Grace’s idea of a good Saturday is shopping and checking out the guys at the mall. My idea of a good Saturday is driving two hours out of the way and spending at the beach. It had been so long since I had been. Well, a month to be exact. I visited a lot over the summer, but since school started back I hadn’t been.

The only problem…I was grounded. That’s what happens when you stay out all night and don’t call your, worried out of her mind, mom. Now Grace and I sat on the phone discussing ways to get me out of the house for the day. None of which were good ideas.

It seemed our friends…or I guess I should use that in the singular context, had other plans today with her bad boy. I now refer to him as her “bad boy problem”.

Farrah was currently spending her Saturday with Brody and his family, while Megan, our not so much friend, was doing God only knows what with no one knows who. I could take a guess though.

After our somewhat lengthy argument of what we should do today, I eventually won with my beach idea when I reminded Grace that there would probably be more guys at the beach than the mall. She seemed really excited about it after that.

She really needed a boyfriend. Well, let’s face it, we both did.

“So how will we sneak you out?” She asked.

I groaned. “I don’t know. Technically I still have one more day of my sentence left.”

“Any chance you could get off early with good behavior?”

“Doubtful. My mom likes rules.”

“Don’t you at least want to ask her?”

I rolled my eyes at the mere thought of dealing with my mom. “I don’t know. Do I? You’ve met her.”

“Just ask,” she insisted.

I sighed. “Fine, I’ll ask, but if she kills me for doing it you’ll know what happened to me.”

I hung up the phone with Grace and forced myself downstairs to find my Mom. I knew she was in the kitchen when I heard her on the phone with one of her friends.

When I entered she hadn’t noticed me and was still standing over the stove stirring a pot and gossiping about someone named Angela in their book club that was having an affair on her husband. I took a seat next to my sister Cynthia at the counter as she played on her phone when I noticed the necklace she was wearing and frowned.

“Is that my necklace?” I asked her.

She didn’t look away from her phone as she answered me. “Yeah. I liked it, so I took it.”

I scoffed. “Where did you even get it?”

“Your room.”

“You invaded my privacy? I told you you’re not allowed in there!”

She rolled her eyes. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like you even wear it.”

“That’s not the point. It’s my stuff.”

“Would you two stop arguing? I can’t even hear myself think,” Mom interrupted.

She was no longer on the phone anymore and was pouring the pasta she made into five bowls and sat them on the table. When I counted the bowls I knew one thing.

“Is dad here?” I asked her.

Since their incessant arguing lately, dad had rarely been home. He spent most of his time at work and on the golf course practicing his drive. It was a new hobby he’d picked up when one of his coworkers invited him to play after work last week. Since then he spent almost every evening there.

“He’s upstairs packing,” she answered.

“Don’t tell me it’s another business trip,” I said.

She only nodded with a grim expression on her face.

“Where’s he going this time?”

“Barbados.”

I huffed. “You mean he gets to spend a week in Barbados and we’re not going?”

“Yeah, because apparently we can’t miss school,” Cynthia said mockingly.

Mom told us to come to the table before calling for my brother and dad then taking her seat. When my dad walked him I greeted.

“So I hear your leaving us again,” I said.

“Yeah. There’s a conference I have to be there for.” He walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottled water then took his seat at the table when my phone beeped with a message from Grace.

Did you ask yet?

“You know the rule Olivia, no phones at the table. You too Cynthia,” Mom said.

It’s just lunch, I thought to myself. I placed the phone down by my bowl.

“It’s Grace. She was wandering if I could go down to the beach with her today.”

“You should go,” Dad said. “You’ve been home a lot this week.”

“That’s because she’s grounded until Sunday,” mom said matter of factly.

I rolled my eyes at her and picked my spoon up to eat.

“Let her go,” Dad argued. “I’m sure she’s learned her lesson by now.”

I smiled brightly at my dad. At least someone was on my side.

“How would you know? You’ve not been here all week and you don’t even know what she did,” she retorted.

Here we go.

“I’ve been working.”

Even I knew that wasn’t completely true.

