A few weeks later, I found myself in the midst of a typical school day, navigating the familiar corridors of the building. It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria buzzed with the usual energy. I spotted Maeve and the gang at our usual table, and as I approached, I noticed they were deep in conversation.
"Hey, Jo!" Maeve greeted me with a bright smile. "Just in time. We're planning something fun for the weekend."
I sat down and glanced around the table. Max, Liam, and Sophie were all there, animatedly discussing their plans. "What's going on?" I asked, curious.
"We're thinking of going to the beach," Liam said, his eyes lighting up. "It's supposed to be great weather, and we could use a break."
I smiled at the thought. "That sounds awesome. Just lemme check my schedule."
Sophie grinned. "Sure! We can pack a picnic, bring some games, and just relax."
As they continued to plan, I checked my phone in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from Rachel.
Rachel: Hey, Joanne. Are you free this weekend? I was thinking we could finally hang out, maybe catch a movie or something.
I smile. Rachel had been trying to find time for us to hang out, and luckily I haven't said yes to this beach plan of Maeve's group. Maybe a hangout with Rachel is alright for now, I've been hanging a lot with the group anyways
Joanne: Hey, Rachel. I'd love to hang out, maybe we can plan?
Rachel's reply was quick.
Rachel: Toootally! Maybe we can hang at a beach?
She seems to have the same idea as the group, I guess we DO deserve the rest. I mean, mid-terms is just right around the corner, and we're all gonna be packed soon.
I quickly responded to her message, now that I agreed to Rachel, I felt a pang of guilt for Maeve and the gang, feeling the familiar tug-of-war between my different groups of friends. I looked up to see Maeve watching me, her expression curious.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
I nodded, slipping my phone back into my pocket. "Yeah, just making sure I didn't double-book myself."
Maeve raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Good. So, about the beach..."
"Yeah about the beach.." I catch the others attention as they curiously turned to me. "I can't go, I already made plans with someone this weekend."
Maeve's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, I see. Well, that's okay. We can always do it another time."
Sophie looked a bit disappointed but nodded understandingly. "Yeah, you may miss a lot of fun with us but, have fun with your own plans, Joanne."
Max raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, he gave me a supportive nod. "No worries, Jo. We'll catch you next time."
I smiled, relieved that they took the news well. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."
As I walked away from the table, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness about my upcoming plans with Rachel. The rest of the week passed in a blur of classes and anticipation for the weekend.
When Saturday finally arrived, Rachel and I met up at a cozy café near the beach. She was waiting for me outside, waving enthusiastically as I approached.
"Hey, Joanne! Ready for a fun day?" she greeted me with a bright smile.
"Absolutely," I replied, feeling my nerves ease at her warmth. "It's been a while since I've had a proper beach day."
Rachel laughed. "Same here. Let's make the most of it."
We grabbed some iced coffees and headed down to the shore, finding a nice spot to set up our towels and beach chairs. The sun was shining, and the ocean breeze was refreshing.
I changed into the bikini that Rachel had bought me, and covered myself with a white silk cloth that covered my body, but it was very see through. The bikini, has really turned some heads as I walked across the beach to our spot.
It didn't take long for Rachel to come after me, she was wearing a vibrant blue bikini that complemented her tan skin. She also had a light cover-up, but unlike mine, it was a simple white cotton dress that swayed gently with the ocean breeze.
I admire her figure, looking at her up and down. Now that I think about it, I wasn't able to get a good look on her body at the party due to the dim lights. Her curves were more pronounced in the daylight, and I couldn't help but feel a bit envious of her confidence. Rachel caught me looking and gave a playful smile.
"Enjoying the view pet?" she teased, striking a pose.
I laughed, trying to play it cool. "Just appreciating the scenery."
Rachel winked and started laying out her towel beside mine. "Well, I'm glad you approve."
She settles onto her towel, the sun warm against our skin. "Nice choice," Rachel said, giving me a playful wink as she took out some of her essentials. "That bikini looks amazing on you."
I felt my cheeks warm up slightly under her compliment. "Thanks, I mean, yu don't look so bad yourself." I turn to her giving her a playful smile, matching her vibe.
Rachel spread out her towel and sat down, stretching out her legs. "It's such a perfect day for the beach. I'm glad we could finally do this."
"Me too," I said, settling beside her. "I've been looking forward to it all week."
Rachel pulled out some sunscreen and handed it to me. "Want to help me out? I can't reach my back."
