Bright Sky Beach Ch. 01

"So, what did he tell you?" Amelia asked.

"What?" Heather answered.

"The cop," Amelia said, her eyes widening like it was obvious, "Did he tell you what was gonna happen?"

"No, he told me my charges and that's it," Heather said.

"Not what's gonna happen to us?" Amelia asked.

"No, he just said one of the Punishment Codes. Did yours say anything?" Heather asked.

"He guessed I'd get spanked plus an hour naked," Amelia said, "He told me it wasn't up to him, though."

"I'm sorry," Heather said, instinctively.

"Gonna happen to you, too," Amelia said.

"Ugh," Heather exhaled, "I know. Probably worse. I'm gonna have one more charge than you and Jason, I think."

"Because you were driving?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah," Heather said, "Driving with an open container."

"I mean," she hesitated, "At least we got it over with. Doesn't everybody in this town get something?"

"I doubt it. Jason guessed more like ten per cent or something," Heather said.

"I don't know. I guess I think that we knew the risk and it chance came up wrong. I mean, well, Charlotte said that in the car and there's no good in being mad at her."

"She'll be mad enough," Heather observed. Charlotte had a way of often being mad and holding grudges, "I hope she doesn't blame me."

"She was drinking. I'll make her shut up. We have to get through this together, I think," Amelia said, "Let her be mad at the cops."

"Hopefully. Thanks," Heather said.

"Well, if she comes at you, we are both bigger than her," Amelia joked.

Heather laughed and was glad for the levity. Charlotte was maybe one hundred pounds and maybe five feet tall, but she made up for it with her spunk and a bossy personality. She was also loved her alcohol. Heather was not surprised that Charlotte had been the one to start drinking in the backseat.

BANG. BANG.BANG. The two sorority sisters jumped as somebody banged on the door again. "Against the back wall!" a muffled voice came through the door and the two women complied stepping as far away from the door they could get. The door opened and Maisie was pushed in.

Their friend frowned and shook her head as she looked back at the guard who delivered her to the cell before the door closed behind her. Maisie was the most alternative of the four friends. She had short black hair with neon green fringe and a stud in her nose, and what, she claimed would eventually be a full tattoo sleeve but right now it was a large, stylized rose on her right bicep. However, she still dressed very girly. She had a frilly pink skirt that went down to just above her knees and a cream tank top. What stood out anew was a bright blue band aid in the crook of her left arm.

"Are you ok?" Amelia asked immediately looking at her friend's arm.

Maisie shrugged, "They took blood and I hate needles."

"Oh, girl," Amelia said as she enveloped Maisie in a hug.

Amelia pulled Maisie to sit on the bed and Heather switched spots, sitting on the opposite bed. "That must be why you're behind us," Heather said, "You must have beaten us here."

"I don't know. I had to wait to see the nurse. There are a lot of people in the infirmary," Maisie said.

"Did you see Charlotte?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah, she was behind me but went to a different nurse," Maisie said.

"How'd she look?" Heather asked.

"Must be a lot of people down there," Amelia observed.

"Charlotte was very red," Maisie said, "Yeah apparently they need to blood test for BAC to be admissible in court."

"Getting lots of people for underage consumption, probably," Amelia said.

Heather frowned, hoping that Charlotte wasn't mad at her, "Did you talk to her at all?"

"She's pissed," the black-haired girl said.

"At me?" Heather asked.

"No, at the cops, at the drunks, at the world," Maisie said, "She was cursing at everybody."

"She needs to not get in more trouble," Amelia said.

"We all know how she is," Heather said, "How much did you all drink."

"I didn't drink much but she had three or four shots," Maisie answered.

"We know how she gets," Amelia said.

"She's crazy," Heather shook her head, "I hope she doesn't get in more trouble."

"She should be up here, soon," Maisie said, "Anyway, are you all ok?"

"Yeah, just pictures and finger printing," Amelia said.

"Ok, good. I was so scared they would test you for weed. I know they could get you for it," she said.

Heather hadn't thought of that and realized she dodged a bullet. She would definitely test positive even if she hadn't smoked in a few days, "Sorry that's one more thing for you."

"Yeah, I know," Maisie started, but was interrupted. BANG BANG BANG.

The three girls jumped again and moved against the back wall. They saw the bearded face of an officer in the window and then the door opened to deposit Charlotte, still red faced.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Charlotte screamed as soon as the door locked behind her, "Can you all believe this?"

Heather sighed and let Amelia take the lead. The tall twenty-year-old stepped forward to embrace the new arrival like she had Heather and Maisie, but Charlotte just wanted to rage.