Mom glared at him. “Playing golf is not work.”

“Its stress relieving,” he stated.

I shook my head and covered my ears. I could not endure another day of this. It was getting unbearable to be in the same room as them anymore.

“Please stop,” I groaned.

Both mom and dad looked at me with surprise on their face then shared a glance between each other. When mom looked back down at her food dad grunted and casually went back to his.

When the silence settled back in I was almost afraid to ask again, but I knew I needed to. I needed to get out of this house a while. Dad would be my only chance of that happening.

“So um…is the beach out?”

I crossed my finger and prayed. Please let her see reason.

Mom sighed heavily over her pasta bowl. I knew then that I had won this battle and smiled.

“Okay Olivia. I guess we have been a little unbearable this week. You can go.”

I jumped out of my seat before even finishing my food and smiled.

“Thank you! Thank you!” I said to them and gave them both hugs.

I nearly ran to my room from happiness. I quickly texted Grace the good news and with the promise she’d pick me up in an half an hour, I tossed my phone aside and began to get ready.

Grace and I showed up at the beach two hours later with our iPods, sunglasses, towels, and beach bags with our other necessities. After changing into our beach attire in one of the few huts set up on the sand, we were laying in the sun soaking it in.

While I scrolled through my phone checking my Facebook notifications Grace flipped through a Seventeen magazine she brought along with her and began skimming through the articles.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” she said.

I rolled my eyes. “No I don’t think your ugly, and yes you will get a boyfriend.”

She looked up from an article she was reading and shook her head. “No. Not that. I was just thinking about Farrah. Have you noticed anything different about her lately?”

I looked up from my phone and sat it down. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. It’s just… she seems different. Different for Farrah I mean. Kind of distant.”

“Oh. That. You noticed too?”

She nodded.

I sighed. “Well. I might as well tell you the truth then. I know Farrah can trust you with it.”

Her eyes widened and she leaned in closer like she was waiting for a big piece of gossip. Which I guess it kind of was. With Farrah’s newest mentor we may be losing our best friend to the dark side. I wasn’t so sure I trusted Thomas let alone his friends.

Grace and I were both laid on our fronts by the time the story ended and her mouth was agape in disbelief.

“I can’t believe it!” she said

“I know.”

“I mean I really can’t believe it! Who would have thought Blake and Megan would ever do something like that? He’s just so nice and well…she’s our friend. At least I thought she was. Now I don’t really know what to think.”

“I know. People can surprise you sometimes.”

“That’s an understatement.”

She shook her head still shocked and began scoping out the people on the beach around us. Her eyes fell on a volleyball match close by and she smiled.

“Hey, you wanna go play?”

“No. You know I hate sports.”

“Come on, Olivia. It’ll be fun?” She begged. “Plus, there are guys over there.”

Oddly enough that didn’t encourage me to go.

I smiled at her. “Knock yourself out, Grace.”

She seemed a little disappointed with my answer but nodded. “Okay. But are you sure you won’t come? Even for a little bit?”

“You go,” I said. “Have fun. I’ll cheer you on from here.”

“Fine, but if I meet any hot guys I won’t even tell them you exist.” She giggled and got up to go join them.

I plugged in my ear buds, turned up my music, and lay my head down on my hands rested in front of me. The heat on my back made me lazy and soon I found myself closing my eyes and soaking it in.

My mom and I used to come to the beach a lot as I kid and we’d always set up towels and an umbrella, putting the twins under it to play while we relaxed. It used to be our thing until she got too busy for life. We haven’t been to the beach together in at least three years. I kind of missed it.

I wasn’t sure how long the sun had been beating down on my back, but after I was confident it was enough I rolled over giving my front a chance under the UV rays. I was vaguely aware of a presence next to me when I opened my eyes again and I smiled.

“Well, did you meet anyone special?” I asked Grace.

“I’m looking at her.”

My eyes quickly widened and my heart took off in a race. That’s not Grace’s voice. It’s was a little too deep to belong to her. I quickly sat up and let out a surprised scream ready to make a run for it. I didn’t come to the beach to be stalked by some creeper.

