Chapter 6
June
I’d washed James Hunter’s uniform, praying that it wouldn’t fade or shrink in the dryer because then there would have been hell to pay. Now it was eight thirty, and the week was about to end in the best way possible—with a few snacks, a book, and Netflix.
I’d just gotten out of the shower when a missed call from Amelia showed up on my phone.
“Hey, sorry I missed your call.”
“Can we pick you up tonight?” a cheery voice replied.
“Now?” I was incredulous. “We have homework due Monday, and I just got here—I should study,” I muttered, lying on the bed.
“So? It’s Friday night, June!” Amelia said, as if that would be enough to dissuade me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like to go out; it was just that nobody had ever invited me. I’d never been at the same school long enough to make friends. I’d been alone forever; how was I supposed to explain that to her?
“Where would we go?” I said as I looked at my body in the mirror. My shocking pink robe left my legs exposed—firm or big, I didn’t know what to think. They were the first things that drew my eye when I saw my reflection.
I knew I didn’t conform to today’s beauty standards, and even though my waist was nowhere near as narrow as the Instagram influencers’, I didn’t really care.
I always liked to eat dessert, and I was too lazy to play sports.
I’d taken rhythmic gymnastics classes in elementary school, but after that it was hard to join any teams because I moved around so much.
I didn’t know what people would think of me, and it was always hard for me to understand how they saw me.
I thought of Amelia. She was a typical classic beauty with a perfect physique that screamed at me that I needed to go on a diet. But even if I did, I’d never have legs that went on for days or that perfect waist-to-hip ratio. I wasn’t born with those genes.
“. . . so, it’s a beach party. June, are you listening to me?”
I shook my head vigorously to stop daydreaming and focus on her words.
“Yeah, sorry. A beach party, I get it. Who’s gonna be there?”
“Blaze will definitely be there,” she answered, as if that could convince me.
“Oh, okay.”
“What’s the matter? You’re not into him?”
If Amelia told me that William was coming, too, then maybe the conversation would end there.
“No, I mean, he’s really nice, and he’s cute . . .”
“Cute? How old are you?” She burst out laughing.
“Amelia, are you trying to set me up?”
“He talks about you a lot.”
“Blaze?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, fine. But don’t play matchmaker for me,” I reproached her.
“I’m not trying to, June. I promise. Brian and I will be there too. Dress cute and put on your bathing suit! We’ll pick you up in half an hour,” she yelled, brimming with excitement before hanging up.
“Bathing suit? But—”
I looked at my phone screen. Maybe the jeans and sweatshirt that I’d already picked out in my head wouldn’t work. Discouraged, I flung my closet door open.
I untied my robe and let it slide off my back, then put on a bra and underwear. I flinched as I stared at the marks on my inner thighs.
My swimsuit. No way.
I went through my clothes only to realize that I didn’t have anything summery or beachy to wear.
Diddly-squat. I opted for a pair of long, comfortable shorts and a top that was less sporty than the others.
I pushed up my boobs suggestively, showing almost too much cleavage, so decided to hide behind a comforting sweatshirt.
I considered myself satisfied. I dried my hair and kept it loose, then looked at myself one more time in the mirror. The white sweatshirt went down to my hips, hiding my figure more.
>> <<
Brian parked his Jeep in a big open space in front of Crescent Bay Beach, one of the most picturesque places in Laguna Beach, famous for its surfing and breathtaking sunsets.
“Crescent Bay’s dog-friendly, which is nothing to sneeze at,” Blaze said. “Some people say they’ve seen dolphins off the coast. And if you come here at dawn in the early-morning haze, the rocky formations are even more beautiful. It looks like something out of a fairy tale.”
“Thanks, Blaze. I think June gets it.” Amelia cut him off curtly. We reached the beach. I shuddered. There were girls in bikinis. Everywhere.
“You could’ve told me we were going to this kind of party,” I muttered in confusion. The closer we got to the party, the louder the music got, making it impossible to communicate.
“You wouldn’t’ve come if I’d told you!” Amelia yelled, letting a cryptic snigger slip.
That night, she was even more beautiful than usual. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded onto her shoulders in waves, contrasting with an ultramarine minidress that perfectly accentuated her olive-toned skin. She was barefoot, and the straps of her white bikini peeked out from under her dress.
I didn’t know why, but while I had imagined a bonfire, drunk people, glass bottles, and copious amounts of drugs, it was actually really chill.
Some well-dressed people and some dressed in beach outfits were holding drinks and talking.
