The Sound of Waves

The sound of waves meets my ears as sand squishes between my toes. I dump a pile of sticks down in front of Ryan. "There. That should do it."
"Thanks." He barely glances at me as he whips out his lighter.
"Well, that's convenient." I fall to the ground next to him and sit Indian-style. "What's for dinner?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're our leader. Duh."
"Sawyer has food in his backpack. Ask him."
I send Sawyer a questioning glance.
"In answer to your question, beef jerky," he says crisply. "And we'd better give Luca a big enough portion. A growing puppy needs his nutrients."
"You lied, Sawyer." Bailey huffs, zipping up her hoodie. "I'm still not charmed."
"How could you not be won over by those puppy dog eyes?"
"I don't know, but I'm still not convinced."
"Come on, Bails. He's not that bad."
"Whatever."
I grin at the two siblings, keeping my opinion to myself. I personally find Luca quite adorable, but certain members of our party do not agree -- specifically Ryan and Bailey. I don't know what they have against fluffy golden retriever puppys. I personally think Ryan's just too grumpy to care, and I'm not really sure what Bailey's problem is, but I'm betting it's just PMS. Or a temporary case of insanity. Either way, she and Ryan are both crazy to not adore Luca.
The smell of smoke tints the air, and I pull my jacket closer around me. It's cold out here on the beach. I guess my mental picture of soaking up the sun and the sand and the waves was in error.
I can't help but laugh as Sawyer stuffs the plaid jacket around Luca, primping and preening to make sure his dog is comfortable.
He shoots me a look over his shoulder. "What?"
I smirk. "You know what, you old softie."
He shakes his head. "Despite what you think, I really am quite logical. I'm not just fluff. In fact, I am a man of science."
"Show me."
"What's the square root of a cubed number?"
"Itself," Ryan says after poking the fire with a stick to flare the embers.
I roll my eyes. "Oh, please, this is elementary."
"Don't underestimate Sawyer." Bailey raises her eyebrows. "Sawyer's brilliance far surpasses any mere mortal man."
"Really." I pop a peanut into my mouth, not impressed.
"You dare to question my intelligence?" Sawyer then launches into a stream of scientifical terms that boggle my mind and render me speechless.
"See? Like I said. Brilliant." Bailey grins.
I shake my head. "Fine. I underestimated you, Sawyer, and for that, I am sorry."
"Hmph. Don't let it happen again." But if I'm not mistaken, he has a twinkle in his eye and the hint of a smile.
"We need to pitch the tent." Ryan is all business, and I've learned my lesson about arguing with him. So we spend the next fifteen minutes setting up our campsite.
After this, I feel the need to walk to the edge of the shore and look out at the horizon as the sky turns a crisp cerulean blue. I hug myself in an effort to keep warm and let the waves lap at my toes while I consider the vast wide ocean. It's mindboggling, really.
A tickle across the top of my foot draws my attention to a small hermit crab scuttling across my feet. I scoop it up before it can escape and hold it in my hands, careful to avoid his pincers. I head back to the campsite.
"Look what I found."
"Aww, it's so cute!" Bailey runs to my side and cups her hand around my own, letting the crab run into her grasp.
"Isn't it?"
"Oh, Luca's going to have a hey day," Sawyer quips, rising to his feet. Only Ryan seems uninterested, which really isn't a big surprise. He's been moody ever since we left Emasis, and it's really starting to annoy. I want to just slap a big smile on his face and be done with it. It's not like I'm happy to be away from home, either, but do I look like I'm sulking? Not yet.