When I turned to face the person, I quickly recognized him as the nuisance in my life, and frowned. He rolled over on my best friend’s towel holding his sides in roaring laughter and at that point I only hoped I was still dreaming. Now way, no how was it possible for him to be here with me right now. I just couldn’t accept that.

I narrowed my eyes at him then proceeded to pinch myself. Imagine my surprise when I wince in real pain. I groaned. Nope. I was definitely was not dreaming. Well crap.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

Thomas’s laughter stopped as he turned back over to look at me, but his grin remained. “Last time I checked this was a public beach.”

“Oh, didn’t you read the sign? No animals allowed on the beach. That includes you. Sorry.”

I’m not sorry.

“It’s okay. I mostly human.”

I raised my brow. “I don’t believe you.”

“So…” he looked down at the towel he was currently laying on then back at me. “You here all alone?”

I let out a fake giggle. “Funny. It’s sad that you don’t have anything else to do besides annoy me.”

He ignored my jab and invited himself to use my iPod. He pulled the buds from one of my ears and placed it in his before scrolling through my playlist changing every song after a few seconds of singing them as obnoxiously as he could.

“You know, my eleven year old brother acts more mature than you,” I stated with the roll of my eyes.

He ignored me. It wasn’t until the volleyball from the game going on next to us come flying in, and hitting me in the head, that he finally spoke to me. Well…laughed at me.

I scowled and rubbed my head. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s pretty funny.”

“Is not!” I smacked his arm making him laugh even harder. “Ugh. You live to annoy me.”

He shrugged coming down from his laugh high. “Everyone has to live for something.”

I picked the ball up from the ground and threw it back toward the short, red haired girl that was on her way to get it, when she gave me an apologetic smile. She stopped a few feet away from us and said, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I told her. “But next time try to aim a little further and see if you can hit him in the head. I’d be willing to pay for that.”

Her eyes switched from mine to Thomas’s then she blushed. I turned in time to see him wave and wink at her. With a smile she turned away from us and ran back to her friends who were waiting for the ball.

“You really have no limits do you?”

He shrugged. “Why should I? It’s not like I have a girlfriend.”

“Please. Like that would even stop you.”

He feigned hurt and placed his hand over his heart. “Ouch. Are you trying to say that I have the inability to say no?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

He sat up on Grace’s yellow sunflower towel and crossed his arms over his chest “I’ll take that challenge.”

“It wasn’t a challenge, Thomas. It was a statement.”

“Why? Don’t think I can do it?”

At this point do I even need to answer that question? I think I’ve made it blatantly obvious exactly what I thought.

“Hey, Thomas, you coming, man?”

Thomas and I both looked toward the voice and discovered his friends had finally found him. Kyle and Jake were both staring at him with puzzled expressions on their faces after they spotted it was me he was keeping him company.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” he said.

He stood up in front of me, dusting the sand off his legs then stood tall. It was only then that I could be in full view of him and my mouth fell open.

Oh holy cheese and crackers. He was built! How did he even get abs like that? My eyes were glued to them. Perfectly sculpted, firm looking, and oh so touchable. If only I could just-

“I’m gonna prove you wrong Olivia, and when I do, you owe me a date. A real one.”

I quickly pulled from my thoughts and shook them out of my head. No Olivia! Bad!

“W-what?” I asked him.

“A date. That’s what you’ll owe me when I prove you wrong. Give me a month.”

I slowly began to smirk. “A month? You couldn’t even go a week. That I am confident of.”

He smiled a real genuine small at me then. It was nice.

Oh geez.

“Okay. It’s a deal. In one week I’ll have you eating those words Olivia Harris.”

When he walked away from me I stared after him in shock and I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew my full name or because he actually thought he was going to win this bet. Or maybe it was because deep down I knew there was a small chance he could and then I would be completely screwed. And also…a little excited too. That, however, he’ll never know.

Me on a date with Thomas. Who would have thought it?

