Beach Day

Leigha had organized Beach Day after Anita's unfortunate run-in. And because it was last minute, Cyrus couldn't say no to going. So one of the closed days during Golden Week, the entire Tormino's team took the train to the beach.

"For today, I ban all negative thoughts or feelings," Leigha announced. The group stopped at the edge of the beach, already crowded with people.

"Especially Anita, grumpy Shasta, Cyrus, and Miles."

As if to emphasize her point, Leigha roped her brother under her arm. The teen grimaced as he tried to push her off, only to push Ramona, who he caught. The teens both turned pink since Ramona was wearing a cute sundress with her shoulders bare. He stood her back up.

"The feelings of youth," Leigha sighed, looking over to Cyrus. He was dressed in long sleeves, long pants, and a baseball cap. He looked quite disgusted to be there.

"Let's go," Sierra cheered then raced off with Leigha to the beach as the others followed.

"Any place where there are not a lot of people," griped Cyrus. He struggled to find a place for their group despite his height advantage.

"Found a spot," called out Sierra, waving at them through the crowds. The group followed, finding an open area for all of them.

"I'm surprised how many people there are," commented Anita. She helped Shasta set up the towels and cooler while Cyrus struggled with the umbrella.

"The weather has been warming up, so not unexpected."

"The last one in the water has to buy lunch," called out Oliver as he started racing to the water, only for Sierra and Leigha to stop him.

"Girls change first."

They dropped him off at their spot, the girls dragging Anita and Ramona off to change.

"Well, that was dumb." Oliver stripped off his shirt. He was already in board shorts. He looked down at Cyrus, who had finally set up the umbrella with a chair underneath.

"Not going to get in the water?"

Cyrus scowled, brushing the sand off his feet before tucking onto the chair, so his knees were up to his ears.

"Suit yourself." Oliver ran into the water, joining the other people in the water. Miles and Shasta both stripped off the shirt and the shorts covering their swim trunks. Miles reached in his bag and pulled out sunscreen.

"You want some?" he offered to Shasta.

"Sure."

Shasta took the bottle as Miles took another one out.

"Boys!"

The men turned around; even Cyrus shuffled in his seat to see the girls walking back over.

Miles wasn't sure what to be more embarrassed about: his sister in a revealing bikini or Ramona in a one-piece with ruffles.

Shasta immediately looked away as Anita wore a bikini, the skirt barely covering her bottom.

"Please don't tell me you never grew out of your junior high swimsuit," laughed Cyrus. The boys' attention turned to Sierra, who was still wearing her junior high school swimsuit. Sierra pouted, pushing his chair over.

"I'm going in the water."

"Just warning you, Agate is already swimming."

Sierra gasped, running towards the water. "He cheated."

"Hey Miles." Leigha got close to her brother before pushing him to Ramona.

"Why don't you help Ramona with the sunscreen?"

Ramona immediately began turning red, thinking about intimate contact.

"Sure."

How could he answer that so calmly? Ramona turned her back towards him, while Miles was shaking the bottle.

"It's going to feel cold," he warned, undoing the cap. Ramona nodded, closing her eyes while she waited for the inevitable touch, only to feel a cold spray on her shoulders. She jumped at the contact.

"Don't worry," he calmed, "It's spray-on sunscreen."

Shasta and Anita watched, and Leigha looking disappointed by the outcome.

"Do-do you need sunscreen," he offered the bottle Miles had given him to Anita.

"Oh, um, I already put sunscreen back home." She gave him a weak smile.

Shasta nodded, uncapping the bottle, and sprayed on his arms.

"I could help you with your back though," she offered.

"Oh, sure."

He turned around. Anita spraying the sunscreen on his back.

"Miles, you need to rub it in.; It's never going to work if you leave like that," argued Leigha. She put Miles' hand on Ramona, which nearly made her pass out into Miles' arms. The two siblings began to quarrel as Miles held the semi-conscious Ramona.

Anita looked at Shasta's back, toned from working in the kitchen.

"I-I guess I could rub it in."

Shasta grunted, moving his arms to wipe the sunscreen on his arms.

Anita reached out, touching his back with her palm. He immediately froze. She pursed her mouth into a determined line as she rubbed in the sunscreen on his back.

"Stop arguing. Can't you two be civil for one day?" Cyrus yelled at Leigha and Miles, who both stopped their arguing.

"At least Shasta and Anita can put on sunscreen without bothering the whole beach."

