lost.
I was the later.
I had been wondering up and down the beach for solid hour trying to find where everyone went. My phone was left in Carleighs bag so I had no way of knowing where I was going and where everyone went.
I walked along to shore as the waves tickled my toes. I'd lived in LA my entire life and had never been here at night by myself. As I walked further from the pier the people on the beach the people became fewer and further between. I was starting to lose hope in finding them when I saw a group of people around a fire up ahead.
I knew it wasn't them, but hey a phone would be so very helpful. I made my way up to the group and met a co-Ed group of friends.
"Hey, so I'm a little lost and was wondering if I could borrow a phone to see where my Family went."
"Yeah sure, TJ give her your phone." A cute blonde said rather demandingly. It was a safe guess that she was the queen bee in the group.
"Oh yeah, here ya go." The guy sitting closest to me said, digging into his pocket. He was pretty cute. He had blonde spiked hair with bright blue eyes.
"Here ya go...?" He paused.
"Vern." I finished for him.
"Vern? Hm cool name. I'm TJ." He said smiling.
"Hi, TJ." I smiled.
I pushed my hair behind my ear and dialed MJ's phone. I held the phone away from my ear ready for the screaming.
"Can you hear it with it being that far away from your face."
"I'm calling my best friend. I have been lost for the last hour." I explained.
"How does that-"
I heard the phone stop ringing and spoke first.
"Hello, MJ." I sighed
"VERONICA JANE PARKER WHERE ON GODS GREEN EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN. WE HAVE ALL ABOUT LOST OUR SHIT AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU WEREN'T ABDUCTED BY ALIENS THERE IS NO EXCUSE." She screamed through the phone. Although to others it probably sounded like the adults from Charlie Brown, I understood every word she said.
"I know, I'm sorry. I got lost on the beach, don't ask me how. I lost Oliver in a crowd of people and thought y'all were to the left instead of the right." I sighed.
"Oh my god you moron." She groaned dramatically.
"Love you too, now where are y'all?"
"Where are we?! Where are you!?"
"Ummmm..." I paused.
"In front of northern park shopping district." The blonde said politely.
"In front of northern park shopping district."
"Oh that's where Oliver is looking I will call him and he will come get you."
"Thank you MJ."
Shut up you moron." She grumbled then hung up.
"Thanks so much for letting me borrow your phone." I smiled handing TJ back his phone.
"No problem, we will see you around I guess." He said lazily.
I nodded then headed up to the street.
I was almost there when I heard a familiar voice.
"Jane!"
I looked over to see Oliver running towards me. His eyes were wild and he didn't even slow down as he neared me. His body collided with mine.
"Thank god." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around me.
"Err hey?" I said wrapping my arms around him.
"What the bloody hell where you thinking? Leaving me like that I thought you were kidnapped or worse killed!"
"Calm down, mom. I didn't mean to I just got lost." I said harshly.
"I'm sorry, I just was so worried about you." He sighed. He wrapped one arm over my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. 

"Sorry I made you worry, Oliver." I whispered. It was slightly annoying how amazing he was. It's like he wanted me to fall in love with him or something. 

"Good job, on not getting hit by a truck." He smirked. I playfully gasped while throwing a soft punch into his side. He laughed effortlessly as we continued to where I assumed the car was. We stayed like that the whole way to the car, and even after we were loaded up and ready to head back home his cologne still swarmed around the car. I knew then I would never smell anything more comforting or intoxicating  in my life.