On our way back to my house Grace asked to stay the night me, but once I explain to her that my parents were arguing again she invited me over to hers. Since her parents were home again she claimed they were driving her insane and needed more friend time.

I agreed because I knew my mom wouldn’t have any problem with it seeing as I had been subjected to her and dad’s problems all week while I was grounded and thankfully she felt guilty.

When I arrived, and was proved right, I gathered a small overnight bag and my keys and followed Grace to her house in my car.

For the first time I had been over to hers in a month her parents were actually waiting for her to return home and even had Indian food waiting on the table…or I guess I should say floor. It was an India tradition.

It was rare that her family ever really acted like a family and it seemed that tonight they were giving it a try. Maybe they were feeling bad for spending so much time away from home and were making up for it.

“Olivia,” Sandra said a soon as I walked inside the house and engulfed me a hug. “It’s so good to see you again. How’s your parents?”

“Great,” I lied. “Couldn’t be better.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said as she released me then turned to her husband. “Pete, look how grown up little Olive is.”

I winced at my horrid childhood nickname. You’d think it had everything to do with my name, but you’re wrong. Combine that with the fact that I used to love Olives as a kid, like more than the average person, and there you go. What do you have? That’s right. Olive. It was a phase then. I’m completely over it now. In fact, I hate Olives so much it makes me sick to think about them.

“Mom, you saw her three weeks ago,” Grace said.

“Well she’s looks older….and wiser,” Sandra giggled. “Come here, Olivia, and let me show this beautiful piece of pottery Pete and I picked up in India. I’d love to know what you think.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “At lease let her eat first.”

“Yeah guys, I’m hungry. What did you get us again? Indian food?” Deacon said.

That successful distracted their mom and her face lit up. “Yes. I figure since you kids didn’t get to join us on our latest trip you might enjoy some of the cuisine we did. I’ll bet you didn’t even know there’s a little Indian restaurant in town next to that book store they just remolded. What’s it called?”

“You mean Barnes and Noble?” I guessed.

“That’s the one! Anyway, they have the best food. I can’t wait for you to try it.”

I had to hold in my laughter at Sandra, but it was always so hard to do. She was a bit…eccentric. Her husband was as well, but not nearly as much as her. It was odd that neither Deacon nor Grace were anything like them. Not a bit. Maybe they were adopted.

Dinner was interesting to say the least. I could count on one hand how many times I had eaten a meal on the floor on cushions. It was definitely a unique experience and kind of fun. I was actually kind of jealous of Grace’s parents. Though they weren’t home much, they always d come back with cool stories about their trips and the neatest souvenirs.

They took at least four trips a year outside the U.S. At other times they were like tourist and traveled the states to the most famous locations taking pictures and sightseeing. Usually Grace and Deacon got to join them on those adventures, but only if it was during summer break or an extended weekend trip which only caused them to miss a couple of days of school.

I wish I could be so lucky which is why I was delighted when Sandra invited me on their next trip to Alaska. I’d never been, but the thought of getting to ski there excited me. That was a year ago right after she also invited me on a road trip with them. Hopefully they’d plan that trip soon.

By the time Monday rolled around my dad had officially left us for his “business trip” to Barbados and my mom had sank into depression in his absence so I was more than glad to be a school that day.

It was boring and excruciatingly long as always, but when I finally arrived in Food1 later in the day it got a little more interesting.

Thomas actually bothered to show up for class and to my surprise he was sitting at our table alone. No Julia, no Tracey, no one. Just him. He was wearing a smile the entire time I stood there stupidly trying to figure out why his bed buddy was sitting across the room and not with him.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

I blinked a few times and shook my head in confusion. “No. Not much.”

“Really? Because you look like you’ve never seen this class before.”

I pulled by bag off my shoulder and dropped it on the table in front of him as I took my seat. I still didn’t know if I should trust him. Something was definitely wrong.

“It seems like our table is emptier than usual. Did Julia finally realize she was sharing your bed along with the rest of the female population?”

He chuckled. “It’s funny how you pretend you forgot about our bet.”

Damn. The bet. Of course.

“Oh were you serious about that?”