The Edge Of Us

Chapter 9: Waterproof

"One day you're going to fall in love," more tears pooled from her amber irises, her mascara was two inches below her eyes. "And more than likely, it'll be with the stupidest, saddest excuse of a loser."

"Camila, I didn't mean—"

"It's going to do things to you. Given, you spend two years with someone, it will change you."

All I could do was stare at her. A part of me felt like I floated nowhere in time. That if I just didn't ask, I wouldn't be mentally paralyzed and in a cold room with a junior in high school telling me that heartbreak is inevitable and love is abuse.

But nothing else she said made so much sense. Camila was five years older than me, a simple person who was good with words and she knew me like a language.

"I know you want to be older and act like you know everything. But don't forget where you came from. And sometimes I wonder to myself, 'maybe it's too much for him', since you're still only eleven and it was causing you to lose friends," I don't even try to protest because it's the first time someone brings up my recent deal with isolation. "But then I realize that it's just rolling the dice with you. And if you can just shut up for a minuet because so much is happening, and the last thing I need is my little brother's disapproval."

It was such straight up communication but it just wasn't going through. So I just hugged her like it would be the last time. I didn't even apologize. I just stared into the wall.

I thought crying was just like being drunk and wondered which of the two was the worser state to be in.

My head was getting so suffocatingly light and my heart suddenly became so heavy that I felt it splitting my body in two. I couldn't listen to her soft but not comforting tone anymore, all before she could put her cold hands on the back of my head and bring me back from the place I went to.

When I open my eyes, I'm outside. The air was cold on my skin and the last thing I ever felt.

I don't even remember getting here and wondered if this was a side effect of the migraines. It's never happened before, but then again it's pretty unpredictable.

"Julian!"

I hear Camila's voice and walk faster. The last thing I want is to see her betraying, bitchy face.

There were more people out here. Way more in the pool, making out against trees, or splashing around.

"Julian!"

A game of strip peer ping was somewhere to my right. I debated going back inside, but saw Malcom and welcomed the familiar face.

He was shirtless, his top was discarded somewhere, leaving him in only his trunks. Rue was also there, talking on the phone, smiling.

I saw a space in the lawn chair next to his laid out figure and dropped down next to him. He barely acknowledged me so I questioned if he was drunk.

I looked over to Malcom who was having a staring contest with God. He's not as tall as me but he's built quite handsomely. His masculinity was daunting and it was the first thing I noticed when I met him. I only realized it harder this time.

Malcom was good-looking.

I immediately turned my head, blushing. Why was I thinking like this?

"Hey!" Naomi yelled, walking over with Linni. I picked up on their height difference, and blushed harder. What is wrong with me?

"Yo. Are we doing it?"

Malcom checked his phone. "Yeah, they're about to start. They said at 10:30."

"Naomi doesn't want to go in. She prefers to stay dry." Linni said, rubbing his girlfriends shoulders. I picked up on his attitude change. He was teasing her just twenty minuets ago, but now he seemed loyal and supportive of her decision to not swim.