For Richer or For Poorer

Chapter 4: New Beginnings

        Because my dad was in the Navy, he used to joke that it would be unpatriotic of him not to teach me how to swim. I was far from being an all star swimmer, but I could hold my own in the deep end.

        "Are you okay?" A voice called from above the pool.

        Surprised, I looked up to find a boy staring at me with a wary expression. He was standing in the only room with the light still on as he waived his hands out in front of him to get my attention. I could only stare. I knew that there was no possible way he could be talking to someone else, but it still caught me off guard.

       Again, the boy stared back pointedly, trying again, "Are you okay?"

        He said it slower this time, enunciating each word like I had trouble understanding him the first time. Instantly, my neck snapped up to attention.

       "I'm good." I bit out.

       Both embarrassed and annoyed at being caught, I turned to head back into my room. I was caught staring at his pool like a creep, which was right below his bedroom window.

      "Hey, wait!" He whisper shouted across the small field between us.

       Reluctantly, I turned back around. The boy laughed nervously to ease the tension, scratching at the back of his head.

       "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm Nathan. You must be Vera's Niece."

"You know my Auntie Vera?"

"Of course I know Vera. She's family."

I was taken aback. I wasn't up to date with my family lineage or anything, but I was pretty sure that none of my immediate family was white. The blonde haired boy with (most likely) blue eyes must've meant that she was like family to him.

          "She was married to my late Uncle Martin." Nathan explained.

        "Oh." was all I could say.

        We lived next door to her dead husbands family? There was no way I could hide my shock. Like it wasn't awkward enough to be staying in a dead man's house as if I owned the place, but it was weird that his family was right next door.

         "Uh, do you you want to come over?" Nathan suddenly asked to break the silence I left dangling in the air.

          I gave him a look that clearly asked what he thought he was doing.

         "Oh, no, I-I just saw you staring at the pool, and I..."

        He rambled on nervously, trying hard to clear up my misconception. I couldn't really tell from all the way over here, but I knew his face was turning read. Apart of me wanted to spare him and throw him a bone, but a pettier side of me almost liked watching him fumble around.

          "It's cool." I gave in, "sure, I'll come over."

         Instantly, he stopped talking, surprised by my answer. I was kind of surprised too. Normally, I wasn't the adventurous type. I left that to Rochelle in most cases. It was easier playing the background because then you didn't have to try so hard.

       But with Nathan, he was trying hard enough for the both of us. Plus, despite his bad framing of words, he seemed like a nice guy. I read people very well, and my reading powers never let me down. Nathan gave me sheltered rich kid vibes. The type that wasn't always aware of their sheltered nature.

        I went back into my room and closed the doors behind me. The last thing I thought to pack was a swimsuit. I didn't even attempt to open my luggage to look for one. Instead, I found a pair of shorts and switched them out with my sweat pants.