John had left the house early that morning, around 9 AM, to meet up with his friends, Ivan and Joseph. They had made plans to visit the mall and hang out with Rachel and her friends for the day. Upon arriving at the entrance of their school, where they had agreed to meet, he saw Ivan and Joseph already waiting for him.
Ivan was the first to notice him and waved enthusiastically.
Ivan: Oh there he is. (waving at John) HEY!!!
Joseph: (crosses arms, smirking) Finally. A part of me thought you were going to bail on us.
John: I mean, you guys literally threatened to find my house and drag me out already. I'd rather not go through that.
Ivan: (chuckles) True. Hey, that's a really nice shirt you got there..
John: You think so?
John glanced down at the black shirt he was wearing. It was one of his newest additions, something he had splurged on a few weeks ago when his paycheck from Ms. Marie arrived. The shirt, from the popular ORIGNAL brand, was sleek and expensive, with the word "ORIGNAL" boldly printed in white across the fabric.
Joseph: (curious) How much was it?
John: I think it was around five thousand?
There was a moment of stunned silence before both Ivan and Joseph reacted.
Ivan: What?!
Joseph: Five thousand?? How the hell did you afford that as a high school student?!
John: (raising an eyebrow) I have a job, remember? And for the record, I'm 18. So I'm not a kid anymore.
Joseph: That's true.
Ivan: Well, Mr. Adult, did you bring your trunks with you?
John: Yeah.
*****
The mall was buzzing with activity when the boys arrived. As they approached the agreed meeting spot, they saw Rachel and her two friends, Leanne and Tyla, all dressed stylishly for the summer outing.
Leanne, with her long blonde hair tied into a neat ponytail, was well-known for her many relationships—more times than the rain fell in a year, as some would joke.
Tyla, on the other hand, had short black hair and a perpetual expression that made her look uninterested in everything around her—though that wasn't always the case.
Rachel was the first to spot them and waved them over. Tyla, upon seeing them, subtly blushed and quickly adjusted her hair.
Rachel: You guys were late.
Ivan: Blame on this dude. (gestures to John)
John: Hey, (raising his hands in defense) at least I showed up like I said I would.
Ivan & Joseph in unison: Hey girls.
Leanne: (smiling) Hello!!!
Tyla: (blushes) H… hello.
John: (scratches his head, glancing around) So, what's first on the agenda?
*****
The next five hours passed in the blink of an eye.
First, the group explored the arcade section of the mall, competing in nearly every game available. They laughed, cheered, and collected handfuls of prize tickets, which they later exchanged for small trinkets.
Afterward, they headed to the cinema and watched a blockbuster movie that lasted two and a half hours. The film was filled with action, humor, and a few emotional moments that had the group engaged throughout.
Once the movie ended, they made their way to the train station, where they hopped on a train that took them straight to the west side of town—where the beach awaited them.
Upon arriving at the beach, the boys quickly changed into their swimming trunks, but the girls, as expected, took their time. As they waited outside the changing area, John took a moment to step onto the warm sand, sinking his feet into its soft texture while gazing up at the clear blue sky.
John: (sighing) So, this is summer huh?
Ivan tosses a bottle to John which he instantly caught with his hand.
Ivan: Better put on some sunscreen before you fry.
John: Yeah sure.
Just then, the girls finally emerged from the changing rooms—but instead of wearing the modest swimsuits the boys had expected, they stepped out in revealing three-piece bikinis.
Unbeknownst to the boys, the girls had planned this in advance, going shopping the previous day to pick out swimsuits that would tease them. Their plan worked flawlessly.
Rachel and her friends giggled when they saw the boys' reactions—red-faced, eyes darting in every direction except at them.
Rachel: (smirked) Come on guys. The beach is waiting for us.
As Rachel walked past John, his gaze instinctively drifted downward, catching sight of her ample breasts subtly bouncing with each step. For a split second, his mind replayed what Ivan had said the other day about Rachel's figure.
John (to himself): Damn… Ivan wasn't exaggerating. They're huge.
Feeling a sudden heat rush to his face, John quickly turned his head away, hoping no one had noticed. Meanwhile, Rachel smirked to herself, fully aware of the effect her swimsuit had on John.
*****
The rest of the day was spent in unfiltered joy—swimming in the salty ocean, playing beach volleyball with strangers, and even building sandcastles like they were kids again.
By the time the sun began to set around 5 PM, they were exhausted but satisfied. After getting dressed, they made their way to a beachside stall and ordered barbecue skewers, savoring the rich, smoky flavors while engaging in lively conversation.
