The Atlantic City boardwalk was buzzing with activity. Ross stood casually against the railing with his back facing the ocean. The July sun beat down on his skin. His best friend, Freddy, was going off about whichever guest Ed Sullivan had on his show the other night.  A story he didn't care much to listen to.

"Enid!" Freddy called out. The girl to the left, the one with the red ponytail, stopped in her tracks in search of the voice that called her name. "Enid, over here!" 

The red head, who Ross now presumed was Enid, reacted with delight at the sight of her cousin. The pair walked over; a smile spread wide on Enid's face. 

"I didn't know you would be here today," Enid said. Her high-pitch voice sounded like a tiny fairy dancing between Ross' ears. Immediately, he was intrigued by this girl. He let his eyes roam with a growing curiosity building in the back of his mind. Their eyes briefly met as she noticed Freddy wasn't alone. For Ross, time stood still. The waves grew silent. There seemed to be no one else on the boardwalk outside of the two of them. Blood pounded in his ears. The faintest hint of a smile curled at the corners of her mouth. Ross couldn’t take his eyes off her. He was immobilized. Her gaze diverted back to Richie, another boy in the group amongst Ross and Freddy. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him. She was smitten by him completely. Ross wanted her eyes to fall back on him if only for a moment. 

"Enid, how old are you? 14? 15?" Richie asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Enid's eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"I'm 17, thank you very much!" she countered as the faintest hit of pink crept up on her cheeks. Freddy laughed at Richie. Ross remained hidden in the small group and kept an observant eye. He stayed quiet while the young red head talked back and forth with her cousin. Her eyes occasionally glancing over at Richie. Despite her being seven years her senior, he pondered the idea of getting to know her better. Then he reminded himself that she was his best friend's little cousin. Would it be weird if he asked her out? Would Freddy care? Would she even --

"Well, Laney and I were going to grab an ice cream at Kohr Brothers. I'll see you around Freddy! Bye, Richie," she said the last part softly, bashful almost. Ross let his eyes follow her movements until she was nearly out of sight. 

"Ross," Freddy said, snapping him out of his tunnel vision, "were you just checking out my cousin?" Ross straightened up whilst trying to keep his cool.

"No," he said in an even tone. "I wasn't even paying attention." He shifted uncomfortably. He glanced over at Richie not understanding what Enid saw in him and wanting to know how he could change that.