Someone Else

Chapter 11

Why the hell hasn't Liam texted me? Is he really dumping me because I'm going to college far away?

I listen to music on my phone while Julian drives Steph's dad's sedan. Steph is in the front, Chase in second row and I'm in the very back since Chase gets car sick.

We're almost at the border, it's only a matter of hours until we're at the hotel and on the beach drinking mimosas.

I text Matteo that I'm going to Mexico and attempt to call Liam. Both end up fruitlessly.

If Liam keeps doing this bullshit, I won't put up with it anymore. Our whole relationship is boring, the only fun thing we do is f**k and sometimes I want to do more than f**k.

I want to go to the shooting range, amusement parks, and game until my eyeballs are shriveled like raisins.

All he wants to do is f**k or sleep or paint his figurines. For crying out loud, can we not just do something I want to do?

When he's inside of me, I forget but when we're not together this uncertainty weighs on me like a ton of bricks. But I can't break up with him. He wasted four years of his life with me in my past life, I can at least give him some time in this one.

Am I being stupid? Do I even love him anymore?

This s**t is making me frustrated. If he does not contact me by the end of the week, I am breaking up with him. I've had enough.

Someone takes out one of my earbuds. "Is the music really that bad?" Chase asked, putting in his ear.

I was scowling? "No, it's my favorite song actually. s*x by the 1975."

"Your favorite song and your favorite activity, I reckon." He said, grinning.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" I said, sitting up. "I have big news to tell you all when we reach the hotel!"

"Why can't you tell us now?" Steph whined. She hates surprises.

I can, but that would ruin the dramatic effect. "It has to wait until we get to the hotel."

"Is it good news or bad news?" Julian asked.

Really really good news. "You'll see."

___________________________________

We are all sharing a two bedroom suite for the entire month, since it was better and fancier than getting two separate rooms.

I packed about 15 swimming suits, 3 shirts, 3 pairs of sweatpants, 5 party dresses and two pairs of hooker heels. Steph packed her entire f*****g closet in three suitcases.

"Everyone get changed! We're going down to the beach!" Julian yells.

Steph opens my suitcase and tosses me a thin black bikini that is basically a thong and n****e patches. Why did I even bring that?

"No." I said immediately.

She pouts. "But I have one like that."

"So we can look like lesbian lovers?" I asked.

"Lia!"

I laugh and pucker my lips at her. "Come here, behbeh."

She screams and runs away, dodging my attempts to give her a big smooch.

"Whoa! Don't run in the living room guys!" Chase says, holding me back by the waist.

"Hey, I'm just trying to give my lesbian lover a kiss!" I exclaimed.

"GUYS! GO CHANGE ALREADY!" Julian shouts at us.

I giggle and go change into the bikini she chose for me and we all go down to the beach.

It's a private beach so it's full of rich teenagers splashing around and Botox pumped middle aged people hiding under big ass umbrellas. Damn, there are even influencers on live.

What can they possibly be going on and on about?

Put my headphones on and lay out my beach blanket, completely ignoring the stares. I bury the ends under some sand so they don't annoy me and lay down.

Steph and Julian go boogie boarding with the other hormonal teenagers.

"Need help with sunscreen?" Chase asked, sitting next to me.

I turn around and let him put sunscreen all over my back.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo." He said. Oh, right, I've been wearing a shirt over my sport's bra during practice. I hum and turn my music on.

When he's done I stay in that position and imagine a huge tsunami coming in and killing us all. Wouldn't that be fun?

Someone taps my shoulder.

I take off my headphones and look at them. A girl about my age? Wonder why she's interrupting my relaxing thoughts of death...

"Hi, are you Amelia Shackler?" She asked.

I briefly consider telling her I'm not but ultimately decide against it, since she's holding a copy of my book that has my face in it.

"In the flesh." I said, smiling tiredly at her. "What may I do for you today, little missy?"

She giggles. "I was wondering if I could get your autograph?"

Well well well, I have fans already? The book was published and sent out last week.