The blonde ignored Amelia and banged on the door, "Fuck you guys. You can't just do this to me!"

"Charlotte, Charlotte," Amelia pleaded, "They're gone. Come here and relax."

"I don't want to relax! We didn't do anything wrong!" Charlotte howled.

"Please, we are all stressed. Just calm down," Amelia said.

"Why should we be calm? These fuckers are going to assault us! They already have!"

"Did they touch you?" Maisie asked, an edge of fear in her voice.

"No but they will tomorrow, and they stabbed me and it can't be legal to cuff us so tight!" Charlotte claimed, pointing to her band aid.

"You mean you had blood drawn? Me too," Maisie said, her voice rising.

"Girls," Amelia said softly, "Don't fight. We are all in this together."

"Yeah," Heather agreed, thinking it was ridiculous to complain about cuffs when you get arrested.

"I'm not mad at you!" Charlotte shouted, glaring at her friends, "I'm just mad."

"You sound like you're mad at us," Amelia said, calmly.

"Well, I'm not! I'm just mad!" Charlotte continued to exclaim.

"We understand," Maisie said, curtly.

Finally, Heather spoke, "Charlotte, I'm sorry I got us pulled over."

Charlotte exhaled and closed her eyes. Heather could almost hear her counting to ten in her head, "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at them and I'm mad at myself."

"Ok," Amelia said, "That's ok. Come sit with us. We were comparing notes."

Charlotte let out one last growl at the ceiling and tapped her head before sitting down next to Heather, "Well, I fucked up. I'm pretty sure I added resisting arrest to my charges."

"What did you do?" Maisie asked.

"I'm sorry," Heather and Amelia said as one.

"I refused to stand up for my mug shot and stuff. Another cop had to come and make me stand up. It was so stupid! I'm so stupid!" Heather yelled, yelling as she insulted herself.

"Could you just not help yourself?" Maisie asked.

"Maisie, stop," Amelia warned, "Don't make it worse."

"Sorry," Maisie snapped.

Amelia rubbed Maisie's back, but continued speaking to Charlotte, "Did your guard say anything about what's going to happen."

Charlotte shook her head, "Not much. He said we'd get our charges in the morning."

"My guard said six-thirty," Heather interjected.

"That's more detail than I got," Amelia said.

"Me too," Maisie added.

"Really?" Heather said before explaining the timeline that Burkes had explained to her in the processing room.

"So, we will get our charges at six thirty and then we can decide together if we are going to court," Charlotte said.

"I'm not going to contest the charges," Heather said, "All of my charges are true. Let's just get this over with."

"No way! We can't let them get away with it," Charlotte argued.

"Away with what? It wasn't oregano in my bag," Maisie said, "I'm with Heather."

Amelia obviously didn't want to make Charlotte feel like she was ganged up on so didn't immediately make the vote 3-1. "Charlotte, do you think you're not guilty of the charges?"

"No, but," she hesitated, "We shouldn't have been pulled over. It was so unfair!"

"I was tired," Heather said, "I think I might have went out of the lane. In fact, I'm still tired."

As if answering her, there was a thunk and the cell was plunged into darkness except for a beam of light shooting through the small window in the door. The girls gasped in surprise and Amelia shrieked like somebody had played a prank on her by turning off the lights.

"Why are the lights off?" Maisie asked.

"They probably want us to sleep," Amelia asked.

"I bet it's midnight," Heather suggested, "My cop told me it was almost midnight, earlier."

"You were saying you were tired?" Charlotte said.

"Yeah, the walls heard me," Heather joked.

"Don't say that," Charlotte said, "They might be listening."

"I doubt it. We're going to plead guilty, anyway," Maisie said, restarting that conversation.

"Are we?" Charlotte asked, "Fuck!"

"I think we have to," Amelia said, adding her opinion to the mix.

"It will get vacation started earlier," Maisie said.

"And maybe less people will be at the beach if we get punished early," Amelia said, "Less eyes."

"Fine!" Charlotte asked, "Guilty it is unless something is weird with the charges."

"That's fair," Amelia said.

"Don't remind me of the eyes," Heather said, "No one wants to see this."

"Girl, you're hot," Amelia said.

"Definitely," Maisie said.

Heather sighed, "You all have to say that and Jason is going to see me."

"I'm sure he's seen you before, right?" Maisie asked.

"Yeah, why are you worried about that?" Charlotte said laying back on the bed.

"I mean, I'm not that worried, but usually it's under the covers," she admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about," Maisie told her.

