"BLAKE," I started to yell with everyone, which was completely useless, because if he was drowning or unconscious underwater I doubted he could answer us.
We all swam towards the spot where Blake had fallen.
I went underwater, opening my eyes and looked around me.
What an idiot! Hadn't I said something like that would happen? What the hell had he been thinking?
If he wasn't dead, I would kill him!
I was out of air, so I kicked myself up to the surface and looked around me again.
"BLAKE," everyone kept yelling, and Mark was swimming towards the rocky bank, climbing on it, to get a better look around.
"Blake, it's not funny," I yelled, and took a deep breath to dive under again.
"Well, I personally think it is," the voice we had all been waiting for yelled. We turned our heads slightly back to the left, where there was a sharp rocky hill and small trees growing everywhere on it and there he was, sitting on top, looking at us laughing.
"YOU FREAKING IDIOT," I yelled and everyone else was also cursing him.
"What the fuck's wrong with you?" Dwayne screamed, still trotting in the water.
"You should have seen yourselves," Blake said and then held his hands higher on his side, flapping them, mimicking the face of someone being hysterical, "Blake! BLAKE! BLAAAKEEE!" and then burst laughing even more.
"You're dead, douche bag," I yelled and swam towards him.
Blake, still laughing, dove into the water, from the rocky hill and raced away from the furious crowd he now had against him.
Yeah. I was not chasing after that asshole. I'd get back at him another way for scaring the living crap out of me!
"He really is an idiot sometimes," Alex said swimming beside me.
"Sometimes? I'm telling you, I'm going to strangle him at some point."
"Well, looks like Kitty's taking her claws out," Alex laughed.
"He almost gave me a freaking heart attack!"
"I tend to do that to women, with my breathtaking hotness and all," I heard Blake scream from afar and then laugh, and like, he was laughing a lot!
That's it! He's going down!
I raced after him. He wasn't going as fast as the other time. It might have had something to do with his hysterical laughing causing him to swallow water though.
Anyway, I was almost catching up with him, but then we were reaching the deck. This might be a problem. This little deck of ours didn't have a ramp or steps or a ladder, because the guys might have been a little lazy when they built it, so the only way to get on the deck from the water was pulling yourself up with the deck.
Depending on how high the water was, this task could become tricky. If the water was super low there was easily two feet of distance between the water and the deck. One needed good rm muscles to get out easily.
Point of this was that getting out of the water was not going to be a smooth transition for me.
Blake didn't have that problem, seeing he was the all-muscular-and-in-good-shape-football-player type.
So when I reached the deck, Blake had all but rolled himself on it and was waiting for me with a smirk.
I scowled at him and grabbed the edge of the deck, pulling myself up, but Blake pushed my head down, to the water.
But I wasn't giving up just yet.
So I pulled myself up again, and then as quick as I could, grabbed Blake's ankle.
He wasn't ready for that, and as I pulled, he fell backward on the deck. I took advantage of this and heaved myself out of the water.
Blake was still laughing while my body was crouched, in front of his, on the deck.
"Pooky's mad," I heard him say between laughs.
He got some nerves! That freaking idiot!
I had a few options. I could roll him off the deck, give him a wedgie, I could kick him in the nuts, pull his hair, punch him a few times, all of the above, but in different order...
I settle on the punching, and lunged at him, my fist immediately hitting his chest.
"Don't. Call. Me. POOKY," I yelled with every punch, but Blake seemed to just find this funnier and dodged my punches by rolling a little from left to right, like I was tickling him more than punching him.
I sat on top of him, so he would stop squishing and punched his shoulder.
"You're an ass," I yelled
All I got in response was a laugh and, "You seem to enjoy it more when you're the one on top!"
"Good freaking lord!" I yelled, exasperate.
"Yeah, that's exactly what you should be saying," Blake snickered.
Uggggh!
Why did he have to make everything into sexual innuendos?
