BlueCollarGirl
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2020
- Posts
- 168
This place was paradise. It was the only way Shelby could describe it. When her parents announced the family trip to Aruba, her jaw hit the floor. They were a working-class family who scrimped and scraped. No trip to the grocery store was made without coupons and sales. And despite Shelby’s scores and grades being good enough for all the colleges that held her interest, she’d languished at the local community college for two years after high school so she could work and save up enough money that loans wouldn’t completely crush her at the state university she had her heart truly set on.
But her dad’s union got special discounts if enough families were interested, and after one more long, frozen winter in Wisconsin, everyone wanted some fun in the sun. And, as her mom put it, it was their way of thanking her for the patience she showed in waiting to go to Madison with her friends. Shelby worked hard at the community college, even though she joined in on dubbing it “Harvard on the Highway” like everyone else in her hometown. And with her bubbly personality and great smile, she earned so much in tips since she started working at Applebee’s the moment she turned sixteen that she could cut her tuition costs in half.
She laid out on the beach, under an umbrella of course. Her pale skin burned quickly, even using 60 SPF sunscreen, and that was back home. Down here, where the sun shone more directly, she knew more than a few minutes at a time in the sun would have her a shade of red that matched her auburn hair. Plenty of the other girls from the group were in the same boat, so at least her white legs didn’t stand out too badly when they were all on the beach together.
Aruba...man, this place touched a happy place inside her she didn’t know existed. The water cooled her off when she waded out into the pristine sea, yet didn’t leave her cold in any way. The breeze carried the salty tang of the water without overwhelming her. And the sand...oh, she loved the warm sand. She felt like a lizard on a rock when she laid out on it, the warmth seeping into her fingers and toes that stayed perpetually cold back home. She never wanted to leave this place.
But today was day six of their seven, and she hated to think about leaving, even though going home meant being closer to going off to college. A couple more months of waitressing and she could bid her hometown goodbye for the foreseeable future. At least tonight the resort was having a party for all the tour groups staying there. There was a very attractive guy in one of the other groups she’d seen around the past few days. They hadn’t gotten a chance to talk, but he always smiled and said hi when he saw her. She wasn’t quite ready to throw away her virginity on an island fling anymore than she'd been willing to throw it away on the meatheads in her town, but she at least wanted to make out with him a little bit. A girl had to have some good stories to take back with her, even if she’d been stuck with her parents and little brother for the week.
“Shelb, we’re heading back in now,” her mom announced. Shelby propped herself up on her elbow to see her family packing their stuff up. She glanced at her phone and saw it was nearly five, so she rolled up to join them. “You ready for tonight?” her mom asked.
“Yeah, it should be fun,” Shelby answered. “Sucks that it means it’s almost time to go home, though.” After a moment, she said, “Thanks for this trip, though. It’s been great.”
Her mom smiled. “You’re welcome, baby. You know I’m going to miss you when you head off to school, don’t you?”
Shelby couldn’t help but smile back a bit at that. “I know, I know. I promise I’ll come visit to do more than just bring my laundry home.”
They laughed and made their way back to the room to get ready for the night’s fun.
It didn’t take long for Shelby to be disappointed in the party, though. That cute guy was busy in the corner with some fake blonde from California to notice her in her pretty sky blue sundress. She loved this one because the blue matched her eyes and the little red flowers matched her hair. Heck, she had even put on a spangly silver necklace that matched her silver sandals and curled her hair for the occasion, but he didn’t even glance her way. It made her feel plain and ordinary, the way she always felt when she was stuck back home. Going back there loomed large in her heart as she tried to put on a happy face for everyone, but right then she couldn’t stand the notion of Wisconsin after being here.
After dinner, Shelby leaned close to her mom and said in her ear so she could hear her over the music, “I’m going to sneak out for a walk along the water, okay?” Her mom nodded, and she excused herself, once last sad glance over her shoulder where that guy sat with the other girl curled up in his lap.
There were still quite a few people out on the beach, watching the sun set below the waves. A prism of color played across the waves, making her smile wistfully. One day, she thought, I will be here with someone who wants to be with me. She slipped out of her sandals and carried them in one hand as her toes wiggled out the lingering warmth from the sand. It was moving rapidly from dusk to evening, and even with the resort lights around her, the stars shone in the darkening sky. The breeze picked up a little, fluttering the edges of her short dress around her thighs.
She walked down the beach, lost in thought, when the sound of laughter and music caught her ears. Curious, she looked around and realized she’d walked far enough to have wandered past the resort. Though this area was still very touristy, it was clearly a little more free-for-all. Bonfires dotted the beach before her, and a row of packed little bars lined the street. Shelby hesitated, glancing back in the direction she had come, before wiping off her feet and putting her sandals back on. Maybe she could find some fun here if she wasn’t going to have any back at the resort.
