California

Chapter Six

The next day was as pretty as the one before - the sun insisted on shining all the time, and I still wasn't used to that, even though I had nothing against it. It was actually kind of cool that I didn't have to bring an umbrella everywhere or accidentally step in a puddle and get my socks wet.

I got dressed with light, summertime clothes and checked my phone. Emma and Sarah had sent the newest gossip from my old school in Seattle since their classes had already started, but I ignored it for the moment and read what Amanda had texted me.

Amanda: Hi friend! R u up for a tour?

I smiled, finding her goofy way of texting actually funny.

Olivia: U know it.

Olivia: What time do we meet?

I dropped the phone on the unmade bed and brushed my teeth. It was still sort of early - around 10 am - because I usually couldn't stay in bed any later than that. It turns out there's this thing called a biological clock that we all have and it regulates the activities we have no control over, like sleeping and waking up. It was awesome how our bodies took care of us even when we didn't, but I couldn't help feeling a little mad at my hypothalamus for not letting me have a lazy day in bed that often.

A few seconds later the phone buzzed with Amanda's reply.

Amanda: Lol cool. Meet up in 10 at my place?

Olivia: I'll be there.

Amanda was growing on me, even though we had only actually known each other last night over dinner at her parents' place. She somehow convinced me a walk around town under the scorching sun would be a good idea for a fun time.

I ran down the stairs and found mom and dad making breakfast. I walked by the kitchen counter and snatched a pancake from the pile. Dad protested, but I was already at the door.

"Amanda and I are going for a walk!" I announced, and dad had only a second to say a casual okay.

It was hotter outside than I had thought. The sun blazed against the pebbles on the driveway and even the grass seemed way to warm. Not a single cloud floated above and the summer breeze rarely blew and brought some relief to my steaming body. I walked along the empty road towards Amanda's house and took the time to look around. All the houses down the street looked like stylized clones of each other: some were white, others clear yellow or dark blue, but they all shared common architectural traits, such as the expansive porch and wide windows. I felt compelled to think of it as a neat suburb - only it was completely different from that in every way.

We had bought this place, said dad, because it was not far away from my soon-to-be school and the neighborhood was, and I quote, "great, pacific and welcoming." It was also really close to the beach, which I guessed was a silver lining to it being somewhat remote. I mean, not much happened over there, stated by the lack of cars and pedestrians in plain daylight. That was a huge change: from crowded streets in Seattle to deserted, steamy beachside roads in Los Angeles.

When I got there Amanda was already outside beneath the porch waiting for me. She had this sun hat on which stretched out long enough to cast a shadow over her face. Kind of a bold choice. Her summer dress danced along to the rhythm of the wind and it was wide enough to not expose her weight. She hugged me, which was unexpected, but people that outgoing were the best at breaking the ice.

"Want some iced tea?" She asked, stretching out a plastic cup.

"I didn't know you guys were this southern." I joked, taking it.

"My mom's from West Virginia and she used to drink this every day of summer. Old habits die hard, am I right?"

We went down the road chatting away. The iced tea was actually pretty damn good. My mom made a killer lemonade, and I thought I'd ask her to make some of it the next time Amanda came over. She talked about the things teenagers did over there for fun and how the kids at school were always throwing parties.

"So, usually people just hang out at the beach or at this awesome park close to the school. Some kids are still out traveling about, since school only starts next week, so you'll se more of them around then. We're headed down to the beach, that's where everyone goes."

I imagined the pier in Seattle and the little restaurants and bars. As soon as we got to the boardwalk I noticed it was a whole other thing. What was then a calm, quiet road turned into a busy summer paradise - people were sunbathing along the sand strip while others ran around playing ball. I saw surfers at the distance riding beautiful, dark blue waves that came crashing down on the shore. Little kids played where it was shallow and built sand castles with their friends. These huts sold drinks and played tropical music and gave everything a caribbean vibe. A genuine smile formed on my lips and Amanda noticed it.

"I thought you'd come here before!" She said over the music and the sound of the sea.

"We did," I replied. "Only I don't think I had ever noticed things up close. It's awesome. Plus, we'd never come to this beach."

"This is where the kids from school hang out. School's not far away and we usually come down here after class."

"It sounds amazing. All I did after class in Seattle was go to the mall or do homework." I loathed.

Amanda put her arms out.

"Welcome to LA, Liv."

She led the way and walked over to a parasol, laying her towel over the sand. I did the same and we both sat, breathing in the sea breeze. I thought about taking my top off and go for a tan but I didn't want to make Amanda feel like she had to do it too, and since she didn't do it herself I just kept mine on. I looked to the side and there was an amusement park a few yards away, reminding me of Santa Monica Pier. It was all so fun and alive I immediately felt good.

We ordered some virgin drinks from the hut - I didn't want to seem like I needed alcohol before lunchtime, even though I craved for a strawberry blend - and stuck around for a while. Amanda told me she was in the spelling bee club and her favorite class was AP calc, which told me she was as smart as they came. I was never an overachiever in school, so I told her about how fond I was of volleyball.

"Really? We have varsity volley at Clareview. Maybe you could try out!"

I nodded, but I wasn't so sure. I knew all of my teammates in Seattle and I felt comfortable in practice. If I had to train with a bunch of girls I didn't quite know who weren't too open maybe volley would cease to be a thrill. Or maybe I just didn't feel like socializing much just yet.

"Oh, wow! They're back already."

I followed Amanda's gaze to the small sand sports court where a whole bunch of people were gathered. Four guys were playing beach volleyball and some other kids our age were watching, although their attention was focused on something else: Amanda discretely pointed to three girls with stunning figures who I immediately recognized as Clareview's spotlights.

"Clara, Hannah and Stacey. They're as popular as one can be." She said, sort of admired.

"What's up with them?"

"They're, like, a big deal around here. They were away in Ibiza for the summer and I thought they would only come back next week."

"You know them?" I asked, staring.

"I had calculus with Stacey last year," she said, looking at the blond bombshell at the far right. "But I doubt she even knows my name."

"I guess they seem nice." I stated, even though I didn't actually know them.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." Said Amanda, sipping on her virgin piña colada.

"Care to enlighten me?" I set my empty glass on the sand.

"Sure thing. But I'm sort of hungry already." Amanda checked her phone and we noticed we'd been sitting there for hours. "You wanna grab lunch at my place? I'll tell you everything there is to know about the it girls over there."

I smiled and we rose, folding up our towels. The waves kept on breaking against the sand while we left for lunch.