𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐩𝐬 ✓

32

"Check it out," Chase says, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the trees. My heart is racing from the adrenaline after jumping off the rocks. The sand is hot on my bare feet and I look up to see Faye walking down the rocks. It's unlike her not to jump.

"Someone had to carry your shit!" She shouts and I crack up, nodding. There it is. Now in the shade, I see what Chase brought me over here for. Hanging from a huge tree that has thick branches all the way up, is a tire swing. The rope on the swing looks new but I can't say the same for the worn tire.

"Sit. I'll push you." I do as Chase says, eager to try it out. Chase's hands hold onto the rough rope, just above my own, and pull it back as far as he can before letting me go. I shriek and kick my legs, hoping to gain more momentum, and the second I come back, Chase's hands push on my waist to propel me forward again.

"This is awesome!" I shout, gaining attention from the others who come over to take turns. Faye gets on after me, thanks to the gentlemen we've become friends with.

We spend the entire afternoon with the sun at its highest, jumping off the rocks, swimming, swinging, and for Faye and Chase, re-applying coat after coat of sunscreen to their fair skin.

"It's not fair," Chase says as I rub the sunscreen into the warm muscles of his back. I've been at this for so long that the layer is probably spread too thin, but Chase doesn't say a word about it.

"I know. Poor baby, born with beautiful porcelain skin. White people problems." Chase turns his head to glare at me.

"You're caucasian as well, are you not?"

"I am."

"Where are you from?" He asks the question I try to avoid.

"America. Born and raised, right here in Cali." I say with a fake smile. He sees through me but doesn't push. "So what was it like? Coming here."

"Different of course. But good. I fancied different. My sister didn't feel the same. She was sixteen when I left and my parents practically had to pry her off of me. It was awful."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Have you seen her much?" He shakes his head.

"Like I said, it's not easy to get back there. If there were an emergency I would go, but otherwise, we can't afford to."

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine. Do you talk to her often?"

"As often as possible, yeah." We sit in silence for a moment, both of us watching the ebb and flow of the waves. "I think you'd like her, you know. She's a genius. You two have that in common." He bumps my shoulder and I roll my eyes.

"Right. Ignoring that last part." I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips.

"I mean it. You're so much more intelligent than you let on. It's like you don't want people to dislike you for being smarter than them." I furrow my eyebrows and look down, kicking at the sand.

"It's not like I play dumb." I defend.

"That's not what I said."

I sigh. "I know. I guess I just don't want to give people a reason not to like me." I admit.

"Why does it matter if people like you? Besides the people you care about." Chase asks the million-dollar question.

"I don't know."

"Well, I like you. So hopefully that's good for now." Chase stands up smiling, pulling me up with him. Reece and Luke are tossing a frisbee on the sand while Faye annoys Maddox in the water. I catch the blue frisbee that was headed for my face in one hand and throw it back all in one motion.

"Can you please name one thing you're not good at?" Luke groans dramatically from a distance and I laugh.

"Where do I start? Singing, dancing, soccer, cooking, drawing, riding a bike..." I hold up a finger for each one.

"Riding a bike?" Maddox laughs as he joins us.

"I don't have great balance!"

"I have a motorcycle. I'll teach you." He says.

"I can't ride a bicycle, so I should learn on one with an engine. Bright idea." I sass. "And of course you have a motorcycle."

"He didn't choose the bad boy's life. It chose him." Reece jokes and Maddox shoves him into the sand easily.

"At least I'm not a hippie."

"Ladies, ladies. You're both pretty." I hold my hands up and smirk. The two of them exchange glances and look back at me. My expression goes from a cocky one to a fearful one.

"Kidding." I squeak and the two of them run at me. Turning to run, I sprint in the sand but the two of them are much faster and I feel strong arms wrap around my bare waist, picking me up and spinning me. Breaking into a fit of giggles as I'm thrown onto the sand and fingers dig into my sides, my body wriggles fitfully in an attempt to avoid their hands.

"Are your egos both so fragile that you can't be addressed jokingly as women?" I hear Luke's voice from above us and the tickling stops. Heaving breaths in, I send Luke a thankful smile and glare at Maddox and Reece.

Chase stands in the same place with his arms crossed, a content smile on his face. "You're bad at running away, Angel."