why don't you have a piece of bread and maybe you'll calm down

Breakfast, and a few more hours of sleep, had helped. A little. So god bless Kai. Salem still felt like he had one foot in the grave; but housekeeping had asked if they wanted the room cleaned, and though he’d dearly love to nurse his hangover in bed all day, the desire for fresh sheets and a bathroom that didn’t smell like last night won out. The sun was still violently hot, and he didn’t want to go far; once the room had been cleaned, he would be crawling back into bed. For now, he slid into the pool. An oversized pair of sunglasses protected his eyes from the worst of the glare, and the cool, clean water soothed his pounding head and nauseated stomach. He was content just floating on his back, enjoying the fact that most of the hotel’s residents seemed to have gone out for the day, when he heard footsteps. Squinting over his sunglasses just enough to ascertain that it was one of the squad, Salem shook his head.

“Not a word. I don’t want to remember a single thing I did or said last night.”

TJ, wearing her thickest sunglasses to match Salem’s and hoping to get some sun and think long and hard about her life choices, didn’t do anything but snap her fingers in applause of Salem’s performance last night. “Yeah, yeah, none of us are quite ready to replay the hits from last night, are we?” she asked, laying her towel out on a lawn chair and preparing to sit and watch her old friend float lazily in the water. She almost wanted to join, but needed to warm up like a lizard first.

He’d only really been referring to the heat, which had him feeling out of sorts. The funeral certainly hadn’t been easy. He wasn’t sure what ‘the good stuff’ would look like these days - things didn’t feel so simple anymore. “Not sure I really feel like showing off any of my ‘primal urges’,” he grimaced slightly, it sounded revealing, “is that bit really a compulsory part of getting to the fun things? You got something you need to tell us all, TJ? Feeling repressed?”

She blinked at his response, realizing far too late he hadn’t been talking about the group’s psyche-- just how brutally hot Coney was. “Oh,” she began, leaning back as their sundaes were delivered. “I mean, I’ve never been anything but upfront, I don’t really ‘do’ repressed.” Her brows arched over at him to indicate she might be the only one here who felt that way. “But, y’know, people need to hash some things out. It’s been such a long time, don’t you miss everybody?” Was she really so alone in wanting her friends back? TJ chose to eat instead of waiting for a reply, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

Jules shook his head wordlessly, bemused. Dakota had surprised him too, but perhaps not as much as the others - he’d certainly been privy to Dakota’s ambition in the past. “Good choice,” he nodded, tapping his card to pay and leading her over to his favourite booth by the floor-length windows, which looked out over the beach, fairground lights glittering to the side. They would bring the sundaes over. “You’re so welcome - least I could do,” he shrugged, “the heat seriously is too much, isn’t it? It was easier to navigate all of this stuff back in Manhasset, when everyone wasn’t so flustered.”

TJ’s head tilted slightly as she assessed Jules’ statement. “Was it? Easier, I mean,” she began, drawing one leg up as she sat in the booth. “We just felt so bad for Sammy I think it’s nice to get out of here and, y’know, move on a little. Catch up some more.” She hadn’t heard much from their doctor friend, besides of course the invitation she’d gotten and then had redacted, but TJ doubted he was at ready to talk about that just yet. “Maybe we just need all these primal urges to come right up to the surface so we can get to the good stuff after.”

Cleo pursed her lips in thought, trying to think back to those songs on the radio. Back when she was thirteen, she listened to trash music that she was frankly too embarrassed to admit now. “I liked this one whenever it came on,” Cleo shared, finally decided on Bedrock by Young Money. As the song played, she hummed in approval. She still liked it. “What kinda memories were you havin’ to Just Dance? Pep rallies?” Cleo snorted.

Associating this hit with Cleo especially made her laugh a little, but kept braiding as the younger offered a quick jab at her taste. “Well, I wasn’t in the eighth grade when this song came out, so I remember being pretty buzzed and doing a sock slide down someone’s hallway to it.” Was it Kelley’s house? Sammy’s? TJ couldn’t remember. She finished one braid, tugging it tight for good measure before slapping an elastic on the end and moving to the other side of Cleo’s head. “Life was simpler back then. Just us and meat dress Lady Gaga taking on the world.”

“it wasn’t intentional!” leigh hissed as she pulled tj farther away from their previous spot. if she hadn’t been way too conscious about not acting like her high school self, she would have laughed. such scenario reminded her so much of when she and salem would pull pranks on people at school, whilst tj was just at the side, watching it all unfold. “i didn’t know he was there, okay? i was innocently skipping stones. now, let’s grab something to eat. i’m freaking starving, tee.”

