(by jones)
Recap:
Beau nodded and started back towards his own house, Roxy watching him almost wistfully. Her hand closed around the smooth door handle of the house and turned.
"Damn," she muttered loudly, and then turned her gaze to a little keypad above the door knob and racked her mind trying to remember the code.
Stupid self locking system. Stupid expensive security thingy. Stupid parents, stupid house.
Beau heard her and came over again, his hair dripping water. "What's wrong?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Roxy groaned. "I'm locked out."
Beau arched his eyebrows, and then a gleeful expression crossed his face. "Oh really? How'd you get out here then? Climbed down a tree?"
As if she'd ever climbed anything in her life.
Roxy glared at him. "No. There's this stupid expensive locking thingy that. . . well, it locks automatically at night, even when you walk outside. The idea is that you're supposed to remember the password code to get it to open again and then. . . . "
Key word: idea.
"So type in the password code," Beau said in such a tone that he might as well be saying Yes little child, when you eat food, you're not hungry anymore.
Jerk.
"I forgot it," Roxy growled at his tone. The security system her parents had installed was proven to keep out burglars, but apparently, it also kept out forgetful teenagers.
He seemed to debate this in his head for a while, clearly enjoying himself. "Well. This is a predicament, isn't it?"
She continued to glower at him as Beau took his sweet time.
"I guess you could come to my house," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And crash for a night---"
"No way," Roxy snapped sharply. That was one thing she'd never do. Because number one, she'd always had a small suspicion that the overly nice Mrs. Jenkins would smother her with kindness until she couldn't breathe, and partly because she didn't really trust herself at his house at night. Alone.
Wait, what? That hadn't come out right at all.
"Or you could stay out here and sleep on the ground," Beau shrugged, as if he didn't care. "I heard there might be rain tonight, but oh well. Builds character, right?"
Oh yes. Anything that doesn't kill you only builds character.
Roxy fought with herself on this one, not appreciating the fact that Beau was having the time of his life watching her. A warm house vs. sleeping outside. Oi.
"Fine."
Beau's face changed from amusement to delight until Roxy jerked his shirt, and this his body, towards her so that they were nearly nose to nose.
"But get this straight," Roxy snarled, glaring into his playful green eyes. "Anyone, anyone hears about this at school, you are going to wake up one day, very confused, in Wyoming. Do you hear me?"
Beau delicately unclenched Roxy's fingers from his shirt and smiled cheesily. "But of course," he smirked.
Arrogant brat.
"Lead the way," Roxy said reluctantly, following Beau to his rich house and inside. It was all dark except for the moonlight that filtered inside the house and glinted off the kitchen sink.
It was kind of spooky. Sure, Roxy had been in his house at night before, but that was usually when their parents played dominoes or when she babysat Beau's little sister. But it seemed weird tonight.
Really weird.
Beau silently took her up the stairs and into the deserted guest bedroom, where it seemed that Mrs. Jenkins had raided Pier 1 Imports for all its lamps and pillows. Roxy shivered again, remembering that her clothes were soaked and Beau noticed.
His eyes seemed to soften in the moonlight, and he disappeared into his own room for a moment before returning with a tee shirt and basketball shorts.
"Thanks," Roxy mumbled, looking at her bare feet. He almost was too nice to her sometimes.
Almost.
Beau smirked and tilted her chin up with one finger. "No problem. Sweet dreams princess."
He closed the door behind him and Roxy slumped on the giant guest bed, her mind whirling. Something about that Beau Jenkins simply infuriated her, and then something else made her feel. . . . . like there was nothing to worry about.
Quickly in the moonlight, she shed her soaking wet clothes and reluctantly pulled on Beau's clothes, noting how they smelled like a boy (but then again, duh.) and then climbing into the bed.
Her head nearly sank in the giant mass of pillows and disappeared, but she adjusted herself and fell asleep fast.
He'd called her princess. . . .
~~~~~
"Goooooood morning."
Roxy was harshly yanked out of her dreams and sleep and gave a start, sitting up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room staring at. . . .well, a familiar face.
"She awakes!" Beau announced gleefully to no one in particular. He'd been sitting at the foot of her bed and looked curiously at Roxy's disoriented expression.
"Whadimisit?" she grunted, suddenly feeling self conscious about her hair and her clothes. . . . . wait, what?
Roxy tugged at the unfamiliar shirt until the memories of last night came rushing at her. Water fight. Cold. Locked out. Cold. Beau's house. Warm.
"10 in the morning," Beau grinned, sliding off the guest bed and pulling on the Venetian blinds so as to blind Roxy with sunlight. "You sleep very heavily. I thought you were dead."
