Maybe It Was Fate

Chapter Eight

"Who's ready for the beach?!"

That's what I wake up to. I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Hannah, Jess and Emma are already dressed in bikinis. I look around to see Aiden rubbing his eyes, Chris pulling a pillow over his head and Ethan still asleep.

"Guys get up come on,"

I stand up and stretch, lifting my arms over my head.

"Um, Allie?" Chris's voice speaks up, the drowsiness of sleep still laced through it.

"Yeah?" I respond.

"Why are you wearing Ethan's hoodie?"

I look down at myself and remember that I'm still wearing Ethan's hoodie from last night. All the memories from last night come flooding back and suddenly I'm not really feeling the beach anymore.

"Uh, I got cold and he let me wear it," I shrugged casually.

Chris just nodded blankly.

I go over to my bag and pull out my bikini, a pair of shorts and an off the shoulder crop top. I brush past Ethan, my head down and walk into the bathroom.

After I'm changed, I splash my face with some cold water and dry it off. I suck a deep breath through my nose, releasing it out my mouth.

When I walk out of the bathroom, a hand catches my arm. It's Ethan.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous for today,"

He nods. "Well you don't have to go in the water if you don't want to."

"I know. I guess I can just stay in the shallow area or I'll just stick close to you guys,"

Ethan nods and passes me into the bathroom.

I go back into the room and put the hoodie on Ethan's pillow and put my clothes into the bag.

I start to pack my beach bag with a towel, sunscreen and all the other necessities.

"Hey, come downstairs. We're making pancakes and waffles," Hannah says.

"Oh awesome." I drop my bag and trail down the stairs behind her.

I sit next to Jakob at the table.

"Morning," he says with a smile.

"Good morning," I reply, smiling back.

Emma places a plate full of pancakes and waffles in the middle of the table. I grab two pancakes and two waffles and place them on my plate.

Ethan, Chris and Jess come down to join us and soon all of us are sitting at the table eating breakfast and talking.

Aiden and Emma are talking about how they're going to go surfing and everyone else murmurs in agreement. Except me of course.

By ten o'clock, we all decide that we're ready to go. I jog up the stairs to grab my beach bag and a pair of sunnies before strolling out the door behind Hannah.

Hannah leads the way to the beach, apparently knowing a short cut. She doesn't live too far from the school either, which means that the beach isn't a big walk.

The smell of the beach was rather refreshing. I've decided I like living near the beach. I've never lived this close to the beach before.

I can tell we are getting close when the sea salt smell gets stronger and I hear the distant sound of waves crashing over rocks.