“But why would you do that with so many people around?” The question was simple, but of course it was also Leigh, and the mention of food perked her up more than anything. She kept up with Leigh and did her best to look innocent despite having not done anything. “Yeah, ok, let’s get some cheese fries or something. Maybe a slushie.” The mention of hot cheese fries had to be offset by something cold. “Just stay behind me and try to look like you aren’t throwing rocks at people on the beach.”

“What. Ever.” Cleo brushed off, trying to hold still. That wasn’t the hard part, the hard part that it was boring. “Yeah, I hear you. I was just wondering. If anyone put on Slipknot, I would leave.” Truth be told, Cleo didn’t exactly know them or their sound, but she thought it was something hard metal or whatever. That was definitely not her scene. TJ’s request was easy, but Cleo waited a moment, just for TJ to loosen some grip on her hair so she could reach over. While she didn’t feel like eating the chips, Cleo still took the first chip for herself before holding like, three up for TJ. “Men do suck. You got any good song requests that follow those guidelines?”

TJ accepted the proffered snacks by dipping her head and eating them out of Cleo’s hand, since hers were both buried in the other’s thick mane of hair. With a muffled thanks she set back to work, rejuvenated by the calories. The sore subject of men wasn’t one that TJ knew enough about to delve into with Cleo, so for now she’d note it and leave it alone. She hummed at the question, considering. “Something beachy seems like the obvious choice. But I’m always nostalgic, so d’you remember anything that was cool like a decade ago that still slaps? I’m down to listen to the good old stuff and relive our youth. Oh, like that old, old, old Lady Gaga song, Just Dance! Had some good times to that one.”

“I guess I must have changed since high school, because now I’d much rather watch Dakota and Kelley fight to the death, smugly from the sidelines, than get in there myself,” he nodded, genuinely impressed with his own display of self-knowledge. He’d never been very good at naming his emotions, articulating his motivations. He rolled his eyes a little at the cashier with the air of a long-suffering older brother type. “One triple chocolate-mint sundae and whatever this joker is having.” He pulled out his wallet, nudging TJ with his hip to prompt her into ordering. 

“Yeah, what the fuck is up with Kota being a behemoth, by the way? D’you think he’s some kinda sleeper Captain America or something?” The picture of Dakota and Kelley competing was funnier with their old teenage selves, but it was interesting to think their old friend might have a shot. “Can I get a hot fudge sundae with rocky road and cookie dough, please?” Addressing the teens at work in the ice cream parlor, TJ paused to look back at Jules. “Thanks for the ice cream, by the way. I’m already way less aggro than I was even mere minutes ago. This heat is killing me.”   

Cleo obliged, sitting in front of TJ. “I don’t cry,” she humphed. “Just don’t pull too hard. And also, can it be like two french braids? I can pull up a picture.” Honestly, she figured TJ didn’t need a picture, despite offering, so what Cleo did on her phone instead was browse through Spotify before putting on some Lizzo. She loved her and assumed with her rise onto mainstream, it was a safe enough bet that upbeat tunes were also TJ’s jam. “What kind of music do you like?”

“Crybaby is a general term but go off, queen,” TJ replied, gently waving away Cleo’s offer as she started brushing the younger woman’s hair. The familiar intro to Juice started as she was parting Cleo’s hair down the middle, humming a little before responding. “Anything, really, I’m not picky. Couldn’t get into like, Slipknot but I still gave it a shot.” She started braiding at Cleo’s hairline, pulling tight but not hard so Cleo wouldn’t complain. TJ didn’t mind braiding and was pretty good at it, but beyond her own hair she didn’t really get much practice. The muscle memory, she thought as she weaved strands between her fingers, was infallible. “Lizzo’s great though, who doesn’t love feeling fantastic and/or not needing a man? Also, will you feed me a Cheeto? They’re right behind you and now I’m thinkin’ about food.”

Cleo’s thanks would be saved for after her hair was braided. “No one made food plans so I was planning on doing room service or door dash or there was a place nearby I saw with shrimp tacos that I’ve been thinking about since we passed it.” Not waiting for a response, she shut the bathroom door and took a good twenty minutes before coming back out. Figured she’d be quick since it was a shower to get clean versus a leisurely one. “We should steal the tiny shampoos,” Cleo said holding the bottle up, inspecting it. “They’re guava.”

Just the mention of tacos made TJ’s stomach rumble, which sold her completely on the exchange. “Alright then, we’ll get tacos. I want like, three,” she said, before pulling the hotel room’s desk chair out and gesturing for Cleo to sit. She looked around for a brush that wasn’t hers, but contented to use the one she’d brought anyway if her roommate didn’t provide one. “Pop a squat and steel yourself,” TJ warned. “No crybabies allowed and if you do start whining I’ll stop.”

