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ON THE DOCK SITS A COUPLE kids tanning in their bathing suits. they lay on brightly patterned towels with their feet hanging in the water. next to them, they have drinks in styrofoam cups. from someone's speaker that's sitting carefully on an upside down kayak on the dock plays the song, this is america by childish gambino. as my eyes scan for the brown curly haired boy, i see a head pop out of the lake. the face glows in the sun, his shoulders getting sunburned as i see him swim nearby. he calls my name when i realize it's him. immediately, the first thing i say to the boy is, "you didn't put sunscreen on?" a question. a silly one, too, because it's so clearly obvious. the boy chuckles, i haven't seen him in a while. "is it that bad?" he asks, he's laughing, he's having fun. it's good to see him. i nod as he heroically lifts himself out of the lake and rolls onto the dock. it almost makes me want to melt as he gives me puppy eyes just looking up at me. he takes hold of my hand as i lead him up some stairs and to a table. in which there i find a bottle of sunscreen that i squirt out and rub him with. don't be confused, not to be taken sexually! gilbert and i are just friends, i do this because i care about his pain if he gets sunburned. just friends who like each other in that way, yes romantically. yet, someone does take it the wrong way. ruby. "blythe!" i hear her yell as she's heading over. out of panic, i drop the bottle and the sunscreen spills all over the wooden deck. she flinches when she's standing now in front of us. "you don't mind, anne? do you?" she's giving me code to leave. so i scoff, "i dont," and pretend i don't mind. even though i do. ruby and i are close now. preferably closer than ever, and yet i don't understand why she's trying to get with gilbert once again when she entirely knows we're basically made for each other. i'm being shooed away though, so i race down the stairs and lead my way to the water. i take my beach covers off, watching them fall on the floor. i take a huge leap into the water when i hear a squeal. i recognize it. "is that you?" i call out, i hear it again. but where is it coming from? "my artiste?" i call out again. behind me, i hear him say, "that's me." the next thing i know, i'm reunited with the true love of my life. i leap in his arms, in the water. my best friend slowly sinking then i hear a yelp from her. from the girl whom invited me. diana! "catch me," she whispers as she falls into the cold water. cole and i swim to her. i find myself almost forgetting about the ruby and gilbert incident as i'm distracted by the ones i truly and really love. cole and diana. my hardcore best friends.
