Summer Milestone

Beach Party

Chapter 3

~JOSH~

We throw our little party at Poplar Beach where about thirteen people show up, including Anna and her friend, Erica Webber, who immediately takes a liking to Zack. We talk for a while and she seems like a really funny girl. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Zack ended up hooking up with her by the end of the night. He's funny, she's funny, they'd make a pretty good couple... I guess.

During the first hour of the party, we mostly just hang around talking to some of our old friends—or should I say, some of Zack's old friends because most of them only know of my existence because of him. However, there is this one guy named Dakota whom we both equally get along with. He's such an outgoing, class-clown sorta guy and he's just pretty chill in general. He's the one to suggest we play a little game of Truth or Dare to keep the party interesting since it's getting kinda boring just standing around with cups of beer in our hands as music blasts from a boom box.

We sit in a circle around a small fire and I randomly decide to go first. "Truth."

Since Dakota's the one who started the game he asks me, "Have you ever... kissed your best friend's girlfriend?"

Truthfully, I can actually say, "Nope. Never. I'd be a pretty shitty best friend if I did that."

"Yeah, no kidding," Zack snickers.

"Alright, Deanna, it's your turn," Dakota says to the blonde girl sitting to my right.

Since I was the last person to go, I'm the one to ask her, "Truth or dare?"

To which she responds, "Dare."

"I dare you to..." I have the dare in my mind but I'm worried that if I say it aloud, everyone will give me shit, even though I know Deanna wouldn't mind doing it. I take a glance at Anna, then at Zack, and eventually just mentally say fuck it, and I spit it out. "... I dare you to flash us."

The twelve other people in our circle go crazy, half of them calling me disgusting and the other half applauding me and egging Deanna on to take the dare, to which she does without much hesitation.

Anna's, unfortunately, on the side of people who find that dare to be disgusting and she shows it by shooting me a look of disappointment. Zack, on the other hand, flashes me a smirk, and to be honest, his opinion is the only one I care about since I know that he'd never be mad at me over something like that, as opposed to Anna who seemingly gets offended by every little thing I say. But... I guess that's just the way some girls are.

The game goes on for a while and eventually we come upon Zack's turn and the girl who went before him, Anya, dares him to go for a naked swim, because that's just what every girl in this group wants to see, besides Anna. I don't blame them.

"I'm not doing that," he sternly denies and I know exactly why, and it has nothing to do with the naked part.

For as long as I've known him, I've always known that he can't swim. In fact, he's afraid of it for reasons he hasn't disclosed to me, being the only secret he's ever kept from me. I'm guessing it might have something to do with a fear of drowning maybe but I'm not sure because he doesn't like to talk about it. And I respect that, even though I've told him all of my secrets; he pretty much knows everything about me.

"Chicken!" someone among the crowd says, making me just want to punch the bitch for calling him that.

"He's just afraid of showin' us his junk!" another bitch exclaims, giving Zack a red face, ultimately inciting me to step in.

"I'll do it," I say, and almost everyone laughs.

"Aw, your boyfriend's gonna do the dare for ya, Zack!" a dude named Matthew teases Zack and it infuriates me that he called me his boyfriend. I don't know why but I hate it when people imply that we're dating just because we're so close. I'm not gay, for fuck's sake!

"Nah, that's alright," Anya says. "We can just skip over you, Zack, seeing as you're the guest of honor... pussy."

"I got a better idea... why don't we all just go for a swim?" Dakota suggests, seemingly growing tired of the game that he initially suggested. But I guess he doesn't like people teasing Zack about his number-one fear, either.

Everyone agrees, except for Zack obviously, and so he and I just sit by the fire as everyone else goes to splash into the waves.

"You didn't have to do that for me," he says.

"Oh shut up, that's what friends are for," I say, grinning. "Though, it's not like I actually did it, anyways."

"That's just cuz no one wants to see your junk," he jokes.

"Haha, very funny," I say with a hint of annoyance. "But yeah, I don't think your friends like me very much."

"Who cares? They're not really my friends. Just acquaintances. Only you and Dakota are my friends."

"I'm honored," I say as we clink our beer cups.

We then fall into silence and that's one thing I love about our friendship because even when we fall silent, it's never awkward between us. In fact, it's comfortable. That's something rare that you can only share with your family and your best friend—because your best friend is like family.

"I think Anna's wanting to break up with me, man," I bring up a random topic to break the silence.

"What makes you think that?"

"The way she looks at me... I don't know... sometimes a guy just knows, ya know what I mean?"

"Yeah, but most of the time I'm the dumper as opposed to the dumped, so..."

"Ha, I don't think I've ever been the dumper," I mention shamelessly, even though it's something that I probably should be ashamed of.

"What do you think her problem is?" Zack asks, regarding Anna.

"I feel like she's jealous of me hanging out with you, instead of her."

"She sounds needy."

"I know."

"Do you like her... like, to the point that you'd be totally heartbroken if she dumped you?"

I look at Zack in the eyes as I'm prepared to give my answer but before I can open my mouth, I hear Dakota's voice shout, "Guys, get over here! Anna's drowning!" Speak of the devil!

I immediately jerk my head up, and Zack and I both quickly get up from our spots around the fire to run over to the shoreline. I jet through the water in the direction of the struggling Anna as she flaps through the strong waves far away from everyone else. All these people in the water and I'm the only one with the fucking courage to try and save her. By the time I pull her back to the beach she's already unconscious and Zack, who's CPR certified gives her mouth to mouth, alternating between that and compressing her chest.

"Oh shit! What if she's dead! We're all gonna get in trouble!" Anya gasps and I just roll my eyes because it's like getting into trouble is the only thing that concerns her, not the fact that Anna may or may not be dead. Dumb bitch.

"Bitch, shut up!" Erica replies angrily to Anya, reading my thoughts exactly.

Thankfully, Anna comes to rather quickly, spewing out some saltwater as she coughs uncontrollably.

"Oh thank god!" Erica exclaims as she hugs the recovering Anna.

Eventually, the party goes on and Anna and Erica take their leave. "I'm taking her home," Erica informs me and Zack as they head towards their car.

"Thank you guys for saving me," Anna says weakly as she grabs my hand. She exchanges a warm look with Zack and I think everything is finally okay between the two of them.

"We should all hang out sometime," Erica suggests as she helps Anna into the passenger seat.

"Sure thing."

We watch her get into her car and drive off, and just as we make our way back to the party, Dakota squeezes in between the two of us. "Come on guys, the party's only just begun!"