The other three looked over to Shasta and Anita, both turning red.

"Are you guys coming in the water or not?" asked Oliver carrying Sierra over his shoulder. She was yelling about someone telling her she needed an inner tube for safety.

"I'm ready," Leigha said and skipped forward. She took the inner tube with her as she joined Oliver and Sierra, who were heading back to the water.

Anita looked at Miles and switched persons immediately, Miles helping Shasta and Anita assisting Ramona.

"L-let's go!"

They raced off to the water, joining the rest of the group.

---

The morning was fun until Leigha decided she needed a drink which led to her buying alcohol when Miles wasn't looking. This led to an early lunch and a lot more alcohol buying until even Oliver joined in the drinking. Sierra wanted alcohol, too, but the cashier refused to sell it to a minor.

So Miles and Sierra both attempted to babysit Oliver and Leigha. Plus, Miles tried to make sure Ramona didn't fall because of the sand. Oddly, she was safest in the water, with the inner tube. Oliver and Leigha passed out in the heat of the afternoon and were left to Cyrus' care.

"I wonder where Shasta and Anita wandered off to," commented Sierra. She looked around the beach, seeing the crowd thinning because of the heat.

"Anita went to take pictures of hands and Shasta followed," answered Cyrus.

"You sure you don't want to get up?" asked Sierra as she sprayed sunscreen the parts of Leigha and Oliver that were in the sun.

Cyrus growled again. Sierra was shrugging as she looked out at the water. Miles was pushing him and Ramona into the waves as they rode the inner tube. Any awkwardness from the morning was long gone as they enjoyed the beach.

"I'm going to go look for Anita and Shasta and get ice cream."

"Make sure to bring your ID. with you," Cyrus teased as she wandered off.

Anita had found a bunch of fascinating hands to photograph after leaving the group. Leigha had taken a nap after lunch, so Anita went off on her own to take pictures. She noticed Shasta followed her at a distance, probably to make sure she didn't get lost.

She noticed a group of men standing on the walk overlooking the beach. Their hands would be perfect subjects. She got closer, moving around them as she tried to get pictures of their hands.

"Hey!" Someone pulled her camera out of her hand, not realizing one of the group had approached.

"Stop it, man, she's not bothering anyone," said one of the other guys.

"She looks pretty cute without the camera, though," the man who held her camera commented. He turned so the other guys could see.

"Can I please have it back?" she asked, reaching up for the camera, only for the man to pull it out of reach.

"I don't know, can you?" he teased. He held the camera high enough so Anita couldn't reach the other men who were laughing as she tried to jump for it.

Suddenly a hand snapped the camera out of the man's hand.

"What the-." The man started.

"She asked for her camera back."

Anita recognized Shasta's voice as he growled at them, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, man, we were having fun, right sweetheart?" the man said. He stepped closer to Anita, but Shasta pulled her back. His deadly aura threatened any of the other men to get closer. The man moved away, joining his friends who scurried further down the beach.

"You alright?" he asked, letting go of her shoulder as he draped the camera over her neck.

"Yes, thank you."

He also took off the button down shirt he was wearing, draping it over her shoulders.

"Be more careful next time you go and take pictures," he warned as he turned her around to head back to their spot.

Anita nodded, looking down at the camera and the pictures she had taken.

"I'm glad none of them were my soulmate."

Shasta nodded, "Same."

They met Sierra a little way down the walkway, the small cook enjoying an ice cream.

"You two seem close," she teased, pulling at the lining of Shasta's shirt.

"Shasta saved me from some mean men who took my camera away."

Sierra looked up at Shasta, a little impressed.

"They kept pulling the camera out of reach, so I had to jump for it."

Sierra looked back at Anita and her bathing suit. She then looked over to Shasta, who was turning pink as he looked away.

"I can see why."

Anita tilted her head in confusion before looking at Shasta for an answer.

"Well, they wouldn't do it to Sierra, because she couldn't even reach even if you held it over her head," he jested. Sierra glared at them, marching off with the couple following behind. Miles and Ramona waved to them from their campsite. Cyrus packed up his things, and Leigha and Oliver struggled to stand.

"Time to go home already," Anita whined.

Sierra shrugged, finishing her ice cream. "It's fine. We had a good team bonding day today, right?"

She looked back at her co-workers, who glanced at each other then immediately looked away. A perfect team bonding day, indeed.