Waterline

Beach Party (Part Two)

"Libby, where did you get that water gun!" Penelope yelled out as she ran from the crazed girl. Libby gave a maniacal laugh as she chased the group with the water gun. She was currently chasing Penelope, Allen, Darrel, and Pj with her water gun. Ashley and Toby were sitting on the patio as they watched them. "We should've made Libby leave that at home," Toby told her. "We shouldn't" Ashley disagreed with him. Toby looked back at Libby then laughed at her. "You're right."

Mae had a blanket laid on the sand so she could sit on it. She was just watching everyone have fun or just watching Libby chase everyone. Nelson was picking up seashells from the shoreline. He noticed that Mae was all by herself. Nelson decided to approach her and give her some company. "With lover boy gone, you're anti-fun now," Nelson said to her. "I'm having my own fun watching everyone," Mae told him.
"That doesn't look like too much fun," Nelson said as he sat next to Mae.
"What about you, you're just picking up shells" Mae motioned to the bucket that Nelson was holding.
"They look pretty, I just wanted to keep some" Nelson said, defensively.

There was a moment of silence before Nelson spoke, "Do you miss Fawn, Callie, or Brixon?"
"I can't stop thinking about them," Mae said.
"When Micah told me I'll get my happiness, my mind kept thinking about them. Back then, I didn't know why but now I do. It turns out I want them to be happy more than for me to be happy" He explained to her.
"That's how I feel. When I found out you were the one I cursed, it made me feel sick," Mae said.
"I guess this is our world, no matter what we can only be happy by making others miserable," Nelson took a sigh.

"Water Balloon Fight!" Toby yelled. The next thing they knew, a water balloon came down and hit between them. Mae and Nelson got up and quickly ran before they could get hit again. Toby was chucking water balloons at them. Ashley was holding all of the balloons but was staring at Nelson. She seems to be in deep thought to focus on the fight. "C' mon Ash, we got Nelson cornered!" Toby yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Let's go!" Ashley smiled. Both of them started to chase Nelson.

Toby and Ashley had fun throwing water balloons at everyone. It was past lunchtime so they had to get sandwiches for everyone. Both of them didn't get in the water yet, it felt safer for them to go into the house. Toby pulled the cooler out and got some of the ingredients. "Just sandwiches," Ashley told him as she cleaned the utensils. "So how do you make 'just sandwiches'" Toby snickered. Ashley rolled her eyes at him before saying, "You know, you're not funny" Ashley told him.
"I know I just couldn't help it," Toby said, putting bread on the counter.

Together, Ashley and Toby were able to make fourteen sandwiches in ten minutes. There was already a premade vegetarian sub sandwich for Mae to eat. Ashley learned that Mae became a vegetarian because of her source of eating as a siren. It put shivers down her spine every time Mae thinks about eating another living being. Mae didn't want to think of that moment anymore. Ashley tried to bring it up with Nelson but he'd rather not talk about it.

Pj and Darrel carried two picnic tables together. Libby laid two plastic sheets on top of the tables. Everyone was sitting at the picnic table once Ashley and Toby arrived with the food. "Everyone gets at least one sandwich," Ashley told them. She set the basket of sandwiches in the middle of the table. Everyone leaped at the basket to get the sandwich that they want. Mae found the sub that was for her.

"Hey Libby, can you not shoot us with your water gun?" Allen asked her.
"I don't make promises, and I didn't get everyone yet," Libby said. She looked over at Toby, Ashley, Mae, and Nelson.
"I wouldn't think about it, we still have water balloons to throw" Toby warned her.
"Well, I still have two people to get," Libby told him.
Toby glances over at Mae and Nelson but then looked back at Libby. "Good luck with that" Toby said.
"Can I have another sandwich?" Darrel asked.
"No, they're all mine!" Pj yelled as he grabbed the basket.
"Wait, I'm still hungry," Darrel said to him.
"Too bad" Pj laughed as he ran away from the picnic table. He was clutching the basket close to him as he ran. "Hey!" Darrel yelled as he got out of his seat and chased after him.

Ashley watched them run around before looking at the rest of the group. "Is Pj drunk?" She asked them. "He had two bottles, but I didn't let him drink anymore," Penelope said. Ashley looked at her suspiciously at Penelope, who just strangely laughed at the attention. "Did you have a drink?" She asked her.
"I might've" Penelope awkwardly giggled. Ashley just sighed and looked at Toby. She trusted that he wouldn't drink.

Everyone was back to playing on the beach. Most of them were swimming or splashing each other. Ashley was sitting on Mae's blanket writing in her book. She was writing down characters and trying to decipher them. Her hair was still dry, she was the only person that didn't get wet. She was glad that everyone was enjoying themselves but she had a lot of work to do. Toby walked up to Ashley. His hair was soaked and droplets dripped after every step.

"What are you writing?" He asked her. He hovered over her to see her book, causing drops of water to fall onto her book.
"Stand back, you're getting my book wet," Ashley said as she closed her book to protect it from getting wet.
"Whoops" Toby lightly chuckled as he took a seat next to her.
"Anyways, I'm writing down the encryption that was on Nelson," Ashley explained once he got settled in.
"He's one of them?" Toby asked her.
"I don't know yet, all previous sirens have encryptions on them. All of them are the same but the children have their names on them" Ashley explained to him.

Toby nod as he watches Rover play with the waves. Ashley opened her book again and continued to write in it. Only a few minutes past until she figured out what it said. "Proteus..." Ashley repeated what it said. "Is that it?" Toby asked her.
"Yeah, we have one!" Ashley smiled upon her success.
"You know what?" Toby asked her.
"What?" Ashley responded, curiously.
"Now you can go have fun!" Toby said as he quickly got up.

With one quick movement, he scooped up Ashley into his arms. Causing her to drop her book along the way. "Toby! What are you doing?!" She exclaimed with shock. "You're going to enjoy your vacation!" Toby said as she started running to the ocean. He ran into the water and tossed Ashley in. She popped up from underwater a few seconds later. "Not cool!" Ashley said as she started splashing him. Toby laughed as he splashed her back. Then both of them started having a splash fight.