The Reality of Now

Fifteen

"Alright... okay... balance, Saya," Dan chided, holding tightly onto my arm.

"I'm trying!" I laughed. He, Jules and I were standing on a floating inner-tube out on the water. We were all gripping each other's forearms like our lives depended on it. My legs were wobbly and my core was aching, but standing there like that with Dan and Jules was a challenging sort of fun.

"I've never felt more accomplished," Jules announced.

Dan frowned at him. "Dude, that is really sad."

Jules huffed and pushed Dan, which caused all three of us to fall into the water.

The ocean wrapped around me like a cool blanket as I plunged below. Gaining mobility back, I kicked my way up to the surface and grabbed onto the tube. "That," I spoke, pushing back the wet black hair plastered to my face, "was a disaster."

Dan, who was floating a little ways away from me, spit sea water out of his mouth like a fountain. "What are you talking about? That was awesome!"

I laughed and swam my way back to shore, where Jules was already wrapped in a towel. When he saw me he smiled and draped the towel along my shoulders as well as his. He was shivering slightly against my body.

"I'm done my book again," Ruby called, sitting up from the ground. She closed the novel and shoved it in her bag. She looked up at me and grinned. "What do you say we get back to our house for cake?"

I knit my eyebrows. "You guys made me a cake?"

Jules nudged me and kissed my temple. "Of course we did. It's your birthday, Saya."

"Yeah but-"

"I don't want to sound like a mother," Sapphire piped, also packing up her things, "yet I am forbidding you from using any if, ands, or buts."

"I get it, Saya," Cash told me, pulling his grey cotton t-shirt over his head. I caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his right shoulder that I had seen when I first met him. "These losers make me celebrate my birthday every year." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of nicotine gum, popping one in his mouth. Cash had been doing really well since he decided to quit smoking, though he was going through that gum like candy.

"You love us," Isir insisted, hitting Cash on the back. If it was anyone else, they might've stumbled, but Cash stood sturdy. Isir, however, started shaking his hand in pain, causing Cash to smirk a little.

Rose giggled and kissed her boyfriend's hand. "Let's get going then."

"Hold on," Jack murmured. He jogged over to where the water was approaching the sand. "Dan!" he shouted to the boy who was once again floating on the inner-tube. "We're going!"

Dan flung an arm over his eyes. "Leave me!" he called melodramatically. "Leave me here to die!"

The eight of us looked around at each other. Jules shrugged and shouted to Dan, "Alright. You can stay here then."

Abruptly, Dan sat up. "You would actually leave me here? I thought I was your best friend!"

Cash crossed his arms. "You are. But who are we to stop you from doing what you want?"

Finally, Dan made a big show of sighing, rolling his eyes, and swimming back to shore, the inner-tube tucked under his arm.

We all piled into the van. It didn't matter that there were seven seats and nine of us. Sapphire, Jack, Jules and I squished ourselves in the back like we'd done several times before, Rose sat on Isir's lap, Cash by himself, Dan in shotgun, and Ruby driving. As the second Amberley sibling got into the front, she lifted Sapphire's prosthetic arm and handed it backwards. "Here's your arm, Saf."