Ivy's POV
As I opened my eyes, I looked around for a brief moment, unaware of exactly where was. Bolting up into a sitting position, I took in my surroundings on a more detailed level just as the events of the previous day hit me. My confession, the shopping trip, the small argument followed by a reluctant agreement. I was in the spare bedroom of Scott and Mitch's apartment.
They insisted I stayed there last night, but they never specified why. If it had anything to do with the look Mitch and Kirstie shared, my guess was because of Avi. He didn't take too kindly to me staying somewhere other than my own apartment where he could keep an eye on me. I understood his concern, I really did, but he could've had more trust in Mitch and Scott. They were his friends after all.
I carefully sat up, pushing my tangled mess of hair out of my face before finally getting up, taking a moment to stretch out my muscles. It was half past nine which meant I only had half an hour to get ready. Rather than leaving the room I was in, I took the shopping bag off the doorknob and pulled out the contents, laying them out on the bed and smiling a bit to myself.
I took a moment to fully take in the bikini I had gotten, still wondering just how Kirstie could tell whether or not the metallic color would go with my skin tone. Regardless, I quickly changed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top I had gotten as well over it. I yanked my fingers through my hair and pulled it up in a messy bun, deciding not to worry about the little bit of makeup that was left from yesterday. I slipped on a pair of sandals and grabbed my phone, taking a moment to check it.
13 missed texts. 6 missed calls. All from the same person. Shit. I quickly dialed Avi's number, my hands shaking as I held the phone up to my ear. It had barely started to ring before I heard someone pick up and sigh in relief.
"Before you start yelling at me, it wasn't my fault. Mitch confiscated my phone yesterday and I didn't get it back until I was too tired to do anything," I said, making sure I had everything before walking out.
"I'm just glad you're okay. you had me worried sick," he said through the phone. I could hear the relief in his voice and couldn't help but wonder just how worried he had been.
"Like I said, not my fault." I walked into the living room to see Scott packing away a couple beach towels, one with Frozen on it and the other with Spongebob. I simply shook my head and chuckled a bit as I walked towards the kitchen. I stopped when I saw Mitch, dawning orange swim shorts with sharks on them and a plain black tshirt, placing several bottles of various alcohols in a cooler filled with ice. Dear Lord.
"Do you need me to grab anything before you guys get here?" I jumped at the sound of a voice, realizing I had forgotten Avi was still on the phone.
"Yeah my beach towel. The white one. It's got a black treble clef on it and it's monogrammed in purple," I said, catching Mitch's attention. I held up my wrist and tapped it quickly, silently asking how much longer. He held up five fingers and I nodded, returning to the living room. "We should be leaving here in about five minutes, so be ready in like 10."
"Okay, see you soon princess." Rather than saying anything else, I hung up, a wide smile on my face. As I watched Scott packing up what the two of them needed, I kept silent. He dawned a white wifebeater and bright-as-hell green swim shorts. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see an out of breath Mitch standing behind me, struggling with the cooler.
I instantly took the other side and lifted it, helping him carry it outside and load it up into the SUV. "It wouldn't be that heavy if you didn't put so many bottles in there. There's not even ten people going."
"Yes, but nine is close to ten," he said and pointed a finger to the backseat door. "Now get in."
I held my hands up in defense and climbed in the backseat, putting on my seatbelt as Mitch climbed in the passenger seat. Scott came out soon after and loaded up the duffel bag before climbing into the driver's seat. Instead of saying anything, he put plugged up his phone, and Beyonce instantly began blaring through the speakers as we pulled out and headed toward my apartment. It only took a few minutes for all three of us to start belting out each song that came on until we reached my apartment.
It only took a minute for Avi to meet us outside, and he climbed in next to me, handing me my towel. "Thanks," I said quietly, setting it in my lap with a smile. We continued jamming out to different songs as we picked up Kevin, then Esther and Darien, and finally Kirstie and Jeremy. The car was packed, and instead of talking, there was singing.
