The beach
Amanda raced down the stairs, actively shocked at how fast it took Angela to get from their room to the path down at the beach. It seemed like everyone else had the same idea, because they were not too far after her.
She pulled open the sliding glass doors, acknowledging she was already the loser in the race, so she took the time to stop and catch her breath. The sun was still high in the sky, and a warm breeze wept over her skin. She closed her eyes to soak in the warm sun, listening to the sound of her friends laugh below her. Amanda heard the doors open again, turning around she was greeted by Damien who was covering himself in an obscene amount of sunscreen.
“I want to stay protected before I head down there, are you coming?”
“Yeah, I just needed a second to catch my breath and soak in the moment.”
“I get that. Do you want to walk down there together?”
“I would like that.” Damien took Amanda’s arm in his, and they made the leisurely walk towards the beach. Amanda’s feet met the golden sand and she welcomed its touch, she has been looking forward to this for so long.
From the beach she saw Shayne and Trevor attempting to surf on paddleboards, Courtney, Chanse and Arasha were laying down on their towels, Tommy was preparing snacks, and Spencer and Angela were nowhere to be seen.
Amanda and Damien walked to the group, and she let go of his grasp. This was a very platonic walk, just two good buddies.
“Where’s Angela?”
Tommy raised his eyebrow at her sending an “I know what you are up to” look, but Courtney answered first. “Ang and Spencer are seeing who can get knocked down by waves the fastest.”
Almost as soon as Courtney finished their sentence, she heard Angela’s shrill scream as a wave crashed on top of her, and she was knocked clean onto the sand. Amanda felt her body start to head in Angela’s direction, but Courtney assured her that they had been doing this for a few minutes, and so far no one was hurt.
“I really can’t see how that would be fun.”
“I don’t see it either, but, should we go join them?” Tommy laid out the last of the sandwiches, and Amanda stretched out her hand to help him up from the sand.
“Yeah we can.”
They were only a few yards away from the water, watching Spencer and Angela mercilessly get pummeled by the ocean was starting to make Amanda nervous.
“So Amanda. Do you like… Angela?”
“What?! No! Of course not! She’s just my best friend. Nothing else.” Amanda’s eyes were wide, her voice pitching up three octaves.
“Yeah of course. Because best friends sweet talk other best friends through turbulence, offer to share a bed, and look scared shitless when a wave takes over the other. Definitely best friends.” Tommy rolls his eyes and gives Amanda a serious gaze. “Amanda, you can tell me if you like her, I won’t tell anyone.”
The two of them slowed to a stop, only a couple of feet away from the water. Amanda let the waves reach her feet, and she dug her toes into the soaking wet sand.
“I really don’t know what to say. She is everything to me, I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
“Oh my god. Do you really like her? I was kind of kidding Amanda but this is great!” Tommy’s mouth hung open, looking like someone who just won the lottery.
“Tommy, no one makes me more mad than you.”
“You love me. Now, let’s go get our husbands.” Tommy took her hand, and they waded into the water. Slowly, their bodies moved up and down with each wave, but they finally reached Spencer and Angela.
Before she could call for Angela, a giant wave came crashing through, hurdling Angela straight into Amanda’s stomach. Instinctively Amanda wrapped her arms around Angela’s body, bracing herself for the impact of the hard ground beneath her. Wave after wave came, and Amanda could feel herself losing her air. She started to panic, she needed to get up and out of the water, and if she felt this way, Angela must have to.
She pushed herself up, using the strength in her legs to make up for the lack of arm usage. She shoved Angela out of the water first, feeling the small woman take in large doses of air. Angela turned herself around to hoist Amanda out of the water, and together they gulped in the air around them.
“Holy shit! Are you two okay?” Spencer tried his best to get to their sides, walking in water is the most awkward thing ever. Tommy was not far behind, as well as Shayne and Trever who had been surfing nearby.
“That was awesome!” Angela jumped up, readying herself to swim up the next wave. “Amanda, you saved my life! Let’s do it again!” She grabbed Amanda’s wrists, pulling her with all of her might.
“Ang, you enjoyed that? I thought I was going to die!”
“That’s the fun part! Ask Spence, he’ll tell you that that was nothing.”
Spencer looked between Amanda and Angela, but replied, “Actually Ang, a wave like that would have scared me too.”
“You guys are so lame.”
Amanda followed Angela anyway, but made sure to swim up when a wave came by, not submitting herself to it like Angela was. Hours passed by, but they felt like seconds. Angela was finally worn out, and paddled up to Amanda’s side.
“Are you done now?”
“Yes, but I’m too weak now, can you hold me?”
“Yes, Ang, I can hold you.”
Angela placed herself in front of Amanda, before surrendering her whole body weight into Amanda’s arms. Amanda held her up, enjoying the feeling of Angela’s half naked body pressed up against hers. They let the waves roll past them, sitting in silence, watching the sun dive deeper into the water. The warm hues shadowing Amanda’s tan skin.
“Amanda?”
“Yes Angel?” Amanda let the nickname roll off her tongue before she could stop herself, and she prayed that Angela did not care.
“Thanks for saving me from the wave earlier, I was actually a lot more scared than I was letting on.”
“I know.”
“You did?”
“Yes, but I would save you over and over again.”
Angela moved herself to face Amanda’s, their eyes meeting in earnest. Amanda’s eyes immediately dropped to Angela’s barely covered chest, then her lips, then back to her eyes.
“Um, we should probably get back to the house, Trevor and Tommy were planning on making dinner soon.”
“Oh, right. That should be good.”
“Love you Mandy.”
“Love you, Ang.”
Angela left Amanda, who stood there in the water for quite some time. Everyone else had packed up and went back to the house ages ago, but she and Angela weren’t ready yet. As she watched Angela go, she sank herself into the water, hoping no one would notice the tears that streamed down her cheeks. How many times can she casually tell Angela she loved her, before her crush destroys her soul from the inside out?