"I wish I was dead," she groaned, yanking off the covers and sliding off the bed. "Why'd you have to wake me up?"
"I was bored," Beau smirked. "I had nothing else to do."
Roxy muttered something about sticking his head in a toilet as she reached for the phone.
"What are you doing?"
She snatched the phone up and glared at him. "Calling my mom. She's probably got the cops out looking for me, she'll be wondering where I am."
Yep. Have a U.S. helicopter zooming over the suburbs any time now. . .
"I already called her," Beau shrugged. "When I woke up. Which was at 7."
Sourly, Roxy slammed the phone back on the hook/receiver thingy and glared at him. The words she'd been holding back for a few days burst out.
"What is with you?" she demanded, almost angrily.
"What do you mean?" Beau looked astonished. His mouth formed a perfect O.
O is for the only one I see. . . .
No, wait, stop it, Roxy told herself. Yeesh, you get that stupid little song stuck in your head once and it never leaves.
"You are so immature, such a child at some times, and then at other times," Roxy rolled her eyes and paused. "At other times you're like this. . .this perfect gentleman. Do you have some evil twin or something?"
"No," Beau answered honestly, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"Then how," Roxy searched for words that expressed herself. "how does one person have so many different personalities?"
"I'm just talented like that," Beau smirked. Then he saw the frustration in Roxy's face. "I mean, I don't know. I guess it's that whole 'raised good, but choose to be bad'? I'm not totally sure myself."
Roxy eyed him suspiciously, and then picked up on fringed pillow and threw it at him. It caught him in the stomach and he 'oof'-ed.
"What was that for?" he asked, holding up the pillow to defend himself from others.
"You're confusing."
"Oh, I'm confusing? I dont' go around hitting people with pillows just because they're weird," Beau rolled his eyes. "Yeesh."
Roxy leaned over the bed with another fringed pillow sham in her hand to swat him with, but toppled over the bed and landed on Beau.
"Ow," Beau groaned, wheezing dramatically.
Well. This was awkward.
Beau had flung out his arms in an attempt to protect himself but ended up slightly kinda catching Roxy. And so now their position was not exactly comfortable. She was on top of him, her arms on either side of his head. Their eyes met.
"Roxy darling, I brought you breakfa---" Mrs. Jenkins walked in the room at the exact worse time, a steaming breakfast tray in her hand. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Oh. Oh my." Then, with a mischievous smile on her face, she backed out of the room. "I'll come back later then, hmm?"
Roxy pried herself off of Beau, her cheeks burning. Beau scrambled to the other side of the room.
"Oh my God, I didn't mean to---" Roxy burst out, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
"It's not your fault---" Beau said at the same time, his face pink and flushed. The two gathered their wits on opposite sides of the guest room.
Awwwkkkkward. . . .
"Well. . . um. . .. " Beau seemed to squirm. "I've got some stuff. . . I have to do. . . "
Roxy nodded. "Go. . .don't worry about me, go and do that. . .. that stuff. Right."
Beau nearly shot out of the room, and a little bit of the tension seemed to ease.
Holy Cow. What just happened there?
~~~~~
"Take care of yourself Roxanne," Mrs. Simmons said in her motherly tone as she walked into Roxy's room. Clothes were everywhere, save for the few stuffed in a suit case.
Roxy appeared out of her closet with a white bikini on, surveying herself in the mirror. "Mom, I know," she groaned. "Don't worry!"
The beach trip was today. It was a school tradition---anyone who had $300 dollars and weren't in major trouble at the moment were allowed to go. The students and chaperones spent two nights during the long weekend at a beach resort about 40 miles away from the school.
The trip was notorious for being the object of hooking up and partying, since most of the chaperones stayed inside playing cards or watching television. This time of year was perfect for it.
Roxy hadn't planned on going in the first place since Catherine never went. Catherine's parents always jetted off to their own beach house during this long weekend. And Roxy had never had $300 to spend.
This year though, she saved up all her babysitting money and the money from the band gigs. Her parents kicked in an extra $100 in reward for good report card grades. Catherine finally begged her parents to vacation in a resort right next to the one the students were staying at so Roxy could see her friend during the three day stay.
"You've got an hour sweetie," Roxy's mom reminded her, leaving the room. "Mrs. Jenkins said that she'd take you and Beau to the school."
Charter buses were scheduled to ship all of the students to the beach. Roxy had grudgingly signed up with Beau as a bus partner, since Mrs. Simmons and Mrs. Jenkins had pounded into both of their heads that Beau was in charge of Roxy.
They treated her like a child. Honestly. It bugged the crap out of her. It's not like she'd never been away from home before.