"You didn't see what I weigh," Heather said.

"Who cares? At least you have a boyfriend," Charlotte huffed.

"I care! I'm twenty I'm not supposed to be gaining weight."

"Hit the gym," Charlotte said.

"You're not helping," Amelia said.

"Soooorrrrry," Charlotte said.

"You're drunk. Quit being mean!" Maisie said.

"I'm not drunk, bitch!" Charlotte said.

"Stop it Char!" Amelia said, "We are trying to be all in this together."

"Sorry," Charlotte said. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Sorry I called you a bitch, Maize, and sorry I told you to hit the gym if you're worried. For real you have nothing to worry about."

Heather had fought back tears when Charlotte lashed out at her, but accepted the apology, "It's ok. I think it's time to go to bed." She wanted out of this conversation. There was no way that she was going to feel better about herself tonight and it was going to be hard to sleep, but Charlotte, in her drunk brain, seemed intent on being hurtful to everybody. Charlotte was always like this when she drank but, usually, she had another target, and everybody was less stressed.

"I agree," Maisie said, curtly.

"Maisie, are you alright?" Amelia said.

"I'm fine. Let's just go to bed. Ok, if I'm top bunk?"

"Fine with me," Amelia said.

"I'll take top over here," Heather said, stepping out of her Birkenstocks and starting up the ladder.

"Why because I'm drunk?" Charlotte said aggressively.

"I just want the top," Heather lied. In fact, she was worried that Charlotte would roll out over the not quite high enough railing if she wasn't careful and even if she wasn't drunk, she was the most upset.

"Fine, way to not be supportive, everybody," Charlotte huffed.

"We are all going through the same thing," Maisie said kicking off her flats and climbing into her bunk. Even in the shadows, Heather could tell that Maisie was frustrated and was covering her face in her hands.

"Can you stop picking fights," Amelia said, "You don't act like you want support."

"Just why aren't you guys so mad. Quit patronizing me! Be mad with me," Charlotte said.

"We are just..." Heather started, "Resigned."

"Yeah," Maisie agreed.

Amelia was still trying to be conciliatory, "You can try to argue with the magistrate tomorrow, but we aren't going to be there. I think you should just come with us so that we might be together when it all happens."

"I don't want to talk about it," Charlotte said.

"Finally," Heather thought. She laid back and was thankful that nobody seemed to want to break the silence. Charlotte didn't know how to be nice at the moment, so she was content with the peace and quiet.

It wasn't comfortable. The pillow was hard, and the blanket wasn't quite thick enough to keep her warm, plus she wasn't dressed for bed. Usually, she slept in a long sleeping shirt and she would have clean panties and no bra, but she had nothing to change into in the cell and it felt weird to take her bra off since she had no private place to put it back on in the morning. She knew her friends wouldn't care, and they were all going to see each other naked in the morning tomorrow, but it was still weird. At least she hoped they would be together in the morning. Being punished alone or with strangers would be even worse.

She tried to close her eyes to sleep. At most she had six or so hours to sleep, which was plenty for a twenty-year-old, but it took a long time to quiet her brain. Every creak in the hall, and there were many as more and more drunk girls were brought to their cells, disturbed her. The metal frame of the bed also creaked and with three other women in the cell getting used to new beds there was a lot of creaking and eventually Charlotte was snoring.

Plus, she couldn't quiet her fantasies of what was to happen in the morning. She'd seen the videos of law breakers in Bright Sky Beach stripping and being spanked on makeshift wooden stages on the sand. She couldn't shake the feeling that her punishment was going to be worse. Amelia's cop had told her to expect a spanking and an hour of exposure, the common term for being put on display for an hour for onlookers to ogle her nude body, and that meant that the other three had worse punishments coming to them.

Finally, she dozed, her last thoughts of a faceless police officer standing over her. Her sleep was stop and start as she woke multiple times through the night, unable to tell what time it was with no natural light or her phone which must still be back in her impounded car.

Each time she woke, she debated just staying up but each time she fell asleep again as she conquered her terrible visions of her upcoming punishment. The fourth or fifth time she woke she heard something strange like water hitting a tin roof. Groggy, she looked around and saw a shadowy figure sitting on the toilet. One of her friends was relieving herself and quickly she realized it was Amelia, her long legs unmistakable in the partial light coming through the window.

Amelia's eyes rose to Heather's, "Hey."

"Sorry, I shouldn't watch," Heather whispered.

"It's ok. I'm done," she said standing up.

