Haylie was on her back with her towel spread out beneath her on the chair, soaking in the sun. Her sunglasses were bigger than her face, and round like a 70s pop culture icon, but she didn't care. Point was, she was in Australia, and there was no school, no responsibilities, and no awkward conversations dealing with her curse to worry about.
Haylie's mother had been a bit reluctant to let her son-daughter go to Australia alone with a girl she hadn't met yet. Haylie was convinced it was because of the epic tantrum that she had thrown that had changed her mother's mind. How do you expect me to accept this fucking curse if I can't try and be myself around my friends?! On a private beach?! Of course, Haylie felt a little bad for having screamed at her mother. The woman had put up with a lot since the curse took her son. Even before that, when Haylie's telekinetic powers were getting the better of her. Of him, at the time.
All that Haylie wanted to think about now that she was on the beach was that she was there. On the beach. She smiled up at the sky.
A shadow crossed over her and Haylie tipped her sunglasses down to look up at Alicia. Hot. Damn. Alicia looked good in a bikini. Haylie couldn't believe she had her all to herself for the summer. For herself, Haylie wore a pair of low cut boy-brief board shorts that were so tight they might as well be a bikini bottom. Then a simple black bikini crisscross racer top to cover the rest. It would never feel natural, Haylie thought, to have to wear something to cover her chest in public. Since they weren't in public, she thought about taking the top off, but that would send a distinct sexual message to her companion and Haylie wanted to save that for later.
"Thanks." She took the drink with a grin and gave it a taste. "I don't know. What do most people do for their 17th birthday around here?"