Chaste (a Short Story) Read online

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  Colbie was already kicking herself, there was a slight chill coming off of the water and she forgot her kit at home. She used to have a preparedness kit under her bed but they’ve been at this game more than usual and she didn’t replace it from the last time. If she had the kit right now she would have:

  1.A bathing suit

  2.Rain boots

  3.Winter jacket

  4.Bottled water

  5.Aspirin

  6.Blanket

  7.Band-Aids’

  8.Meal replacement bars

 

 

  Colbie could be using about half of those things right now.

  Lost in thought she realizes she hasn’t seen Alice in a little while. God, does she really have to watch her own mother swim at the beach? Colbie gets ups, getting closer to the beach, letting the water barely lap over her feet. Suddenly, a pale arm comes out of the water, then the other and finally Alice’s head.

  “Are you alright?” Colbie screams over the waves.

  “Fine, Grandma.” Alice yells back.

  It could like this all night, Colbie could sit here all night and wait for Alice to come in. She wouldn’t do it. Not this time. This time would be different. She would be different.

  Colbie is a rule follower to the core. She doesn’t walk on red, share homework, or cheat on board games. Even as a child she wanted to know that she earned the win. She just wanted to be different for one night. She had said it would be college, but why wait?

  She thought about taking the car and going somewhere, but even in her being ‘carefree’ she is still concerned about Alice. She can see light down the strip of beach and makes her way to it.

  Colbie knows what it is before she can get very close. She can see them but she doesn’t think they can see her; that is until a guy calls out asking her if she wants a drink.

  Colbie steps closer, the sand making it hard to walk straight.

  “Beer?” he calls out again.

  “Sure.” It’s out of her mouth before she can stop it. Colbie can see everything better when she gets closer. There are five girls and eight guys sitting around a bonfire. There is a cooler right outside the circle and the guy gets her beer out of it. As he hands it over he slides over to make room for Colbie to sit.

  This is so Alice of her. This isn’t Colbie. Colbie would never drink, much less with strange guys. She looks across the fire and three of the girls are glaring, red-hot at her. It could be the flames licking their faces but she doesn’t think so. The tension is thick in the circle since Colbie sat down. She is most likely not a welcome addition.

  “Want to take a walk on the beach?”

  Colbie looks at the guy who just handed her a beer. Wearing shorts, he actually came dressed for the beach. She can’t make his face out very well, but it doesn’t seem to be anything she would object to. He is taller than her and when he speaks she has to look up at him.

  “Are you here by yourself?”

  He is cute. She can see him better now and he is for sure cute. “No, I’m here with my mom. She felt like coming for a swim.” If he thinks that it is weird he doesn’t say so, then again, he is here too so how weird can it be? The silence is a little awkward and she fills it with mundane questions.

  “Do you live near here?”

  “Yeah, right down the road. You?”

  “No, I live a few hours away.”

  While walking they talk about how she is missing school tomorrow and he talks about how his first class isn’t until 2:00pm. If he notices that she is obviously still in high school he doesn’t bring it up. They make their way to a place in between Alice and his friends. Their own common ground. They sit on dry sand and she squishes it in between her toes.

  “You’re wearing a lot clothes to be at the beach,” he says. She laughs. “I know, this trip wasn’t planned.”

  “Do you have on a suit underneath?”

  “No.”

  “But you are wearing something under, right?”

  “Yes,” she answers hesitantly. She doesn’t know where he is going with this.

  “Aren’t bras and panties just like a bathing suit?”

  She doesn’t know why boys think that’s true. They are nothing alike and she’s not even sure if she can go into the water with them on.

  “They really aren’t the same.” She answers instead.

  “But, they are. They cover all the same parts.” They stare at each other for a second. He is really cute. Is this really happening?

  “You know, I don’t even know your name.”

  “It’s Scott. What’s yours?”

  “Alice.” She says it without even thinking. If she’s drinking a beer and about to jump into the ocean with a boy she doesn’t know, then her name must be Alice.

  “What do you say, Alice? Want to go swimming?”

  In response she hesitantly stands up and unzips her hoodie. She takes it off fully and folds it neatly. She is still Colbie to the core. Scott stands up and pulls his shirt off. Even in the moonlight she likes what she sees. Their eyes meet again and her face gets hot. He is done undressing and is waiting for her. She slides her pants down and picks them up to fold them as well. She has never been more thankful for her underwear choice. They are light pink with tiny flowers on them. Maybe a tad bit girlish but they are flattering on her.

  Not surprisingly, she doesn’t feel like she is in a bathing suit, she feels like she is standing in front of a boy she doesn’t know in her underwear. One thing is for sure, she doesn’t feel like Colbie.

