The Lake and the Sea (CANCELLED)

Shelby, Jess, and Alesa

Skylar
Shelby was squeezing her face. Alesa and I continued to laugh. She released her hands from her face. "I'm serious! He looked like that!" She giggled. I shook my hand. I sighed. "I wish I knew you girls before I came here. We would've had a lot of fun." At that moment the doorbell rang. Shelby gasped. She ran to the door and swung it open. "Jess!" Jess smiled and waved. "Hey Shel-" Shelby squeezed her. Jess chuckled. "Okay, Shelby. You can let me go now." Shelby released Jess. Jess entered the house. Her husband, Jason, came in behind her. The guys said hello and she waved at them. Jason walked over by them. Shelby grabbed Jess's arm and dragged her over to where Alesa and I were standing. Jess said hey to Alesa and they exchanged hugs. Jess turned and looked at me. She crossed her arms. "So this is the girl everyone's talking about, huh?" She smiled. "Guilty as charged." I said and laughed. Jess smiled and gave me a hug. "It's an honor to meet you. You were one of my greatest inspirations growing up!" She stepped back and grinned. "Please, stop, I'm not that old." We both laughed. Shelby hugged us. "Wow, look at you too getting along. We'll be the Fab Four! Now let's party! WOOO!" Shelby ran off with her drink. Jess glanced at her and then looked at Alesa and me. "How many drinks in?" Alesa shook her head. "Here? Three. Before? I don't know but it was probably a lot more than three." Jess smiled and shook her head. I laughed. "Well then let's get our party on." We walked over to the patio where Shelby was already throwing up. Alesa ran over. "Shelby, that plant is new!" I giggled and glanced around. The guys were sitting in the living room, laughing. I looked at Ross. He was sitting alone, not laughing at all.

Shelby was sitting on the deck with a can of ginger ale. I sat next to her. "Feeling any better?" She slightly shook her head. I rubbed her back. "See? This is why we don't drink before coming to a party where we drink more." "I know that now." She said holding her head. I stood up. Alesa was drinking a beer when she gasped and walked over by Shelby, Jess, and me. "Okay, so Skylar told me something that needed to be discussed between all of us. Skylar?" The girls turned their heads toward me. I sighed and told them everything about Ross and Max. They were quiet during my whole story and also afterwards which made me nervous. "So what should I do?" They were quiet. Jess thought for a minute. "Well this is very difficult to solve. I honestly don't have any ideas." I looked at Alesa. She shook her head. I slumped in my chair and took a sip of my beer. It was silent for a minute. I closed my eyes and wanted the night to end. "There's no rule of you not being able to talk to Ross." Everyone looked at Shelby. She sat up. "Max told Ross he can't talk to you but he didn't say you couldn't talk to Ross." I looked up and nodded. "Yeah that's true. There was no threat against me." "If there was Max would have no way of getting with you." Jess claimed. Alesa nodded. "So the solution is now visible. Ross doesn't have to talk to you to keep in touch. You can talk to him all you want so he'll have to talk to you. If he really did like you, he wouldn't ignore you." Everyone smiled and nods. I smile. Alesa stands up. "Well then. Cheers to new beginnings, new friends, and new loves." She raises her drink. "Cheers!" We all say. I take a sip of my drink and bring my knees to my chin. Will this even work? Max is wonderful. But I can't go behind his back. I look through the patio door and see Max and Ross talking to Jason. I suck in my lips. Ross turns his head in my direction. I react but don't look away. No, I just continue to look at him. He notices me and smiles. I smile back and release my lips. Adam calls Ross and Max and they wonder over. I turn back around. Okay, I'll do it.