Summer
holidays was that time of the year where one could wind down and
relax after studying or working for so many months. The hot weather
made it the best time for an excursion to the beach, where there was
soft sand, bright sunshine and lovely cool seaside breeze. And there
was the wonderful water too.
After a
hard year (actually, it had just been slightly longer than a
semester) of studying, patching up relationships, surviving an
accident, a treachery and a kidnapping, and dealing with a
supernatural pervert, Gloria definitely deserved some time off to
relax with her family.
It was
the morning after their arrival at the resort. Gloria and her Second
Sis were at the beach. Mother and Father were still in their room -
Gloria did not care to guess at the reason for fear of corrupting her
underage mind.
"What's
taking Marie so long?" Carrie wondered about their elder sister.
She wore a blue bikini and was already looking for a handsome
specimen of the male side of the species among the small number of
people walking or basking on the sand.
"I
don't know," Gloria replied, "I'm sure she packed a
one-piece swimsuit so she shouldn't have trouble finding it."
When they had left, Big Sis was still in the bathroom of the room
that the sisters shared.
"Maybe
she's having trouble fitting into it. Ah, we should've waited for
her." Carrie glanced at her little sister. "Speaking of
swimsuits, aren't you going to flaunt yours?"
Gloria
looked into Second Sis' matching blue eyes. "Why would I do
that?"
"Because
we're at the beach!" Carrie answered, "Now why would you
hide under that shirt?"
Gloria
had a white shirt along with her bikini bottom, which had a floral
pattern. "I just don't feel like taking it off."
"Oh,
you'll never attract guys that way." Carrie took hold of the hem
of Gloria's shirt and started to pull it off. Then she hurriedly
pulled the shirt back down. She leaned close and whispered, "Annie,
why are you wearing your bra instead of your bikini top?"
"The
top's too small for me." Because her breasts had grown! Yay!
"You
can't swim in that!"
"We
should go to the nudist beach," Gloria suggested impishly, "We
won't need tops there."
Carrie's
jaw dropped. "No way! We're going shopping later to find you
something, maybe something sexy!"
Gloria
gave her wavy-haired sister a dark look, which went unnoticed.
"Ah,
I'm going for a swim," Carrie decided and went for the water.
Gloria
looked over her shoulder at the drink stand further up the beach. It
was close enough to her tote bag and their towels that she could keep
an eye on their belongings. So she took her white handbag and went to
the drink stand. No way would she risk bringing her favorite pink
handbag to the beach, even though it was still within the relative
safety of the resort grounds.
The
little girl ordered herself a glass of iced orange and sat on one of
the stools, facing the ocean. She checked again that their belongings
were well within view. After she took a sip of her drink, she watched
as a woman, carrying a surfboard, walked from the water towards the
stand. The woman set the surfboard beside the stand and ordered
herself a drink.
Then the
woman sat beside Gloria. "Hey, Annie, what a coincidence meeting
you here!"
Gloria
jerked in surprise, barely keeping her grip on her glass of orange.
She turned to the woman.
The
woman was young, perhaps in her twenties, and she wore a wetsuit. She
was small-sized, though still considerably taller than Gloria was.
She had short black hair and tanned skin.
Gloria
was sure that she had not met the woman before. Had Annie known her?
"Do
you remember me?" the woman asked.
Gloria
looked closer at the familiar woman, at her small dark-brown eyes.
She searched through Annie's memory. It would be easier if she had a
hint.
"I
had long brown hair and glasses," the woman supplied helpfully.
"Selina
Garcia from 9-B!?" But that could not be. Selina should be
around fifteen. That woman looked much older. And Gloria had the
feeling that she should be afraid of that woman.
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