The next morning, I woke up shaken due to last night's conversation. He stayed in until twelve, nearly crashed on my couch last night but I told him that his room was just across the hallway.
After a long bath, I walked out into the living room and saw those two enormous bags of popcorn. I tried to eat as much as I could last night, but looking at them now, Shawn and I didn't even make a dent on them.
I carried the two bags the best I could and dropped them into the kitchen counter.
What am I going to do with these?
"Cam! Cam!" Laura knocked hastily.
Shawn has called me Clumsy so many times, I think I'm even forgetting my own name.
"Guess who I just spotted in the lobby?" She said with as much enthusiasm she could muster.
"Who?" I asked, her enthusiasm clearly spreading to me.
"Guess."
"Camila?" I said. I expected her to be here, she said we'll take a few snaps. Though she didn't contact me for days.
"No," She laughed. "Miranda."
"Why would I be excited about that?"
"Cam, did you not hear me? Miranda is here."
"Meaning?" I made absolutely no sense of what she was saying.
"Meaning we're going to torment her."
"For what?"
"Fun. Why don't you go hit on her since she fancies you." She ribs me with her freshly manicured fingers.
"Laura. I'm really, really not willing to do this. Besides, I don't know how to hit on a person."
"Come on..." She pulled the arm of my long sleeved white shirt.
Yes, I wasn't wearing a hoodie today.
"Puh-lease..." she continued.
I didn't know how to react. Miranda had mistaken me for a guy the first time I saw her. And if I hit on her it would give her a wrong impression on my sexuality.
I'm not gay– lesbian.
I don't have anything wrong against the lgbt community, but I don't want to be identified as one because I'm not.
"Laura, I'm not really comfortable with this. I don't want to play with her emotions."
"You won't play with her emotions, it's just flirting, it's harmless fun."
"Why do you wanna do this so bad?"
"Because she's there and I'm bored."
"Mmm." I looked at her intensely. "Bur only if you take me to Starbucks after this."
"Are you flirting with me?" She joked. "See, you already got it."
"No, I don't got it. It's called blackmail."
"Trust me, you got it." She assured. "But not in that. You look too pretty."
"Thanks?" I said not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.
"Come, let's get you something appropriate to wear."
She directed me into my bedroom and scanned my wardrobe.
"This," She pushed clothes into my chest. "Now hurry, we don't have much time."
×××
Laura fulfilled her end of the deal and took my sorry ass to Starbucks. It wasn't very far from the hotel.
We walked back, laughed at Miranda, laughed at ourselves, then laughed at ourselves laugh at Miranda.
Laura wasn't very happy paying for a full drink for me though. She said that my flirting skills were mediocre.
I told her that was the best I got.
"Aren't you going home now? This is the longest I've seen you out."
"Not just yet. Can we go down to the beach, I've always wanted to go there."
"I thought you were allergic to sunlight."
"No, just to people."
"That explains a lot."
×××
The beach was a pretty magnificent view. The only regret I had was not bringing my camera along to immortalise this immense beauty.
Maybe I'll come out tomorrow and get a few pictures taken.
Laura left me alone to flirt with some boy, just to show me how to do it. But I didn't really give her much attention.
I was too stunned by the beauty of this place. I wanted to stay here till sunset just to see how the colours in the sky will slowly fade in color.
I've always considered myself a nature devout. Nature is my god, and I usually spent my time worshipping it. In whatever weather or season.
"Did you see that Cam? I got his number. That's called not sucking at life."
"Or we can call it prostitution."
"Did you just call me a prostitute?"
"No, but if the shoe fits, feel free to lace it up and wear it."
"Shut your dirty mouth." She laughed.
"My mouth is dirty? It's a funny insult coming from the one dollar whore."
"Okay, that's it. Prepare to eat my dust!" She poured sand on me.
"Did you just..."
"Yes, and I'll do it again. Try me."
"Oh. I see." I grabbed the sand and spread it on her white blouse, giving it a blotchy colour.
Which led us to wrestle aimlessly around the sand.
"Don't you need swimsuits for that?" Shawn asked.
I looked up, immediately, embarrassed at my current position. Laura sat on top of me, her legs on either sides of my hips.
I got sand in her hair but she made it work, I could imagine how mine looked right now.
"Usually, but this is a street fight. What are you doing here?" I replied.
"I saw you guys coming here when I was by the hotel. I hope I'm not interrupting you two lovebirds."
"Nope. We were just from Starbucks." Laura stated.
"It's a shame I didn't meet you guys then, I really need a strong coffee. I'm exhausted."
"Probably from being that ugly all day, it sounds like a lot of hard work."
"If only your mouth worked this good for flirting." Laura said.
"You guys flirt?"
"Well, let's just say we were picking up Cam's special other." Laura answered.
"Miranda is not my special other, like you said, it's just harmless fun."
"I didn't know you flirt." Shawn wiggled his eyebrows.
I crossed my arms and slightly, just slightly blushed. "Don't make a big deal of it."
"You definitely got the hots for this girl, you're heating up."
"It probably because I didn't bring sunscreen."
Shawn's phone buzzed and he have the phone his undivided attention. I guess I found out his god.
"Um..." Is all he said.
"What?"
"It's Camila. Clumsy, she wants to know if you're free tomorrow."