"Over there by the sand dune looks perfect. It gives us a bit of privacy," Johanna Zay said, pointing toward a spot on Belle Beach.
"Privacy? I want guys able to see me. It's why I bought my new bikini," Hillarie Hayslip responded, shooting a questioning expression at her cousin. "If you wanted to hide, we should've hit Shandal Beach. Plenty of rocks there."
"I don't want to hide! I just need a bit of privacy while prepping for my videos," Johanna explained, dropping her bag on the sand.
The sun wasn't anywhere near its day's high point at only nine in the morning. Yet, the temperature already seemed on its way to matching the forecast-predicted triple digits on this mid-June day. Waves crashed against the shore with a rhythmic consistency. Shouts of triumph and defeat punctuated the air with the same rhythm as the waves. The sounds caught the girls' attention, leading them to notice a group of beach volleyball players, their muscles rippling under the sun's rays. The sand around their makeshift court churned into miniature dunes from their exertions.
As the pair of eighteen-year-old cousins planned to cool off near the shoreline while working on their tans and checking out guys, they nodded in agreement that the volleyball players met their latter criteria. So, they set about unrolling a large beach blanket with a small cooler at the end where they planned to lay their heads. Next came out several bottles of sunscreen and a paperback novel for Hillarie. The strawberry blonde preferred the traditional reading route, unlike her technology-obsessed cousin. Almost on cue, Johanna pulled out her cell phone.
"Hiya, y'all! It's your fav, Johanna Zay, and we're back for more
Zay Time!
" the chestnut brunette announced, pointing her phone at her face. "Today, we're at the water's edge in Edgewater."
Watching her cousin chuckle at her wordplay, Hillarie rolled her eyes.
"It's going to be a hot one here today. So, we're going to discuss ways to beat the heat while taking advantage of the pleasurable sites of half-naked men at the beach. And I have quite the lineup of guests to help provide my subscribers with a wide range of tips. We're gonna talk about the best ways to get that perfect glow while protecting your skin and hair. Remember: skincare is vital!"
Johanna paused momentarily for where she planned to insert a few pictures and links for several skincare products while editing later.
"Then, our resident flirt will stop by for another tutorial. I know you guys love her. Also, my cousin will showcase several delightful books for conversation starters with that hunk who just happens to walk by. We're talking risque titles and covers that pique a man's curiosity by screaming that you're intelligent while open to a roll in the sand. But first...it's fashion time!"
Stretching her arm out, Johanna passed off her phone to Hillarie, who continued to record. Flashing a toothy grin, the brunette reached behind her neck to untie her sarong. It seemingly floated to the ground, revealing a red and blue plaid bikini. The new swimsuit showed off the health-conscious teen's medium-sized breasts and yoga-toned figure.
Winking at the camera, Johanna ran her hands down her sides for effect before raising them to the top of the straps. A quick tug caused her bust to bounce before she performed a slow turn. Another tug at the bottom's sides flaunted her toned ass. Johanna turned her head to look over her shoulder for the grand finale while biting her thumb.
"What do you think?" the teen inquired after a cutting gesture.
"It looks like a schoolgirl skirt," Hillarie commented, shaking her head slightly.
"I know!"
"Don't you want to describe it?" the strawberry blonde asked, well aware her cousin usually liked to do so.
"Nope. I'm going to add a caption and link when I edit the video," Johanna explained. She watched her cousin rub her fingers together. "Absolutely. A girl's gotta hustle to get that teeny-weeny percentage, especially if my dad cuts my allowance more."
"He still harping about your grades?"
"It's been weeks since I got my report card. And now my mom's gotten into the act. Some crap about spending too much time on my phone. It's summer break!" Johanna exclaimed before holding up a finger. "Whatever. It's your turn."
Unsure about her opening pose, Hillarie tried three of them, as she wanted her lime green bikini to pop for the camera. Satisfied with the last option, she gave her cousin a thumbs-up.
"And now it's Hill--Whoa! What do we have here?" Johanna questioned, cutting off the introduction for Hillarie after spotting three guys down by the water's edge. She immediately recognized the sandy brown-haired boy and his dark-skinned friend. "My, my, it appears we have several North High football team members at the beach this morning. Yes, I definitely spot Luke Ridley standing with Andre Savard. Hmm, who's that kneeling? I think, oh, I know that ass... it's Jake Magnum."
While Hillarie threw up her hands in annoyance, Johanna's eyes and camera phone zeroed in on the chiseled athlete with his dirty blond locks. She watched as her classmate showed off his arm strength by flinging a rock into the ocean.
"Hey, what about me?" Hillarie hissed. "Who cares about North High boys?"
