(Untitled)

[turnthebadinme]

In New York, there would have been a party - a catered event, a room filled from end to end with classmates, family, friends. Serena would have pulled on some fabulous ensemble at the last possible minute and swanned around the room, laughing, drinking champagne, enjoying her last real birthday before college began. Or maybe they would have been in

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[renegade_reaper]

Beat'd been looking for her. He'd thought he'd find her at her place, an' that didn't work out. She wasn't 'round his hut, either, or the Compound. He probably shoulda known to look at the areas with water, 'cause sure enough, he spotted her eventually as he rode 'long the beach on his 'board. He'd stopped jus' as he watched her chase after her sandal, an' as much as he probably shoulda went to help her, it was a little too funny to stand an' watch for a few moments first.

Layin' his 'board down and takin' off his own sandals, he headed after her, stoppin' at the edge of the tide.

"Don't think it's gonna listen, yo," he called out, grinnin'. "'Less that's a new island thing."

[turnthebadinme]

Glancing back over her shoulder, Serena laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised," she admitted, then turned her head back toward the water. In up to her knees, she darted forward in time to catch her shoe, just barely grabbing hold before it slipped entirely out of reach.

Straightening up, she shook it off, both hands moving though only one held the sandal, and started over toward him. "Well. I mean, I'd be surprised if it listened to me, but not if that was a thing. Hi."

[renegade_reaper]

"Yeah, that'd be too easy," he agreed, grinnin' as he watched her approach. He waited 'till she was in front of him to speak again. "'Course, you never know. This place might be nice to you. I feel like I'm rememberin' somethin' important bein' celebrated today, after all."

His thoughtful expression probably wouldn't fool anyone.

[turnthebadinme]

Serena wasn't above pretending herself, expression gone ever so slightly too innocent as she shrugged. "Really?" she asked. "I hadn't heard about anything. I mean, Karen's putting on a games night in the rec center." She meant to drop by later, actually, if only just for long enough to play a few Rock Band songs with the others.

[mentalistjane]

Today was a pensive day, so far. He had high hopes of it improving, later on, but at this moment? He was letting himself get lost in thoughts of the past, and the very real present. Back home, almost six years ago, he'd be woken up by his daughter pouncing him on his bed, his daughter's lips soft on his

[turnthebadinme]

Glancing over, Serena smiled. "Hi!" she called, darting forward into the water. Her focus being on the retrieval of her shoe didn't deter her from conversation. "Been settling in well?"

She knew how difficult that could be, even with the company she'd had from the start. With a little noise of triumph as she caught hold of her sandal, she waded back to shore.

[mentalistjane]

"It's been educational. I find myself facing things that I am not sure I'm quite ready for." He shrugged, hands still stuffed in his pockets, his heart wistful as he watched her come back up from the water's edge. He offered her a smile, and a shrug. "This place ... makes you think."
""

[turnthebadinme]

"It does," Serena agreed, shaking some of the water from her shoe. "It makes you reevaluate. Not always in a bad way, though." She knew she'd had to rethink quite a lot of things since her arrival, but for the most part, everything had come together well. It wasn't New York, but it would do.

[apinkrose]

The first thing Cecily noticed while she sat reading on the beach was the splash of the shoe in the distance. She looked questioningly towards the water before she turned and noticed Serena. Happily, she closed her book (which she had not been entirely enthralled with in the first place) and made her way over to the friend.

"Oh, I am sorry about your flying foot-wear," she offered with a smile.

[turnthebadinme]

Serena laughed, waving to Cecily as she waded forward into the water after her shoe. "It's my own fault," she admitted cheerfully. "I should watch what I'm doing." She didn't always think things through, she knew. This, at least, was more simply rectified than many of her mistakes in life. Moving quickly, she soon caught hold of the sandal and began making her way back toward the sand.

[apinkrose]

Although Cecily knew perfectly well that there was nothing else to do on the island but wander around, she still felt the need to ask people the same polite question, "What brings you to the beach today?" It was silly to ask, for she had no reason herself, but that did not make her any less interested in the response.

[turnthebadinme]

Shrugging, Serena shook out her shoe, though that didn't really make it any less damp. "Just walking," she said, grinning. "Enjoying the sunshine. And you? Still working on the novel?" Though she'd been close to the ocean at home, she hadn't had much in the way of beaches nearby. It was one thing this place had going for it.

[learnwhatsreal]

"Hey, you alright?" Jenny called with a laugh, wrinkling her nose a little, having spotted the errant shoe from where she lay a little ways away, stretched out on a towel and propped up on her elbows. Had she thought she'd be able to grab it herself before Serena could, she would have; instead, she settled for getting up and heading over, a broad smile on her face. She knew it was Serena's birthday, of course, and had prepared accordingly. That didn't mean she was going to say anything just yet. "Careful, those things have a mind of their own sometimes."

[turnthebadinme]

"I'm fine," Serena assured her, laughing as she started into the water after it. "I just don't want to go back barefoot. There we go!" Fishing out of the water, she turned back, smiling, triumphant. "It can't escape me."

[learnwhatsreal]

Laughing, Jenny clapped a little as Serena retrieved the shoe, pressing up to the balls of her bare feet. "I don't know how it could have thought otherwise," she said, attempting to feign seriousness and failing. "So, how are you?" Pausing a moment, she bit her lower lip, more teasing than anything else. "Having a good birthday?"

[turnthebadinme]

"Mmhmm." Heading over to join her with a sunny smile, Serena shook her shoe, though it didn't really suffice to make it any less wet. "Yeah, it's been a nice day," she said. After last week, she supposed they didn't really need to make a party out of it. That had been the Upper East Side way and they were islanders now, whether or not they liked it. "Even the runaway shoes."

[filmstarbeauty]

"Oh S," Blair said, sighing slightly as she approached her bestie from behind. She knew that they had been here for much longer than either had anticipated. But now this was not one, but two birthdays of Serena's that they had celebrated here and it was finally starting to feel very permanent.

"That shoe is just not that important. It's clothes box footwear. Thank God."

[turnthebadinme]

"True," Serena allowed, glancing back with a laugh, "but I'd rather not walk home barefoot." It was way too far for that or she would have had to agree entirely with Blair's assessment. A certain amount of going barefoot was to be expected in these parts, but even she had her limits. Turning around to grin at Blair, she started backwards into the water, spinning forward again to start hunting down her shoe.

[filmstarbeauty]

"At least it's not New York. Walking down those streets is a strict no-no."

Seriously who knows what had been chucked on the ground? What sort of festing diseases and crack-addled things. Blech. This at least was somewhat clean.

Rolling her eyes at Serena, Blair folded her arms against her chest. "If you slip and fall because of that shoe, I am not coming to help you. It would serve you right for not listening."

[turnthebadinme]

Shaking excess water from her sandal as she strolled onto shore, Serena smirked at her. "I'm not gonna die over a shoe," she said. "Not any shoe I can get here at least."

She missed actually getting to go shopping, rather than digging through a box. There was something incredibly therapeutic about an afternoon at Barney's or Bendel's.