chap23

The ball hit him right on the side of his head and he stood there for a few seconds before he dropped down to his knees.
"Shawn, are you ok?" Greta asked, kneeling down next to him and putting her hand on the side of his head.
"Yeah, I think so" he said, shaking his head slightly. Marlena came rushing over and gently checked his head for bumps.
"It looks like you're ok" she said.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry about that" Eric said. "You were looking right at us" Shawn blushed.
"I guess I wasn't paying attention" he said. Belle watched all of this from the blanket, trying hard not to laugh. He stood up and brushed the sand off himself. "Are we still playing?" Belle turned to Hope, who was sitting next to her.
"I can't believe he's playing again after taking that ball to the head" she said.
"That's Shawn for you" she said. "He's got a hard head-trust me, he's taken harder hits than that before" Belle laid back and listened to them yelling as they played for a little bit longer.
"Belle, are you still awake" Hope asked, a few minutes later.
"Yeah, I am" she said, sitting up. Hope struggled to her feet.
"Gran was going to make some sandwiches to bring down for everyone" she said. "And I was going to run up and get them-could you give me a hand?"
"Sure" she said, standing up and pulling on her shorts. They hurried across the hot sand to the house where there were sandwiches, bags of chips, and a small cooler filled with sodas setting on the bar.
"Thanks, Gran, this looks great:" Hope said. "Are you coming down to the beach?"
"I'll be down once it cools off a little" she said. "Now, you kids have fun"
"We will, thanks" Belle said, picking up the cooler. Hope grabbed the sandwiches and they took everything down to the beach.
"Hey, anyone hungry?" she yelled out and then game stoppd suddenly. They all came hurrying over and quickly grabbed drinks and some food. Shawn slid into the spot next to Belle as he inhaled his sandwich.
"How's your head?" she asked, putting on her sunglasses and munching on her sandwich.
"It's alright" he said, with his mouth full. She wrinkled her nose at him.
"I guess there's not much to hurt" she joked. He squinted into the sun at her.
"Oh, you think you're funny?" he asked.
"Well, actually, yeah" she answered.
"Well, you're not"
"Like you are!"
"Yes I am" he said. "I'm naturally funny, smart, charming of course..."
"Whatever!" she said. "Shawn, get over yourself"
Like, you should talk, Miss Isabella" he said.
"What are you talking about?" she demanded.
"I have no clue" he said, going back to eating. Belle ate a little bit more of her sandwich and then ate a few more chips.
"You gonna finish that?" he asked, pointing to her sandwich.
"Nope" she said.
"Do you mind?" he asked, grabbing it and shoving it all in his mouth before she answered.
"Actually, I do mind, Shawn" she said.
"You want it back?" he asked, still chewing. She laughed.
"You're nasty, Shawn!" she said, and he laughed.
"Sorry" he said. "I do have table manners but I didn't think they applied out here on the sand"
"I think they apply everywhere" she said, brushing off her hands.
"Well, I'm sorry Miss Belle" he said. "I'll make more of an attempt next time to remember that" She laughed at him. "Wanna go swimming?"
"Shawn, we just ate!" she said, leaning back on her hands.
"It's hardly swimmng, it's not like we'll get cramps or anything" he said, getting another sandwich.
"I'm not taking any chances" she said.
"Fine" he said. "Thirty minutes-we're swimming"
"Yessir" she said, stretching out on her stomach with a magazine. He sat next to her and played in the sand.
"Time up yet?" he asked, after awhile.
'Only 16 minutes gone by" she said.
"Geez!" he said. He contented himself by covering up her feet and the bottom parts of her calves with sand. "Thirty minutes left?"
"It's only been...22" she said, checking. He kept playing and soon her legs up to her knees were covered with sand.
"Time up yet?"
"No" she said.
"Yet?" he asked, a minute later.
"No" she said, starting to get impatient.
"How much time..." he started.
"Ok!" she said. "It's close enough, we'll go swimming" He jumped to his feet and started running to the water. She tried to sit up but was held down by the sand.
"Shawn!" she yelled. He turned to see her struggling and started laughing.
"Sorry" he said, coming back up and helping her dig her legs free. She pulled off her shorts and they started down to the water, passing Eric and Greta along the way.
"Cmon guys!" Shawn said, grabbing Greta's arm and pulling her to her feet. They started down to the water together.
"Someone's a little to enthusiastic" Eric joked as they also joined them in the water. Belle waded out to the point in the water that she liked best, past where the waves broke and there was only calm water and occasional swells. Greta was right behind her.
"Where are the boys?" she suddenly asked.
"I don't...ahh!" Belle said, as something came from underneath her. She screamed as she found herself being lifted onto Shawn's shoulders. Across the water she saw Eric doing the same to Greta. "Shawn Brady, put me down right now!" she ordered.
"Belle, calm down, we're just going to play a game" Shawn answered. Eric quickly explained to Greta how to play chicken and they started. Greta quickly lost the first game but caught on quickly. They played a few games until the score was tied, 2-2.
"Let's make this last one interesting" Eric suggested. "Let's switch partners"
"Ok" Shawn agreed, quickly sliding Belle an unsuspecting Belle off his shoulders. She hit the water with a splash and came up sputtering.
"Shawn!" she exclaimed, pushing her hair off her face.
"Sorry, you should have been paying attention" he said, starting to lift Greta up.
"Fine, it's war now" she said, swimming over to Eric. He easily lifted her up on his shoulders and they started again. Belle and Greta fought for a few minutes before Belle had an idea. Eric stepped back away for a minute to wipe his face off and Belle took the opportunity to whisper her plan to Eric. He laughed and quickly agreed.
"Hey Shawn" Belle said and he looked up at her. Seductively, she slipped one of the straps to her bathing suit top off her shoulder. She looked up for his reaction as she let the other slide off the other shoulder. Eric took the opportunity to trip Shawn underneath the water and they both fell into the water with a crash. Belle laughed as Shawn came back up, pushing his hair off his face.
"Hey...not fair!" he insisted. Belle laughed as she pushed her straps back up.
"Guess you shouldn't be so easily distracted" she said, climbing off Eric's shoulder. Shawn started after her and she tried to swim away. She turned to splash him and he continued toward her, despite the waves of water coming over to him. He finally reached and wrapped his arm around her waist. She tried to fight him and he took each of her hands in his, pulling her close to him.
"Distracting me wasn't the only thing you did to me" he whispered in her ear. Her jaw dropped and she turned to look at him.
"Shawn Douglas!" she said, surprised he had said that. "What are you saying?" He quickly scooped her up and dropped her into the water again. She came up, glaring at him.
"Guess you'll never know" he said, with a smirk, as he turned and headed back towards the others.