"Sure," I said, taking the bottle and squeezing some into my hand. I gently rubbed the sunscreen onto her back, feeling the smoothness of her skin under my fingers.
She gently groaned as she felt my touch on her skin. "Wow, Joanne, you would make a pretty good masseuse," she said, letting out another groan.
I blushed at the sounds she was making, feeling a mix of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite name. "Just trying to make sure you don't get sunburned," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.Rachel laughed softly. "Well, you're doing a great job. Thanks."
When I finished, she returned the favor, her touch light and careful. I felt a similar shiver run down my spine as she worked the sunscreen into my skin, and I hoped she didn't notice my reaction.
"Well you seem to have a sensitive back~" she mentions with a mischievous tone.
I blush and immediately stayed silent as she continued to apply sunscreen on me. "All done," she said, sitting back and smiling at me. "Now, let's enjoy the sun."
We spent the first part of the morning lounging on our towels, sipping our iced coffees, and talking about everything and nothing. The conversation flowed easily, and I felt more relaxed than I had in weeks. The rhythmic sound of the waves added a soothing background to our chatter. We chatted about school, our friends, and future plans, finding a comfortable rhythm in our conversation.
"So, any particular reason why you wanted to hang out today?" I asked, curious.
Rachel shrugged, her smile turning a bit shy, and her face warming up. "I guess I just missed spending time with you. And I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings after everything that happened."
I nodded, appreciating her honesty. "I get that. I've missed hanging out with you too. It's been a crazy few months, trying to balance everything."
Rachel gave me a sympathetic look. "Yeah, high school can be tough. But I'm glad we're getting this chance to reconnect."
"Yeah, mid-terms are coming up too—" I said, only to be cut off by an annoyed groan from Rachel.
"Don't remind me, please!" she dramatically laid down on the towel, covering her face with her hands.
I giggled and gave a flick to her forehead, causing her to flinch and uncover her face. "Hey! What was that for?" she said, laughing.
"That's for being so dramatic," I teased, sitting back down beside her.
Rachel sat up, rubbing her forehead playfully. "I can't help it. Mid-terms stress me out."
"Yeah, they stress everyone out," I admitted. "But I never thought that THE Queen Bee would worry about something trivial?"
"Exams were never my thing babes~" she says seductively, emphasizing the 'babes' word, easily making me flustered.
I clear my throat to answer, "have you not reviewed for mid-terms yet?" I look at her, now laying down on my side.
"Nope." She says with a proud smile, as I look at her with utter disbelief. "Well since you seem quite hopeless with this, I offer my services in having a study session with you after class."
"Ooooh study session? Don't you have like Maeve and her gang to hangout with and stuff?" Rachel asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well we usually hang at lunch then go at our separate ways after school so-" I state while looking at her. She nods in response and strenched.
"Well now that's out of the way." Rachel sat up and looked at me with a mischievous grin. "Wanna go for a swim?"
"Absolutely," I said, eager to cool off in the water.We ran down to the shore, the hot sand burning our feet until we reached the cool, refreshing waves. The water was perfect, and we splashed around, laughing and playing like carefree kids.
At one point, Rachel dunked me under the water, and I came up sputtering and laughing. "Oh, it's on now!" I said, launching myself at her and initiating a playful water fight.
We spent a good while in the water, enjoying the freedom and fun of the ocean. When we finally tired out, we floated on our backs, staring up at the clear blue sky.
"This is perfect," I said, feeling a deep sense of contentment.Rachel nodded, her expression serene. "Yeah, it really is."
We eventually made our way back to our towels, drying off and soaking up the sun. As we lay there, Rachel turned to me with a thoughtful look in her eyes.
"Joanne, I know things have been complicated with Maeve and everything, but I really appreciate you making time for this. It means a lot to me."
I smiled, touched by her words. "I'm glad we could do this. It's been really nice to reconnect."
Rachel gave me a warm smile. "Here's to more days like this."
We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging, talking, and enjoying each other's company. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and pink, we packed up our things and headed back to the café.
"Today was amazing," Rachel said as we walked. "Let's definitely do this again soon."
"Definitely," I agreed, and smirked. "AFTER Mid-terms."
She was surprised and giggled "Right, right, after mid-terms" she replied with a smile. "Take care Joanne."
As I headed home, I felt a sense of fulfillment. The day at the beach had been exactly what I needed—a break from the usual chaos and a chance to strengthen a friendship that mattered to me. I knew that balancing my different social circles would continue to be a challenge, but today had shown me that it was possible to find harmony.