The inside of the bar was much like what she expected any campus bar would be like. Everyone there appeared to be around her age, maybe a little older, and most of them were trashed. She hadn't planned on venturing out, so she didn't have any cash on her, meaning she would likely find more entertainment from everyone else's drunk antics than having her own. That was fine by her. She made her way to an area where people were dancing and joined in, a smile finally lighting up her face.
But her dad’s union got special discounts if enough families were interested, and after one more long, frozen winter in Wisconsin, everyone wanted some fun in the sun. And, as her mom put it, it was their way of thanking her for the patience she showed in waiting to go to Madison with her friends. Shelby worked hard at the community college, even though she joined in on dubbing it “Harvard on the Highway” like everyone else in her hometown. And with her bubbly personality and great smile, she earned so much in tips since she started working at Applebee’s the moment she turned sixteen that she could cut her tuition costs in half.
She laid out on the beach, under an umbrella of course. Her pale skin burned quickly, even using 60 SPF sunscreen, and that was back home. Down here, where the sun shone more directly, she knew more than a few minutes at a time in the sun would have her a shade of red that matched her auburn hair. Plenty of the other girls from the group were in the same boat, so at least her white legs didn’t stand out too badly when they were all on the beach together.
Aruba...man, this place touched a happy place inside her she didn’t know existed. The water cooled her off when she waded out into the pristine sea, yet didn’t leave her cold in any way. The breeze carried the salty tang of the water without overwhelming her. And the sand...oh, she loved the warm sand. She felt like a lizard on a rock when she laid out on it, the warmth seeping into her fingers and toes that stayed perpetually cold back home. She never wanted to leave this place.
But today was day six of their seven, and she hated to think about leaving, even though going home meant being closer to going off to college. A couple more months of waitressing and she could bid her hometown goodbye for the foreseeable future. At least tonight the resort was having a party for all the tour groups staying there. There was a very attractive guy in one of the other groups she’d seen around the past few days. They hadn’t gotten a chance to talk, but he always smiled and said hi when he saw her. She wasn’t quite ready to throw away her virginity on an island fling anymore than she'd been willing to throw it away on the meatheads in her town, but she at least wanted to make out with him a little bit. A girl had to have some good stories to take back with her, even if she’d been stuck with her parents and little brother for the week.
“Shelb, we’re heading back in now,” her mom announced. Shelby propped herself up on her elbow to see her family packing their stuff up. She glanced at her phone and saw it was nearly five, so she rolled up to join them. “You ready for tonight?” her mom asked.
“Yeah, it should be fun,” Shelby answered. “Sucks that it means it’s almost time to go home, though.” After a moment, she said, “Thanks for this trip, though. It’s been great.”
Her mom smiled. “You’re welcome, baby. You know I’m going to miss you when you head off to school, don’t you?”
Shelby couldn’t help but smile back a bit at that. “I know, I know. I promise I’ll come visit to do more than just bring my laundry home.”
They laughed and made their way back to the room to get ready for the night’s fun.
It didn’t take long for Shelby to be disappointed in the party, though. That cute guy was busy in the corner with some fake blonde from California to notice her in her pretty sky blue sundress. She loved this one because the blue matched her eyes and the little red flowers matched her hair. Heck, she had even put on a spangly silver necklace that matched her silver sandals and curled her hair for the occasion, but he didn’t even glance her way. It made her feel plain and ordinary, the way she always felt when she was stuck back home. Going back there loomed large in her heart as she tried to put on a happy face for everyone, but right then she couldn’t stand the notion of Wisconsin after being here.
After dinner, Shelby leaned close to her mom and said in her ear so she could hear her over the music, “I’m going to sneak out for a walk along the water, okay?” Her mom nodded, and she excused herself, once last sad glance over her shoulder where that guy sat with the other girl curled up in his lap.
There were still quite a few people out on the beach, watching the sun set below the waves. A prism of color played across the waves, making her smile wistfully. One day, she thought, I will be here with someone who wants to be with me. She slipped out of her sandals and carried them in one hand as her toes wiggled out the lingering warmth from the sand. It was moving rapidly from dusk to evening, and even with the resort lights around her, the stars shone in the darkening sky. The breeze picked up a little, fluttering the edges of her short dress around her thighs.
She walked down the beach, lost in thought, when the sound of laughter and music caught her ears. Curious, she looked around and realized she’d walked far enough to have wandered past the resort. Though this area was still very touristy, it was clearly a little more free-for-all. Bonfires dotted the beach before her, and a row of packed little bars lined the street. Shelby hesitated, glancing back in the direction she had come, before wiping off her feet and putting her sandals back on. Maybe she could find some fun here if she wasn’t going to have any back at the resort.
The inside of the bar was much like what she expected any campus bar would be like. Everyone there appeared to be around her age, maybe a little older, and most of them were trashed. She hadn't planned on venturing out, so she didn't have any cash on her, meaning she would likely find more entertainment from everyone else's drunk antics than having her own. That was fine by her. She made her way to an area where people were dancing and joined in, a smile finally lighting up her face.