Besties
Chapter Three: The Seagull Incident
It started with a shadow. Kyle was laying back on the blanket, sunglasses on, hands behind his head. Hozhoni was half on top of him, tracing patterns on his arm. Roach and Rain were sitting cross-legged by the cooler. Rain opened it dramatically.
“Behold,” she announced, “snacks.”
Roach leaned in. “You actually brought real food?”
“Obviously.”
She pulled out sandwiches wrapped in foil, fruit, chips, cookies—and then it happened. A blur of white and wings descended like divine judgment. Kyle heard Rain gasp.
Roach yelled, “OI—”
And in one swift, disrespectful motion, a seagull snatched an entire sandwich out of Rain’s hand and took off. There was a full three seconds of silence. Rain stared at her empty hand.
“…Did that bird just rob me?”
Hozhoni sat up slowly. “It did.”
Roach stood. “Absolutely not.”
Kyle pushed his sunglasses down. “Do not fight the wildlife.”
But Roach was already scanning the sky like he was tracking a criminal.
“That was turkey,” Rain whispered, deeply offended. “I was looking forward to that.”
Another shadow passed overhead. Kyle saw it too late. Second seagull. This one dove straight into the open cooler.
Chaos.
Rain screamed.Roach lunged. Hozhoni grabbed the bag of chips like it was a newborn child.
Kyle jumped up just in time to watch a seagull drag half a cookie pack into the sky. “Close it!” Kyle shouted.
Roach slammed the cooler shut. They all stood there breathing hard. Wind whipped across the sand dramatically. Rain looked devastated. “That was personal.”
Hozhoni tried not to laugh. Failed immediately. Roach pointed at the sky. “You feathered thief!”
Kyle ran a hand down his face. “We got outsmarted by birds.”
Rain crossed her arms. “This beach is hostile.”
As if summoned by her words— A strong gust of wind hit. Their blanket flipped. The beach umbrella tilted violently. And both towels—Hozhoni’s and Rain’s—took off like they’d been waiting for their freedom moment. All four of them watched in slow motion as the towels sailed down the beach.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kyle muttered.
Rain pointed dramatically. “GO.”
Roach took off first, sprinting down the sand like it was the Olympics. Kyle chased after him. Hozhoni and Rain followed, laughing and yelling. The towels were halfway to another group of beachgoers when Roach dove and caught one mid-air. Kyle managed to stomp on the other before it escaped into the dunes. They stood there, out of breath, covered in sand, victorious.
Roach held up the towel like a trophy. “NOT TODAY.”
Rain ran up and jumped into his arms. “My hero!”
He grinned. “I fight birds and wind for you.”
Kyle walked back toward Hozhoni, brushing sand off himself, She was smiling at him like he’d just saved the world.
“You tackled a towel,” she said softly.
“For you? I’d tackle two.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. Behind them, Rain pointed at the sky again. “If that seagull comes back, I’m squaring up.”
Roach nodded seriously. “We ride at dawn.”
Kyle looked at Hozhoni. Hozhoni looked at Kyle. They both burst out laughing. The beach tried to humble them. Instead, it just gave them another story.
