Page 246 of The Perfect Spiral
She claps her hands together in delight. “Feel your way down your body, pretending you’re fixing your bikini. Pull up your bottoms a little to make your bottom look perky. Then, once you’re done, smack your ass with both hands and turn your head around to face them.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, and she pouts. “Are you sure you don’t want to do that?” I ask her, glancing at the boys who are still watching us.
“Nope! I’m good. Now’s your chance! Do it! Pretty please,” she pleads again. I look out at the horizon, then trail both hands softly down my body. I hear her giggle, which makes me laugh a little.
My hands finally reach my waist, and I pull my bottoms up slightly while bending my leg for added effect.
“I’ve taught you well, chicka! Now for the finale!” I continue the charade, resting both palms on my ass cheeks and giving them a good smack.
I turn my head around to face the boys, and they’re a lot closer than they were before, their sunglasses frozen mid-air.
“Uh, Andy, were they that close before?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. She spins around to look at them, then turns back to me.
“Time to go!” She immediately picks up her board and makes a run for it, leaving me standing there. I quickly follow her, racing towards the sea.
We’re both on our boards, laughing at the stunned expressions on the boys’ faces. Kyle doesn’t look too happy, but I have to admit, it was pretty funny to see their reactions.
We paddle out farther together, waiting for the perfect wave. As we wait, Andy turns to me. “How have you been? Sorry I haven’t been around lately. I’ve just been—”
“With Kyle?” I finish her sentence. “It’s cool! He’s your boyfriend now. I get it. I’m happy for you both,” I assure her, and she smiles at me.
“I know you are. But you’ll always be my best friend. I’m here if you want to talk to someone. About anything. I won’t say anything to Kyle...”
“Thanks, Andy. I know you won’t. But I hate to put you in a position where he will get annoyed at you because you didn’t tell him about me and K...”
“Lord Voldemort?” She teases me with a splash. “She must have blackmailed him into a relationship or something... He never wants to be around her. It’s a weird one. I just don’t get it?”
She laughs, while I think back to the forgotten conversation they had outside the store on my birthday. The photos. But what photos?
“Aaaalexxx... hello? Anyone in there?” Andy waves her hand in my face to get my attention.
“Huh?” I snap my eyes back to meet hers, but she’s already studying my expressions.
“You’re thinking about something. What?” She maneuvers her board to face me, her eyes filled with concern.
“Noth—” I begin, but my words are abruptly cut off by a hand in my face.
“Don’t ‘nothing’ me. What’s going on? I can see the gears turning in that head of yours, doll. I’m your best friend, spill it!”
I meet her gaze, let out a huff, and glance around as if someone might be eavesdropping. But we’re alone on the open water. I’d been about to confide in her, but I change my mind.
“I just zoned out for a minute. I’m tired today. That’s all,” I lie. I need to figure this out on my own.
She gives me a skeptical look but lets it go. Her eyes dart behind me, spotting a good wave. We both paddle into position and catch the wave with ease. I take off, leaving Andy trailing behind me. Squatting low for better control, I swerve up the wave and spin myself around backward.
The adrenaline surges through me, fueling my energy. I hear Andy’s laughter behind me as we ride the wave until it dissipates. We paddle back out, earning applause from the shore, and repeat the process until we’re spent.
High-fiving each other on our surfing skills, we gather our clothes and head back to the house, the boys trailing behind us. Andy gets a playful smack on her ass from Kyle and she nudges him with her shoulder.
We toss our boards into the shed and head over to the outdoor shower. We share the showerhead, splashing and laughing.
A throat clears and we both look over to see the guys lounging on the stairs and sofa, watching us.
“You guys can be such pervs, you know that? Like you’ve never seen girls shower before,” Andy retorts, shaking her head. I laugh along with her, lathering shower gel over my body.
I feel Andy’s hand on my back, scrubbing off the sand. Her hand starts to drift lower, prompting me to spin around and slap her arm.
“Are you sure you’re not bi or something? I already teased them earlier, no more!” I joke. She rinses her hair under the water and sticks her tongue out at me.