Heather frowned realizing the unmistakable pressure in her stomach meant she had to go, too. Amelia had already made it normal, so she started to climb down from the top bunk.

"I won't look either," Amelia said, laying down and facing the wall.

"Finally," Maisie said from the top bunk, "I've been up here trying to be brave enough to go do that."

"Well, I beat you to it, too," Heather said, opening the button on her jean shorts and lowering the zipper.

Amelia giggled, "This is so weird, isn't it?"

"Not the best hotel, ever," Maisie confirmed.

Heather pushed her pants and underwear to her knees and sat down. She closed her eyes and in her half-awake state it wasn't hard to tune out her friends as her muscles relaxed. In a few seconds she wiped herself and groped for the flusher.

"I couldn't figure it out," Amelia whispered.

"There's no way to flush?" Heather asked, confused.

"No way. I'll find it," Maisie said, "Have your pants on, girl?"

"Hold on," Heather stood and pulled her pants on, "I'm good."

Maisie climbed down and looked, "There it is. It's a button on top. It saves water or something."

"Whatever, never seen it before," Amelia said, "Heather, want to talk? I can't sleep."

"I think it's close to morning, anyway," Maisie said, taking her panties down from underneath her skirt and sitting down, using her skirt to stay decent.

"Is Charlotte asleep? We shouldn't bother her," Heather said.

"She's dead to the world after she drinks," Maisie stated, "I've lived with her."

"She looks asleep to me," Amelia said, rolling over but keeping her eyes away from Maisie.

"Yeah, can I sit with you?" Heather said.

"I'd like that," Amelia said, "Are you ok? You didn't seem like yourself last night."

Heather sat down and the two friends held each other, "I'm fine, you know, just who can be fine after yesterday?"

"You don't have to be fine," Amelia said.

"Yeah," Maisie said, sitting down with them after finishing.

"We're here with you and so is Jason," Amelia said.

"Yeah, I know," Heather said, "I'm sorry for getting pulled over."

"No, it's my and Char's fault for getting the party going early," Maisie said.

"Well, then it can be the three of us. Sorry Amelia and Jason," Heather shrugged.

"It's ok. Is that all? What's this about your weight? You look good," Amelia said.

"It's stupid," she said, "It's just I got told my weight and it didn't make me feel good."

"I won't ask, but..." Amelia started.

"One forty-two," Heather said, "I didn't know I was getting up that high."

"I almost weigh that," Amelia said.

"Really? I mean you're so thin," Heather.

"I'm tall. It's whatever," Amelia said.

"Yeah, it's not the same. I hate my belly. Look at it," Heather said pulling her tank top up and her loose-fitting shorts away.

"It looks like a belly," Maisie said, "It's normal."

"I know, but, like, I want abs," she responded. "Go to the gym," she heard Charlotte say in her mind. Maybe she was right. Mean, but right.

"I think we are all worried about things," Amelia said slowly, "I have a birth mark that I'm self-conscious about."

"I didn't know that," Heather said.

"That's why all my swimsuits have shorts for bottoms," she said, she slapped her right thigh, "It's right here and it's... not pretty."

"I'm worried about what extras I'm going to get. Drug possession is going to get me something super painful I think," Maisie said.

"Yeah, I can only guess," Amelia said.

"It's scary... and exciting," Maisie mumbled.

"What?" Heather said.

"Nothing... I mean. Y'all never thought about it?" Maisie stopped but continued when Heather and Amelia looked at her silently, "Fine, make me admit it. I'm kind of a masochist and this is going to be in public and I won't have a safe word but depending on the sentence it might be ok."

Heather laughed, "Are you joking?"

"Nuh uh," she shook her head in the negative.

"Well, what do you want?" Amelia said, trying to stop laughing.

Maisie frowned, "I don't want anything. I think I'd rather have my vagina spanked than my boobs."

There was a silence and then Amelia spoke, "Breasts have more cushioning, though."

Heather giggled, "I've never thought about it, and I don't really want to."

"We can stop," Maisie said, "It's not so bad though, if you're in the mood."

"I was never even spanked as a kid," Amelia said.

"Me neither," Heather agreed.

"You can climb over my lap now," Maisie said, laughing.

"No, no," Amelia giggled.

Heather hoped Maisie was joking and leaned into that, "Wanna have a naked pillow fight too?"

"Sorority proud," Maisie said lifting her fist up proudly.

The three giggled more and Heather was glad that the conversation had turned that way. It seemed ridiculous that Maisie liked pain, but it made her feel closer to her sorority sister to know. "What's her fear?" Heather asked, looking at the sleeping Charlotte.