Down the Shore

Living a few hours away from the shore had its advantages; we didn't need any pricey plane tickets to enjoy a sunny break over the summer, so long as one of us had a car. And when we all had a chance to get off work and other obligations, our group of four did just that.

"Woo! Beth! You ready?!"

'Course, getting a good spot on the beach took getting up pretty early. Walking out my door at about 5:30 am, lugging a backpack and basically dead on my feet, I was equally amazed and annoyed by Becky's seemingly unending energy. Jess, behind the wheel, greeted me with a cup of coffee as took my place in the passenger seat.

"Ready for the trip?" Jess asked. I could tell that she was mostly genuine; we'd been planning this trip for a couple weeks at this point. But looking into the backseat, at Becky who was already halfway into her iced mocha, and an Amanda who was either sleeping with her eyes open or drawn into the book in her lap, I knew she was hoping we wouldn't be stuck in this car for too long.

"Let's just hope there isn't that much traffic," I replied, taking the first sip of my coffee and trying to make myself as comfortable as I could for this beach weekend.

We were driving on a ways, making small talk as best we could. Well, mostly it was just me or Jess responding to Becky's caffeine addled motormouth. Jess was all ready for the beach, purple tank-top and tight khaki shorts leaving her toned limbs exposed, even as she gripped the wheel. I noticed the ties of a black bikini poking out around her neck and hips which, looking back, I wish I'd thought to do as well, instead of just sleepily throwing on some underwear and casual clothes, stowing my swimsuit in my backpack. Becky was in a short pink cover up, ready to toss it right off when we got to the beach, but it looked like Amanda had climbed right out of bed into the car, with messed up hair, a t-shirt, and pajama pants.

Light conversation and looking at my friend's outfits could only offer so much stimulation, and even despite the coffee, I was feeling myself start to drift off. I let my eyes slowly shut, hoping that when I woke up, it would be from Jess shaking me awake in front of the boardwalk.