"Alright, little missy." I said, reaching in my bag to get a Mitsubishi pen. "What's your name?"

"Clary, Clary Dunham."

I hope this summer treats you well, Clary Dunham.

Your's truly,

Amelia.

I sign it and hand it back to her. She looks at the message and squeals. "Thank you so much! Can I also get a picture?"

"Well now you're pushing it." I teased. I get up and push my hair out if my face.

She takes out her phone and I put an arm around her shoulders and smile brightly. She takes a lot of pictures, keeping her finger on the button. There must be 20 frames!

When she's done she hugs me and runs off to God knows where.

I look at the pen and sigh. Matteo bought me this when he saw me staring at it from outside a bookstore. I wonder where he is and what the brothers are doing.

Tucking the pen away, I zone out again. Until a volleyball hits me square in the face.

"f*****g hell!" I yelled, holding my nose. It's f*****g bleeding!

A couple of guys and Chase run over. So that's where he went...

"Oh my God, Lia, I'm so sorry!" Chase said, checking if I'm alright.

My nose doesn't feel broken, just fractured. I crack it back into place and groan. "Can't I have a nice day at the beach?!"

"We're so sorry, it was an accident." The blonde guy said.

Obviously it was, if it weren't then I'd have f****d you up.

"I'm fine, just get me some ice and continue with your game." I said. The blood stopped anyways. Chase runs to the bar to get it.

I look down and see blood on my chest and stomach. Damn. I wipe it off with a hand towel and wait patiently for my ice.

The other guys sit around me.

"So, I saw that Clary ask for your autograph, are you famous or something?" A red head asked.

"Not at all. I'm a published writer but only recently published." I said.

"That's really cool! What's the book about?" A brunette asked.

"It's about a virus that was discovered by scientists when a jungle in Indonesia was destroyed. The virus caused swelling in the brain and eyes until the tissue died. The government found out about it and sent in a team to steal it and weaponize it. But there was an outbreak and then a whole lot of people died, since 85% of infected people die." I said. "But there's a girl who's immune to the virus, the only person who's immune so she's captured and tested. Before they can find out what makes her different, a group of rebels bust her out of the lab and take her somewhere far away to hide her. And then some other s**t happens."

"What?! You have to tell us the end!" The brunette said.

I laugh. "If I told people the ending, who would buy my book?"

"Well, I'm Brad and that's Mason and Jake." The blonde said.

Chase comes back with an icepack and I press it against my sore, swollen nose. "Do you want to go to the hospital?" He asked.

"Don't be silly, it's just a scratch." I said. "You guys keep playing so I have some eye candy."

+ + +

Mason and Steph are surprisingly hitting it off. She doesn't normally go for redheads. Clary mostly just asks me about my book and I dodge every question.

Turns out they are from Canada, they've spent their whole summer backpacking around Central America. Clary and Jake are siblings and Mason and Brad are their cousins.

"Has the swelling gone down much?" I asked Julian who's on his third bottle of Carona.

"It's completely gone." He said.

"Sorry again." Chase said, patting my back.

"Look! It already has 200 likes!" Clary exclaimed, showing me the picture of us she posted on i********:.

There are also comments about how big my t**s are but I choose to ignore them. "What's your username, I'll follow you." I told her, taking out my phone.

No reply from Liam, still left of pending for Matt, how amazing.

I open up the app and see I have thousands of new followers. How did they even find my account? I follow Clary and like the picture as well. She squeals so loud I worry it'll attract dolphins.

"Do you guys wanna go on hiking with us tomorrow morning?" Mason asked.

"Sure! Where and when?"

"We can come by your suite at around 7." Jake said.

7? Isn't that a bit early? It's already 9 pm now. "In that case, I need to go to sleep right now." I said, standing up.

We say out goodnight's and I pack up my blanket. "They were nice." Steph said dreamily. I'm sure she's already fantasizing about a certain red head with green eyes.

Since I didn't go in the water, I take a quick shower and lay in the bed. My patience is seriously running thin but I control myself enough not to text Liam.

I can't let him dictate my life, not in this one or the other one.