Change

I stared into the blinding sun, squinting my eyes. I was alone, on my beach towel, because all of my friends had decided to go swimming. I am deathly afraid of the beach, so I never go with them. Today was the end of school year beach party, we have one every year. I just finished eleventh grade, and I am going to be a senior next year. My high school years went well. My grade's were excellent, I had a good reputation and had my life organized. I am ready for twelfth grade, I cannot wait. I grab my book, "The Fault in Our Stars", and begin to read as my friends continue to swim in the filthy water. My toes scrunch up in the sand, I always feel relaxed here.
A tall boy hovered over me with a cigarette in his mouth. I took me a while to realize it, I was so into my book. He had a few piercings and his arms were ruined with tattoos.

"May I help you?" I kindly ask, setting my book to the side.

"No, you can't." He says. He has an English accent, sounds like Bradford if I could remember correctly. I look at him puzzled.

"Would you like to sit down?" I ask as he puffs on his cigarette. I know I shouldn't ask strangers to sit near be but I felt helpless in this situation.

"Yea, thank you." He says. He grows a small smile but it disappears as he takes another puff of his cigarette and sits on my towel.

"What's your name?" He asks, looking at my book.

"What? Oh. My name's Lana , yours?" I smile, trying not to cough from his polluting cigarette.

"Zayn." He answers.

"May I ask why you have decided to sit with me?" I ask, trying not to sound rude.

"Because, I hate water and all my mate's are out there. You're the only hot girl I found sitting alone." He grins. My eyes widen at his word choice.

"That's very...kind of you, Zayn. But I am not interested in all of that." I say. I am not actually sure if I knew what I meant.

"Take it slow, tiger. I just called you hot."

"Ah, right. Now why is it that you don't want to swim with your friends?" I question, looking at his fascinating body. He squished his cigarette into the warm sand and looks at me.

"Why do you care?"

"Well I mean, you came over here, invaded my space, and blew smoke all near my things. I think that's a good reason to care." I reply in annoyance.

"I think the water is gross." He says firmly.

"I agree." I say as I nod. I blonde girl waves from a distance calling my name. I squint to see who it is, but as she runs closer I can tell it's just Naomi.

"Hey, Lana, I was gonna ask you to come play volley ball but I see you're busy..." Naomi says, smiling at Zayn.

"I am not busy, actually. Zayn here just came to sit with me." I assure her. Naomi pulls me up and takes me a few steps further from my towel. I excuse myself from Zayn as she does so.

"What did I tell you about those people with the tattoos and piercings?" She whisper yells.
"He came to me, Naomi." I say.

"So? And you don't have the power to tell him to piss off?"

"I am not rude. Besides, he's nice." I say, looking back at him. He has already taken out another cigarette. That will get annoying.

"You don't even know him, Lana!" She defends.

"Why are you so worried? I'm not stupid, you know." I say, letting go of her firm grasp. I walk back to my towel and apologize to Zayn for Naomi. Naomi stands in the same spot unsure of what had just happened. She rolls her eyes and says a loud "whatever" and runs back with our friends.

"I put my number in your phone while Leeyana was warning you about me." Zayn laughs as he hands me my phone. I should really put a password on this thing.

"Oh, ah, thanks." I say.

"The Fault in Our Stars is a lame book." Zayn says, picking it up.

"I like it, please put it down, I don't want your cigarette burning it." I say hesitantly and grab it.

"I won't burn it, all I am saying is you should read less girly, boring books." He shrugs.

"I like that genre!" I defend.

"Of course you do, you're a typical prissy white girl." He laughs.

"You don't know that!" I pout. Why must he be so mean?

"Are you serious?" He laughs, looking me down.

"What?" I ask.

"You can obviously tell just by your appearance. Long brown hair, brown eyes, fully done make up at a beach, hair in a perfect so called messy bun, salon done nails, waxed eye brows and god knows what." He says, laughing at his remark.

"You're being rude, you don't have to be here, if you don't like me go away."

"No! I like you." He says. One of his friends begins to search for him. He had brown wavy-curly hair, and had about the same amount of tattoos as Zayn.

"Zayn! C'mon, we're gonna go to the corner store and grab some beers!" The boy yells.
"'Right, be there!" He yells back. He stands up, puts his cigarette in the ground, and smiles at me.

"Nice chat, yeah?" He smiles.

"Uh, I suppose." I half smile. He runs to his friends, who were all covered in the same things, to get alcohol. I don't know how they're going to get it without an I.D., but it is none of my business.
I pick up my book and begin to continue where I left off. As I read each line I continue to understand what Zayn was saying about how this book is girly and boring. It's just predictable, I suppose. Naomi and Maya run to me with wet bodies. They had just came out of the water and it was my job to give them towels. I hand one to Maya and she immediately speaks.

"So...You talked to Zayn?" Maya says, drying her curly hair.

"Yes, but he had to go." I say, handing Naomi her towel and standing up to stretch.

"Oh, good. Please stay away from them, Lana." Maya warns in concern. I nod and my phone begins to ring. It's Zayn. I decide to answer it, knowing this would be a bad idea.

"Will you excuse me for one second?" I politely ask Maya as I walk further from them. Maya shrugs and begins to talk to Naomi.

"Hello?" I say into the phone.

"We're picking you up! Going to Harry's party and need a pretty lady to come with me! Stay in your bikini and I will be right there!" He says into the phone. I didn't get to say anything before he hung up.

"Who was that?" Naomi asks.

Notes