Sand Castles

It was so undeniably hot. Sweat dropped from forehead and past my nose, I wiped at my face, so warm and it was good to be so close to the water.

"Bella!" someone called out and I looked up at my little brother, a little ways away. He standing by an empty space of sand, his shovel and bucket by his feet. "Let's make sand castles!"

"It's hot, Sammy," I complained. "I'm not in the mood."

Sammy pouted at me, putting a small hand on his hip. I sighed, annoyed, before getting up on my position underneath the shade. "Thank you sis," Sammy said to me once I joined him on the sand, placing my butt beside him. He squeezed my hand, grinning widely. "Okay, I think we should have a routine."

I nodded at my ten year old brother's smart, in demand voice. I was in control over the water supply while he was responsible for making sure the castle doesn't come apart.

Picking up the bucket, I made my way down the beach to the water. Ah, water, cold water. So lovely. I sighed lovingly when I drenched my feet. I just wanted to jump in and just lay there. I scooped some water into the bucket and walked back up to the castle.

"Here," Sammy pointed at the part of sand he would make the sand castle. I poured some water over the sand and he automatically picked some up and began molding it. I picked up the cup and filled it with wet sand to make a building. "You're good."

I smiled, happily. Sammy was the expert at making sand castles. Every time we came to the beach, all he would do was make sand castles. I would be in the water with my friends, playing tag or volleyball. Unfortunately, my friends were busy with other things to come with.

I went back to the water, soaking more of my leg and dipping the bucket into the water. I came back, my knees instantly became dirty with sand as I bent down.

A little while later, our sand castle just looked so perfect.

Sammy and I high-fived, admiring our work. I sat, brushing off some sad from my bare tummy.

Sammy wiped at his face and picked up his shovel and bucket. "I'll go get the camera," he said joyfully, giving me a wide smile. "Mum will be so proud!"

I watched my brother walk up to our parents, my uncle Ben and our neighbour Glorian. Looking back at the water, that was making waves closer and closer towards me, I smiled, feeling so... happy. Some calm, peaceful serenity. The sound of birds, busy talking, the rush of air, the heating sun, the -

"Look out!"

My eyes snapped open in the nick-of-time when I saw a body about to collapse on me. I let out a yelp when the body fell back and landed right on top of me.

"Get off of me!" I shouted, pushing his shoulders with my hands and shoving him off of my body. I watched as he stood up, his foot stepping on our sand castle, making it fall in clumps. Destroyed.

"Ah! No!" Sammy yelled, and I looked back to see him running towards us. My heart squeezed tightly when he fell on his knees, the disposable camera forgotten by his feet. "No..."

"Sammy - "

"My sand castle," he said devastatingly weak. "Uugh! My sand castle."

"Hey, sorry about that kiddo," the guy who destroyed our sandcastle said above me. I got up, brushing off my shorts.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I shouted, giving the guy a once over. He was hot. Hot as if he stepped out of a magazine cover or something. I cleared my throat, pointing at my brother. "You should look where you're going before you go destroying people's sand castles!"

The guy lifted his hands as if to say stop, hold on. "It was an accident," he said. "I said I'm sorry, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, but, um..." I was at a loss for words. Bella! This is not the time to lose focus over some guy who is undeniably hot - like this weather. "F-y-i, he didn't even get to take a picture."

"F-y-i, I lost my footing if I went the other way, I would have sprained my ankle," he argued back and my blood boiled and he seemed annoyed because he was running his hand through his hair every five seconds. "Look, I'll just by the kid an ice cream sandwhich. Does that sound okay to you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, that sounds okay to me."

I glared at the loser's retreating back as he stalked away.

"That's okay, Sam. There's always next year, right?"

"But this one was perfect and we did it together," he said sadly. I gave him a hug.

"Next year we'll do it again together," I told him. "I promise. Next year, it'll be even big - "

"Ahem."

Sammy and I looked up. I narrowed my eyes at the girl as she sneered at me. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, but my boyfriend doesn't have to get your little brother anything. You see Jared, he's well trying to save up his money to buy me gifts," she stuck of her nose proudly. I began to get up slowly, my knuckles becoming white. "An ice cream cone is just not worth the money and the time."

"How about you mind your own business, biatch," I told the girl who automatically gasped.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" she shouted.

"How dare I? You have some nerve coming over here! This is not your problem." I looked at her up and down, sizing her up. I crossed my arms, giving her the dirtiest look I could muster.

Her lip trembled before she turned, stalking away. "JARED!"

Oh... my, gosh... Call on the boyfriend!

I saw Jared and his biatch girlfriend coming down towards me. I narrowed my eyes when I saw Jared glaring at me through narrowed eyes. Once he reached me, he handed me the ice cream and I snatched it away.

"Thanks," I spat.

His bitchy girlfrend tugged on his arm. "Sweetie," she said sweetly, pouting. "She called me a bitch."

"I did not!" I yelled, glaring at her.

"What the hell? Don't yell at my girlfriend like that," the guy stepped forward, glaring menacingly. "You have a potty mouth for someone like you."

"Someone like me? What are you saying?"

"Princess."

"Well," I put a finger on my chin, pretending to think. "Do princesses do this?"

Then I punched him square on the mouth. I heard his girlfriend scream when he tumbled back a little into her arms.

I handed Sammy the sandwhich and grabbed his arm to get us far away from these people as possible.

A/N