I punched him on the side of the ribs as hard as I could and then got off of him and pushed him off the deck and into the water.
I got on my feet and looked down at where he had fell, waiting for his head to come out, with a victory grin on my lips.
But strangely, he seemed to struggle to get to the surface.
Yeah, he wasn't going to pull that little I'm dying stunt again.
Finally, his hand caught the edge of the deck and he pulled his head out of the water.
I was going to mention that I wasn't stupid, and he wouldn't get me again, but he spoke first.
"Damn it Pumpkin! Not so hard on the ribs next time, alright," he told me, grunting, and then with his left arm, wrapped around his torso, he pulled himself out of the water with the other.
"You can cut the act, dumbass," I answered and was about to push him back in, but then I heard a high pitch voice.
"Oh my, Blake! Are you alright?" Stacey asked in a panic, pratically running over to us on the deck.
I had no interest in dealing with whatever was going on between these two, so I just dove back in the water. When I was far out enough I could see Blake kind of scowl my way.
Ha ha!
I caught up with the guys and tried with them to touch the bottom of the Creek, repeating the action about a hundred times. I managed to do it a couple of times and was actually proud.
When our fingers reached a good enough level of water prunning, we all got out.
America's Next Top Models were lying on the deck parading their bikinis which were clearly not made to be worn in the water. That wasn't exactly the most pratical attire in my opinion, but who was I to judge. I had no fashion sense.
They looked like they were trying to get a tan, but really didn't need anymore sun exposure in my mind, while Shawn and Clark were kind of just drooling besides them.
Once again, these two were doing nothing good for their genders.
Blake wasn't there.
We found him, when we all got back to the cars, to get towels and eat a bit. He had taken the dirt bikes out of Mark's pick up trunk and it looked like he was making sure everything was in order. He was still only wearing his short.
For two seconds my mind went swooooooon, that's a HOT back. And then I kinda wanted to slap myself because first, I should not drool over Blake. It would probably come bite me in the ass real soon. And two, how the hell had I manage to not drool when I was fighting with him before? That second realization deserved more of a path in the back in my humble opinion.
"All set!" Blake announced, smiling, while turning around and then my mind went double swoooooon, that's a HOT chest.
For freaking crying out loud! What the hell? Keep it together lady!
Luckily, that was the moment the guys decided to scream at each other to know who was going to ride them first.
"Forget about it Dwayne! We all know you won't be able to turn and then you'll fucking break the things," Connor was shouting.
"Yeah and you'll try to impress everyone and you'll miss your jump and you'll fucking break the things," Dwayne shouted back.
"We should go first," Trevor and Cameron yelled at the same time.
"None of you dim-wits are going first! I'm the captain! I lead! I go first," Alex stopped them.
"Exactly you always have everything first!" Davis yelled, "Let the smaller players have fun first for once!"
"Alright, if you don't all stop acting like babies I'm cutting the spark plug wire and diving in the Creek with it and no one will get on the dirt bikes," Blake cut.
"And I brought the damn things so you'll listen to the man," Mark added.
"We should let the boys play with their toys..." Catherine trailed, rolling her eyes and walked towards the picnic table with Janna.
I followed them.
"Hey Kitty! You aren't coming?" Alex yelled after me.
"This smells like too much testosterone for me," I answered and turned around, sitting down.
Janna and Catherine were on the same side of the table and I was sitting crossed legged on my bench.
It could have been fun to go with the boys, they usually did pretty stupid things with the dirt bikes, but I wanted some girl company for once.
We could still hear them shout at each other when they left for the sand pit that was a few minutes' walk away.
"Boys will be boys," Catherine said shaking her head, but smiling.
"Yeah, but Mark is more reasonable then the rest of them," I told her.
"I know," she answered smiling, the smile of a girl that loved her boyfriend.
"Mark and you are already like an old couple," Janna laughed.
"And you're like a newlywed one," Catherine laughed even more, especially when Janna started to blush.
