Drama
Chapter 18: Fun In The Sun
Leila's P.O.V.
The rest of the day is as usual and Friday comes and goes quickly. Spencer has stayed low and hasn’t done anything to me, causing me to inhale deep breaths of relief and focus on other stuff.
It has now been 3 weeks since I’ve started the show and the routine is embedded in my mind. This schedule is going to stay like this until at least September, depending on how many episodes we’re going to shoot. I believe Mr. Conners said that we’re only shooting half of the first season now, then we have a break while it airs, and then we resume and shoot the second half of the first season, again having time off while that airs. I think another filming studio does this with their shows too, ABC Family. I like how this schedule works because then we don’t have to stay for about 20 weeks at a time to shoot a whole season.
Today is a Saturday in mid-July, the very heat of the summer. Niall and I are planning to go to the beach today, but I have no idea how that’s going to work if we want to keep him in disguise. He told me to leave it to him and not worry about it, so I am.
I sleep in this morning, glad for that, but make sure it’s not too late. Niall said he’d pick me up at noon, so I quickly shower and eat breakfast. I head back into my room to put on my swimsuit, a pink, black, and white polka-dotted tankini. I’m insecure about my body, so I’m not comfortable in a bikini, but one-pieces annoy me, so I go with tankinis.
I slide the swimsuit on my body and cover up with regular clothes. I throw a bottle of sunscreen, a towel, extra clothes, my brush, my sunglasses, my wallet, a bottle of water, and some snacks into my bag along with my phone and earbuds. It’s not quite noon yet once I finish packing, so I turn on the TV and the sound fills the empty apartment.
It’s a little after 12:00 when I hear a knock on the door. I click the button on the remote that turns off the TV, stand up, and open the door, Niall appearing in my view.
“Hey,” he greets, giving me a nod.
“Hey,” I repeat, letting him in. He gives me a quick kiss before walking inside.
“You ready to go?” he asks.
“Yeah, hold on, my stuff is on the couch,” I say, shuffling over into the living room and grabbing my bag from the couch. “Ready!”
Niall takes my hand and we walk out of the apartment and in front of the building where one of his friends is waiting in a car.
“I figured it would be easier if I had one of my friends drive us instead of taking the bus or something,” he explains, holding open the door for me to climb in. He slides in next to me and shuts the door, greeting his friend.
The drive for me feels awkward considering I don’t know this friend, but soon we’re at a small beach. Niall’s friend parks and we get out, thanking him for the ride. He drives off and Niall leads me down onto the soft, warm sand.
The beach isn’t that crowded and most of the people who are here are parents and the elderly with little children and babies. There aren’t many here around my age as I scan across the beach. Niall grabs my hand and walks me over to a quiet spot, away from all of the commotion.
I lay my towel down on the sand and set my bag on it, also seating myself down. I look over the sparkling blue water and the image reminds me of home. The beach back home isn’t too different to this one, except the fact that this is salt water and the beaches I live next to are fresh. The view is different, too, with a skyline of LA stretching around the side instead of just trees and the sky. I’ll admit I love this beach, too, but I’m so used to the one back home and my heart aches just thinking about it.
“Leila,” I hear. “Leila!”
I blink and look over to Niall, who’s waving in my face.
“Sorry,” I apologize, shaking my head.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
“Yeah, I was just thinking about home. I haven’t been to a beach since I’ve left,” I explain.
“You miss home?” Niall questions, sitting down next to me.
“Yeah, but I also love my life here, you know?” I reply, glancing at the skyline.
“Oh, I know,” Niall responds.
“I just can’t think about living my life any other way. This is what I’ve wanted to do ever since I was little, and now I’m here. I don’t want to turn back, but moving forward scares me,” I admit. There’s a slight pause before Niall says something.
“Just remember, you’re not alone,” he voices.
I take in his words and turn to look at him. His eyes are already on me, like he was expecting me to do just as I did. Instantly, our heads move closer, our eyes flutter closed, and our lips mold together to create one of the sweetest kisses we’ve ever shared.
A few seconds later, we both pull away with smiles on our faces. I look away and down to the sandy ground, my cheeks feeling like hot flames.
“You ready?” Niall asks. Before I know it, he’s pulling his shirt over his head to reveal his surprisingly toned body. As he fixes his hair, my eyes are drawn to every part of him; the way his muscles flex as he brings the shirt up and over, the way his body is perfectly tanned in the summer sun, and the way his eyes sparkle from the reflection of the gleaming water.
“Leila…” Niall calls, bringing me out of my trance. I shake my head and my entire face is feeling even hotter than hot fiery flames.
“Sorry, I just…” I trail off, not sure what to say.
