Him

Beach Talks

This doesn't really follow the TV series storyline because it's been a while since I started this story and don't exactly remember when everything in the show happened.

I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, but I figured with this quarantine and basically being done with school (I was student teaching this semester and it got cancelled) I would start writing again. I'm going to try to write a little bit of a chapter every weekday to hopefully get a chapter out sooner than I have been! Hopefully y'all like it!

- Alyssa

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*****One Week Later*****

After the party last week, I don't think I ever want to go to another party because of my hangover from hell. Scarlett told me that Craig didn't officially break up with Nicky because she ended it with him by getting back together with J, which I guess is a good thing. I wanted to text Craig to check on him, but I don't want to go after him and seem like a rebound.

Since I have the day off today, Scarlett and I decided to just take it easy and go for a bike ride and get some lunch at one of the restaurants by the beach. As we rode down the street, I thought about Craig. There is so much that I don't know about him, yet I have all these feelings that are irrational and don't need to be having. He just broke up with Nicky and I want something real, not just an easy hookup. We finally got to the pier to find somewhere to eat and decided on a small burger place. Scarlett was droning on about her latest adventure with Deran while I was not really listening, when she threw a French fry at me.

"What the hell?"

"You weren't listening to anything I was saying for the last 10 minutes." She said as I just gave her a shrug. "You should just talk to him."

"Who? Craig? No, I want to give him some time to think about everything that went down with Nicky before I even go there."

"Well, I don't really think that you have time for that." She told me dipping a fry into ketchup and eating it.

"Why's that? I don't plan on seeing him for a while." I said taking a big drink of my Coke.

"Because Deran and Craig are walking in right now," I choked on my drink as she spoke, "and by the looks of it coming towards our table." Scarlett started waving at them. I turned around to see Deran and Craig sauntering over toward us, Craig with a smirk on his face. Deran sat next to Scar, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a kiss, while Craig turned his chair around and sat backwards on it next to me.

"Hey Layla. What's up?"

"Hey Craig. You know, just working and hanging out at the apartment."

"Sweet. You want to get out of here? Those two are making me nauseous." Craig motions over to Scarlett and Deran with his head and as I look up, I see them basically making out in front of us.

"Yeah let's go. She can pay for lunch." I replied laughing. Craig chuckled and grabbed my hand as he practically dragged me out of the restaurant. We both chuckled as we got out of the restaurant and let go of our hands. We walked by the beach for a while. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was just comfortable. Every once in a while, as we were walking, our hands would brush and I felt sparks every time it happened. I needed to know where his head was at with Nicky and I couldn't help but ask.

"So...I heard about you and Nicky? Are you okay?"

Craig just chuckled and replied, "Yeah, trust me I'm fine. I was ready to break up with her anyways. She was snorting all my blow. I went through twice as much when we were together." I just rolled my eyes. I already knew that Craig was into drugs because I saw him using at his house party and at Renn's. It's fine because he seems like he's in control, at least most of the time, around me.

"Oh well, I'm sorry that you two didn't work out." I'm trying to be supportive without seeming super excited because I didn't like her, at all. Craig just smirks and give me a look that tells me that he knows I'm not really all that sorry.

We find a place by the beach to sit and just people watch as we have causal conversation. After a while of talking and some comfortable silence, Craig out of nowhere just asks, "Do you want to come to Deran's bar with me tomorrow?"

My head snaps towards him in shock; one because he basically just asked me on a date and two I totally forgot that Deran had a bar. "Umm–what?"

"I'm going to hang out at Deran's bar tomorrow and I think it would be cool if you came with me. Maybe have a few drinks, on Deran of course. What do you say?" Craig asks with a wink.

"Umm, yeah sure...yeah I'll go with you. That would be fun!"

"Great! Do you want to me to pick you up or meet you there?"

"I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good. I'll walk you back to the restaurant so we can meet back up with the love birds. Deran is blowing up my phone saying that we need to go meet with Smurf." He held out his hand for me to take as we started walking back down the beach. We walked back and saw Scarlett and Deran leaning against his green Jeep.

Scar turns toward me with a smirk on her face, "You ready to go?" I nod my head and she turns back to Deran to give him a kiss and heads back towards the bikes. I turn to say bye to Craig and, as I'm about to leave, he gives me a quick peck on the cheek. I blush and turn heading back towards Scarlett. She gives me a wink because she just saw the whole thing. We get back on our bikes and head back to the apartment.