Her parents were just so. . . paranoid that she was going to get assaulted or something by the kids she'd grown up for more than 10 years with at the beach. Yeesh.
Which is of course, why they called in Agent Jenkins. Like he'd protect her from anything.
"I know," Roxy nodded, throwing in her purple bikini as well. She'd never really been much of a nitpick for packing, but for the oddest reason, she was taking a lot longer than usual to pack. Maybe it was because people she knew were going to be there.
In went a hoodie, a pair of old jeans, and two towels. She loved towels. They were so soft and fluffy---every time a towel wore out, she'd go and get a new one. So far, Roxy had a good collection of Disney character ones.
She slammed the suitcase shut and walked down stairs with it, leaving her room, as usual, a mess. Roxy felt good about this beach trip. She was proud of herself for packing her swim cap, too.
For the ride there, Roxy had packed her iPod and wore a simple blue cami and shorts. Her feet were in beaded flip flops from Old Navy, and she couldn't help but feel excited, minus the ride to the school with the Jenkins.
"Roxanne! They're here!" Mrs. Simmons bustled into the kitchen where Roxy was, kissing her daughter good bye. "Have a good time, sweetie."
"yes mom," Roxy mumbled, dodging her mom's kisses and walking out the door. "See you later."
"Bye honey."
Roxy lugged her suitcase out to the driveway where Mrs. Jenkins was waving excitedly at her. "Hello Roxy dear," she bubbled as Roxy got into the minivan and buckled her seat belt by Beau.
"hey," she offered, but remained silent the rest of the entire ride. It would have been totally embarrassing to be sitting in a completely quiet car, but Mrs. Jenkins took care of that. She hummed in her old-lady voice to the tune of "It's a Small World After All."
Roxy cringed. She hated that song. Ever since she went to Disney World when she was 7 with her family and went on that "Small World" ride. It had gotten stuck, and she'd been forced to listen to the demonic puppets screaming "It's a Small world after all" for two straight hours.
She still had nightmares about it, too.
Beau avoided her gaze as she did he. The events of two days ago was still fresh in both of their minds. Roxy found that her pulse would race whenever she thought about it, so she avoided that, too.
From out of the corner of her eye, she saw him staring nonchalantly out the window, dressed in a regular tee shirt and navy swimming trunks. He had a duffel bag instead of a suitcase, and his hair looked shinier than usual.
"We're here!" Mrs. Jenkins broke the silence unceremoniously with her voice. "Have a fun sweetheart!" As Roxy slipped out of the van, she could have sworn she saw Beau's mother wink at her.
Scary.
What does she think will happen at the beach trip? Beau and her get married or something?
Pffft. Yeah right.
Beau and Roxy sitting in a tree...
"Dang it," Roxy scowled as she tried to open a bottle of water and it sloshed all over her legs.
Beau watched her with an amused expression, sitting next to the aisle and dividing his attention between Roxy and "Shrek" playing on the t.v. screen in front of them.
Roxy liked charter buses. They smelled clean and they were clean, right down to the gleaming plastic aisle. The rest of the city flew by in the glossy windows, and someone in the back of the bus was leading a round of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall."
"Here," Beau offered, somewhat shyly, extending his striped beach towel. Roxy grimaced gratefully and dried her legs after screwing the water bottle cap shut.
"Thanks," she muttered, handing it back to him. They bumped elbows and both teenagers jumped back.
Beau started to laugh first. He had a contagious laugh that involved his whole face. It was funny and silly and kind of adorable at the same time until you wanted to laugh, too.
Roxy offered a small giggle, but Beau kept laughing hysterically, pounding his arm rest in mirth. Soon they were both cracking up over nearly nothing, and even a few students nearby stopped to stare at the two.
"Stop. . . laughing. . . it's not. . .funny. . . . " Roxy gasped, her eyes squeezed shut. She had no idea why she was laughing at something that wasn't even humorous at all.
"Okay. . . " Beau managed to gasp out before dissolving in another fit of laughter again. "On the count. . . of three. . . we both stop. . . one. . .two. . .three."
At the magic number, both looked at each other and a moment of silence was shared. Roxy stared into his sparkling emerald eyes and in an unspoken agreement, both knew that they were going to drop whatever happened two days ago.
Then they started laughing again.
Hope you liked it! The above is a pic of the inside of a charter bus in case anyone hasn't been in side one. The little boxes kind of jutting out under the gray luggage rack are the tiny tv screens...they're so much fun, minus the bathroom at the back.
< !-- BEGIN CBOX - http://www.cbox.ws -->
< !-- END CBOX -->
