"I love this song! Dance with me, Jenna," Katie yells over the music. Someone brought a speaker and is blasting music on the beach. Luckily, this beach is what we like to call our Hidden Gem, not very creative but what can you expect from a bunch of Californian teens, so we won't get a noise complaint. It's a private beach where local teenagers hang out and party. I think that the police know about it, but they decide to look the other way because they hung out here when they were younger too.
Jenna hands her drink to me and gets up to dance with Katie. I laugh and decide to record this on my story. We're all on our fourth drink and have a slight buzz going, the best phase of drinking alcohol in my opinion. I'm laughing at how clumsy and uncoordinated Jenna is when Riley sits down next to me. "Wow, talented dancers aren't they?"
"Oh yeah. Jenna is amazing, I think she should enter a talent show or something." Riley laughs and we continue to watch the two dance, their feet in the water.
Riley leans in closer so that I can hear him better. "So how drunk are you?"
"Drunk? Boy, I've only had three drinks. This is my fourth. I need at least four and a half to be drunk," with more harshness in my voice than I meant to let out.
"Calm down, Adeline," Riley chuckles. "It was only a question."
"Mhm. I wish I would've brought a jacket. It's getting breezy." I took my shirt off earlier, and Katie ended up spilling water on it, so now it's soaked and would probably make me feel even colder.
"Here," Riley said before he took off his hoodie and handed it to me. "I was getting too warm, anyway." I took the jacket from him and put it on over my swimsuit. "Better?"
"For sure. Thanks, Riley." I downed the rest of my fourth lemonade and gathered up the glass bottles that Katie and Jenna left laying on their towels. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go recycle these." I walked over to the recycling bin when I saw a flash of light out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw that they were lighting the bonfire. I've been waiting for this all night.
I walked back to Riley and sat down next to him. "Can I get your car keys?" He gave me a confused look, so I said, "I want to get the sparklers. And the marshmallows that I left in there the other day."
"You left marshmallows in my car? Adeline-"
"Yeah, yeah. You like to keep your car clean, I know. But I love to snack, you know that."
"Yeah, I do. Here," he said while handing me his keys. "But don't go anywhere. You can't drive. You say you aren't drunk, but I know that after four you get weird."
"Pfft, why would I leave?"
He narrowed his eyes and said, "you make stupid decisions when you drink. Remember last time you told everyone that you-"
"OKAY. I get it. No need to bring that up. I promise I won't leave, I'll be right back." He sighed and waved his hand for me to go.
I walked towards the parking lot at the back of the beach. I'm having a hard time remembering where Riley parked, so I just walk through the line of cars for a bit until I see his old red convertible. I pop open the trunk and begin rummaging through the junk he has in there. I shouldn't say junk, it's some of his band equipment. There's a guitar case back here, and an amp. I think there's a mic stand but I'm not really sure, it's too dark to see. I try to feel around for the box of sparklers and the bag of marshmallows. I should've brought my phone for light, but I wasn't thinking. Suddenly, a bright light shines from behind me and I realize it's headlights. I turn around and try to shield my eyes and see who it is.
"Adeline, what are you doing here?" The voice sounds angry and really familiar. I hear a door slam shut, and the lights shut off. My eyes adjust to the moonlight and I can see Noah's tall figure coming towards me. "I was looking everywhere for you in the bleachers."
"Noah, what are YOU doing here? How did you know where I was?"
"Your snapchat story, Adeline. After the game, I tried calling you and you didn't answer me. And then I saw that you were posting things." I thought back to my phone sitting under my towel on silent down on the beach. And of course he saw my story. He knows I'm always posting on there. "You were supposed to be there for me."
I can feel the alcohol hitting me a little more, and when that happens I have no filter. "I didn't want to go to your stupid game, Noah!" My voice came out a little louder and harder than I intended.
In the dark, I can see Noah's bright blue eyes darken. "My stupid game? It was the last game of the season, and I just wanted my girlfriend there to see it. But I guess you don't care," he said tightly.
"No, Noah, you don't care. About me. It doesn't matter what game it is, you're always putting it above me. And I'm sick of it." I can hear that I'm yelling at this point, but I don't care.
"Football is important to me, and you know that! It's what's going to get me to college. And I realized that it seems like I'm putting you second, so I wanted to apologize. Which is why I tried to find you after the game, like you said you wanted me to. But you weren't even there," his voice softened at the end and he looked down at his feet. A part of me wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but the other part of me that was upset prevailed.
"Noah, I was tired of being ignored! I should be more important to you than a sport. And you shouldn't force me to do things I don't want to do."
"I thought that as my girlfriend, you would be more supportive!" His voice had risen to match the volume of mine.
"Supportive? I've been supportive! When are you going to support what I want to do for once?" I raised my voice above his. Noah took a step closer to me and intently searched my features.
"You've been drinking."
"What? I've only had four."
"And that's all it takes with you, Adeline. I know you. Come on, grab your stuff. I'm going to take you home before you do something stupid. Again." He reached for my hand and tried to pull me to get my stuff, but a flash of anger came over me.
"Let go of me! Don't touch me right now. You can't just come here and try to take away my fun." I could see hurt flash through his eyes, before he blinked it away.
"Adeline. I'm trying to look out for you. Let's go," he said in a low and terse tone.
"No. Just leave, Noah. I'm done. We're done."
"You're being rid-"
"Go! I'm serious. I do not want you here. Go back to your football friends and have fun with them." Noah straightened up and looked away, avoiding my gaze.
In a quiet voice, after a beat of silence, Noah muttered, "fine." He turned around and stormed back to his truck and slammed the door shut. He started the vehicle and sped out of the parking lot, leaving me standing alone in the moonlight.
I just broke up with my boyfriend that I was with for four years.
