The Summer of Secrets

Chapter Two

 As I get out of the car, I close my eyes and breathe in. The sounds of the beach seem to calm my nerves about, well, everything. The beach is somewhere that I can just lay down with the sun hitting my back and read my favorite book. Josie always comes to look at the hot guys. And just like every time we go to the beach, there are plenty to satisfy her.

"Sash! Can you help me with these bags?" Josie calls to me, opening the trunk.

I run over and take out my Lilly Pulitzer beach bag. I have had this for years and it has always been my go-to bag for about anything. Inside of it, I had thrown in a cover-up and "The Summer to Remember", as well as my water bottle and my phone. Oh, and my license. Usually Josie is either too high or wasted to drive back, so I usually take the responsibility of being the designated driver. Sometimes she even leaves me and takes off with a guy, which I had the feeling would happen today, so that's why we brought my car instead of hers.

Josie is already ahead of me, running to the beach like a little kid runs to an ice cream truck. She looked so happy, so free, when she is here. I run after her and stop to take in the view that graced my eyes. There is water as far as the eye can see, with the blue waves seeming to reflect the cloud absent sky. There are so many people that there are only spare places where you can see the sand. Little kids run across the beach, kites floating in the air, and playing frisbee. The wind seems to play with my hair, and I can smell the salt in the air.

"Sasha! Over here!" Josie calls out to me, laying down on her towel. She already had a couple of guys looking over at her, just like they always do. I wish I would get a guy to look at me the way that so many guys look at her.

"Hold on!" I call, looking in one of the side mirrors of Jim, just to make sure that I am presentable. My brown hair lays just under my somewhat – tan shoulders, my green eyes showing excitement for finally getting out of the house. People have always remarked how skinny I am, and I guess that it just because of my fast metabolism. Josie calls me a twig, one of her many nicknames for me that I don't mind. My long tan legs tend to draw the attention of some guys before they see Josie, who is like Sasha 2.0. Oh well. Passing the presentable check, I start making my way towards Josie, who is on her phone. I dodge some kids and some older folk taking a stroll to get down to her and lay down my towel.

She looks over at me as I am settling myself in, seeming to be gauging something. I take out "Summer to Remember" and pick up where I left off. Mille had just broken up with Aiden, and it seems that they are going to get back together when Josie knocks my book out of my hands.

"Dude! What the hell!" I exclaim as I fish it out of the sand, checking if any got into the spine. That would be worse than having to drive Josie home drunk, which you can guess, is a blast.

"Sasha, this is the last summer before college! You must learn to live for once! Look around you. You are at the beach, in our favorite place, and plenty of eligible bachelors that will come running at your call." What she is saying is true. There are so many hot guys here, but not any that would be willing to glimpse in my direction – unless Josie is right next to me. But, I realized that I never really do anything with her at all. Josie has been my friend for as long as I can remember, and even though she makes stupid decisions sometimes, I should trust her on things that involve boys. I look up at Josie standing over me, her hand outstretched like Aladdin inviting Jasmine on the carpet ride. Smiling, I reach up and take it, letting her pull me up.

As I am brushing off sand, Josie is looking around for the hot-spot for all flirting; the snack shack. Spotting it, she, still holding onto my hand, pulls me over. As I am walking to the shack, I spot a couple walking across the beach. Her yellow dress, like the one Mia wears in La La Land (which is one of my favorite movies, by the way), flutters in the wind, her blond hair swirling around her face. She is holding the hand of her boyfriend, and they are both almost kneeling over in laughter. Even when she is laughing she seems beautiful. I look like I just tasted a sour lemon, my nose scrunches up, which I think is a definite turn off.