(no subject)

[prettydamngood]

Steve loves the beach. He loves it in all weathers but he particularly loves it when it's hot, when he can spend the whole day there, with a magazine, with soda. He spends most of the day sprawled out on a blanket on the sand reading or napping but, when he wakes up, he feels hot and sweaty, hectic, and it's definitely time for a swim. He leaves the majority of his stuff on the sand and he plunges into the water, submerging and swimming until he starts to feel comfortable in his skin again.

He wades out, shaking water from his hair as he goes, only realising after he's done it that that's potentially antisocial. He pushes the heavy weight of his hair back from his face and grins at whoever he just splashed.

"Shit, man," he says. "Sorry."

Comments

[lost_boy]

"You have a lot of hair," I replied, even though I was hardly one to talk. One of the workers at the Home had been pestering me to get a hair cut and I thought I would go sooner or later, but I hadn't gone just yet and my curls were close to my shoulders at this point.

I just hadn't used it to splash anyone.

I'm hardly offended by a little water, so I smile at Steve to let him know I'm only joking. People are polite here, far more polite than any of us had ever been on the Island, but I knew how to behave. My memories of my mother were still fuzzy and only partially constructed, but I knew she had taught me to be polite.

[prettydamngood]

There's a moment of cognitive dissonance while he figures out whether he's talking to Elio or Jamie but, once he's figured it out, he grins.

"Yeah," he says. "I'm probably due a haircut, right?" He keeps thinking that he ought to get something more modern, but he never gets around to it. It's like he's clinging on to something from his past, something tanible that's still Hawkins.

[lost_boy]

I shrugged, because although I knew that was rude when dealing with grown ups, I had see enough other kids do it that I didn't think Steve was going to think I was brushing him off. Besides, I hadn't cut my own hair in so long, I didn't think I was anyone to talk.

"I think only if you want to get one," I told him. "They keep trying to make me get one at the Home."

But it was clear I hadn't yet. I thought maybe I would want to eventually, especially when I had to go to school, but I liked it like it was right now.

[prettydamngood]

"Oh, shit, right," says Steve. He'd been eighteen when he arrived here, so I hadn't ended up there - he's pretty sure Hopper wouldn't have let it happen, anyway. He'd have ended up like Lois, living with Jake. "Sounds like they're not having that much success, though?"

[lost_boy]

"Not yet," I said, sitting up finally and draping my arms over my knees. I loved the beach, I loved being close to the ocean and while I usually preferred to swim, the sand and sun had felt so nice today. It was warm and comfortable and I knew it was lazy, but it felt nice to be lazy.

"Maybe before school starts," I added. "They keep telling me I should look presentable." But by the tone of my voice, it was clear I didn't care about looking presentable at school. I wasn't sure why it should matter so much.

[prettydamngood]

"I think being respectable is probably overrated," says Steve, dropping down to sit in the sand beside Jamie. "It's one of those things that adults think is really freaking important, while there's other stuff going on."

[lost_boy]

I thought maybe they were a little mad at me because of the fight I had gotten into and they thought if they were to clean me up physically, I might behave better. I had tried to explain about the fight, that they had been picking on someone smaller, but the boy whose knee I had kicked had told his parents and they had called the Home to complain.

"I think they think if I look less like a wild kid, I'll behave less like one, too," I admitted.

[prettydamngood]

"I don't know, man," says Steve, shaking his head. "I've known a lot of kids around about your age and, in my experience? Doesn't matter what they look like. And if adults think it does? They're freaking idiots."

[lost_boy]

It had felt as if I wanted to be a grown up for such a long time that I'd never considered what I might do when I got there. Steve's assessment makes me grin, I can't help it, and I rub the back of my hand against my mouth as if it might erase the smile.

"I like being sixteen," I decided. "I thought I wanted to be a grown up, but sixteen is pretty good so far."

[americanexcess]

Veronica laughs, rolling her eyes. It's just like a teenage boy to make a mess and then apologize.

