Confessions of Your Friendly Neighborhood Lifeguard

Chapter Twelve

I sat on my back porch thinking for a long time. I had completely last track of the time, but I wasn't entirely sure what to do. I couldn't go to my house, my mom was still on a date. I could't go to the loft, because Patrick was probably there. I would have just stayed outside, but I was pretty freaking cold. I was definitely not dressed to spend an evening sleeping outside. So, I pulled out my phone and I looked at the time. 12:30. I weighed my options between my mom and Patrick. And as angry as I was with Patrick, I would rather have sawed my arms off than gone inside and seen my mom do God knows what. So, I quietly slipped in the garage and grabbed the mustang and drove towards the loft. 

As I was making the two minute or so drive, I really wished I would have walked. I really could have used the time to figure out what I was going to say to Patrick. Realistically, walking alone around town late at night is a horrible idea, but I still wished I had done it. I was walking in to the loft blind, but gosh darn it, I was going to do it!

The front door of the laser tag arena was obviously locked, so I went around where there was a ladder leading up to the balcony. I climbed up it slowly, peaking my head barely over the floor of the balcony trying to survey who was where and what was going on. Unfortuntately, that plan was a lot better in theory because I couldn't see anything or anyone. So, I took a deep breath, quickly grew a pair of balls, and climbed over the rail in to the Double L.

"Rae!" they all cried out as they turned to see my face. Their voices all sounded urgent and I could only guess why. I surveyed the room and saw that everyone but Patrick was present. He must have gone back home after leaving my house, but the other guys showed up here. I almost felt relieved that I wouldn't have to talk about it.

However, I forgot about the seven other people in the room staring at me asking for an explanation.

"What's up?" I asked innocently

"You have got some major explaining to do!" Meg said. "We thought you would have showed up here hours ago! The anticipation is killing us!"

"Meg, stop," Raven interrupted. "This is a personal topic and she doesn't have to share if she doesn't want to." Everyone in the group groaned at Raven. She was very well known for being the caring and nuturing one in the group. 

"Raven, we need to know!" Chip groaned. 

"Yeah, we need to know!" Avery and Lyle said together, in very twin like fashion. The twins looked at each other in digust, just like they did every time they spoke in unison, but quickly turned back to me. I walked over and sat between  Meg and Josh on the couch. I purposely sat as far away from Lance as possible because I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. I knew he would, regardless, though. 

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"What's going on between you and Patrick?" Lance asked quickly. I looked at him nervously, but I guess I wasn't really surprised that he was the one asking that questions.

"Nothing," I answered honestly. "We barely know each other." Another honest answer.

"So then what just happened back at the Cove?" Josh asked. "They said you saw Patrick with another girl and ran off." I shot the boys a semi-glaring look and tried to process what I should say.

"Well, I walked in on what may have been the beginning of a giant orgy, and I got freaked out. I had to tell Patrick something so I went to find him, and when I saw him with a girl I got really freaked out and I headed for the hills. I didn't mean to disturb it really," I explained. Which I guess, could be considered true.

"Well that doesn't explain how Patrick was acting back at your house," Lyle said. "Or uh, I mean the beach." (I wasn't supposed to know they had a fight directly behind my house. That I heard. Unfortuntaely.)

"What?" I questioned.

"Nothing," every one of them said in unison. 

"I didn't mean to cause a stir, I swear," I told everyone. "I'm sorry. Where is Patrick? I'd like to apologize to him."

"Who knows?" Lance asked. "Who cares? We try to do him a favor when Josie comes back in to town and he ends up exploding on us. I never thought I would say this, but Patrick needs to spend some time alone."

"Ah, come on Lance, we just got Patrick to come out of hiding," Meg complained.

"Oh and look what a gem he's been! We've gotten in two fights in the past week! One that ended in me punching Rae!" 

"I'm over that," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm sure it's just Josie. She really is one to stir up the feelings around here. I mean I met her once and she got a huge rise out of me," I shrugged. Simeltaneously, seven pairs of wide eyes stared at me.

"Oh, did I foret to share the story where Jo came to my house last night?" I asked.

"Yes!" they all shouted at me. 

"Right," I nodded. "Well, after you dropped me off yesterday Lance, someone knocked at my door. I knew it was Jo from the way you guys talk about her all the time. Anyways, she confronted me just about being friends with you guys and Patrick. Asked me lots of questions, told me to stay away from Patrick. I don't know, nothing big," I shrugged. 

"I told you all she has fucking spies everywhere!" Chip shouted. "And you all thought I was crazy!"

"That's what I was going to tell Patrick tonight, at the Cove," I continued. "I didn't find out until tonight that she confronted him too. Speaking of which, what did y'all learn about that from him?" I asked, turning to the boys. 

"She just showed up at her house, acting like they had never broken up. She was the typical Josephine Wells bitch," Lyle explained. 

"Patrick seemed pretty focused on getting drunk and getting with that girl," Lance continued. I shot him a hurtful look which he saw and quickly looked away from me. If there was anyone in the room who wasn't buying my story about there being nothing between me and Patrick, it was Lance. I knew I needed to talk to him. Apologize. Offer an olive branch and so on and so on. 

"Well this has been one fucked up night," Lyle said. "And I'm calling it a night. Let's go Avery." Avery waved to everyone and hugged Josh and headed for the door. I quickly ran after Avery and asked if I could stay at her house for the night and she squealed with excitement. God, I love being a girl.

That night, as I lay in Avery's bed, my eyes were wide open the whole time. I couldn't shut my mind off. With everything running through my mind, I was horrified of the next day. Tomorrow was the first day of July, and my first day as an official staff member of the B-SAC. And if there was one thing to do while lifeguarding, it was to sit in silence for eight hours, doing nothing but thinking.

So, in other words, I was mind fucked.