Only the music coming from a beach house seemed slightly louder than usual.
“The beach is only open till ten,” explained Blaze as we went into the house.
“But whose house is—”
I understood what was going on as soon as I crossed the threshold. Everything I expected to find outside was happening inside. The smell of smoke nauseated me, hitting me in the pit of my stomach. I almost froze when I saw a couple passionately making out on the couch.
“We’d better go back outside,” I muttered.
“Let’s get something to drink, and we’ll head out, okay?”
I nodded, turning around to try to find Amelia and Brian, who seemed to have disappeared.
“Brian will have found Ari,” explained Blaze.
I followed Blaze to the kitchen. He didn’t seem particularly comfortable, but I sensed that he wanted us to stay for a bit.
“Are you avoiding someone?” I asked.
He blushed. He handed me a little bottle of water.
“June, you’re very . . .”
I didn’t hear the end of the sentence very clearly, but judging by the smile he shot me afterward, I guessed that he’d given me a compliment.
“I didn’t hear you, can you repeat that?”
“You look really pretty tonight.”
I looked into his black eyes curiously. “Uh, thanks.”
“I mean, actually, you always are,” he clarified. “I mean, you’re pretty at school, too, not just . . .”
Blaze picked up on my embarrassment and trailed off, as a hard shove sent him stumbling toward me.
“Dickhead,” someone said.
James Hunter and his friends pushed through next to us. I didn’t see who did the shoving, but Jackson was the one who’d said dickhead.
“You’re an embarrassment to men.”
Blaze was paralyzed, unable to utter a word.
I threw all courtesy and every smart thing I’d been taught over the years out the window.
“Hey!” I shouted. “The only embarrassing thing here is your stupid leather jacket, Hunter.”
Jackson turned around, and a clean-shaven guy turned around immediately after. But it was James who walked toward me. His icy gaze made me freeze.
“Still being a pain in the ass, are you? I told you to stay away from me, White.”
“It’s hard to stay away from you when you keep hovering around me.”
At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I was telling the truth. But despite this, I felt my knees go weak and my chin tremble. James clenched his jaw.
“Your point? What are you getting at, huh? That I want something from you, Snow White?”
“Judging by how much you manage to bump into me, I’d say so.” I raised my voice so everyone could hear me over the music.
James didn’t seem to appreciate my brazenness. He took a step toward me, forcing me to move back. I wrinkled my nose at the scent he gave off. He smelled good.
“In your dreams, White. I wouldn’t ban a prude like you even if you paid me . . . what was it?” His eyes narrowed into two threatening slits. “A million dollars.”
“Hunter, come on,” Blaze intervened. “Please, leave her alone.” The calm in his voice seemed to enrage James even more.
“Or what? You’ll tell your daddy so he’ll expel me from that shitty school again?”
As soon as Hunter looked away from me, I took control and pushed him away.
“Let’s go, Blaze. These idiots don’t deserve anything, especially not our attention.”
I turned but James grabbed my arm so hard that I let out a gasp.
“You’re playing with fire, princess. Watch out, because there’s no escape when I fight back.”
“Are you really so pathetic that you’d stoop to threatening a girl?”
Behind me, Brian’s voice broke the standoff. Amelia was with him. She shot James and his friends a look.
Two factions had formed again: Brian, Amelia, Blaze, and me against James, Jackson, and the clean-shaven guy whose name I didn’t know.
Amelia and James stared each other down. I didn’t know what had happened between them or what kind of hold she had on him, but suddenly, he decided it was time to stop.
“Let’s go. I’ve got better things to do tonight,” he said as he turned around. I wanted to know exactly why his bravado disappeared around Amelia.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to end up in the middle,” apologized Blaze. But his facial expression changed almost instantly.
“Wanna dance?” he asked, catching me off guard. I gave him a confused look.
“I’m used to these kinds of messes.” He shrugged. “You’ll get used to it. Shall we?”
“No, I have two left feet,” I tried to counter, but it was too late. Blaze had already taken me by the hand and was dragging me into the crowd dancing in the living room.
“I have two left feet too. Who cares, June?”
Even though I was reluctant, I followed his lead, improvising awkward moves. We ended up laughing at one another even more than expected.
“My mom would get so mad at me,” I exclaimed into his ear.
“Why?”
“I told her I was going to Amelia’s for a few hours, and instead I’m dancing with a bunch of strangers.”
“No, you’re dancing with a guy who’s nice to you.”