Scratch that. Half the guys she knows don't think to apologize, so he's already one up. And it doesn't hurt that he's cute and she recognizes him — from the sleepover at Ellie's, she's pretty sure.

"It's fine," she says, propping herself up where she's been lying back and sunbathing. "Actually, it felt good. Maybe it's time I got in the water."

[prettydamngood]

He's definitely seen her around, somewhere. Probably at Ellie's, or somewhere he's been hanging out with Lois. He pushes his hair back from his face and grins down at her. "I wouldn't be adverse to going back in, if you wanted to..."

[americanexcess]

"Well, I could use the company," Veronica says. She takes a sip of her water and then gets to her feet. What good is a cute bathing suit if she's just going to stay on dry land? She offers her hand, a playful smile on her lips. "I'm Veronica."

[prettydamngood]

Steve takes her hand, giving her his best winning smile. It feels weird to just shake her hand, especially since he's wearing swimming shorts, so he shakes it but also tugs her a little closer to the water. Yeah, he's flirting. Maybe he's tired of being hung up on a girl who doesn't like him back. Again.

"Steve," he says. "Harrington. I've seen you before somewhere."

[americanexcess]

Veronica giggles, letting herself be led and charmed both, stepping toward the water. She's spent the last few months missing Archie with all her heart, no matter how hard she flirts with other boys. That won't stop her from continuing to try.

"I get around," she says, shrugging. "But no, I remember you. Ellie's party, right?"

[prettydamngood]

He'd mostly hung out with Elio and Lois at the party, but he definitely remembers her. He keeps hold of her hand, drawing her into the water with him.

"That was a fun night."

[americanexcess]

"Very," Veronica says, grinning, following him out into the water. It's bracingly cold when she first steps in, but after all this summer heat, that's refreshing. She huffs out a laugh. "Honestly, I wasn't sure there was fun to be had here before that party. I live in an orphanage, and it's so dreary."

[prettydamngood]

Once they're both in the water, Steve lets go of her - he doesn't want her to think that he's a creep, after all. He sinks down in the water, letting it lap around his chest, his breath catching a little bit.

"Oh, you're at the home, too?" he says, thinking of Jamie. "That's...yeah. I'm sorry. That's got to suck." Steve is more than grateful for having his own apartment.

[skepticgirl_1]

"Rude," I laughed when Steve realizes that, you know, there are other people at this beach. I don't mind, of course, because the spray is small and mostly avoids my blanket, which is really the only thing I care about keeping dry.

"How dare you get me wet at a beach?"

[prettydamngood]

"Should have come into the water when I asked you to," says Steve, flopping down onto his own blanket beside Lois and grinning over at her. "S'what you deserve."

[skepticgirl_1]

"Yeah, no, I'm not properly roasted yet," I replied cheekily. I got here after he did, after all, after he had texted me, so I hadn't had enough time to brown.

"A little later. Then I'll return the favor." I shook out my much longer hair in a much less impressive fashion.

[prettydamngood]

"Yeah, yeah, okay," says Steve, digging around in his bag for a coke and then holding one out to Lois. "Your tan doesn't need much work, Lane. We've been spending a lot of time at the beach this summer."

[skepticgirl_1]

"I've lived a lot of places, Harrington, but none of them through the summer, with this nice of weather. I need to take full advantage of every good little thing I'm given."

I take the can of soda and give him a bump with my shoulder, ducking my head to hide a mildly shy smile. (I'm working on it.) "People included."

[prettydamngood]

Steve takes the compliment in the way it's intended, takes the smile and nudges her back with his shoulder.

"You're not so bad yourself, Lane," he says, grinning. "Don't stress. You're my number one."

[skepticgirl_1]

"Yes." I make a little fist pump of success before opening up my can.

"So who's your number two? Don't say Hopper."

[prettydamngood]

"Totally Hopper," says Steve, grinning. "I mean...I suppose we could talk about people I've kissed, but you're pretty much the only person I hang out with on the regular."