Alex woke up feeling something digging into his side, which happened to be Jack’s foot. He groaned rolling over onto his back tossing the blankets away in the process. He soon regretted getting rid of the blankets automatically feeling cold.
He crawled out of the tent with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders meeting Rian who seemed to be the only other one up. “Morning,” Rian said rubbing his eyes, “Wanna head and get something to eat?”
Alex nodded tossing the blanket back into the tent with Jack and dug for his jacket. He pulled it on following Rian into the car.
“Heat: on,” Rian said relieved warm air blowing through the vents. Alex remembered his phone in his pocket, so he figured he would just plug it in to get a charge when he had seen a reply from Margo. He unlocked his phone reading the message.
From: Margo Paisley~
Of course not! Go in the ocean on my behalf since I’m going to be stuck at a soccer game tomorrow with people I don’t even know the names of.
To: Margo Paisley~
That’s just something you’re gonna have to do yourself, darling(;
Rian took a glance over at Alex seeing his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. “What do you think we should pick up?” No reply. “Alex?” Rian poked the occupied boy’s shoulder who seemed slightly started for a moment. “Damn,” Rian laughed, “Margo?”
“Um, no,” Alex lied. Rian shook his with a grin.
“When you talk to her, you make it seem like she’s the only person in the world,” Rian raised an eyebrow at Alex.
“What do you mean?” Alex asked trying to see where Rian was coming from.
“You talk to her maybe even about her and you can’t seem to focus on anything but her. I mean, I’ve been there. Hell, I still am,” Rian couldn’t help but smile and let the red color come to his face lightly at the end.
Alex didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Margo was his best friend. How could he have feelings for her? Was it right? He hasn’t even thought about whether it would be a bad thing that he felt this way towards her. It was like it hit him when they first met and just evolved when actually talking to her. While he was off thinking these, she was off feeling the same way for another guy.
Alex followed Rian into the grocery store. At first, they weren’t too sure of what to get. They wondered if they should get things just for the morning or things that they could pick on all day. They soon settled on the second option grabbing different things that they could just pick on throughout the day.
They paid together and loaded the things into the car. Once they got back, everyone seemed to be up for the most part instantly grabbing at the groceries. No one was too sure about the time, but it seemed around ten. Everyone was wrapped up in blankets sitting out in the camp chairs with conversations began over little things. Alex pulled out a handful of pretzels from the bag popping them in his mouth one by one. He didn’t know what they were planning on doing for the next two days. Because honestly, there wasn’t much to do at the shore when it was practically winter. Too cold for the ocean, most of the shops closed, amusement rides closed. Then again, he hasn’t been in town yet which probably had more to offer with entertainment of some sort.
“You coming?” Jack asked Alex about an hour later. While Rian and Cassadee were more than ready to take a walk and do something together, it left Zack, Jack, and Alex to find something to do themselves.
“Where ya heading?” Alex asked already following the two boys.
“Guess we’ll figure it out when we get there,” Zack replied. They walked off the beach and headed downtown where things seemed more alive. There were people walking around and in and out of some of the shops that were on the street.
Downtown was a combination of a few blocks that the three boys could waste a few hours exploring. They walked through clothing stores—some even girls store for the hell of it—then got lunch at a little diner sitting at the corner. They were able to waste a good two and a half hours before heading back to the small campsite with a full stomach and need for excitement. Rian and Cassadee were already back with the same feeling—itching for something to do.
“Hey, I think I heard some people talking about some Halloween party going on on eighth street,” Alex said. He was listening to some kids talking behind him at the diner and figured mine as well bring it up. They didn’t have to know anyone, and a party did seem pretty good right about now.
“We should tear it up,” Jack said. They figured that they would head to the party around 7 or 8. Alex glanced down at his phone hoping there would be a reply from Margo but got nothing. She was probably at Jonathon’s soccer game watching him do the one thing he’s good at. The game would probably finish with him scoring the final game and running over to Margo where she could give him a proud hug and kiss. From there he would take her out some overly fancy place for a little post game celebration. Alex was hoping that’s all it would lead to but who knows.
