Maybe One Day

6: Summer Surprises

The next day I went to Matt's house to apologize. I'm not really sure what I did wrong, but there was a misunderstanding and one of us had to take the blame, and I really didn't want to continue fighting, so I apologized. Just to be clear, it's not just Matt I do this with; I tend to take the blame first if it means we are under good terms sooner. He gladly accepted my apology and said he was sorry, too. So things were back to normal. We talked and laughed and had an amazing time together.

The next Friday night, we went out with the same group we went to dinner with last week, except now Skylar was dating a college boy named Frankie that she met at a party (shocker, right?) and poor Dallas was single once more.

We were going to go to Chinese Sensations, because this had officially become Matt's and my favorite place to be. Some couples have a song, or a movie they continually watch together, but we had Chinese food. Instead, however, we decided to go to a bonfire on the beach Skylar had heard about.

"I'm so glad things are good with you guys now," Maddie says to Matt and me after Skylar's story about how she met Frankie and instantly fell in love with him. This was followed by them giving each other "Eskimo kisses" to which we all complained and moaned until they stopped. In case you didn't know, Eskimo kisses are when you rub your noses together. I don't fully understand the appeal of it.

"So are we," I say, grabbing Matt's hand and smiling up at his dazzling blue eyes. He stares back and then pushes the hair out of my face and behind my ear.

"You guys!" Abbe shrieks. "Don't do that to me, you're just too darn cute together! I wish I had that chemistry in a relationship."

"Do I mean anything to you?" Derrick, her boyfriend, jokes.

"I'm kidding!" she giggles, pecking him on the cheek. "You know I love yew..."

He grins at her and pulls her in closer.

"Let's dance! Who wants to paaaartay?" she continues, dancing while sitting.

"Yea, I don't think that's such a good idea..."

"Oh come ON you poop, I wanna feel you up..." she coos.

"Fine, but you have to get up by yourself."

"Fine!" she stands shakily and falls back onto him, successfully standing up on the second try. She pulls Derrick over to her and starts grinding on him. Derrick looks back at us and grins. Abbe usually isn't one to do this kind of thing when sober.

"She's kind of a wild child isn't she?" Maddie asks.

I sigh. "We're working on it. A little too crazy for my taste, but whatever."

A minute later they come back and Derrick says, "All right, we'd better head out, I think someone's had a little too much to drink," Derrick pokes a thumb in Abbe's direction and helps her stand up as she slides in the sand.

"Meee?" Abbe asks, clearly drunk. "I only had a fewww drinks tonight! One or two, tops!"

"Right," Derrick says, catching her elbow as she trips over her feet.

"Maybe seven or eight, I don't remember..."

"What a baby," Maddie says after they left, sipping her martini. "I'm on my ninth one of these and I'm fine,"

"Why do I hang out with any of you?" I ask for the hundredth time. "You realize this is illegal?"

"Technically, yes, but look, am I out of control?"

We all look at her and, surprisingly, no, she doesn't seem drunk at all. "You've had more experience, I guess. I mean, come on, Abbe is barely sixteen. She should not be drinking that much!" I protest.