{ Kiss in the beach }

“I’d f-__-king ki|| you Alex! I swear!”Richie screamed as he rushed to them.

The sound of something made everyone freeze, even running Richie stopped.

“My phone!”Arabella screamed as she rushed to pick the already damaged phone which Julie who’s supposed to film them dropped.

“I’m sorry, It’s a mistake”Julie apologized with pleading look.

“It’s destroyed”Arabella muttered.

“I’ll get you another one”Alex said behind her, his hands on her shoulder and she sighed, looking at Julie angrily.

“I’m really sorry”Julie muttered. She said nothing and walked away with Alex, not without eyeing Richie who’s breathing real fast.

“That was close”May sighed.

“Purposely?”Fiona asked.

“I could only think of that”Julie sighed.

“Are we to go with her all around cause he’d surely do it again”May said.

“She needs to get her memories back”Vince groaned and Richie walked away. Emily just joined them, she already got alert from the video the students filmed on what happened.

“Should I explain?”May whispered and she shaked her head.

**

Arabella walked out of her first class, heading to her next class which is in thirty minutes time.

She refused to talk to Fiona.

“When are you gonna stop? Tell me what I did at least!”Fiona shouted after her but she wouldn’t stop.

“Ara!”she shouted again. Just then, Richie blocked her.

“You…. what do you want?”she glared.

“Can I buy you lunch?”he asked. She stared at him for a while before chuckling.

“Buy me lunch?”she smirked.

“Yeah”

“I’ve gotten a boyfriend so stop trying your luck Alex, it’s never happening, never”she laughed, walking past him but he followed.

“I really wanna talk to you over lunch”he said.

“I don’t wanna talk to you nor have lunch together”she said.

“Just this one and I’ll stop…. I’ll stop disturbing you”he said and she stopped, turning to him.

“Promise”he added.

“There’s a party tonight, I’ll give you ten minutes out of my time”she said.

“Thirty minutes instead”he said and she raised her brows.

“I promise not to disturb you again”he said.

“Twenty minutes”she said and walked away..

“What did you talk about?”Fiona asked beside him.

“Something”he replied.

“I thought of something which could help”she said and he looked at her.

“What?”

“Why don’t you have a deep conversation with Alex which did eventually led to a fight while she watches, it’d help since it’s the last thing she saw before being like this”she said and he smiled.

“Thanks, a lot”he said and walked away. She smiled then began walking when she sighted Vince and Daniel..

“Vince!”she shouted, rushing to them.

“Hey! Heading to class?”he asked.

“Yeah but I’m thirty and got no money on me”she said.

“I….”

“I’ll be waiting”Daniel excused himself.

“Strawberry juice will do”Fiona smiled.

“Let’s go”he said as they began walking. Fiona slowly interlocked their hands. Vince looked at it but she pretended nothing happened then he waved his thoughts off.

‘ it’s just for a while ‘

Julie who’s walking with Emily saw them and frowned..

—-

** THREE HOURS LATER, CAFETERIA **

Everyone’s present in the cafeteria. Arabella and Alex on a table while the others on their table.

“Look at him smiling, stupid!”May hissed, her eyes on them.

“Can we not talk about it for now”Emily muttered..

“Mom’s calling, wanna say hi?”Arabella said to Alex but he shaked his head negatively. Alex got her a new one already.

“Why? It’s not your first time”she snapped.

“Let it just be a mom and daughter’s talk”he said and she nodded, not too convinced as she picked.

“Baby!”Courtney voiced out with emotions.

“What’s wrong mom?”she asked fearfully.

“I miss you so much”

“You got me scared, I thought something bad happened”she sighed.

“Come on, Annie told me exams would start soon and I know how hard it is for you on exams”Courtney said.

“It’s still on a month time”she groaned.

“Getting tired of your mom, uhn?”

“No mom…”

“Lemme talk to Richie”Courtney said and she stretched the phone to Alex.

“She wanna talk to you”she said, taking a bite from her pizza.

“I… restroom”he stood up, rushing out.

“What the….”

“Arabella?”

“Maybe later mom, he isn’t here”she said.

“Okay, call me at night, bye!”Courtney said and hung up.

—-

** 6PM, AN HOTEL **

The party is being hosted here by a final year student. Since it’s Friday, he decided on having fun with everyone.

The general pool area of the hotel is where the party is going on.

“It’s no pool party”Julie said as she settle down with Fiona. She’s talking to May on phone.

“I got the wrong announcement then”May said..

“Just settle on a bum short, see ya”Julie said and hanged up.

Daniel joined them after a while.

“Where’s Vince?”Fiona asked after expecting Julie to ask but she didn’t. Daniel looked at her then looked away before replying.

“Coming”

“You’re not on your phone, why?”Julie asked.

“You’re bothered?”he smirked.

“Just wanna start a conversation”she snapped. Emily joined them after that, then May.

Daniel got into his phone after that.

“What about Ara?”Emily asked.

“Left her in the room, Alex’s gonna pick her”Julie said.

“I’ll get us drinks”Emily stood up.

“Unknown lover again?”Julie stared into May’s phone and she blushed.

“Gosh!”she groaned with a chuckle.

Emily came back with the drinks and peeped through Daniel’s phone then smirked.

“Dude drop your phone for a while”she snatched the phone from him and hid it in her bag.

“What’s with you?”he glared.

“I’ve never had an actual conversation with you, you’re hot though”she said and he gasped lightly.

“I compliment segzy things so don’t get shocked”she winked and sipped from her drink which he coughed without getting choked and she smiled.

“Emily suits you”Julie laughed.

“You stopped pressing your phone”Emily said to May and she scoffed.

“Nothing’s wrong”May replied and she smiled. She got what she wants already.

