I FUCKING LOVE SPRING BREAK.
As I guzzle down my second Flabongo in nothing but a cheeky, hot pink pair of bikini bottoms and black strapless top, I remember what all the dieting and gym time was for. In a way, I guess it’s kind of a blessing that I’ve been sick the past couple of weeks. I feel completely back to my old self now, though, and I clear my bong well before the Omega Chi pledge opposite me. He’s still struggling, holding the plastic Flamingo upside down trying to guzzle the beer inside it through the opening at the mouth while I’m passing mine off to the next contender. When his brothers start shoving him, teasing, I just wink and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Nice try, champ.”
He grins, his dark eyes scanning me slowly. They remind me a little of Jarrett’s, except this kid can’t be much older than nineteen and therefore his eyes are missing that bit of confidence — the assurance of a good time. He’s scrawny, cute, but just not Jarrett.
The sun is hot on my shoulders, no cloud cover to shield the rays, and I wiggle my toes in the hot sand as I make my way through the tents set up on Smathers Beach. There are students from all over the nation here for Spring Break and each tent has a university, fraternity, or sorority flag flying high. My eyes drift from the chaos to the bright blue, almost aqua water and I sigh, wishing more than before that Jarrett was here.
If this were any other Spring Break, I would have at least made out with five guys by now. There are so many eyes on me, so many easy targets, and yet I don’t feel compelled to aim my dart at a single one. I almost want to take a frat daddy back to our suite just to prove to myself that I can, but then I think about Jarrett, and the truth comes to light — I can’t.
Not now that I’ve had him.
“Hey sexy,” Skyler says, words slurring slightly as she smacks my ass. Her all black sunglasses reflect my messy bun and the bright water backdrop behind me. I smile, eying her brand new, bright coral and rhinestoned bikini. She’s catching a tan quickly, which makes it seem even more electric against her skin. “Tell me this isn’t the best Spring Break ever.”
“It’s pretty epic so far,” I agree, though I know something that would make it better. Or rather, someone.
“I’m hungry.”
“Let’s get some street meat,” I say, hooking my arm in hers and steering us toward the hot dog stand set up on the other side of the boardwalk.
Skyler scrunches her nose, leaning her weight on me. “That sounds dangerous.”
“There’s only like a forty percent chance you’ll get food poisoning.”
“Well when you put it like that… YOLO!”
My eyes scan the beach where our crew set up camp, stopping abruptly when I find Ashlei and Bo cuddled up on a blanket together. They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder, legs tangled, laughing. Ashlei occasionally plays with Bo’s short hair and Bo lazily runs her fingers along Ashlei’s freshly tan leg.
“I can’t fucking hold this in anymore,” I say suddenly, pulling Skyler to a halt just before the sand meets boardwalk. My hand flies up in the direction of Ashlei and Bo. “Sky. They’re fucking. Look at them.”
Skyler’s eyes follow my hand and she blanches. “Cassie and Adam?”
I frown, noticing Adam and Cassie leaned over Adam’s phone on the other side of the girls. Adam’s hand is resting casually on Cassie’s lower back and her cheeks are flushed, probably more from the heat and her day drinking buzz than him touching her. From what I can tell, it looks like they’re laughing at a cat video or something else equally uneventful. Cassie is about as prude as they come and Adam is still up Skyler’s ass as far as I’m concerned, no matter how he tries to deny it.
“Oh please,” I say, rolling my eyes and grabbing Skyler’s jaw in my hands. I squish her cheeks together and steer her eyesight toward Ashlei and Bo, who are now leaning so close I’m almost positive they’re going to kiss. “Those two.”
“Ashlei? And your Little?” Skyler’s brows shoot up. “No… you think? I mean they hang out a lot, but wouldn’t we know if they were… well… you know?”
“Skyler. Look at them.”
She does, even taking the effort to lift her sunglasses over her wavy brown locks for a minute. She has drunk eyes to the max – slightly smeared mascara, glassy surface – but I know she still sees it.