“Hurry up!” Niall pleads. I sigh and strip off my outer clothing, revealing my tankini underneath. I can tell Niall’s watching me, but I try not to let that interfere my thoughts.
Niall stands up and holds out his hand. I take it and he leads me through the soft sand to the water’s edge, wading in the first few feet cautiously. The water isn’t as cold as I thought it would be, so I take a few more steps, the ocean coming up to my waist. Niall dives in a couple of feet in front of me and appears even farther away, floating with the current to come back to me.
“It’s so nice in here,” he begins, keeping his whole body except his head underneath the water.
“I haven’t been to a beach in forever,” I reply, looking around. This is heaven.
“I know, you said that before,” Niall responds, chuckling a little bit. He takes my hand and leads me farther out into the deep blue water. I can’t stop staring at everything around here.
Niall seems to take notice of that and splashes me.
“Niall!” I shriek, smiling. I bring my hand up and out of the water to return the playful gesture, only to have it be shoved in my face again and again. I try to keep it up, but my arms get weak really fast, Niall comes up and dunks me in the water, causing me to take a big gulp of the salty ocean. Coughing and sputtering, I come back up, the salt water flowing through my system. I’m not used to salt water, so my stomach becomes uneasy. I don’t completey get sick, but I need to get out of the water.
I wade through the ocean and race back to shore, Niall calling after me. I reach our stuff and scramble through my bag until I find my bottle of purified water. I open it up and drain half of the bottle to help wash down the salt water. Niall follows me and eventually catches up to me.
“Leila, are you okay?” he asks, his voice full of concern.
I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and my stomach eases up. I sip my water one more time before answering him.
“Yeah, I just took a huge gulp of the salt water,” I reply, sitting down on my towel.
“Oh, gotcha,” he says. “I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have dunked you.”
“It’s ok, it’s ok, I’m still alive,” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood.
Niall lies down next to me and I follow his lead, cuddling up to him and letting myself relax. It’s a great day to just lie out in the sun, and soon my eyes are closing and I’m asleep.
The rest of the day is as usual and Friday comes and goes quickly. Spencer has stayed low and hasn’t done anything to me, causing me to inhale deep breaths of relief and focus on other stuff.
It has now been 3 weeks since I’ve started the show and the routine is embedded in my mind. This schedule is going to stay like this until at least September, depending on how many episodes we’re going to shoot. I believe Mr. Conners said that we’re only shooting half of the first season now, then we have a break while it airs, and then we resume and shoot the second half of the first season, again having time off while that airs. I think another filming studio does this with their shows too, ABC Family. I like how this schedule works because then we don’t have to stay for about 20 weeks at a time to shoot a whole season.
Today is a Saturday in mid-July, the very heat of the summer. Niall and I are planning to go to the beach today, but I have no idea how that’s going to work if we want to keep him in disguise. He told me to leave it to him and not worry about it, so I am.
I sleep in this morning, glad for that, but make sure it’s not too late. Niall said he’d pick me up at noon, so I quickly shower and eat breakfast. I head back into my room to put on my swimsuit, a pink, black, and white polka-dotted tankini. I’m insecure about my body, so I’m not comfortable in a bikini, but one-pieces annoy me, so I go with tankinis.
I slide the swimsuit on my body and cover up with regular clothes. I throw a bottle of sunscreen, a towel, extra clothes, my brush, my sunglasses, my wallet, a bottle of water, and some snacks into my bag along with my phone and earbuds. It’s not quite noon yet once I finish packing, so I turn on the TV and the sound fills the empty apartment.
It’s a little after 12:00 when I hear a knock on the door. I click the button on the remote that turns off the TV, stand up, and open the door, Niall appearing in my view.
“Hey,” he greets, giving me a nod.
“Hey,” I repeat, letting him in. He gives me a quick kiss before walking inside.
“You ready to go?” he asks.
“Yeah, hold on, my stuff is on the couch,” I say, shuffling over into the living room and grabbing my bag from the couch. “Ready!”
Niall takes my hand and we walk out of the apartment and in front of the building where one of his friends is waiting in a car.
“I figured it would be easier if I had one of my friends drive us instead of taking the bus or something,” he explains, holding open the door for me to climb in. He slides in next to me and shuts the door, greeting his friend.
The drive for me feels awkward considering I don’t know this friend, but soon we’re at a small beach. Niall’s friend parks and we get out, thanking him for the ride. He drives off and Niall leads me down onto the soft, warm sand.
The beach isn’t that crowded and most of the people who are here are parents and the elderly with little children and babies. There aren’t many here around my age as I scan across the beach. Niall grabs my hand and walks me over to a quiet spot, away from all of the commotion.
