My Almost Best Friend

Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

"It's 5am!" I yawned picking up the phone.

"Which is why we should leave now!" Trevor exclaimed.

He wanted to go to the freaking beach. At 5 o'clock in the morning. In February.

"You are insane."

"So are you."

"True that."

"So you'll go?"

"Your crazy."

"We can be crazy together."

I laughed at his determination. "Alright, fine then. But who else is coming?"

"It's me, you, Mike, Amarys, Brett, and Zach."

"Well what are we going to even do on the beach on this fine, 50 degree weather, day."

"Seaside pier!"

I sighed. Time to hide the negative Nellie side of me since that actually sounded fun.

"What time will you be here?"

"On my way now!"

I literally leaped out of bed.

I threw on jeans and a light blue sweater, throwing my hair up in a ponytail. I'd just gotten downstairs when he knocked on the door.

I let him come in and I anxiously tied my black vans.

"Ready for awesomeness?"

"Of course!" I yawned as enthusiastically as I could muster.

"Let's go then! If we leave now we'll get there before 7!"

After writing my mom a note, I walked out to the car. I climbed into the very back where Amarys was sitting. Looking perfect like she always does.

"Let's do this!" Zach yelled, turning up the radio. Passing cars probably thought we were crazy.

All of the windows and even the sunroof were wide open. 'Turn Down for What' was blasting through the car and I could actually feel the bass through the seats.

The whole ride there was practically a party on wheels. Our awful singing didn't stop until we broke out in cheers for the 'Welcome to Seaside' sign.

Due to the vibration in my pocket I pulled out my phone to look at the text message.

Do me a favor and put up campaign signs around the school for me.

Oh and Amarys if you have time.

Love, Claire.

I instinctively shoved my phone back into my jean pocket. This was a day for me to hang out with my friends. And not to think about my Claire problems.

"Where should we go first!" Mike exclaimed, with his arm around Amarys. I turned my head as I began to cringe.

"I don't know, what do you guys want to do?" Trevor asked, his attention drifting towards Zach and Brett who somehow had already managed to purchase food.

We shook our heads as they came back over to us, giant soft pretzels in hand.

"Ooh!" Amarys exclaimed pointing at a bright little tent towards the front of the pier. "A fortune teller!"

We followed her hand to a bright sign in big cursive letters reading, 'Fortunes by Madame La Fecia'.

"Doesn't it sound fun?" she asked brightly looking around at us.

"Of course!" Mike explained leading her over. Aw, look who's trying to pretend to be a good boyfriend.

Zach and Brett kind of wandered along behind casually. They didn't really have big opinions as long as they were near food.

I hesitantly began to walk, forcing myself not to complain. I'm not exactly one to wonder into physco stranger's booths, but that's just my opinion.

Trevor, reading my expression smiled saying, "What you don't want to meet a new friend?"

"A new friend? Who claims to be all knowing? And has visions? Not exactly."

"Well your only walking into her lair."

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine."

I sucked in my breath and started through the entrance, pushing the shimmering beads to the sides of me.

Immediately my ears stung from the creepy European voodoo music coming from a music box humming in the corner. That's not creepy at all.

She sat perched in a chair with her face down, her wavy black hair hanging in her face.

There was silence until she through her head back and chanted, "I am Madame La Fecia. Who's first to find out there fate?"

She looked around until her eyes focused on Brett.

"You are the chosen one!" she screamed jutting her hands and chin in his direction. Okay so now we're doing Harry Potter?

"Have a seat my dear," she giggled. Okay now literally I think I'm going to die. This was too creepily similar to the horror movie I'd just watched.

She pulled out a purple glass ball and waved her hands over top like it was some sort of sorcery.

Then if things couldn't get even more weird, she started chanting. It sounded like hard core Latin in my opinion, but there was a hint of Russian too.

She focused her eyes on the ball and they practically popped out of her head.

Then she gasped.

And looked into the ball again.

She covered her mouth.

And she screamed.

"What's my fortune!?!?" he whined. "Why are you looking at me like my face is on fire?"

"You...," she choked, "Are going to..."

"What!" he demanded once her face stopped again.

"Are going to have to wait until 3 more dollars are deposited."

"Are you kidding me!" he groaned. He actually looked really mad, but Brett quickly took him out.

"You'll be back!" she shrieked. "I can feel it!"

Back on the pier we all just started cracking up. Except Brett. He just whined about how he just wasted three good dollars that could have been spent on churros.

We splashed around in the waves for about an hour or so, before Zach brought up the game.

"It's like a photo scavenger hunt," Zach began, "We'll make a list of things to take photos with, all along the strip."

Seaside's Strip of Shops. Tongue twister, I know.

Basically every year Seaside does this huge row of tent stands, practically a mile long, right on the beach by the pier.

"To win, your team has to be first ones with every picture. Text them to one of the other teammates, and games over."

"Let's go with me, Amarys, and Mike," Zach said, "And Brett, Bree, and Trevor."

"Sounds good to me," Mike gushed, gazing into Amarys' eyes.

Somebody kill me before the guilt does.

"What about the prize?" Brett whined.

"Uh, losers have to sit in the very back the whole ride home, and buy the winners funnel cake," Zach announced.

Funnel cake? This just got real.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered confidently.

"Okay then, let's do it!" Zach cheered. He texted us all copies of a random typed up list. "We'll start on the left entrance and you guys go in the right."

"Okay!" we called over our shoulders. We'd already booked it half way to the entrance.

No mercy.