"Omigosh, the weather is perfect!"

  Heather stretched her hands to the sky, taking in a deep breath of the salty sea breeze and letting it out with a satisfied sigh. The slight breeze ruffled the wraparound skirt that hugged her hips—and hid the bottom of a daring white bikini. Behind her, Rachel stepped out of the Bowley and shaded her eyes.

  "It really is, isn't it?" The athlete scanned the pristine, cloudless sky above as the sun warmed her face. "We certainly got lucky."

  Esme popped open the trunk to grab her beach bag and a towel. "Right? I thought beach season was long gone. I mean, isn't it winter now?"

  "It's technically still fall," Kaitlyn corrected, helping her unload. "Winter won't officially start until just after finals, even though it feels like it's been freezing for weeks. This beach never seems to care about that, though."

  At least, it didn't during Philip's ending. I guess it decided to play nice today, too.

  With only a couple of weeks to go until finals, the group of girls had decided to push for one more big trip together. Something relatively low-key to contrast their comparatively swanky venture last time around. Suggesting the beach had thrown everyone for a rather entertaining loop, but with the weather report backing her up, no one could resist the allure of warm sunshine and out-of-season swimming.

  Kaitlyn looked out across the horizon. Tiny sailboats drifted along in the distance as seagulls called out overhead, looking for all the world like a scene out of some painting. It really has been a while, hasn't it? I haven't been back here since that first time…

  It wasn't as though she'd had much reason to. In fact, without a car, Kaitlyn didn't even have an easy way to reach the place—although bribery of her suitemates would've probably been able to solve that issue. But now that the opportunity was right in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.

  I had some good memories here. Bittersweet ones, sure, but ones that I'll always cherish. But… that doesn't mean I can't make new ones, too.

  "C'mon, Kate! We're wasting daylight, girl!"

  Kaitlyn shook herself from her reverie, shifting the bag slung over one shoulder. "Coming!"

  The group made their way across the street, kicking off their sandals as they reached the edge of the warm sand. It didn't take long for them to claim an empty firepit and begin setting up their belongings.

  Rachel nodded to the cooler that Kaitlyn lugged behind her. "Are you going to show us what you brought, sweetie?"

  "Oh! Right!" She bent over to flip it open. "Don't expect anything too fancy. You guys said you wanted low-key, so that's what I did."

  Heather just rolled her eyes. "Girl, do you even know how to make 'low-key' food? Like, seriously! You'd even make a ham sandwich gourmet!"

  Kaitlyn grinned. "Wanna bet?"

  The blonde's gaped as a tray of wrapped sandwiches emerged. Then another. Then…

  "Geez, Kate!" Esme called over. "How many did you make?!"

  Her grin turned sheepish "...A few. I, uh, got a little excited."

  Ham and cheese, BLT's, and pastrami composed the majority of the trays. However, she hadn't been able to resist adding some of the turkey pinwheels and a few fresh caprese ones to the mix. And given that she'd wanted to make enough for everyone…

  …Ok, yeah, so I did end up going overboard anyway. But still! I could have done sides and salads too! I thought that sticking with just sandwiches showed a lot of restraint.

  Esme finished laying her blanket on the sand and straightened. She'd removed her loose sundress to reveal a deep turquoise swimsuit beneath, its neckline embroidered with intricate flower patterns. "Well, no point in wasting time! Who wants to go for a swim?"

  "Omigosh, me!" Heather leaped at the opportunity.

  Rachel waved a hand. "Maybe a bit later. I'm quite enjoying the sun right now."

  At Esme's expectant look, Kaitlyn shook her head. "Same. Besides, I have a few more things to unpack first."

  The girl shrugged. "Sure, your loss! See you two in a bit."

  With that, Esme and Heather headed toward the siren song of the crashing surf. Kaitlyn continued setting out the less perishable snacks she'd brought and ensuring that nothing got too crushed on the trip over. Afterwards, she settled onto her towel with a contented sigh.

  "It really is a nice day." Rachel lay back on her own towel to sunbathe. The cropped halter top of her own swimsuit put her trim figure on full display. "Are you going to change into your swimsuit, sweetie?"

  "I already have it on," Kaitlyn admitted, plucking at her shirt. "It's under this. I'm just waiting until I actually want to go in the water."

  Rachel chuckled. "Why? You're missing out on a perfect tanning opportunity. You won't get another chance like this, not until summer comes back around!"

  She gave the athletic girl a wry smile. "It's not like anyone would see it, anyway. Even if the weather's nice here, I guarantee I'll be bundled up as soon as we get back."

  "Well that's pessimistic. You know there's other reasons someone might see a tan, right sweetie?"

  For a moment, she stared at her friend in confusion. Then, her expression turned aghast. "Rachel!"

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rachel giggled. "I'm just saying! Don't completely count yourself out."

  They watched the other two girls for a while, the distant sound of their shrieks carrying over the waves as they braved the ocean. Soon, Rachel let out a long sigh. "I can't believe the semester's almost over."

  "Yeah?"

  She nodded. "It simply feels like it's gone by so quickly. So much has happened… I feel like I'm just getting my feet under me, and yet, in just another month or two we'll all have completely different classes to deal with. It's astounding."

  Kaitlyn gazed down at the sand, smoothing out a particular lump beneath her towel. "Mmm. Are you excited?"

  "Of course!" Rachel beamed at her. "Well, not for finals of course. But other than that… I managed to enroll in quite a few of the classes I wanted this coming semester, and between those and track, I suspect it'll be even more promising than this one."

  "Right, finals." Kaitlyn belatedly remembered the sheer stress the event caused most students. She shook her head. "I heard that Coach still has you guys practicing through them."