He knew it was a rather feeble olive branch to offer, but he was visibly cheered that TJ responded so positively. “Doesn’t have to be that regimented,” he grinned, “I haven’t been swimming in the ocean in forever - I was thinking more floating about like a starfish and working on my tan.” He paused. “And then we can start the training regime the day after. Fifty laps, relay race against Dakota and Kelley, that kind of thing.” 

Maybe it was some glimpse of the olden days-- swim team certainly wasn’t about improving your tan, but TJ was more than willing to relax at Jules’ say so. “Yeah, yeah, let’s put every fiercely competitive person who came on this trip right into the water and see how that race goes,” she suggested with a laugh. “That can only go well.” Barely beating him to the door, tJ opened it wide enough for Jules to pass. “And I just bet you’re taking me to get ice cream first so I’m nice and bloated tomorrow, I see how it is. Excellent tactical choice.”

it’s funny how things turn out to be so much more than what one expects out of something. leigh had intended on staying solely for the funeral, pay respects and go back to her life – and yet, here she is, standing among the crowd at coney island, wondering just how she’d ended up getting convinced to come with the people she thought she didn’t want to be surrounded with again, lest they bring back old emotions she never wanted to feel again – one of which is feeling youthful and free. she doesn’t need the pretense — the temporary freedom turned back to reality once more. sighing, she picks up a marble and tosses it towards the water, fully intending on making it skip over the water harmlessly, but then a random forehead emerges from underneath the water out of nowhere, the marble hitting it square in the center. 

“oh, shit!” leigh grabs the nearest person to her and pulls them in front of her, using them as her human shield. “cover me. fuck! is he looking at our direction?” probably yes, probably no – whatever the answer is, leigh doesn’t risk staying any longer. she tugs on their arm and rushes away from the spot. “come on. let’s grab some hotdogs. my treat.”

TJ was minding her business, trying to stay hydrated despite sweating like a pig, and only managed a grunt as she inhaled some of her water at the sudden pace increase. Leave it to Leigh to nearly start a fight on their first day at Coney. “What--” she had to pause to cough up the water. “What did you even do?” TJ looked back over her shoulder but they’d put some fair distance between themselves and Leigh’s unsuspecting victim. “Can’t take you anywhere, can we?”

Cleo didn’t bother amending her statement, letting TJ get as much a kick out of it as she wanted. Instead, she peeled herself up from the ground, feeling more rejuvenated thanks to the cooler temperature. Still was sticky as fuck, so was definitely gonna follow TJ’s lead with a shower. “I wanted to know if you could braid my hair after I showered. I don’t know how.” Admitting things she couldn’t do wasn’t something Cleo liked doing and to avoid TJ’s gaze, Cleo had asked while gathering her things for the bathroom. “I’ll get you food or something after.”

She considered the offer as Cleo climbed to her feet, finally offering a shrug. “Yeah, I can,” TJ responded. As she shifted slightly to make room for her roomie, she considered the logistics of the whole friend group all in their hotel. “That’s a sweet enough offer to me. Are we all supposed to be getting food together later? I’m lost without a full and complete travel itinerary.”

“Perfect, let’s go.” He touched the outside of her arm lightly in a grateful, if slightly out of character, gesture. All week he’d been feeling a little uncomfortable in his own skin, second guessing what moves to make and what to say. He couldn’t remember how to be around these guys - it was like playing a part without knowing any of the lines or cues. “I was thinking about going swimming early tomorrow, as soon as the lifeguards get on,” he added, off-handedly, but he’d been storing up ‘safe’ topics of conversation for each of his old friends since they’d arrived at Coney Island, just in case he got stuck alone with one of them. They’d both been on the swim team when Jules was captain in his senior year, making this the easiest place to start. “I reckon most people won’t get up until lunchtime so we’d have a couple of hours.”

TJ was content to be led towards ice cream, still feeling very much like a toddler, but let his words wash over her. Jules had always been a distant, fair weather kind of friend. The offer for plans tomorrow appealed to her on the desire to reconnect, so she figured that he must be trying, and she was more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention, the promise of cool salt water before the day got too hot made her already long for the cool rush of it. “Yeah, I’ll go with you for sure. You wanna try and swim laps in the ocean or something? We can go buoy to buoy, probably.”

Cleo wasn’t asleep and she heard TJ finish showering and even mess with her delicate temperature. But exercise, aka the walk, had made her far too tired to bother getting riled about it. Instead, she shrugged from her place. “I am often one of those people.” But she sat up anyways, leaning against her suitcase, to watch TJ and decidedly pout up at her. “Do you know how to braid hair?”

“You just nut right on the floor, huh?” TJ asked, snorting a little laugh as Cleo moved immediately onto the more important topic. She had never minded spending time with the group’s youngest member. Dropping the jacket she’d brought in case it rained-- ha, imagine it raining in this sweaty hell hole-- she eyed the young woman on the floor. “Maybe I can. What’s it worth to ya?”