I lay my towel down on the sand and set my bag on it, also seating myself down. I look over the sparkling blue water and the image reminds me of home. The beach back home isn’t too different to this one, except the fact that this is salt water and the beaches I live next to are fresh. The view is different, too, with a skyline of LA stretching around the side instead of just trees and the sky. I’ll admit I love this beach, too, but I’m so used to the one back home and my heart aches just thinking about it.
“Leila,” I hear. “Leila!”
I blink and look over to Niall, who’s waving in my face.
“Sorry,” I apologize, shaking my head.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
“Yeah, I was just thinking about home. I haven’t been to a beach since I’ve left,” I explain.
“You miss home?” Niall questions, sitting down next to me.
“Yeah, but I also love my life here, you know?” I reply, glancing at the skyline.
“Oh, I know,” Niall responds.
“I just can’t think about living my life any other way. This is what I’ve wanted to do ever since I was little, and now I’m here. I don’t want to turn back, but moving forward scares me,” I admit. There’s a slight pause before Niall says something.
“Just remember, you’re not alone,” he voices.
I take in his words and turn to look at him. His eyes are already on me, like he was expecting me to do just as I did. Instantly, our heads move closer, our eyes flutter closed, and our lips mold together to create one of the sweetest kisses we’ve ever shared.
A few seconds later, we both pull away with smiles on our faces. I look away and down to the sandy ground, my cheeks feeling like hot flames.
“You ready?” Niall asks. Before I know it, he’s pulling his shirt over his head to reveal his surprisingly toned body. As he fixes his hair, my eyes are drawn to every part of him; the way his muscles flex as he brings the shirt up and over, the way his body is perfectly tanned in the summer sun, and the way his eyes sparkle from the reflection of the gleaming water.
“Leila…” Niall calls, bringing me out of my trance. I shake my head and my entire face is feeling even hotter than hot fiery flames.
“Sorry, I just…” I trail off, not sure what to say.
“Hurry up!” Niall pleads. I sigh and strip off my outer clothing, revealing my tankini underneath. I can tell Niall’s watching me, but I try not to let that interfere my thoughts.
Niall stands up and holds out his hand. I take it and he leads me through the soft sand to the water’s edge, wading in the first few feet cautiously. The water isn’t as cold as I thought it would be, so I take a few more steps, the ocean coming up to my waist. Niall dives in a couple of feet in front of me and appears even farther away, floating with the current to come back to me.
“It’s so nice in here,” he begins, keeping his whole body except his head underneath the water.
“I haven’t been to a beach in forever,” I reply, looking around. This is heaven.
“I know, you said that before,” Niall responds, chuckling a little bit. He takes my hand and leads me farther out into the deep blue water. I can’t stop staring at everything around here.
Niall seems to take notice of that and splashes me.
“Niall!” I shriek, smiling. I bring my hand up and out of the water to return the playful gesture, only to have it be shoved in my face again and again. I try to keep it up, but my arms get weak really fast, Niall comes up and dunks me in the water, causing me to take a big gulp of the salty ocean. Coughing and sputtering, I come back up, the salt water flowing through my system. I’m not used to salt water, so my stomach becomes uneasy. I don’t completey get sick, but I need to get out of the water.
I wade through the ocean and race back to shore, Niall calling after me. I reach our stuff and scramble through my bag until I find my bottle of purified water. I open it up and drain half of the bottle to help wash down the salt water. Niall follows me and eventually catches up to me.
“Leila, are you okay?” he asks, his voice full of concern.
I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and my stomach eases up. I sip my water one more time before answering him.
“Yeah, I just took a huge gulp of the salt water,” I reply, sitting down on my towel.
“Oh, gotcha,” he says. “I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have dunked you.”
“It’s ok, it’s ok, I’m still alive,” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood.
Niall lies down next to me and I follow his lead, cuddling up to him and letting myself relax. It’s a great day to just lie out in the sun, and soon my eyes are closing and I’m asleep.
Notes
If you don’t know what a tankini is, it’s basically a bikini with more swimsuit covering the stomach. It kind of looks like a one-piece, but there’s a separation.Also, the incident of accidentally swallowing salt water did happen to me. I live in Wisconsin, literally 20 minutes away from Lake Michigan, so I’m used to fresh water. In the summer of 2007, I went on a trip to Hawaii with a group from Wisconsin and we visited a lot of beaches over there. My friend and I were swimming and we accidentally gulped some salt water, which made our stomachs feel uneasy. We went out of the water and took some sips of our water bottles, which helped our stomachs a little bit, but since we weren’t used to salt water, it took a big impact on us.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading! I hope you’re enjoying this story so far and I would love it if I could have some feedback! Comments are appreciated and you can also talk to me through Twitter: @Drama_1Dfanfic and @leikelamichelle.
Rachel :)
Make a Sequel please.
9/13/14