It was their last summer together as high school students. They wanted to make every second count.
As they finished eating, Ivan and Leanne went to pay the bill, only to encounter a long line.
A few minutes later, Tyla suddenly said she wasn't feeling well and excused herself to the bathroom, with Joseph accompanying her.
That left John and Rachel alone at the table.
Rachel noticed the situation immediately and felt a small blush creep up her cheeks. Yet, when she glanced at John, she found him staring down at his phone, a soft smile on his lips.
The same smile she had noticed before.
The same smile he had refused to explain.
Rachel pursed her lips, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration.
Rachel: (to herself) Hmph! We finally have some alone time, and he's too busy smiling at his phone to notice me? I even went out of my way to get a skimpy swimsuit, hoping he'd at least look at me more than once. But he barely even glanced at me. Just one quick look, then nothing. What could possibly be so interesting on his phone that he'd rather focus on it than me? I'm right here, aren't I?
Feeling two eyes burning into him, John finally looked up. Rachel was staring directly at him, completely still.
Curious, John put his phone down and stared back at her.
For a full minute, neither of them spoke.
Eventually, Rachel turned away, flustered, and John chuckled.
John: (smirking) You seem energetic today, Rachel. Did something happen?
Rachel: (crossing her arms) I mean… it's our last summer together. Of course, I want to enjoy it. (pauses, then frowns) Actually, I should be asking you that question. You've been on your phone this whole time and totally ignoring me.
John: Sorry.
Rachel: (curious, leaning closer) So, what's making you smile so much?
John hesitated.
John glanced at his phone and back at Rachel. He hesitated.
The truth was… he had been rereading his chat with Lonelygirl4556.
Ever since he woke up that morning, through the mall, the beach, the cinema—89% of his thoughts had been about his conversation with her. The way she spoke, the way she made him feel… it lingered in his mind constantly.
But he couldn't tell Rachel that.
Before he could come up with a response, Leanne returned.
Leanne: (grinning) John, Ivan's card isn't working again. He needs you to help pay the tab.
John let out a tired sigh.
John: Again?
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In fact, he distinctly remembered the last time Ivan found himself in this predicament—card issues, payment delays, the same old story. Back then, John had advised him to get a new PayBank card to avoid situations like this. But, clearly, Ivan hadn't listened.
Leanne, standing beside Rachel, shook her head and crossed her arms.
Leanne: He said he'll pay the money back to you.
John let out a heavy sigh, pushing himself up from his seat. Without another word, he made his way toward the front of the line where Ivan was, no doubt to sort things out. Meanwhile, Rachel slumped slightly in her chair, disappointment clear on her face as she watched him go.
Leanne, noticing Rachel's expression, sat down beside her and gently nudged her shoulder.
Leanne: So… today's plan didn't work, huh?
Rachel exhaled slowly, her gaze fixed on the table in front of her.
Rachel: No, it didn't. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough… or maybe I'm just not pretty enough to catch his eye.
Leanne scoffed, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
Leanne: No, no, that's not it at all. Trust me, you're plenty attractive. With those huge boobs of yours, you could make any guy lose his train of thought just by walking past them.
Rachel blinked in surprise at her friend's bluntness, half-amused, half-embarrassed.
Rachel: Leanne!
Leanne only smirked.
Leanne: I'm serious. The problem isn't you.
Rachel blinked, clearly puzzled.
Rachel: Then… what is it?
Leanne leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.
Leanne: I've been paying attention, you know. I saw the way he was smiling before you even got his attention today. And not just today—I've noticed it before, even when we were in school. It's different.
Rachel: Different?
Leanne nodded knowingly and raised two fingers.
Leanne: Yeah. And I've got two theories. One—maybe he found something funny on the internet that keeps making him smile all the time.
She paused for a beat before smirking.
Leanne: Or two… there's a girl behind that smile.
Rachel barely registered Leanne's teasing smirk. Her heart skipped a beat at the second option, her chest tightening with unease.
Rachel: A..girl?
As soon as the words left her lips, her mind raced back to the days before John's sudden change in behavior. She had thought nothing of it at first, but now that Leanne had pointed it out, it hit her—John had indeed been acting differently. The shift had been subtle, but it was there. The constant smiles, the distracted look in his eyes, the way he seemed more engaged with his phone than usual…
Rachel felt the unsettling realization settle in like a weight on her chest. Was there really someone else?
Leanne, noticing the dazed look on Rachel's face, lightly tapped her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Leanne: Look, Rach, if you really like John, you better act fast. Because from what I can tell, someone else might already be trying to take him away from you.