My Surprise Mate

Chapter One

“Come on Ava, get a move on! The others expected us to be there 10 minutes ago,” my boyfriend, Theodore, yells out from downstairs. I told him to head down just a few minutes ago, telling him to start the car and I’d be out in no more than a second. We both knew it was a lie. I’m chronically late.

“I’m so close to being done I swear!” I shout back, and I’m being (mostly) honest. I just need to pack a couple swim suits. I already chose a black string bikini, nothing special, and a dark green one with a sports bra type top and high waisted bottoms. I’m now debating between a one-piece with some tasteful cutouts, also black with gold hardware on the straps, and a strapless red bikini. People say I’m not supposed to wear red because I have red hair, but I say: screw that! I look good in red! I throw in the red bikini and close my suitcase, but as I leave my room I decide I may as well pack both, and return to the black one piece.

My hair is already braided in two long french braids, so I don’t have to worry about that. I quickly glance in the mirror to make sure I’m presentable, and am glad that I am despite the stress of getting ready this morning. I’m wearing an oversized knit striped sweater, with neutral tones and a pop of dark purple. The sleeves hang past my hands and the hem falls past my bottom. I’m wearing a tennis skirt underneath, but you can hardly tell with the way the sweater falls over my thin frame. I give it a french tuck to show off the skirt underneath and pull my platform boots on to give me some height before finally heading downstairs.

“See! Super quick” I say to Theo, kissing him on the cheek. He rolls his eyes and shoots a text to the group chat we share with our high school friends. We’re all taking a trip to a beachhouse for the last week of summer. The last week before we all go our separate ways at university. Well, we won’t all go our separate ways. Luckily, both Theo and I got into Univeristy of Washington, only a few hours from our hometown. I’m going for architecture, and him for biochemistry. Classic art girlfriend and science boyfriend duo. I quickly hug my mom and sister goodbye, and blow a kiss as I race out the door to Theo’s van.

I’ve always teased him for having a minivan, such a mom, but it does come in handy for things like this! Our entire friend group can fit in the van, making it super easy to take roadtrips together. The roadtrip will be pretty long, but we’ve been taking road trips as a friend group ever since Theo got his license. This isn’t the first roadtrip we’ve taken this summer, but it will be the last. Theo’s parents rented a beachhouse, but that’s about all I know. They’re both lawyers, so I’m sure the place is nice, but none of us apart from Theo have seen pictures.

With my bag in the trunk, and Theo’s hand on my leg, we set out to pick up our friends from their homes. First stop is just a few houses down from me, my childhood best friend Gabi. She’s waiting on her porch with a pink duffel bag that looks significantly smaller and less full than mine, my guess is because it has less clothes in it. Gabi has never been afraid to show off her figure. Rightfully so, too, because she’s gorgeous. Now she has more clothes on, due to it being only around 70 degrees, but I doubt I’ll see her this covered up again for the rest of the trip. She has on a crocheted top, which I know she made herself, in autumn toned colours, with a pair of low rise jeans to show off her belly button piercing. Her short black hair is pulled back in a black and red bandana, save for a few pieces to frame her face and she has on her girlfriends leather jacket. Her earrings are clearly made by her girlfriend, we all have some made by her, but of course Gabi has the most. When Mickey was trying to not-so-subtly hint that she had a crush on her, Gabi would get a new pair of earrings every week. These ones show off Mickey’s handiwork in metalwork, long gold spirals mimicking DNA. Gabi hops in the backseat and kisses my cheek.

“Check out my top!”

“It’s so cute! Where’d you get it?” I ask, knowing the answer is that she made it. She knows I know and gives me a light punch on the shoulder. She then taps Theo.

“Pedal to the metal, buddy. I haven’t seen Mick in days! I’m going through withdrawals.” We laugh, but follow her orders and start driving to our next stop. This is where Mickey and her twin sister Madeline live. Mickey runs out quickly to see her girlfriend and kisses her. She has several rings on, most of which she’s made herself recently in her metalwork course. She’s also wearing a backwards baseball cap, black converse, and black jeanse. Typical Mickey, always the most casual of all of us. She looks amazing though, as always. Madeline comes out more slowly, carrying both her and Mickey’s bags. Theo jumps out to help her while me, Mickey, and Gabi catch up. We have known eachother for years, longer than I’ve known Theo even. When Mickey told me she had a crush on Gabi, I was worried our friendship would change, and it has in some ways, but we are still as inseparable as ever. Madeline is a newer addition to the friend group, despite being twins, they didn’t always get along. We’re glad that they do now though, since Madeline is loads of fun to have around. She’s wearing wide legged denim shorts that go down to mid-thigh, a white tank, and a sage green button-up left unbuttoned. Her golden hair is significantly longer than her sisters, and is held up with a claw clip.

Finally almost everyone is in the van. We just have one last stop before we can go to the beachhouse. Theo’s best friend Trevor. He joined the friendgroup around the same time Theo did, a few years before high school. Him and Theo both tried to hook up with me in high school, and both succeeded, but I had caught feelings for Theo pretty quickly and never really felt that way about Trevor. We had talked it out 2 years ago, before me and Theo started dating, and everything is fine, but I wonder sometimes if he is still upset about it. I honestly am not entirely sure how him and Theo still get along so well after all that, but am glad they do. Now Trevor has turned his attention towards Madeline, who is entirely uninterested. Or so she claims. They’re both going to the same college in the fall, and I’m willing to bet when I see them again next summer they’re together.

Mickey elbows her sister, who’s sitting beside her in the back row. “Why don’t you move to the middle and sit beside Trevor”

“Oou, you know you want to!” teases Gabi.

“Awh guys give her a break,” Theo says, and Madeline is visibly grateful. “There’s only three beds at the house, so they’ll have lots of time together” and winks at Madeline, who blushes, but doesn’t seem opposed to the idea. Maybe they’ll be together sooner than I thought.

Trevor opens the door and gets into the middle row, alone. “Come on! No one wants to sit with me? I always get last pick. Next time you guys are picking me up first!” Trevor directs at me and Theo.

“No bag Trevor? You planning to wear the same clothes all week?” Madeline asks him.

“Actually, my dear, I’m not planning to wear clothes at all.” Madeline blushes, and averts her eyes. Trevor smiles softly when she does. Gabi on the other hand is having none of it.

“You absolutely will be wearing clothes Trevor! That’s disgusting!” and she steals Mickey’s hat to throw it at Trevor.

“I packed more than enough clothes, if you want to borrow some of mine” I smirk at him and he smiles.

“You know I’d rock your dresses Ava. Probably even better than you could, actually.”

“Alright ladies, settle down. Trevor has clothes. He threw them in my trunk yesterday before I left for Ava’s.” Theo says and pulls out of the driveway, heading to the coast. I’m excited, but have this deep feeling of anxiety in me. I’m not sure anything will ever be the same after this.