I Do Until I Don't

Chapter 9

 Melanie likes to think that she holds the world's best recipe of pina colada. Julia and I let her believe that. I guess we'll have to tell her eventually that Julia adds mint behind her back every single time she makes a batch. Still, we always compliment her and take an entire jar with us when we go to the beach.

The beach is jam-packed today. I don't understand why travellers arrive at the beginning of July. It's so hot here I'm actually considering ditching Melanie's wedding and going back to Boston.

We find a few empty chairs near a lifeguard chair and install our towels on them as well as a small portable table on which we put the jar of pina colada and Julia and my famous mac and cheese balls.

"Sunscreen," Julia calls, showing her hand to Melanie who just finishes apply a first coat.

"One sec."

"I can't wait all day, you know? I don't want to get all wrinkly when I'm old."

Melanie rolls her eyes and throws her the bottle of sunscreen. "You're gonna wrinkly whether you put sunscreen or not."

"But I'd rather get wrinkly at 80 than 75."

"That's if I haven't murdered before."

Julia shoots her a killer-stare which makes Melanie believe that she will be the one doing the dying.

"Pass the sunscreen to me when you're done," I say to relieve the tension, pouring myself some pina colada in a margarita glass. The sun is burning hot today and, even with my sunglasses on, my eyes squint as I look at the ocean. "It's a good thing mom and dad are at the outlets today. They would have nagged us to put on SPF 100 today."

"And the last thing we need is to look like snowmen," Julia says.

"I would kill to be a snowman right now," Melanie says. "What were we thinking, going to Florida in summer? Jesus. I'll be sweating so hard on my wedding day that my dress will turn yellow."

"Um. Gross."

Julia finishes applying sunblock on her body. She goes so heavy on it that her mint bikini is now more white than light green. Melanie's bikini top is salmon pink whereas her bottom is black which shows off even more of the white sunscreen. Thank god for my red and white bathing suit.

"You know," Julia starts, eying me as I apply sunscreen on my face, "we really need to go bathing suit shopping."

"With what money?" Mel asks. "I'll still be paying for the wedding ten years from now."

"That's why you're marrying a doctor," Julia reminds her.

"Good call, by the way," I add.

Melanie starts laughing. I really am going to miss her laugh when she's out living her life with Nia. Well, it's not like I ever saw her more than two days in a row back in Boston, but now it feels more official. Now it's like a known fact that Melanie has someone she loves more than her sisters.

"But seriously," Julia continues. "I'm so tired of seeing Ella-Mae with the same bathing suit. My eyes are so bored. We need to go to the Outlet center."

I shrug. "I like my bathing suit."

I don't want my two fit sisters judging my not-so-fit body for over two hours. Because, when you're shopping for bathing suits with two very opinionated girls, bathing suit shopping can last hours. Besides, I don't like changing in front of people. Julia and Melanie don't understand why, but the reason is very logical, really. They are thin and tall while I'm, how do people say it these days? curvy. Curvy is just a politically correct way of saying that, when I have to pass between a chair and a wall, my cheeks become red and I pray I'll fit in because people will start thinking "oh poor, chubby girl." I honestly don't care that much. I'm still healthy and I swim a lot. So what if people say I'm chubby? It's the truth. I still don't like people seeing me almost naked, though.

"Yes, well I like Matt Damon," Julia counters on my previous argument. "You don't see me wearing him all the time."

That shuts me out. Melanie, on the contrary, bursts into laughter. She laughs so hard some pina colada comes out of her nose which makes Julia start laughing as well. I just stay there, smiling, looking at my two sisters being happy.

"Mel," I start when she calms herself. "What will we do without you?"

Melanie suddenly straightens herself. "What do you mean?"

"You're moving to Louisiana. How am I supposed to drink pina colada if you're not there to make it?"

Mel smiles. "You can call me whenever you want to. I can give you the recipe."

Julia and I look at each other.

"Are you going to come for Thanksgiving?" I ask.

"What? Of course, I am. And Christmas and all the birthdays in the world. Even on the French National day. I wouldn't do that to mom."

French National day is the equivalent of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined together in mom's eyes. She goes all out. I think it's the time of the year dad dreads the most because mom wastes so much money on decorations and food that we can't afford anything for the next two weeks. The worst part is she does all that but only for us. No one from her side of the family wants to come to the US when they could celebrate in France, and dad can't go to France because of something he did back when he was little.

"I'm not going anywhere, kiddo," Melanie promises me. To prove her point she takes a sip of her pina colada.

"How was your date with Iceland Boy?" Julia asks. She never was a big fan of the heartfelt conversation. But, when she's at it, she's a master. I think she knows that and doesn't want to annoy us with her deep thoughts even though they never annoyed me. Still, she always changes the subjects before it gets too emotional.

"Awkward," I admit. "But then we talked about it and we're giving it another shot."

Fannar and I promised each other to reveal our secret dating plan to no one. Because Julia and Mel would say it to our parents who would say it to Sabrina's parents who would say it to Sabrina who would say it to Alex. And Fannar, well, the only person he could tell is Alex, but that would ruin the entire purpose of our strange plan.

"Good girl," Melanie approves. "If Nia and I hadn't given each other another try after our first date. Man, I'd still be dating Lana the Looser."

"Ugh," Julia starts. "Hated that girl." She turns to face me. "When are you seeing him again?"

"I don't know... He has to work tonight so maybe tomorrow?"

Melanie grins like she just learned something that she could sue to blackmail me. "The girl knows the schedule, huh?

I throw the remaining little sip of pina colada on her. "Shut up!"

"Hey!" Julia shouts. "I got part of that! I'll get all sticky."

"Boo-hoo," Melanie says.

She then gets up and opens her beach bag. "Who's ready for a sandcastle contest?"

We're about to start when she takes a sip of her pina colada and stares at it for a good five seconds. "You added mint, haven't you?"

*************

What did you think? I'd love to have some comments! Hope you enjoyed, and off to the next chapter! I'll be publishing the next two very soon.

Little hint: We're getting a "fake date" soon ;))

Have a wonderful day ♥♥♥