Dance it Down

Seven: Beaches and Basketball

P.O.V Toffer

"So did you notice how analistic Chase was being this morning or was it just me?" I look at J.C as she asks the question.

She had bright pink sunglasses on and her hair was blowing in the wind as we cruise down the old highway in my corevette convertible. She was leaning back with her feet on the dash, her right arm hanging lazily out the window while her left held back strands of hair from whipping at her face. I smile at her ability to be casually beautiful.

"Well?" She tilts her head in my direction.

Guess I hadn't come up with an answer fast enough.

"Nope. It was just you, I guess." I say, but at the slight frown on her face, I add, "Then agian, I don't notice much of anything when you're in the room. All my attention goes straight to you."

Even though I couldn't see them, I could tell she was rolling her eyes.

"For the love of rabid porcupines...." She trails off and shakes her had as I give her a questioning look. Rabid Porcupines?

Seeing my look, J.C offers, "It was a conversation Emma and I had this summer."

Figures. Those two came up with some crazy shit that people like me don't even try to understand.

"So where are we going exactly?" J.C looks around at where we are at the moment.

"I was thinking that since it's so hot out, and I know, I know, I'm not helping the situation." I recieve a playful smack on the arm and I just laugh it off.

"Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, I was thinking we could hit the Sugar Shack and get some ice cream or a cold drink or something." I turn off the road onto a simple two-laner that lead down to a popular beach on the lake.

"Sounds absolutely perfect." She smiles at me as we reach a parking-lot packed with cars. I barely manage to find a spot and a feel kinda bad that we have to walk a long ways.

"Sorry. Looks like we're gonna have to walk a ways." I say as we climb out of the car and I lock it up.

"That's fine. I like walking after driving a while. Besides, I better make room for that ice cream so I need to walk off a few calories." She winks at me and takes off. I stand there a second, watching her, then run to catch up.

When we reach the Sugar ShackI groan inwardly at the sight before us. The line was horribly long. We were gonna be standing there at least half an hour. J.C, to her credit, didn't seem to mind at all. She started joking that this way she could get a tan from standing in the sun.

I study the beach as J.C talks about our up and coming Senior year. There was nothing suprising or exciting about the beach. You had your section of high school friends with a bunch of college guys hitting on the girls in their designer bikini's. Then you had the parents who brought their kids who were trying to build the biggest sand castle, complete with a moat they dug out and then hauled water to. Then you have the middle aged and older people who were content to lay on the beach or wade in the water only waist deep and discuss anything from what so and so did at church the other day or who was rude at Walmart this past week.

The beach was really big and followed a few gentle curves of the lake. Swimming to the other side was all but impossible here. It was a long ways and there were tons of boaters and jet skiers to dodge.

Chase, Justin, Casey and I had all made a ten dollar bet of who could go the farthest when we were 12. Casey quit first and we knew he would. For being a big guy that you didn't want to mess with, he was a marshmallow at everything except football. I backed out next when I almost had a run in with a big boater that hadn't seen me till last minute. I relized that my life wasn't worth a stupid bet. Some-times you just need to know when to pick your battles and I wanted to live and fight another day, so I joined Casey back on the beach.

Justin and Chase kept going and the three of us all knew that either Justin was gonna have to go the whole way with Chase, or he was gonna have to back out because Chase won almost everything stupid and daring. Not wanting to exhaust himself and risk going the whole way and being too tired to come back, Justin backed out, but Chase kept going. He made it to the otherside and we could barley see him as he jumped up and down in victory, then dropped to the sand He had past out from dehydration. We called out to a boater who gave us a ride over and when we saw that he had passed out, we got a hold of 911.

When Chase woke up in the hospital, he just laughed at the whole situation. He didn't care that he almost could have died. I never did give that dumb-ass his ten dollars.

"Hey. Did you hear me?" Somewhere along the way I must have ceased to listen to whatever J.C was telling me.

"Ah," I'm about to make a smart remark, but then think that honesty would be the better route, "Sorry, no, but I will gladly give you my full attention if you are willing to repeat it for me."

J.C looks at me with annoyance, but I can tell that she's not mad at all by the smile she has to keep forcing down. "Well, I guess I don't really have a choice now do I?"

I kiss her on the cheek in answer as a man says, "There's a long line behind you two and we would really appreciate it if you would take your order rather than give a show of PDA."

We look at the man behind the counter and I shrug as I give her a kiss again, just to make him mad, then we take our orders. The ice cream only takes about thirty seconds to get to us. Man, these guys were serious. Looking behind me I could understand why. The line was still growing.

"Well that was fast." J.C comments as she licks the top of her chocolate vanilla swirl.

"I'll say." I do the same to my mudslide.

We walk, hand in hand along the beach in comfortable silence as we watch all the happenings of the people around us. Eventually, our ice creams are finished and we re back in my car, cruising along in the afternoon sun.

P.O.V Emmaline

"Well that was very, um, interesting." I comment as Justin and Chase look over at me with knowing smirks.

The boys decided to go to the basketball court at the park where a few college and highschool guys were setting up a game. I was not going to sit along the sidelines to play the roll of an annoying cheerleader. I insisted on them letting me play. There was lots of protest, but when I finally insulted their manliness by telling them that they were just afraid that this girl would show them up in front of their friends, well, thats the nicer version of it anyway, they decided to let me play. Plus, with me, the teams were even. I actually didn't end up doing that bad. I didn't insult them by playing better than them, but I did play well enough to earn respect for them to treat me as an equal player and they even told me that I could play with them anytime. I have a feeling there was a double meaning in that but I smiled and said thanks for the sake of true sportsmanship.

"I'll say. You alowed us to win by distracting the other team." Chase winks at me.

"Ugh! You guys so planned this." I pretend to be annoyed.

They just chuckle to themselves at my annoyance.

"Well, looks as though I have no other choice but to go back and tell them that they won by default." I call as I turn around to head back to the court.

"I don't think so." A strong hand grabs my wrist and whips me around to where I smack straight into Chases chest.

He gives me a suggestive grin as he raises his eyebrows a few times.

"Ugh." I quickly push on his chest to relieve myself of his grip. He doesn't resist.

"And sparks fly." Chase sticks his hands in his pockets.

Justin rolls his eyes as I come to walk by him. "Oh for the love of-"

He doesn't bother to finish.

"So what next?" I barely catch the mischievous look that passes between them as we approach the car.