After school, Lizzy had to drag Alina to the beach. Their friend Mia was throwing a beach party and had invited them.
Lizzy grabbed Alina's arm and dragged her toward the beach. "Come on, Alina. You need this. Mia's been planning this party for weeks. It'll be fun, I promise!"
Alina resisted, "Leave me alone, Lizzy. I don't want to go. I just want to go home and cry. Marcus is going to make my life a living hell. I can't believe I let you bring me here." Her tone was low and sad.
Lizzy stopped dragging her and turned to face Alina, her eyes fierce. "Marcus is a jerk, and he doesn't get to control your life. You can't let him win by hiding away. We're going to this party, and we're going to have a good time. Mia's expecting us. And besides, you've got me to watch your back."
"You don't understand, Lizzy. It's only going to get worse from here. I feel so trapped," Alina sighed, looking at the ground.
Lizzy placed a hand on Alina's shoulder. "I do understand, Alina. More than you think. But we're stronger together. We won't let Marcus ruin everything. Now come on, let's go make some memories at this party," she said softly.
They continued walking, Lizzy continuing to pull Alina along. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder as they approached the beach. The sun was setting, its light casting a golden hue over the sand and the gathering crowd.
Mia waved her hand as she spotted them. "Hey, you two made it! I was starting to think you both wanted to bail on me."
Alina forced a smile. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mia."
Mia handed both of them drinks. "Here, this will help you relax. We're going to have a blast," she said excitedly.
Alina went to stand by the edge of the sand, and Lizzy stood beside her, still trying to convince her that coming to this party was a good idea.
"Trust me, Alina, Marcus won't be here," Lizzy assured her, eyes wide with sincerity. "I double-checked with everyone. He's definitely not coming."
Alina, hesitant but wanting to enjoy the evening, finally nodded. "Okay, fine. Let's go have some fun."
The beach was buzzing with activity. Music blasted from the speakers, and the smell of burgers filled the air. Alina began to relax, the tension easing from her shoulders. She was even beginning to enjoy herself when suddenly, the unmistakable roar of an engine pierced the air.
Alina's heart sank as a sleek sports car pulled up with a dramatic entry, kicking up a cloud of sand. It was Marcus; she recognized his car anywhere. He stepped out with a swagger, his group of friends trailing behind him. As he emerged, girls rushed toward him, giggling and fawning over him.
Alina's eyes widened in shock. "Lizzy! You said he wouldn't be here!"
Lizzy's face flushed with embarrassment. "I... I swear, Alina, I didn't know!"
Panicking, Alina quickly ducked behind a large beach umbrella, peeking out just enough to watch the scene unfold. Her disgust grew as she saw the girls throwing themselves at Marcus, vying for his attention.
"Unbelievable," she muttered. "They're acting like he's a rock star or something," she hissed. Just then, Marcus removed his shirt, revealing a set of abs that looked like they were sculpted from marble. Alina's jaw dropped. Despite her annoyance, she couldn't help but mutter, "Are those even real? My God," she said, blushing. "Get a hold of yourself, Alina. That boy over there is the devil," she reminded herself, squeezing her face back and eyeing him.
Just then, Marcus started to strip down to his shorts, showing off his toned legs and well-formed ass. To Alina's surprise, she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh!" her eyes almost popping out.
"Why are those asses so perfect," she said, imagining herself squeezing it. She was jolted back to reality by the screams from the girls all around Marcus, gushing and blushing about how handsome he was.
Alina eyed them. "No wonder he is so full of himself. Look at how they are disgracing themselves," she scoffed. Marcus and his friends went into the water to swim, and Alina came out of her hiding place. Lizzy, surprised to see her, asked, "Were you hiding here all along?"
"Douu! Of course. Don't you know he would have seen me if I didn't hide? This is all your fault, Lizzy. You promised me he wasn't coming."
"I swear I heard he was not coming. You even saw me when I asked some of our classmates. I'm really sorry, Alina. I really didn't know he was going to come."
"It's alright, Lizzy," Alina said, loosening up. "I know you didn't know, but I have to get out of here ASAP before Marcus sees me."
"You're right. I'm coming with you. Let's go."
"Really? Do you really want to leave the party on my account?" Alina asked, touched.
"Why not? After all, it's partly my fault you are in this situation," Lizzy said apologetically.
"Thanks for being such a good friend," Alina said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the distant laughter and music from the beach party.
Lizzy shrugged, her expression softening. "Don't mention it. That's what best friends are for."
Alina smiled, "I'm really lucky to have both you and Kendra in my life."
Lizzy's expression tightened, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Kendra?" she repeated, a hint of irritation in her voice. "You still think she's a friend after she snatched Evan from you?"
Alina sighed, the familiar tension of the topic creeping into her shoulders. "It's not like that, Lizzy. Kendra asked for my permission before she started dating Evan."
Lizzy crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I'm not buying it. Kendra knew how much you liked Evan and she still went ahead and dated him. She's a snake, Alina, open your eyes. You shouldn't trust her."
Alina shifted uncomfortably, looking down at her feet. "Can we just drop it? I don't want to talk about this anymore."
Lizzy sighed, her expression softening again. "Fine. Let's just go home."
Just as Lizzy was about to turn, a voice called out, "Alina, watch out!"
Alina spun around, eyes wide with confusion. "Who—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a ball came hurtling toward her, hitting her square on the forehead. The impact knocked her off her feet, and she fell to the sand with a thud, stars dancing in her vision, and everything went black.
When Alina opened her eyes, she was lying on the sand with Lizzy cradling her head. A concerned crowd had gathered around her. "Alina! Are you okay?" Lizzy's voice was filled with worry.
Alina groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I think so," she muttered, wincing as she sat up. "What just happened?"
"You got hit by a ball," Lizzy explained, casting a glare at Cole and Ken, who were responsible for hitting Alina with the ball. "Sorry, Alina," Cole said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We didn't mean to hit you."
"It's fine," Alina muttered, trying to sit up.
That's when she heard a familiar, smug voice speak.
"So you came and didn't bother to say hello?" Alina turned to see Marcus standing over her, a smirk playing on his lips. He looked even more infuriatingly attractive up close.
"Now, get up," he said, turning his gaze back to the concerned crowd that had gathered around. "You all can go; she is fine now," he commanded. They all turned and started to leave.
Alina stood up and slowly walked past Marcus so she could also leave. He caught her by her dress. "Where do you think you are going?" he said with a smirk. "You are coming with me."
Alina's face turned red with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Who does he think he is?" she thought, but before she could protest, Lizzy gave her a nudge. "Just go with him," Lizzy whispered. "Maybe it'll be easier to get rid of him that way."
"Fine. Lead the way," Alina said, her eyebrows furrowed in a frown.