  She doesn’t want to be weird with her dislike for the ocean so she tries to push down the panic. She mostly stays still in the water, only kicking her feet directly under her. Scott swims circles around Colbie like a shark. He finally stops and draws closer. She knows it’s going to happen. Wants it to happen, but that doesn’t make it any less surprising.

  His mouth is on hers and her hands are running through his hair. Colbie can’t think; refuses to think. She lives in the moment. Scott tastes like salt from the water and beer and something else Colbie can’t name. He puts his tongue in her mouth and she almost shrieks back, no one has ever done that before. She reminds herself that he is in college and that is probably how college boys kiss. All of her other kissing experiences have been chaste. Nothing like this.

  They pull back from each other and Scott’s face breaks out into a smile. Colbie smiles back.

  He pulls her in again and this time she wraps her legs around his waist; another thing she has never done. They kiss for a bit until it is apparent that it’s getting harder for him to keep them afloat. Still wrapped around him they make their way closer to the shoreline. He lays her down gently and partially lies on top of her.

  “Is this okay?”

  She can’t find words so she nods silently instead. They kiss until her lips feel bruised. She keeps saying ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this’ in her head. She has a rush of excitement running through her. This is so fun; being someone else.

  Scott slides his hand over Colbie’s chest and she sharply intakes a breath.

  “Is this okay?”

  She nods again still unable to speak. She can’t believe she’s doing this. If Scott can tell how inexperienced she is he doesn’t mention it. He moves his hand to her stomach and down a little bit further. That’s were Colbie draws the line.

  “No,” she says sternly. “Sorry”, she says as a follow-up.

  “That’s okay,” alternatively he moves his mouth to her neck. Yep, she’s never done that either.

  Colbie has never lost time like this before. When they pull apart from each other, and only before Colbie starts shivering, do they notice the world looks different around them. The sun is creeping up over the water, and even she has to admit it really is beautiful. The colors intertwine between shades of yellow and orange and for a moment she is mesmerized by it all.

  “The sun is coming up.” She
is stating the obvious but she doesn’t mind. She looks back at Scott and she can clearly see him for the first time. He isn’t just cute, he is beautiful. His hair is tousled where she ran her fingers through it. He has dark brown eyes; which just happen to be her favorite. His lips look as swollen as hers feel.

  He smiles at her, as if assessing her as well.

  “Hi”, he says.

  “Hi”, she replies. They both laugh nervously. They stand to get out of the water when Colbie hears something familiar.

  “Colbie! Colbie!” Alice is standing in the sand, shielding the sun from her eyes. Her head is swooping up and down the sand. Colbie stands struck by the notion that Alice looks momentarily worried. Alice looks worried. A pang hits her heart.

  Colbie looks back at Scott not wanting this to end. “I should go, that’s my mom.”

  “She said Colbie; I thought you said your name was Alice.”

  She smiles up at him, “Sometimes, I go by Alice.”

  Colbie is standing a few feet away from Scott now, she must have drifted towards Alice’s voice. She turns back to Scott and in a few quick steps she is directly in front of him again. She jumps into the air, wrapping her legs around his waist. She can feel his hands under her. Colbie kisses him deeply because she knows it will be last time. They pull away from each and a while he is still holding her she snuggles into the crook of his neck. He clings to her tighter.

  “Thank you for tonight,” she says.

  “Thank you for tonight,” he says back. She slowly slides down his body and he releases her after a tight hug. She walks over to where her clothes are laying in the sand. She picks them up and looks to find Scott. He is standing where she left him. She smiles meekly at him and does an awkward wave. He lets out an audible laugh and she does the same.

  She turns away from him and she thinks he does the same. She doesn’t look back. She is sure he makes his way back to his friends.

  Colbie is still in her underwear and as she walks she slips her hoodie over her wet bra. She is pulling her pants over her hips when she feels Alice standing right beside her. Alice doesn’t say anything; she doesn’t acknowledge what she most likely saw. They get into their car, not having anything to pack. After driving for a bit Colbie finally gets brave and looks at Alice. Alice is driving and she has the world’s biggest grin on her face. And Alice never grins. Never. Colbie has finally made Alice happy.

  The funny part though, Colbie finally made Colbie happy.

  Maybe she does have a little bit of Alice in her after all.

 

  About the Author

  Kimberly Russell lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Antonio and dog, Fiona. She has written Between Balloons, The Truth about Lilly Barnes and is currently working on her third novel, The Adoration of Emma Wylde.

  She sadly never experienced a romp on the beach with a stranger but if she did it would for sure be with Jimmy Fallon.

  You can find more information at her website, https://kimberly-russell.com

 

  The Truth about Lilly Barnes Excerpt - For the complete novel please visit: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-truth-about-lilly-barnes-kimberly-russell/1111396097?ean=9781478128885