I really didn't want to leave any of my friends before we all moved at the end of the summer of our senior year. My two best friends were going to college in Washington DC and Rhode Island. Then my closest guy friends were going to Springfield, Pittsburgh and California. I was going to Duke. It is was a big change for all of us. The six of us were incredibly close in high school and we'd all pretty much dated each other at one point or another. The only match that happened was between Phil and I. For most of high school, he had been on and off with a girl from out of town but he dated Alyssa and Laura in between. He hadn't gotten around to me, and it's not like he didn't like me or anything because we talked and hung out all the time, we were just never serious. But at the end of high school and we're all going our separate ways, a single Phil became very alluring.
We only had a week left before the first of us left for school and it was the last chance all six of us could be together, so we took a trip to the island we would frequent the last two years. Phil had found it when he was jet skiing on the river but it had a nice beach and it wasn't too far from the shore on one side so when we wanted to get away we'd go there - sometimes in smaller groups but we tried to get everyone as much as possible. So this was our last chance.
And we had a great time. We did the usual stuff - some volleyball, swimming, exploring the island, the guys had their cigars and the girls had their wine coolers. It was awesome. I hoped the day wouldn't end - just the six of us enjoying life in our own little world. The day did end, though, and we had to go back. We had a small boat so we had to go back in turns - three people would go across, one comes back and takes one more and most of the stuff, then he comes back for the other two. We draw cards to see who's captain and who goes on what shift, and it just happened that Phil and I were on the last shift.
So a little later, the other four had left and Phil and I were packing up the last stuff waiting for Mike to come back with the boat. We're fitting stuff in bags and I keep looking over at him and thinking how hot he was. We only come over in our swimming stuff so he was in his boxers and American Eagle swimsuit, leaving his toned arms and abs uncovered. He's a cyclist so he has to stay in shape; I do too because I'm a spin instructor so I looked pretty good in my small yellow bikini that I caught him looking at a few times.
All of a sudden, my phone goes off.
"Hello?"
"Hey Alexa, it's Mike."
"What's up? When are you getting back?"
"Well that's the thing. See, when we were unloading the stuff we left the boat alone too long because we stopped to watch a video someone sent to Alyssa and it floated downstream."
"Really? Can you swim after it?"
"Matt tried but it's too far out of reach. And it's probably out to sea by now. We're so sorry; we're gonna go to Wal-Mart and get like a big float or something."
I was kind of ticked that they'd be dumb enough to watch a video while our boat floated away and leaving me stranded. But then I realized I was stranded with Phil - not that I would mind anyone else - but I wanted to try Phil so badly and we both said we didn't have to work tomorrow.
So I moved a little away from Phil.
"Well you guys don't have to rush. Phil and I are okay with waiting if we have to."
"We'll be as fast as we can."
"Mike, you don't really have to worry about it. We're not working tomorrow; we both joked about staying anyway and it's getting late. Just get us tomorrow."
"Well okay. But I'm working tomorrow, so Alyssa will come and get you."
"That's fine, Mike. It's all good, just make sure the float's big enough."
"Okay, see you later."
I went back to where Phil was.