I had to admit, it was already relaxing just getting away from everything for a little while. After about two hours, we finally arrived. The majority of us began unpacking everything while Kevin and Darien left to rent a boat. Just as we finished, Esther's phone dinged with a text.
"They're at the loading dock," she said as she put her phone away. Each of us grabbed something and we made the short walk to the loading dock, easily spying the two standing on a Grand Banks 54. It was nice. Nicer than I had expected.
We all quickly loaded everything up and climbed aboard. Naturally, Mitch plugged up his phone, and music began playing as we departed, happily chatting about anything and everything. I looked over the edge, taking in the beauty of the lake as we cruised over the water. It didn't take long for the girls to separate from the guys and headed to the bow where a few lounge chairs were set up. The three of us each claimed one and laid out towels out on it while singing along to the music.
I moved closer to the front, smiling slightly at the feeling of the cool water spraying my face as I stared over the clearings. When I turned back around, I found both Esther and Kirstie watching me, already in their swimsuits. Kirstie wore a simple black two piece with a bit of fringe on the top, and Esther was in a similar one, but it was bright purple with orange polka dots.
"Sorry, thinking," I said with a light blush. I quickly discarded my tank top and shorts, placing them beside my chair and laying down on my back, hoping they wouldn't ask what I was thinking about.
They followed suit and we stayed in a comfortable silence until Esther broke it with a question I wasn't expecting. "So what's going on between you and my brother?"
I nearly choked on the air I was breathing as I looked over at her, my blush only growing brighter. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"They claim they're not dating but it could've fooled me," Kirstie chimed in, smirking as she looked over at me.
"We're not," I said defensively, staring back up at the sky once they both quieted down.
"But you want to right?" Esther spoke up just as I relaxed. I wanted to defend myself again, but the more I thought about the question, the more I realized I couldn't answer. Of course I wanted to, I just wasn't ready. At least that's what I kept telling myself for the past month.
"That's a yes," Kirstie said as she sat up and looked over between me and Esther. "And don't even try to deny it. You keep making excuses for yourself and that just won't work anymore."
I remained quiet for a few minutes before nodding. "You're right," I finally said and closed my eyes. With that, the conversation was dropped and I fell into a light sleep, managing to stay alert so I didn't burn. I felt the boat slow and the engine cut off, but I figured it was nothing.
That was until I heard Esther's screams. I bolted up, covering my mouth to keep from laughing as Darien picked up up and tossed her overboard. We all ran to the side, myself and Kirstie starting to crack up at the shocked look on her face. Even as I calmed down, Kirstie continued being her giggly self, so I decided not to say a word when I noticed Jeremy sneaking up behind her.
Instead, I laughed when he picked her up and gave her a brief kiss before doing the same with her. However, when she came up for air, everything in my mind clicked. I was next. The moment I turned around, Avi attempted to grab me, but I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. "I'm not going alone!" I yelled just as he tried to throw me off.
My death grip on him only caused us both to go over laughing. I waited for myself to float to the top, but a pair of arms around my waist prevented me from rising. I squirmed around, trying to hold my breath as I turned to see Avi grinning at me and shaking his head. He wasn't going to let me. I looked to the surface and smirked slightly, deciding now was as good a time as any to be brave.
I leaned in, pressing my lips against his for a few moments until I felt his grip on me loosen, I took the opportunity to pull away and quickly swam to the surface, taking a deep breath and panting slightly. I noticed everyone's worried looks and gave a reassuring smile just as he resurfaced, still wearing the same shocked expression as when I kissed him.
I laughed as I climbed the ladder back onto the boat, shivering slightly at the slight breeze that blew even though it didn't last long. It was only a matter of time before the sun started warming me up. I walked to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff, quickly popping the top and taking a long drink of the burning liquid.
"Hey! I packed the stuff, so I'm supposed to get the first one!" I heard Mitch yell from the side of the boat. I looked over, then returned my gaze to the bottle, then back to him. I walked over with a smirk and shrugged.
