"Alright, fellas. It's 'bout that time again, fellas. These warm beach days, hot phases. Sun's out, buns out, y'all. Y'all gonna get so hot that y'all want to take your clothes off like Nelly and some hoe gonna want to do ya in the sand. I'm here to tell y'all that only buns y'all need to be touching are the hot dog and hamburger buns at your secret 4th of July cookouts. Got me? I don't wanna hear nothing about falling in love and shit. If I hear..."

'Secret 4th of July cookouts.' They aren't secrets, they're just a regular day of grilling for us. Another reason to eat and party a little.

Anyway, Ryker does this every summer. The pep talk for the guys before we officially hit the beach on the first day of summer. No need for one but he has to be the one to do the most. One of those friends that talks just to hear himself talk. The one you sleep on while they talk their ass off.

"Aye, who the hell has time to fall in love this summer? We all gonna be outside, hanging with friends, popping up at parties, eating, and catching bodies, bro. We ain't got time to fall in love and shit. Break backs not hearts, bro."

Sometimes, I wonder why falling in love is such a bad thing nowadays. Falling in love is magical, especially when you fall for the right person. The yearly summer pep talks are declining, turning into something else. Too old to be speaking like this, especially Isaiah's old ass.

"Why we worried about catching bodies? Can we just have a good time and vibe? Can't stand these unsolicited 'meetings'". Cameron had a point.

When you think of summer, what comes up in your mind? What does summer mean to you?

I think of more than just ass and partying all the time. When I think of summer, I see sun, palm trees, adventure, and fun. Meeting some new friends and discovering stuff that we've never seen before. New restaurants, maybe some trips to museums, hitting the beach a couple of times, and camping out. As you can see, I got my plans for the summer already but the guys aren't feeling it.

"Y'all ain't ever complained before about these talks. What's the issue now? Look, all I'm saying is these bikini bitches gonna have y'all falling all over yourselves just to get the cat. We don't chase these hoes because these hoes ain't loyal. All I'm saying is focus on your goals. Keep your eyes on the prize. Remember that last cat you chased after, Cameron? What happened?"

My hand spread over my face as he pointed out Cameron's recent failed relationship. He has no room to talk though.

"She moved away and married-"

"SHE MOVED AWAY AND MARRIED YA BEST FRIEND! How you not see that coming? Because you were blinded by the taco. You were blinded by the ass. Get out of your damn head and get real. These females ain't trying to be cuffed. They playing the game. Reversing this shit so hit it and quit it. Bounce that ass and pass it along to someone else."

For someone who's supposed to be the motivator, he sounds so hurt but won't admit. We live in a world where it's okay to go see someone about heartbreak. You can't tell him that without him belittling you though.

We all got together to play a little ball at the beach and head to the pier for some food but we just had to get the big brother talk before we did anything. Ryker and Isaiah are literally pushing 30 and they still worried about bumping privates and not falling for someone?

My thing is this. What's the problem with love? What's wrong with falling in love with someone? You should still be able to pursue someone that catches your interest and show them that you care about them. Everybody too caught up in this side hoe mentality like it's all fun and games until it fucks with your bag or some shit.

I guess you could say that nobody wants to get hurt but, if you're actively looking, how do you find the right one without going through some bad apples? Do what you do but don't worry about what everyone else wants. Mind the business that pays you.

Shaking my head, I called for the guys so we could play some football soon. "Now that this intervention is over, can we hit the sand now? Not gonna have any place to play if y'all keep holding us up with this shit."

They all agreed and finished getting ready for the beach. First few days of summer can get rough around here because it starts getting hot in May. Thunderstorms around here ain't no joke in June. Beach and rain don't mix. Florida's the Sunshine State but when it rains, it pours. Gotta love the short tropical storms.

Going out to the beach is gonna be cool. During the summer, we chill at Ryker's beach house near a tourist beach so we see all kinds of people coming through our area. Everybody is in the sand around 10 or 11 in the morning just to find a spot.

Florida's a year-round tourist attraction and we're used to it. We've lived here all our lives and still don't want to leave because we've adapted to our surroundings. Tampa's our hometown so it's hard to leave this place. It's all we've known. We went to school together, traveled to other cities in Florida, and the water is our life.

"Aye, Tripp! Quit standing there like a little bitch and do like the Big Tymers. Get ya roll on and start my car, bro!" Ryker tossed me his keys and tossed me out of my own thoughts about Florida. Good ol' Florida.

Once I walked out of the house, my eyes were caught on two problems: flat tires and broken lights. Knew he shouldn't be talking because this could've only been done by one person, his ex-girlfriend.

"Yo, Ryke! You need to call five-o, fam! Mallory's at it again!"

Once they got that information, they all rushed down the stairs to see what I saw. Stomping down the steps like a fast-forward version of ants marching. Ryker's face was positioned in a way that it could split in half once he saw what Mallory did to his car. She went full-on Carrie Underwood on it.

"Ain't shit funny, man! That's my Range! If I could, I would pack that pale ass bitch in a large box and ship her off to a deserted island! Even then, she'd find her way back to Florida! These hoes don't know what to do when it come to the pipe, bro. I swear."

"Why don't you just call the cops, man? They'll be on her ass-"

"Nah, Cam. No, they won't. What you think I look like? I ain't no snitch or a wimp. Even if I called they ass, guess who's name would be drug through the mud, bro? I'd still be the one behind bars. Ain't no running from that hoe."

Though he is screwed, he did that to himself in all honesty. Women can be the least complex creatures until you fuck with their psyche. Communication was all it took with Mallory but Ryker listened to Isaiah's dumbass after making all these promises to her and flew the coop, leaving Mallory hanging at The Hard Rock Hotel.

Now, he's stuck buying a new car every few months, being humiliated on his job, and can't even date another female in peace. She's always on his ass. Tried playing with the cat and got stuck in a trap.

"That's destruction of property, ain't it? Get her for that at least."

Either we take Cam's small ass car or we stay stuck at Ryker's place and, by the looks of them going back and forth on this Ranger situation, we probably stuck at Ryker's place. By the time we get there, the beach will be filled with young kids, old couples walking across the sand, women with canned flavored beers and taking selfies in the water, and shirtless men with dad bellies.

Oh, and couples taking pictures in the sand and water. Though Ryker and Mallory's story can take away that hope for some people looking for love, it doesn't make a difference for me. Their story ain't everybody's story and I got confidence that my love story about to be completely different.

****

What's up, everyone?!

Happy 4th of July for those that celebrate it. I think this was the perfect chapter for today.

Y'all finally got to meet Tripp! What do you all think about him so far?

What about his friends? Do you think that his friends play a part in how he is?

See you guys next time! Thanks for reading!