𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | b. rodriguez

the pool

I pushed open the door of the locker room to nearly collide with a small girl who was running around escaping her mother who chased after her with a towel.

Quickly I made my way across the room lined with showers, stalls, benches and shelves of towels. The entrance to the deck was beyond all of the crazy, wet mess, and I was wishing I was a guy more than ever.

Once outside again, the sunlight attacked my eyes as it reflected in kaleidoscopes off of the pool's surface.

"Shaye!" I squinted through the rays to see the guys calling me over to where they were shoving down their stuff all on one pool chair – the only pool chair that had been left open out of at least forty of them surrounding the pool. As I walked over to them, children splashed and ran around the deck, water spewing from their sunburnt cheeks. Ladies tanned all over the place, and their wide-brimmed hats bobbed like the waves that lapped against the boundaries of the pool.

"Nice find," I told the guys, gesturing to the chair.

"I found it," Timmy said, proudly.

"I found it."

"No you didn't, Tommy! Shut up!"

I felt a pair of eyes on me and glanced over the chair to see Benny grinning at my reaction to the Timmons' bickering. They were honestly so funny sometimes, I couldn't help but smile half-adoringly, half-annoyed by their brotherliness.

Not having a decent pair of sandals I slipped off my chucks and socks only to find that the ground, although hidden by the shadow of the chair, was scorching.

I'm an idiot!

Yelping out in pain I hurriedly yanked off my shorts to reveal the bottom of my swimsuit underneath, all the while hopping around on my toes.

"Ow, ow, ow ow ow!"

Somehow I managed to get both feet out of the leg holes of my shorts. Then I flung them down on the ground and stepped on them, sighing in relief as the poor soles of my feet were rescued from the open flame that was the stupid, stupid ground.

The guys were laughing at Yeah-Yeah and I who had managed to do the same thing – we nearly melted our skin off. Although even Scotty was laughing at us, it was Benny's laugh that stood out to me. My cheeks flushed and I could only hope that they were camouflaged by the excuse of the heat.

I really need to stop paying so much attention to the boy, for Pete's sake

..whoever Pete is, anyways.

Yeah-Yeah gave me a sympathetic look of understanding after he stepped on Bertram's towel that he'd snatched out of his hands. I crouched, still safe on my shorts and reached under my feet to see if my skin was still intact. The ground was really hot.

"Wow, you really thought that through, huh?" Kenny said, teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah, lets see how you guys handle it then."

Kenny smirked over at Benny, Bertram, Ham and the Timmonses. Then they all slipped off their shirts, tossed them on the chair, and slipped off their shoes and socks. However, they stood on top of their shoes after taking them off. Smart thinking. Actually, not that smart– just smarter than me. Oh gosh– Benny.

Why? His- uh, wow. Abs? I-I mean. They're, um. Nice?

Help.

Kenny counted to three:

"One.. two... three!"

And then the five of them bolted off the safety of their shoes, took two steps towards the pool, and catapulted themselves into the air. The water that sprayed up in their splashes splattered against the hot pavement, and I'm a matter of seconds sizzled into the ground.

Yeah-Yeah looked defeated, but he nodded at them as they all poked their heads back out of the water. Benny shook his hair majestically as – majestically? Dear lord, please help me.

It was a hot day. Benny was a hot guy. He was shaking the water seductively out of his hair flinging droplets of water through the air. It was hot. Okay? Give me a break.

I stood on my shorts as Yeah-Yeah joined his friends in the water followed by Scotty.

I was the only one left.

My suddenly shy eyes flickered back and forth from the boys– my friends– in the pool, and to the ground. They looked at me, confused.

"Shaye?" Scotty asked.

"Come on in! The water's great– we swear!" Squints said peering at me through the droplets of water that covered his glasses.

"Yeah, whatcha just standing there for?"

They had no idea. A wave of panic splashed over me, and I stood paralyzed in embarrassment– an awkward fear.

Shaye, they're your friends for Christ's sake! They won't look at you like that– you're making this awkward.

But.. Benny.

I fumbled with the hem of my shirt, pretending to wonder wether or not I should take it off.

I can't do this.

"Shaye?" It was his voice. "Hey, it's okay." Benny's soft gaze rose from where my fingers fiddled with my shirt to my eyes that squinted back at him. "Just come join us. You don't have to take it off."

The other boys stood in the water in silence. "Oh. Oh," Scotty said, his eyes growing wide. Benny nudged him and he fell sideways in the water, his head splashing beneath the surface and his arms flailing. I knew he could swim, so it was sorta funny.

Benny kept his eyes on mine, and I bit back my laughter until I couldn't anymore.

Scott's head plunged out of the water and he was actually laughing. My little brother was laughing instead of.. I don't know.. crying or something? In case you hadn't noticed, Scotty isn't the least sensitive guy in the world.

Everyone was laughing then, and in that moment I was so glad I had them. So I decided to trust them. At that, I leapt off the safety of my shorts, took three giant strides and catapulted my body over their heads, cannonballing into the water behind them.

The water was so cooling, so refreshing. A rush of newfound confidence washed over me, and I surface from the water with a smile on my face, and all the boys were splashing each other. Scotty turned around and looked at me though, ignoring DeNunez who squirted water like a fountain on his face.

"Glad you decided to join us, Shaye," he said.

Huh. Me too, I guess.

And then Scott splashed water in my face and wow, I was not expecting that.

"Bro!"

Scotty giggled, and then his smirk vanished in fear when he saw the look in my eyes – I was out for revenge.

"Uh- uh. I'm sorr–"

By then I'd already grabbed him bridal style and was tickling him as he writhed in the water, occasionally sputtering out water between laughter.

This isn't so bad, I guess.