"You were too late," I said as I set my bottle down for a moment. I used all my strength to push him overboard, picking up my drink and looking over the edge. "Oops," I said with a laugh.
"You're gonna pay for this!" he yelled from the water, trying and failing to hide a smile on his face. I shrugged and walked away, following the smell of charcoal and meat to the top deck. I found Kevin standing there with a pair of tongs in his hands. Smiling, I walked over and leaned against the railing, watching silently.
"Any specific reason you're up here? Shouldn't you be getting revenge on a certain bearded dragon?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the food.
"Maybe. But any good revenge takes planning. I would push him over, but we both know I'm not that strong. I smelled the food and figured what better way to get revenge than to mess with the one thing he loves more than anything," I said with a smirk, the wheels in my head beginning to turn.
"Well lucky for you, this batch is just about done," Kevin said, simply shaking his head and causing me to laugh a bit. He fixed a plate and I took it, thanking him before silently going back down. I looked around to see everyone else still on the same side of the boat as when I left. Making my way to the other side, I quietly climbed down, managing not to fall or drop the plate of barbecue. I set it in the water, making sure it would float before letting go of it completely and climbing back up.
I went back up and began delivering the plates to everyone, purposely skipping Avi. When I finished, I took a small bite of my steak and took a seat, soon feeling someone sit next to me.
"Where's mine?" Avi asked putting on his infamous superfrown as he spoke.
"Well let's just say that singing isn't all I'm good at. I happen to be a natural at revenge too. Next time maybe you'll think twice before throwing me into the water," I said, taking another bite. "But not to worry. I got you a plate. It's just not on the boat," I told him with a devious smirk, setting my plate next to me before standing up. He followed suit as I walked over to the edge and pointed out the plate still on top of the water. "You want it, you gotta go get it."
Everyone within hearing distance walked over and busted out laughing at the sight. Just from the color red his face was turning, I could tell I would pay for this later, but I didn't care. It was too funny right now.
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Several hours had passed and it was obvious everyone was starting to get a bit tired. The music was still playing, but everyone was just sitting aroundnear the front talking. Kirstie laid on the small bench with her head in Jeremy's lap, her eyes closed though she wasn't asleep. Esther was in a similar position with Darien across from them, but she was sitting up and just leaning against him instead. Mitch and Scott sat suggestively close to each other, stealing glances at each other when the other wasn't looking. I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back against Avi's chest and closed my eyes as he played with my newly-dried hair.
"Ben was talking about a tour starting in the end of January," Kevin said from behind the wheel of the boat. We all looked at him curiously. "He said it could only help us." I turned back around and stared out at the water in thought. Surely it wouldn't change anything between Avi and me. At least I hoped it wouldn't.
"We should talk to him about her. If we could get her name out there even if it's just a little, she might be able to open for us or something." I closed my eyes as Kirstie spoke. Surely they weren't talking about me. Hell, the talent show was the most people I had performed in front of.
"What do you think, beautiful?" Avi's deep voice asked softly in my ear, his beard tickling my cheek. I can't do that. "I don't see why not," I said softly. Because you know you're not good enough to open for freaking Pentatonix of all people.
"Getting her name out there shouldn't be a problem. She's been seen with us. It's her voice we have to get out there," Mitch said, seemingly unaware that he was tired enough to rest his head on Scott's shoulder. Just date already!
"We can start Monday. I've got some stuff but they need to be finished, so covers maybe?" I said, looking at everyone. They returned the look, breaking out in smiled. I relaxed once more and closed my eyes, allowing the sound of Avi humming the songs that came on lull me into a sleep I didn't know I was so close to.
A/N: It took a bit longer than expected to get this up but I did! Between homework and my birthday today and getting my hair done, I've been a bit busy but it's up now!! Vote and Comment! Love you guys!
~*~*~Ash~*~*~