Swept Away

Chapter 20

When Kevin and I were kids, we took swimming classes together. Our town never had huge YMCA facilities or anything of the like but what we did have was a huge open lake which happened to be just a small trek through the trees on our property, a brief excursion across Route 47B that ran behind our acre of land and then a little forray through some more trees into a clearing. The bean shaped lake-- Lake Puck, named after some local explorer-- was the only thing that brought a little bit of tourists to our teeny town. Sitting on the lake was a triangle shapped cabin with a slopping roof and large chimney. The cabin was something like a backwater kind of Country Club, that our parents refused to pay for. However, once a week the cabin, and the lake were open to anyone and everyone around town for swimming lessons (which if you ask me was kinda pointless because the only place to swim around here was the lake and it was never opened to the public simply for recreational purposes). The fare to get in for a day was twelve dollars for kids and fifteen for adults. Although, Kevin and I always snuck through. Over the years we had created less of a path and more of a trail of depressions from our regular trips around fallen trees and over brambles. There we had our "swimming lessons" which was just a glorified babysitter named Marcie and some really crappy floatation devices. Whenever Marcie had her back turned or found herself otherwise preoccupied with cathcing the other lifeguard's eye Kevin would turn on me and try to push me under, and so our aquatic wrestling would begin. 

I remeber the first time he caught me off guard and pushed me under my mouth opened in a gasp only to be filled with merky water, I was imediately filled with a sense of panic and impending doom, and fighting back felt so hard my mind screaming "ABORT MISSION, ABORT". This is in a way how I felt now as my brother decided to socialize with yet another boy in my life. I had stopped dead in my tracks upon my return from the bathroom with my newfound friend Robin. 

"Ooh, who are they?"

"It's my brother," I practically spat with derision, "and his stupid college friends."

Robin cast a frown in my direction, "Honey, one thing you should never do is knock a college boy. I mean, you're right-- all boys are stupid-- but ugh, higher learning and higher stamina, what's not to like?"

My eyes popped and a giggle escaped. Hitting her arm I chided her as we slowly made our way over. 

"Not that I'm complaining or anything but... why is your brother here?"

I rolled my eyes, "Probably to ruin my life, but maybe that's a little dramatic."

"Kenny!" Chuck barreled towards me, swooping me up in a bear hug, "How's my baby sis?"

Chuck and Kevin had been friends since their days in the sandbox. It was a charming story of hate at first sight turned to mutual respect turned to the bromance of the century all in the spate of a school year. Suffice to say, Chuck had been around for almost my entire life, and he had witnessed first hand all of my embarrassing moments, and awkward stages. He was like an honorary big brother in ever sense of the title because he was as sweet as he was annoying. And right now he was being the later.

"Get your meaty paws off of me Charles," batting at his arms that encased me I wiggled around waiting for him to put me down. It was useless however, seeing as his bicep was probably the size of my waist. 

"That's no way to greet your favorite guy in the whole world," he chastened. 

"You're right, that probably means you're not my favorite then," I gasped, "I can't breath-- oh my God-- Chuck."

His laugh rummbled deep in his throat before he popped me back onto the floor, "I see you're still as whiney as ever."

With an upturned face and an indignant sniff, I brushed myself off, "Only when the circumstances call for it.