"You girls are sickeningly in love, it's both adorable and awful," I joked, making a fake grimace. My friends laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find your Prince Charming soon enough," Catherine told me, smiling cheekily.
"Ugh, who needs a Prince Charming. High school boys are idiots," I pointed out, case in point, the day we were having so far, "You two just got lucky."
"Well Dwayne is sometimes a bit of an idiot, but he's my idiot," Janna said with a grin, "Like, last week, he wanted to make me a nice dinner, but he undercooked chicken and I almost got salmonella. It was a pretty sweet gesture though."
I snorted at her dreamy eyes over almost getting salmonella. Being in love made you a little silly sometimes.
"Mark is also a dumb boy sometimes, but he's learning. We ran out of the gas the other day when he was driving us to the movies even though I kept telling him I'd pay for it."
"Oh my gosh," Janna exclaimed, "same thing almost happened with Dwayne! I don't know what it is with boys and waiting until the last minute to put gas in their cars. Even when I give him money to pay for my share, he still does that shit."
"It's like they enjoy the challenge of man versus the car," Catherine agreed while I laughed at their antics.
Catherine and Janna continued to exchange silly stories about their boyfriends like that, giggling and blushing all the while. It was pretty cute. For a fraction of a second I kind of envied their relationships. I wanted my own silly stories about my own silly boyfriend.
That was never going to happen though, at least not until I got out of this town. I was never going to date any of these boys.
"Wait, we should change subject, we're being very boring right now," Janna suddenly said.
I smiled at them. "Not at all, you're both being cute."
"But we are more than just our boyfriends, we are interesting and intelligent women," Catherine interjected.
"Yes we are!" Janna agreed, pumping her hand in the air.
"Should we ask Miriam and Stacey to come over and chat with us?" Catherine suddenly said, frowning a little.
So far my interactions with Stacey were not exactly the highlights of my days, but we were on a trip together, so I should make an effort.
"Are they still on the deck?"
"Shawn and Clark are still probably ogling at them, drooling enough to fill the lake," Janna mumbled.
I burst into laughter. "Ew, the images you conjure."
"Those two are such pigs! Worst duo ever," Catherine said rolling her eyes.
"I think it's more like a trio if you don't forget Blake," I added.
"Blake's not that bad," Catherine answered, rolling her eyes.
Blake, not that bad? Yeah, right. "Have you met the guy?" I snorted.
"As a matter of fact I have. Which Blake are you drawing your judgment upon?" she asked, with another of her cheeky little grins.
"The only one there is. The one who's a complete an utter asshole," I answered laughing.
"You're wrong you know," Catherine said, still with that knowing smile.
"What do you mean?" I asked frowning, but before Catherine could expand on that subject, we heard high pitch giggling and shrieking coming from the trail leading to the Creek.
Clark, Shawn, Miriam and Stacey were coming back and the boys looked like they were teasing the girls while they laughed loud enough to wake up an hibernating bear.
"It's like we're watching a National Geographic documentary about douchebags mating. And for some reason, I can't look away,' Janna said in a hushed tone.
Sure enough, we looked back and Shawn and Clark were flexing their arms and kind of sticking out their chests, like peacocks, trying to get attention.
The three of us tried to contain our laughter, but couldn't help snorting.
The little quartet noticed us at that moment. "Hey girls!" Shawn called to us, "where are the guys?"
"They went to the sand pit with the dirt bikes," Catherine yelled back.
"Is there room for us? We could show you what you've been missing out," Clark yelled at us with a wicked grin.
Nah huh.
"Let's leave right now," Janna whispered to us and we both nodded and got up from the table.
"Hey, where are you going?" Shawn asked when we got up, heading for one of the trails.
"In five words or less. Out. For. A. Walk. Bitch," I said, channeling my inner Spike.
"Did you just call me a bitch?" Stacey suddenly exclaimed.
Oh my gooood. Harmony-wanna-be, be gone.
