Bad Memories // a.u.

chapter 2: moonlight walk

"We didn't tell him we're going, so no. I'm not going." I was sitting in Skylar's room as she dug through her suitcase looking for something to wear. She really wanted to go to the bonfire that our waiter had invited us to, but honestly I just wanted to go to bed.

"Stop being such a downer. We were invited to a party, Noelle! Cute waiter boy wants you to go and I did tell him we were going so he is going to be upset if we don't at least show up for a bit." She threw clothes over her shoulder and they hit they floor with a soft thud. "I have nothing to wear!" she complained.

"You have so many clothes, what are you talking about? But we're not going, so it doesn't matter."

"Please Noelle," she begged. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"Fine, but stop pouting and I'm only going to go to prove to you that this waiter guy doesn't like me."

"Yay! But he totally does like you. Now help me pick something to wear so we can make you beautiful for him." I shook my head and helped her dig through her suitcase. Skylar ended up choosing denim short shorts, a black bandeau under a white California cutoff with red vans. I wanted to wear what I had on earlier which was jean shorts and white tank top, but Skylar insisted that I change. "You need to look decent, Noelle," she chastised me. I wound up in high waisted black denim shorts, an off-white lace tank top underneath a sheer floral seafoam green sweater and black flip flops.

"Why am I going through this much effort?" I complained. I never went through this much effort for a party before.

"Because we are in California now and I know for a fact that this boy likes you."

"We were at that restaurant for less than an hour and he was just being nice, doing his job." I was getting tired of arguing and I just wanted to be done with this party already. At least the beach was right outside our house, so I could get home easily. "Ok let's go," I said, giving up on arguing. Skylar believed that Keaton liked me and maybe he did, but I didn't want to believe it until he said it himself.

We walked onto the beach and I was surprised at how many people were there. "Well we didn't have parties like this in Rhode Island," Skylar commented.

"We didn't live near the beach," I stated the obvious.

"Very funny, Noelle. Let's get some drinks," she dragged me along, pulling me by the arm. We each grabbed a cup, filling it from the keg and stood there, looking around. "I wonder where your loverboy is."

"Stop it," I nudged her with my arm as I noticed him out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help observing that he looked even better out of his uniform and in board shorts. I tried to play it off like I didn't see him, but Skylar of course caught me staring.

"Keaton!" she called, standing on her tip toes and waving her hand toward him.

He jogged over toward us. "You guys made it," a grin upon his lips. He seemed to always be smiling, not that I was complaining. His hair seemed wet, like he had been in the water earlier. "So, I never found out your names at the restaurant."

"I'm Skylar and this is Noelle."

All of a sudden another boy came up behind Keaton and hung onto his shoulder. "You disappeared, dude. Who are these lovely ladies?" he turned to us. He had a resemblence to Keaton and I wondered if they were brothers or at least related somehow.

"Noelle and Skylar. I met them during my shift tonight. You're new in town, right?"

"Yeah, just got here today," I let Skylar do the talking. I folded my hands in front of me and looked down at the sand.