  The athlete gave a disappointed sigh. "He does. Although thankfully, it's not early morning group practices for that week. He's just assigning workouts for us to do on our own time. Heaven knows I'll need every minute of that extra sleep. Why, we're still a few weeks out and I already feel as though I'm behind on studying…"

  They chatted for a long while about finals, classes, and other mundane things. Before long, Esme marched up the beach toward them, her arms hugging herself as she shivered. Her long, dark hair hung in wet ringlets down her back.

  "It's so c-cold!" Her teeth chattered as she spoke. "H-how is it so cold when the weather's so n-nice?!"

  Kaitlyn couldn't help but laugh. "I mean, it is fall. You can't expect the water to be that warm, right?"

  "B-but it's not supposed to feel this cold! You gotta go see!"

  She just shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks. I can see the goosebumps all over you."

  "Oh, don't be a spoilsport!" Rachel stood in a single fluid motion. "I was thinking about heading out there myself."

  Esme just shook her head. "Don't look at me, I'm not going back in there. I'll watch our stuff."

  Kaitlyn looked helplessly between the pair, then sighed. "Oh, boy. Fine. I guess I have to at some point…"

  She pulled off her shirt and shorts to reveal a white and pink polka dot bikini underneath. The swimsuit was a bit more revealing than she would've normally gone for. In fact, historically, she'd usually stuck with one piece suits or tankinis. But this entire loop had her feeling a little adventurous in the style department.

  Rachel grinned at her. "Alright! Let's be off!"

  With that, Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her toward Heather's waving figure in the water.

  ***

  The group spent the better half of a day enjoying all the benefits of the beach. Most of that time was spent sunbathing, walking along the water, or chatting over some of Kaitlyn's sandwiches. After discovering how cold the ocean was, swimming had become a far less inviting prospect—at least, for everyone except Heather, whose tolerance for freezing temperatures once again had her spitting in the face of common sense.

  During one of her walks, Rachel managed to collect some rather nice-looking seashells, at which point Esme insisted that they build a sand castle. It ended up resembling more of a lopsided group of mounds dotted with rainbow protrusions, one which made them all giggle at themselves.

  "We're not engineers," Esme pointed out, "So really, this is a pretty good attempt. I'd give it a C."

  Kaitlyn gave the misshapen pile a skeptical look. "A C? If this is all it takes to get a C, then maybe I should switch majors…"

  By the time the sun was nearing the horizon, they'd all mostly dried off and donned dry clothes or towels. The girls gathered around a roaring firepit to roast hot dogs and smores, enjoying the warmth as the light disappeared.

  Kaitlyn pulled her roasting stick back, blowing on the small flame that threatened to engulf her slightly charred marshmallow. With deft movements, she slid it between two graham crackers and the square of chocolate she'd already prepared. Biting into the only slightly molten treat brought a small smile to her lips.

  Dang. I haven't had one of these in ages. I forgot how good they taste…

  The ingredients were all store bought—it just hadn't felt right to bring homemade graham crackers and marshmallows to something like this. She hadn't been able to resist opting for the nicer brands, however. Or preparing her own tupperwares of relishes, sauces, and veggies for the dogs, most of which now lay empty.

  As her friends enjoyed their own smores, Esme leaned back with a contented expression. "Ah… today's been awesome, you guys. I'm glad we did this."

  "Omigosh, same," Heather concurred. "This was like, exactly what I needed. You wouldn't believe how much work classes are dropping on us last minute. Like, seriously!"

  Rachel shook her head. "I feel your pain. I do wonder if they get together and plan how to make our lives miserable sometimes…"

  "They gotta. I'm sure they totally laugh about it, too…"

  Esme shook her head. "At least it's almost over. Just a few weeks until finals, then we get to finally go on break… anyone doing anything fun?"

  They went around talking about their plans for the break. All three of Kaitlyn's companions were returning to their families to spend the holidays together, whether at home or on vacation somewhere. But when the question reached her, all she could do was shrug. "Not much, really. I'll… probably just stay here."

  "Really?" Heather's eyes widened. "Does your family live, like, super far away or something?"

  "Mmm, something like that," Kaitlyn admitted.

  "That's… couldn't you still fly to see them, though?" Esme pressed. "I mean…"

  Heather nodded. "Yeah! I mean, it can't be too expensive, right? You could totally do that, even for a day!"

  Kaitlyn made a face "It's… complicated. They're a bit hard to get a hold of, nowadays."

  "Hard to get a hold of?" Rachel's brow furrowed in concern. "Did they… abandon you or something, sweetie?"

  "No! No, nothing like that." She shook her head, struggling to come up with a reasonable explanation and coming up short. "It's… it's not really easy to explain, you know?"

  "Well, why not try?" Esme pressed. "We're all ears."

  "Mmm… maybe some other time. After we come back from break, maybe."

  The group fell into a momentary silence as it became clear that Kaitlyn wasn't willing to elaborate on the subject. The reminder of her life before the game did sting, as it always had. But only a little. Far less than before.

  It's been long enough that thinking about them doesn't hurt so much anymore. It's just so distant that… well, it's no exaggeration to say it was a lifetime ago.

  In truth, it was getting harder and harder to remember that time. It hardly crossed her mind anymore, not unless something specifically reminded her of it. That was what hurt more than anything else. The idea that she was so far removed from it all, from anything resembling a "normal" life… the thought was disturbing, to say the least.

  I still don't know what happened back home when I got sucked into this world. I wonder if anyone misses me, or if they don't even remember...

  Before she could delve too deeply down that rabbit hole, however, Esme smiled knowingly. "Well… I know someone who wouldn't mind having you over for Christmas."