“I’ll be right back. I’m gonna go find a bathroom.” Alex got up knowing that there was a McDonalds not too far. Again, trying to waste time. It didn’t take him long to get there, and once inside, he couldn’t help but relax from the heat. The smell of French fries and hamburgers were different from sand and saltwater.
Alex slipped into the bathroom, but once inside, a vibration from his phone went off. He was confused when answering the phone to hear Margo’s voice. It wasn’t a bad surprise. It was just a surprise.
“Hello?” Alex leaned back onto one of the sinks.
“Hey. I didn’t think you’d answer,” Margo replied with a weak laugh. She would try her best not to make things seem like they were that bad even if they were. No matter what it was, she would always make it seem better than it actually was.
“Everything good?” Alex asked her.
Margo hesitated taking a breath. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to see how it is down there,” she said. She tried to brush it off, but it didn’t get by Alex. If something was bothering her, he wanted to know what it was, and he was willing to pull it out of her.
“It’s cool. Cold, but cool,” he said keeping his tone light. “But I’m guessing that’s not the reason you called.” Again, there was another silence. Alex could only assume it had something to do with Jonathon, but that would be a big assumption. This would be one of the only times that would signify a flaw or shake in their relationship. It would also be the first time that Margo was opening up about her boyfriend.
“I don’t know. It’s not a big deal.” Margo said in the mix of an exhale.
“I’m all ears,” Alex told her. He moved from the bathroom and into a booth of the McDonalds back in the corner. Not many people were in there, but there was quite a line for the drive through. Margo seemed to be thinking of how to put her thoughts into words.
“I feel the worst girlfriend in the world for feeling this way,” she said. Alex highly doubted that she was the worst girlfriend in the world, but he let her continue. “After the soccer game and everything he and I were supposed to go and do something later. So before the game, he told me to meet him by the bleachers, so we can meet up and do something. I’ve been sitting here for almost an hour.” The idea of Margo waiting around for Jonathon to show up for an hour without the slightest notification from him was something that didn’t rub well with Alex. As if he was sitting with Margo, he shifted his facial expression to a scoff and look of discomfort and disgust.
Considering Jonathon was such a stickler with plans, what made him the thought of standing Margo up? Alex, at the moment, was too sure on what to say. All he did was allow his shoulders to drop.
“Why would he do that?” was all Alex could spit out before almost literally slapping his hand to his face. Wow, real supported. What makes him think that she knows why Jonathon didn’t show up?
“I don’t know. Maybe he was mad, because I brought up the beach camping trip with you and everything.” Scrunching his forehead, the boy couldn’t help but react in a startled way. Margo didn’t say much about John, so she most likely didn’t say much about them. The best assumption was John didn’t like the idea of Margo leaving to hang out with her friends, so he probably wanted to repay that even though Margo stayed with him. Turns out, that was the case.
Alex was silent as Margo spoke up. “Alex, say something. Anything.”
“There’s a lot I could say,” he replied keeping his voice low. There were two ways he could go with it, and he was torn between which way to go. The two consciences were battling against whether to tell her that he isn’t worth her time or maybe he got caught up in something and didn’t mean to leave her. Regardless whether the second one was true or not, he was dying to say the first. But what If that wasn’t what she wanted to hear?
“Then say it.”
Alex didn’t think. He just spoke the first few words that flew into his head: “He probably didn’t mean to leave you. Maybe he got caught up in something and forgot to call to will call you soon. I’m sure he didn’t mean to.” Alex hated saying it; mostly ‘cause he didn’t believe himself, but it seemed to be the only thing he could do.
“Maybe, but hey, would you mind doing me a favor? Do you don’t have to, I was just wondering…” Margo trailed, “would you mind coming to get me?”
Alex tried to contain his grin to the best of his ability before reply, “Not at all.”

Notes

thanks so much for reading and please keep voting and commenting and subscribing! xxx

-Gii