The hot summer sun sizzles on my skin.
Sand wedges itself between my toes.
My newly bronzed body
lies on the scorching Florida beach.

Hiding from the heat of July
under an umbrella,
Kayla relaxes in her lounge chair,
while Abbey and I tan on our towels.

Digging through her bag,
Abbey finds her coral camera,
and we make funny faces
behind our bright neon sunglasses.

Sweat drips down our faces
as we're tempted
by the splashing
of the ocean's waves.

When we peel ourselves
from the hot sand
Burns
the bottoms of our feet

We float on the top of the water,
watching the fish swim beneath us,
Feeling our backs burning,
but refusing to go back for sunscreen

When the sun begins setting
over the horizon,
we slide our wet, waterlogged feet
into our sand-covered flip-flops.

and we laugh at each other
discovering the sunburnt outline
where our sunglasses
had once rested

We left
with our skin kissed
by the red lipstick
of the sun.