"I do," Johanna responded to the South High School student. "Yes, my faithful subscribers, I have some early morning eye candy as a treat. Don't mind my cousin. She takes our rival high schools too seriously. That stud with the handsome Hollywood looks is Jake Magnum, my school's iron man. I know he's not only called that for playing both tight end and linebacker for the Puffers. Hint, hint. Well-acquainted with the female population of North High, Jake is something of a local celebrity, thanks to his teen detective--shit!"
Johanna's gasp matched Hillarie's as Jake turned to the side, revealing a very tight pair of swim trunks. The notable bulge caused the South High Sea Wolf to reevaluate her rival school's famous player. Both cousins' shoulders sagged when Jake and his two friends entered the water, obscuring their waists. However, their eyes lingered on Jake's six-pack abs for nearly another thirty seconds.
"Damn," Johanna sighed with disappointment. Although Jake stole her attention, his two friends weren't slouches. She hoped to get up close and personal with them later. Before that happened, she needed to take care of business. "Okay, Hill, let's shoot your shot. Why don't you head up the dune?"
Nodding at the suggestion, the strawberry blonde walked onto the pile of sand. Suddenly, Johanna's directorial eye had an inspiration. She quickly explained her idea of Hillarie playfully backing away from the camera and down the other side of the dune.
Hillarie gladly ate up her turn in the spotlight as Johanna re-introduced her cousin to her regular followers. Using her finger, she directed the teen to perform a twirl before implementing the agreed-upon move. Only Hillarie tripped after several steps in reverse.
"Good one, cuz," Johanna giggled, racing up the dune. Immediately, she spotted an oddly dressed person on the ground beneath her cousin.
"What the hell, man?" Hillarie yelled at the person over whom she had tripped. "You can't just lay there. Hey, let go of my foot--Aieee!"
Hillarie's bloodcurdling scream pierced the early morning joy of Belle Beach.
*************************************************************************************************
"Yep. That's a skeleton inside," Jake confirmed, peering down through the helmet's circular viewport.
"What should we do?" Mason Spurgeon, the lifeguard on duty for this beach section, asked. His head swung around as he looked for an answer.
"How old is that thing?" Luke wondered, ignoring the question.
"Old," Andre replied, leaning in enough to see while maintaining a safe distance.
The three teens stood gathered around the long-dead diver. Additional onlookers milled around, gawking at the sight of the old-fashioned deep-sea diving suit. People usually don't see that style of waterproof canvas suit with a brass or copper helmet attached to the top. With its glass faceplates at the front and on each side, the helmet seemed like something out of an old film.
"Early 20th or late 19th century, I'd say," Jake guesstimated, touching what appeared to be a portion of a ripped-off air hose on the helmet. He noted another smaller hole on the diving suit's upper front.
"It's horrible!" Hillarie shrieked from about twenty feet away, where Johanna consoled her. "It grabbed my foot!
"The dead body didn't grab your foot. You caught it under that thing when you tripped," Johanna pointed out.
"No, th-that thing grabbed me!"
"What should we do? They didn't train us for a situation like this," Mason asked again, his voice's pitch increasing. "Nobody trained me!"
"Call the police," Jake replied before asking to borrow Johanna's phone.
"The police?" the lifeguard screeched. "I've never called the police in my life. Ohmigawd! Will they put me in an interrogation room?"
The crowd's volume increased at the mention of the police showing up. One young man with sandy brown hair and eyeglasses wouldn't shut up with his loud questions about the diver. Those around him appeared to grow annoyed with his nonstop chatter.
The self-proclaimed influencer abandoned her cousin to dash forward to hand over her most prized possession. It never once crossed her mind to ask why Jake needed a phone or why he didn't use it to call the police. Instead, he began to circle the diver, taking pictures from multiple angles.
Feeling useless, Johanna returned to Hillarie's side, earning a dirty glare from the upset teen. Her movement caused her to miss Jake quickly send off a message before he resumed taking more pictures.
While murmurs from the onlookers increased and Luke and Andre debated the diver's age, Jake switched to videotaping the unexpected discovery. Only seconds into his recording did he hear a familiar sneer.
"That's sick, Magnum. You need to seek help for your necrophilia fetish," the voice commented, cackling at the end.
"I'm busy, Rick. Go bother someone else," Jack responded, not bothering to look over at Rick Valance, his school's most notorious flirt. "If you don't mind. I'm gathering evidence."
"Ah, right. Playing boy detective again. Wait, wasn't your name Boybody or something?" Rick inquired with false curiosity.
"You know it was Busybody, Inc., Rick, and we don't call it that any longer," Jake explained, finally glancing over at his longtime classmate.
His gaze immediately studied the pair of big-breasted blondes flanking each of Rick's sides. Both appeared to be bottle blondes based on their slightly darker roots. Also, the young woman on the right definitely had breast implants. He noted the beauties didn't appear familiar-looking. Jake quickly deduced they weren't high school students, leaving Bentworth College coeds or tourists.
