The Secret to Summer

Chapter Three

Hey guys!  Here's chapter three for the story I've been commissioned to write for the Schick Quattro YOU™campaign! Please enjoy! #SchickAmbassador

Every year at Grey Ledge we took a customary trip to Hampton beach, in New Hampshire. We all piled into the blue and grey coach buses and made the three-hour journey to the shore. Cameron, Layla, Ling, and I were all sitting in the back of one of the buses, regretting our choice of sitting near the bathroom.

"Feel my leg," Ling said, throwing her bare leg onto my lap. "I used that razor you gave me, the Schick Quattro You™ one. It's amazing."

Grinning, I pet her leg, feeling the smoothness. "Nice. Feel my leg." I pushed her leg off mine and then propped it up on the seat.

"Ooh," she answered as she touched my skin. "I didn't even see you shave this morning."

"I didn't. I'm on day three of not shaving."

Her mouth fell open. "What?"

"I told you, it's the best razor," I said haughtily, putting my leg back down. "No one seems to listen to my advice. It's not like I spend an hour or so watching beauty videos every day or anything."

She gently nudged me on the shoulder. "No, I bet you just like keeping good things a secret. Like that boy you've been seeing. Did you kiss him yet?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "It's not like that."

"Oh come on. You have heart eyes when you look at him. Both of you do."

"He does?"

"Have you not noticed him flirting with you? At all?"

I thought about it for a moment. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded flirty, but I just assumed it was natural for him. He seemed like a pretty flirty guy. But he hadn't chatted with any of my friends like that. All his cheesy jokes and innuendos had been directed at me so far. Was he really flirting with me? Just the thought made me feel all fuzzy.

"Just ask him out. When was the last time you dated someone?"

"Any relationship I have now will be very different from the ones I had in high school," I told her. "I wasn't really serious about anything back then. I'm at that point in my life where the person I date will either end up breaking my heart or marrying me."

Cameron peeked her head over the back of her seat. "That's deep."

Once again I felt my cheeks tingle. "A-Anyway, we've only known each other for two weeks. That's the point I'm trying to make. Oh! Isn't that the boardwalk? We're almost there!"

The conversation shifted from my nonexistent love life to the incoming shoreline. We lucked out with perfect beach weather not overbearingly hot, but just hot enough where you would feel refreshed by swimming in the cold water. It was my favorite type of day. The type of day I could have many of if I moved to California.

My phone buzzed as I trekked with the campers to the beach, reminding me to pay my credit card bill. I quickly opened the app and submitted my payment. My credit score was nearly perfect. Something I'd been working on since I turned eighteen. I knew I'd want to buy a house as soon as possible in the future so I'd worked hard to build up my credit and keep it that way.

"You've only taken two steps onto the beach and you're already on your phone?"

I looked up and saw Arden beside me, showing his perfect teeth in a wide grin.