Forest Boy

[7] The Lake

"You can go in your underwear. I don't care, I'm gay anyway," he said nonchalantly as he began walking in a northerly direction against the beating hot sun and in the same direction his house was in.

I never asked if he was gay...

What difference would that make? He could still judge my body.

I keenly followed. A swim didn't sound like a terrible idea, besides, I was getting exhausted from teaching Rhyse to throw a knife. He'd get it eventually with some more training, but right now, it was just way too hot to even have the energy to be standing up and focusing on aim. I knew damn well neither of us were going to be climbing in this heat, and I could climb a tree if I was provoked so I was doing pretty well in that area. Hopefully, Rhyse could swim, I didn't want to have to teach him that as well.

"So, Sophia, what do your parents do for their jobs?" He politely asked, slowing down slightly to walk leisurely at my pace, he languidly turned his head in my direction. His brown eyes were barely open as he observed me, waiting for my response.

"They're both barristers, how about yours?"

He nodded looking somewhat impressed, "I guess that's how you guys afford to come here for the majority of the summer then, huh?"

I shrugged.

He had ignored my question. I wasn't sure if he didn't hear me or just chose not to answer, but I decided to ask again just in case it was the former. Once more, he didn't respond. Instead, he announced we were close to the spot and pointed to it as we walked along the grassy lakeside.

In the distance, all I could see was a wooden handrail that went out into the body of water and disappeared into the forest behind. Just behind that was one of those tire swings. I grinned and ran ahead towards it. I'd always wanted to go on one of those!

"Be careful-"

-SPLASH!

His words were lost to me as my foot slipped on the water's edge and I found myself face down in the lake, the unforgiving cold water had knocked the breath out of me. I couldn't scream even if I wanted. When I resurfaced, all I could hear was Rhyse howling with laughter. I parted my dishevelled hair from my face and saw Rhyse stood where I abandoned him, smacking his knees and clutching his chest as he continued laughing at me.

"It's a bit slippy there." He finally managed to get out between breaths.

I cursed over and over again mentally, my hair would be reverted in no time getting it this wet! I sat in the water fuming, my hair, my clothes and my body completely soaked. The more Rhyse cackled, the more I felt my sensitive ears get hotter out of embarrassment- any hotter and the lake would heat up with me.

Finally, he approached me, tears in his eyes and face slightly reddened. He extended his hand out to me to haul me up when he realised I wouldn't get up of my own accord. I took his offer, and just as he started pulling me up, he let go and another deluge of frigid water ran over me. This time I screamed. I couldn't believe he really let me fall again!

He burst out into a violent fit of uncontrollable laughter once again, not as hard as the last time, but equally as annoying. He thought he was so hilarious as I glared up at him.

What an a-hole.

"Okay, I got you this time. I won't let you fall again," I was sceptical, but I accepted his offer, nonetheless. Except instead of allowing him to pull me up, I yanked him down into the water with me.

Rhyse bitterly cursed as he fell.

I didn't think it through well enough, though, because he landed on top of me. Luckily the water here wasn't deep, or I'd be drowning underneath him. He stayed above me for a few minor seconds, his body shocked by being coated in the icy coldness of the lake as opposed to the sickly humidity it was once encased in.

Now it was my turn to laugh wickedly. He flung water at me to shut me up and stood up to waddle back to dry land eagerly. Without a word, he threw off his shorts, and I almost screamed because his boxers were so low down that I didn't think he had any on. I was not about to skinny dip with my parents not even 20 minutes away, and most certainly not with an overgrown boy I barely knew. The overwhelming relief that washed over me when I caught sight of the green waistband underneath his shorts was immense. He turned back around, and an enormous smile was present on his face; his teeth were immaculate.

"May as well swim in your underwear now, since your clothes are wet anyway," he said as he hung his shorts on the wooden rail and tugged on the tire swing making sure it was still sturdy.

I agreed and took off my clothes; a bra and knickers were no different to wearing a bikini, so there was nothing to be modest about. I guess since he was gay he also wasn't going to be like: "hey I like your boobs," in a creepy kind of way, which was reassuring. I also hung my clothes on the  handrail so they could dry since there was a little sun there.

Slowly, I edged my way back into the shimmering lake. Its coldness still caused me to seize up slightly, but it was refreshing, and now that my hair was already wet, I didn't have to worry about trying to keep it dry so I just tied it up. It was going to revert back to its naturally kinky state now anyway.

Just as turned around from wading further into the lake-

"Woo!" I was struck by a huge wave of water. The only culprit being Rhyse who launched himself into the lake not too far from me.

I waited impatiently a few seconds for him to resurface, so I could splash him back but he didn't. I peered anxiously at the spot he entered the water but the ripples were obstructing my view.

Panicking, all I could think of was 'what if he hit his head somewhere below the surface?' He would be dead by the time I managed to get help. I couldn't dive for him because the deeper the water got, the less you could see.