I wasn't talking to her and I was quoting Buffy. How daft was she?
"How about that walk, huh?" Janna said, trying to grab my arm to tow me away.
I didn't want that though.
I was angry. I was annoyed. I was probably also like partly being possessive of our little secret spot and mad that the guys had brought a girl that got on my nerve. With everything going on, with my stupid mom, with Blake being an ass all the time and annoying me, I had to let that anger out at someone and Stacey was the grand prize winner.
"You girls go ahead, I think Stacey and I need to talk," I told her, my eyes not leaving Stacey.
Everyone sort of scattered at that. Stacey stayed put like a statue in front of me, still glaring.
"What's your problem?" I asked her, angry.
"What's your problem?"
"My problem is that you're getting on my nerve and no one wants you here aside from Tweedledee and Tweedledumb," I told her, wanting to hurt her, wanting to cause someone the pain I was feeling inside of being abandoned and unloved.
"That's not true! Blake enjoys my company," Stacey said smugly.
I almost burst into hysterical laughing right there.
"Well good for you," I managed to say, trying real hard to stay serious.
"And you know, I had sex with Blake," Stacey needed to add, obviously.
Why in god's name did she need to mention that?
"Before or after you stormed out of the seminar like he told you you had bad breath?" I asked her, a little smirk forming on my lips.
"That was nothing, just a little lover's quarrel. I've done it plenty of times with Blake he loves it with me!"
From Blake's own mouth, that was a total lie. What was she even trying to prove? I honestly did not care about her sex life or Blake.
And a lover's quarrel? She was here with Shawn and Clark? What was wrong with her?
"These little delusions will take you far in life, sweetie," I told her and patted her shoulder, laughing.
Without even bothering to listen to her reply, I walked towards the trail to the Creek.
I skipped lightly in the trail, happy with my snotty replies, all the way to the deck and then frowned when I saw someone sitting, alone.
What was he doing here? Wasn't he at the sand pit?
Blake turned his head when my feet made the deck move a little. At first, there was some kind of deep feeling in his eyes, like sadness almost but it disappeared the same second and was replaced by his usual smirk.
"Can't stay away from me, can you?" Blake asked evilly.
"Get over yourself," I answered, snorting.
"I—" Blake started to say but I cut him, "already know that come back line so you can spare it!"
That made him laugh.
"Can I ask you a question?" I said while sitting beside him.
"It's a free country."
"What's the deal with Stacey? Because seriously ever since that little incident at the library she's been scowling at me like I was some kind of pariah and now she found it trivial to announced me that she had sex with you."
Blake laughed again. "How should I know how that strange head of hers works? Maybe all that bleach in her hair got to her brains."
"You should know the answer because meaningless sex is your specialty. And you seem to understand well the mind of those girls unfortunate enough to spend a night with you."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment."
"You shouldn't, you use girls for your own pleasure!"
"Hey, I'm as much as a victim than everyone else."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right!"
"I mean it! Women just use me for my rugged good looks, hard tanned muscular body, and large penis. Sometimes I just cry myself to sleep, craving for a hug in the morning. You know, I just want to be loved," Blake said, being all dramatic.
"Want me to cry a bit for you?" I said, rolling my eyes yet again.
"I just wanted to point out the fact I'm a human with feelings too you know," Blake said with an amused voice.
"Nah, you're a jerk filled with hormones."
"Ouch," Blake snorted, but laughed.
I turned my head away from him and then looked at the Creek, the way the water moved with the wind, and wrapped my arms around my knees, breathing deeply.
Last time I was here, my parents were still together...
"What's bothering you?" Blake suddenly said.
"Huh?"
"Something's obviously bothering you."
"It's just..." I thought about saying some bullshit, but then, I don't know why, I decided to just be honest, "it's my mom. I saw her this morning."
Blake was staring at the Creek, "Want to talk about it?"
"What is there to say? You know, all I want is to be past it," I whispered, looking at the blue sky, and the sun.