“Shit,” she murmurs, flicking her sunglasses back down.
“Yeah.”
I grab her by the elbow and drag her toward the hot dog stand. “I saw them kiss at semi-formal.”
“What?!”
I nod. “I didn’t tell anyone because I thought it was a fluke – a drunken kiss or something. I mean, shit, you and I have shared a few of those.”
“True. I saw Ashlei kiss her on the bar last night, but I thought it was just for show.”
“Maybe. But I’ve been seeing them together all the time, always touching, always sneaking off,” I add just as we reach the food stand. Skyler crosses her arms and eyes the menu. “I don’t care. I mean seriously, I don’t. But why won’t they just fucking tell us?”
“I don’t think it’s that easy, J-Love,” she says before leaning into the window of the food cart. “I’ll just take a hot dog and French fries, please.” She glances back at me. “Want anything?”
I shake my head.
“Anything to drink?” The man inside asks. He’s short, balding, light blue t-shirt covered with grease. Every inch of his exposed skin is tan and leathery, but I guess you can’t live in Key West and not be tan.
Skyler chuckles. “I think we’ve got the drinks covered.”
The man eyes the rowdy scene behind us and nods, taking Skyler’s wet cash. “Ain’t that some true shit.”
He ducks back inside and I chew my lip, still not wanting to let the subject go. “Look, Bo is my Little. She knows I’ll understand. And Lei is one of my best friends! It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Do you know one other girl in our sorority who’s a lesbian?”
I scoff. “I can think of at least three.”
“Openly,” Skyler adds, rolling her eyes. “Think about it. It’s not something you see often in Greek life, especially not at Palm South. Maybe they’re just taking their time. Or maybe they want to see if it’s serious before they say anything.” She shrugs just as too-tan man hands her a small cardboard box with her food. “Or, maybe, there’s nothing to tell. They could just be friends, Jess.”
“I highly doubt that,” I grumble, snatching one of her French fries and popping it in my mouth.
She chuckles. “Just chill. If they are together, they’ll tell us – when they’re ready.”
I’m still not satisfied, but I let out a long breath, conceding for the moment. “Fine.”
Skyler looks proud. “Great. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…” she trails off, her tiny hand cupping the rather large hot dog out of her box. “Wanna suck my wiener?”
“I’d rather bite it.”
“Oh, feisty!” Skyler waves the encased meat in my face. “Okay, fine. I’ll let you eat my wiener.”
“I bet you’d rather I eat something else, you cheeky bitch.”
“Hey, don’t post an offer you can’t come through with.” Skyler winks just as our feet reach sand again and someone chokes behind us. When we turn, two guys with pasty-white skin and University of Kansas tank tops on are staring wide-eyed right back at us.
Stealing Skyler’s hot dog, I carefully take nearly half of it in my mouth and bite slowly, letting my eyes flutter back. “Mmmm… so tasty,” I mumble around the mouthful.
The guys swallow, eyes shifting from me to each other before they scurry off.
Skyler bursts out laughing. “Oh my God, they’re going to have nightmares.”
“Or wet dreams,” I combat, sucking ketchup off my index finger.
“You’re such a bitch. I really am hungry,” she pouts, inspecting what’s left of her street meat.
“We can sixty-nine if you want?”
She shoves me just as we reach our spot on the beach and I fall easily into my lounge chair, still laughing and stealing another French fry on my way down.
“I love you,” I coo, blowing drunken kissy faces at her.
Skyler eyes me, fighting back a smile. It’s moments like these when I realize that maybe it doesn’t matter who’s hiding what. It’s not about my future with or without Jarrett, my tests next week, or the career path I should probably be shaping. Sometimes it’s just about living in the moment with your sisters. It’s about being young, and silly, and wild and carefree.
With a content sigh, I lean back in my chair and let the sun rays soak in, lifting my freshly filled Bubba Keg cup to my lips and tasting the fruity cocktail inside.
It’s good to be a KKB.