Becoming the Luna

I wake up to the sun streaming in my room, the bright rays splashes over my face and disrupts my sleep.

I just yawn and stretch a bit, looking around to see that I'm all alone, it's a little surpring but…

Dale has been caught up in Nicole's hearing, I didn't want to testify plus my family didn't need that kind of publicity so it was easily made that I didn't have to testify, my phone held enough evidence anyway.

While, Virgil has had a gloomy mood around him for the past week now and he's always making long calls and I wonder if it's his parents that want him back.

It's fine though, I was already tired of the city, I wanted to go back to Pine Creek where it was quiet and I could wander around the edges of the woods or just spend time in my room reading.

Yanis had left the day before and my eyes tear up when I remember it now, he had delayed for as long as possible but I knew the time would eventually come when he would have to go.

We had only today left to spend anyway so hopefully I'll feel less sad when I get back home, I missed my mom too, I had barely seen her because we had spend most of the time lounging around in the house, going out once in a while to shop or sightsee.

We're going back earlier for reasons I'm not sure of but I don't mind, much to eager to start going already. Autumn is already close anyway, it was starting to get cooler.

I sit up and rub my eyes, holding out the edges of my hair in my line of sight, the pink is already fading away but it'll still be noticable for a while, even Virgil's and Dale's hair still have their edges dyed, souvenirs of our time here in the city.

I throw my legs off the bed, laughing a little. Thank goodness Shana hasn't been able to corner us in a tattoo parlour, I'm not ready for tats just yet.

Cleaning up is a breeze, the warm water welcome to my groggy state that came with waking up.

I put on shorts and a loose, thin shirt, my hair always gets in my eyes so I've taken to packing it up in the house, maybe I should cut off a few inches.

I walk down the stairs, unsurprised to find out that they're all asleep, they had spent a late night yesterday while I had just dragged Yanis up the stairs that I was feeling sleepy.

It might seem like I've been avoiding Virgil and Dale and maybe I have but in my defense they've also been so busy, I rub a hand down my face.

It's just so frustrating and complicated, and even though I keep putting it off I can't help but feel like the time when I would have to choose is just around the corner.

I just bring out a bowl from the cupboard to prepare cereal, we would go down to the private beach today.

We hadn't done that ever since the incident with Nicole and I'm a bit eager to get going.

The rest make their way down soon and Shana's hair is standing on end, I can't help but be curious even though I know I should probably just ignore.

"Hi guys! Shana what's up with your hair?" 

She blinks in confusion at this. "What do you mean?"

"Um, have you see your hair?"  I ask again while Virgil and Dale and trying hard to hide their laughter in the background.

She turns around with fury burning in her eyes. "What are you snickering at?" 

They both straighten quickly. "Nothing!"

She moves closer to a metal tray and uses the faint reflection to check out her hair and a short high pitch scream leave her, as she carefully touches the stiff locks.

By this time Dale is almost rolling on the ground from laughter and Virgil is chuckling right along.

I'm already done eating so I get up to check out what's going with her hair and I immediately retract my hand from the stickiness.

"Is this… hair gel?" I mumble in confusion but Shana isn't listening anymore, snatching a pan she tears after Dale and Virgil who already had a head start.

"I know it's all your fault, Dale and I'm never letting you morons sleep in my room again!" She yells, running after them.

"Ow!" Dale goes down when she yeets the pan at his back and I jump up in shock and worry.

"Shana!" I complain, hurrying to him.

She grabs me first though. "No fraternizing with the enemy." She says darkly. "Plus I need your help washing out the gel, pretty please." She begs with puppy eyes and I reluctantly agree.

"Virgil! Please help me check if Dale's okay." I call to him when Shana pulls me towards her room.

It was just a typical day at the beach house…

"I don't understand why Virgil and I are the ones carrying everything." Dale points out when we make our way to the beach later that morning.

"Because you idiots finished an entire jar of hair gel on my head which took hell to wash out, plus I'm carrying Hayden." She says importantly.

Virgil just gives her a blank look. "You're just holding his hand." He points out, armed with the picnic baskets and blankets while Dale effortlessly carries the umbrellas.

"Exactly my point." She nods, then turns to me. "Hey, Hay! Let's go find seashells while the boys set up the umbrellas." She invites me excitedly and I perk up, I wouldn't have been able to find if we had gone to the main beach.

"Wait what??" Dale exclaims but I'm already dragging Shana away in excitement.

I end up using my beach shirt to haul the shells because somehow Shana is a shell magnet and I kept hoarding the ones we found.

"Why the fuck is it so many?" Dale asks in surprise when we find out way back. 

"So we can make you into a mermaid!" I blurt out and Shana is already getting into the program.

"Wait!" But he's too late because Shana is already taking off his shirt and tackling him to the ground.

I drop the shells and go get Virgil too. "We have enough shells for two." I point out and Shana nods furiously.

"Take off his shirt, Hay." She throws over a shoulder at me already burying a squirming Dale.

My eyes widen at the implications of the and Virgil has that familiar look of amusement dancing on his face.

"O-Okay!" I agree, reaching for his shirt. "Come on squat a bit!" I complain to him when I have to stretch a bit to get to his top button.

He just places his hand over mine to help me and I mentally close my eyes while taking his shirt off, I'm already hot enough from the sun, if I got any horror I was definitely getting a heat stroke.

We end up digging a little before rolling them in and burying them properly, decorating them with the shells we had found.

At the end of it, I'm sweaty and the sand itches and I'm definitely sure that there's flecks of sand in my eyes but I'm laughing so hard, especially when Shana starts taking pictures and Dale poses for her.

We had added water to the sand so that they wouldn't be able to make it out by themselves, at least that was what was supposed to happen.

"Let's leave them here, Hay." Shana suggests evily but before I can give my positive reply they simultaneously throw out a leg.

We let out simultaneously screams of genuine horror before we're tearing away from them, feet pattering against the sand.

Virgil comes after me while Dale chases Shana, my legs are just short so it doesn't take long before Virgil catches up and I slam into him as he picks me up without breaking stride and turns around to make his way to the ocean.

He's laughing and the sand on his body is prickly, while I'm squealing, Shana is no better. Dale had throw her over a shoulder unfazed by her struggles.

The cool water slams into me like a wall and I'm laughing so hard that the salty water gets in my mouth which I struggle to spit out still clutching onto Virgil's shoulders.

Shana doesn't get off so easy, Dale had yeeted her into the water, a wide accomplished grin on his face and Shana doesn't come back up.

Just when we're starting to get worried, Dale goes down, she had swam underneath to tackle him and now she splashes out of the water with her hand up in the air triumphantly, shaking the water out of her long hair.

Dale does the same to Virgil who's still holding me and we go down together, our laughter evaporating in the afternoon sun.