"You don't move past things like that Pumpkin. It just... becomes a part of who you are," Blake whispered back.
We were both silent for a while.
"You know that offer to break her boyfriends legs, might take you up on that," I suddenly said to light up the mood.
"But the agreement stops with vinyls Pumpkin," Blake answered, smirking.
"Tell you what! I'll give you a lap dance as a payment."
Blake broke into an almost hysterical laugh.
"What?"
"Oh well you know I might sound stupid sometimes but let's just say I'm pretty positive that the day you'll give me a lap dance is... not going to come around soon," Blake told me.
I chuckled. "Wow, you're actually learning!"
"Thanks! Speaking of which, tomorrow when we come back you'll have to take me to the library!"
Ugh, and the demands start again. "Why? Can't drive yourself on your own?"
"First, I have no clue where it is, and second I'm going to need your help," Blake replied.
"What for?"
"The history teacher said he would boost my grade if I write him a paper on some historic event."
I nodded a little. "What are you doing it about?"
"World War II"
I kept myself from rolling my eyes. How fracking unimaginative. "Why?"
"I don't know. A lot of important things happened in those years, a lot of history."
What was it with boys and their obsession with the second World War? In the thousand of years of human history was there really nothing more interesting to talk about? Blake was obviously awful at history if all he could come up with as an historical event was WWII.
"World War II is essentially basic bitch history."
Blake snorted at my comment, but said, "It's interesting."
"It's so boringly unimaginative."
"You're the one to talk Pumpkin! I'm pretty positive you read a ton of stories that were set during World War II"
"Even if that's true, I'm not the one doing a paper on it," I argued.
"You just like to be mean to me, that's all," Blake laughed.
I punched him on the shoulder, but in a way he was right, I had read a ton of books set during those events, I could think of a couple favorites of mine set in that time period.
Maybe I was being mean to Blake. Maybe I did judge too fast.
For a second I tried to look at Blake with different eyes. I rested my head on my knees and looked at him, while he was staring in front of him, at the Creek, trying to set aside his pervy comments and seminar escapades and see him. See Blake.
I kept looking at his face, but then my eyes feel on something under his right eye, on his cheek.
"Hmm, that's weird..." I said frowning.
"What?" Blake asked turning his attention back to me, like he had been light years away.
"I never noticed you had a scar there," I said pointing to the fine line a little paler than the rest of his skin.
Blake shook his head a little. "I'm going to use that you thought my name was Drake argument again, I think it's been a while since I've brought it up."
"Ha ha, real funny," I told him in a sarcastic voice, but then I just had to ask "How did you get it?"
He was silent for a little while, and stared back in front of him. "Because I'm heartless..." he whispered so faintly I barely heard it.
"Am I supposed to understand that?" I asked frowning.
"Why should you, right?" Blake said snorting and he had a bitter expression on his face.
What was that supposed to mean?
"You know Pumpkin you should stop checking me out like that! I know I'm hot and all but you have to keep yourself in check sometimes," Blake suddenly exclaimed his smirk back along with his wicked eyes and jerkiness.
"At one point you'll get tired of being a jerk Blake," I whispered and looked in front of me too.
"And how would you know that?"
I grinned. "Seen a documentary on it!"
_____________
Oh. I did some editing with this one, more than I usually do. The conversation between the girls completely changed. I did not like it. Not at all. This is me slapping 17-year-old-Kay behind the head. You silly silly girl.
Stacey's argument changed too. And Buffy quote, so like this got a thousand times better. ;P
I hope this was more fun to read and you got to know these characters a little better, in a gentler light.
The live reading on my instagram page at instagram.com/kaygiard this week will be a little later, so at 12PM EST on Sunday February 14th. It's Valentine's day! I should probably be covered in pink and in hearts.
If you have any questions, you can leave them here and I'll answer them during the live.
Otherwise, see you tomorrow! :D