Vince and Richie finally joined them, making them complete.

“It’s no fun if we just sit here”Emily said.

“Wanna dance?”Julie asked Daniel and he blinked.

“He’s with me, sorryyy”Emily dragged him up, taking him away.

“Would you like to….”Fiona was still talking when Vince faced Julie.

“Let’s talk”Vince dragged her away. Fiona bit her lower lip in disappointment.

Richie’s eyes scanned through the party as he searched for Arabella when a message beeped on his phone.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: rooftop of the hotel, twenty minutes starts now.

He rushed out immediately he read it. May and Fiona sighed loudly and laughed on it.

“Hi girls!”Finn joined them.

“Hi”Fiona replied but May ignored.

“Hi May”he smiled at her.

“Finn….”

“Pretend you don’t know me”he cut in and she sighed. Fiona excused herself to another table not far from there.

“So?”

“I’m Finn and you?”he let out his hand but she still ignored.

“I saw you from that table with my friends and you got my attention”he said and she laughed, finally taking his still stretched hand.

“Not buying that”she said.

“Let’s just be friends”he said.

“Let’s see how it goes but I haven’t said yes”she said and he smiled.

“Why are you always blushing over your phone?”he asked.

“Are you stalking me now?”she laughed.

“Something like that”he said and they both laughed.

*

“There’s nothing going on Vince”Julie said for the third time.

“Nothing really? We planned on putting on same outfit tonight and coming together but you blew it off with”he said.

“We should stop doing all those”she said.

“And why?”

“Why not, you’ve gotten Fiona and it’s gonna seem stupid if I your best friend becomes a burden to you both”she said, looking away.

“Fiona and I?”he asked slowly and she faced him.

“Yeah, why didn’t you tell me about you both till I got to find out myself”she snapped..

“Okay, this is too much. What are you talking about on Fiona and I cause I still don’t have any reason why we talk except the fact you’re both friends”he said.

“Why would you hold hands with her then!”she snapped. He thought for a while before getting it.

“We hold hands cause we’re best friends but you both…if you aren’t dating then why hold hands”she said.

“Then we’re dating that’s why we hold hands?”he asked with an unnoticed smirk.

“Cause we’re best friends”she looked away and he held her hands, making her look at him.

“She was the one who held my hand and I didn’t wanna make the moment awkward that’s why I allowed it and we’re nothing”he said.

“She likes you though”she said.

“Uhn?”

“She told me that”she said.

“And you said?”

“It’s cool”she replied.

“You mean it?”he asked.

“Stop interrogating me”she scoffed and he smiled.

“Wanna go back in?”he asked.

“Let’s stroll instead, I was thinking about you all day”she said and he smiled, interlocking their hands as they both walked away.

Fiona came out of her hiding place in tears. She decided to come see what they’re up to and unfortunately she heard them. She left the hotel, going for her hostel.

Maybe she shouldn’t have gotten entangled with them. Maybe she should just have been her nerdy type of girl. Just maybe, then she wouldn’t be in such $h|t.

She sighed as she walked down the streets, discouraged on taking a taxi.

*

** BACK AT THE ROOFTOP **

Surprisingly, Arabella is with Alex. She’s waiting with Alex.

“You’ve gotten fifteen minutes left”Arabella said and he looked at Alex who’s with no expression.

“Can you stare at me for five minutes?”he asked slowly.

“What?!”

“It’s out of the fifteen minutes left”he said.

“What would that do to you?”she asked.

“Something huge”he said.

“Fine”she replied.

“In my eyes”he said and she stared at his eyes. Angry at first without feeling a thing as a minute skipped.

Richie’s eyes filled with emotions. No doubts he misses her and h@ťěs the fact Alex has to be the one she thinks he is.

Two mom minutes gone but she felt nothing. Just on five seconds to complete the five minutes, his eyes reminded her of when she shouted Alex’s name while they were playing the final basketball match, the look he hand that day.

She looked away immediately as an headache struck her but left instantly.

“You’re okay?”he tried touching her but she moved back. Alex already behind her so he’s holding her shoulder.

“You’re good?”he asked but she replied not, still holding her eyes closed.

Nothing’s coming in her head though she’s trying hard on getting more memories on the flash she had just now.

“Bella”Richie called and that made her opened her eyes.

Her first day in college when he called her. He didn’t call her Arabella, instead he called Bella.

“Richie”she muttered.

“You remember?”he asked slowly but she shaked her head negatively.

“I’m confuse”she muttered.

“It’s me Richie, your Richie”she said.

“But I’m seeing you as Alex, not Richie”she muttered.

“I’m Richie. I could take you to the beach we shared our first kiss, where I proposed to you, anywhere for you to remember me…. please”he said.

“Hey….”

“Take me”she cut in on Alex who’s talking.

“Are you gonna go with him?”Alex faced her to him.

“You would drive me, I just wanna clear my head, it’s filled up”she said and he sighed, wishing she remembers nothing.

The three both walked away. It took them thirty minutes to get to the beach. Though she’s with Alex, but Richie’s glad he could try this.

“Please”Richie let out his hand and she places hers while they walked to the waters.

“I brought you here instead of going straight to the party and we shared our first kiss”he said as they walked in the water, the breeze blowing off her hair.

“You remembered?”he asked slowly.

“No”she said.

He smiled and slashed water on her, she did nothing at first but when he did it again, she slashed on it. Just like that, they began playing with loud laughter.

Alex was about going to them when he pulled her closer by her waist and without wasting a sec, his lips met with hers, kissing her in a slow pace.

Alex got to them and pushed Richie off, punching him without haste.

“Stop!”she screamed but he’s not listening. He punched him again and just then, a sound was heard in the water.

She fell in, fainting.

TBC