"Before we leave, can we get some food? I swear my tummy's speaking to me in Morse Code." Vivian says from the back seat of my car.
"Let's get Taco Bell!" Ester suggests, riding shot gun.
I roll my eyes, "You always want Taco Bell."
"Excuse me for enjoying good Mexican food." Ester huffs.
"Breathe chica(girl)!" Out the window shield I see the place I want to eat at. Putting the blinker on, I make the turn and pull into the drive-thru behind one car.
"Wendy's?" Ester questions.
"Yes. You will eat your food and you will shut up." I say, raising an eyebrow, daring her to speak.
She does and goes off about how much better Taco Bell is and how Wendy's is at fault for Global Warming. Trying to spare myself a long and stupid lecture, I scan the parking lot. Not very crowded, probably because McDonald's and Pizza Hut are the main competition on this block, with Sonic further down.
My eyes land on a familiar blue Hummer. Craning my neck I see a Jaws bumper sticker. Nudging Ester with my elbow, causing her to finally shut it, I say "Isn't that Kyle's car?"
She turns to the direction I point to.
"It is and it's parked in the employs area. They must be desperate." Ester replies.
The car in front of us moves up, so I pull ahead to the ordering box and sure enough Kyle's voice comes through asking, "Welcome to Wendy's, what can I get you?" Someone sounds bored.
"What would you recommend, Tiburon?" I ask, using the Spanish word for shark.
"Pez espada(swordfish), is that you?"
"No it's your mother."
"Well don't order anything that involves chicken,"
I laugh, "Fine. Get me three cheeseburgers, three large fires, and three strawberry milkshakes."
"Your wish is my command fatty."
"Ester and Vivian are with me estupido(stupid)."
"Well then. Your total is 17.39." Kyle said, and then I drove up to wait.
Letting my mind wander, I peek at Ester who is happily humming to the country song playing lightly in the car. I take a moment to just look at my best friend. Her skin is light and her hair is naturally wavy, reaches her elbows and is that envied golden color. Then there's her early-morning blue eyes that scream innocence (remember, looks can be deceiving). Her tall frame makes her extremely thin, but she eats more than half the boys I know.
At long freaking last it's our turn and as I pull up to the window, I see Kyle getting drinks.
He notices me and opened his little window, "Where you headed to this fine day hermosa corazon(beautiful heart)?"
"The Dolphin, I needa swim. Would ask you to join but you have work."
"We can't all have a rich daddy who feels guilty to buy us everything."
"Leave my dad out of this." I mumble, more than a little annoyed. "The food?"
"Hello my dearest cousin Kyle. Nice to see you finally landed a job, what do they pay you in? Scraps and slutty costumers?" Ester grins. Did I mention Ester and Kyle are cousins? No? Well they are.
Kyle chuckles darkly, "Hey Ester, hola Vivian. No, they don't. Tell me Ester; does your singing still sound like a monkey screaming?"
Oh, no. He insulted her singing, this will be fun.
"I have never sounded like that. What about your pathetic swimming? Are you still so slow that my girl Melody," she slings an arm around my shoulder, "can still beat you in record time?"
I giggle as Kyle sighed and clenched his chest in mock pain.
"Someone's bitter." Vivian spoke up from the back.
"He dissed my singing. Everyone knows, don't do that." Ester winks.
I study Vivian from my rear view mirror. She's a dyed redhead, like me, but hers is a more faded color with an orange undertone and goes to her shoulders. Her skin is pale and she's got gorgeous teal blue eyes. Height wise she's taller than me (everyone is) but shorter than the mountain we call Ester. I've always noticed that Ester and Vivian are much alike facially; both have light and airy features. I have a theory that if Ester would suck up her pride and buy glasses like Vivian's then they could pass as sisters.
I snap out of my thoughts because the car behind us honked. Jerk. "Kyle, where's our food?"
"Here, 17.39 first."
"Hold on." I pull out my Sponge Bob wallet.
"No! it was my idea to get the food. Let me pay!" Vivian said, shoving a twenty at me.
"I've got it Vivi, escalofrío(chill), it's my food too." I try to soothe her.
"But... but I want to pay... here." Vivian's voice shrinks.
"I've got it." I take out my platinum.
"I should pay. This feels so wrong." Vivian's voice is so small it sounds child-like.
The car honks again.
"Oh my god. Just let me pay!" Ester started digging in her over sized purse.
"Drama mamas, you're holding up the line. I'll pay." Kyle said, reaching his hand to his front pocket.
"NO!" the three of us shouted in unison then began bickering about who would pay. We got interrupted by Kyle's loud whistle, "Take your food and go! Por amor de Dios sólo tiene que ir!"(For the love of God just go)
"We didn't pay." Vivian says, dumbfounded. Makes two.
"You didn't, I did. Think of it as an early Christmas present. Here, Merry Christmas." Kyle said, practically throwing the food and shakes at me.
I grab the food, "Merry Christmas, Tiburon. Thanks for the food." Then I sped off before we could create another fight.
"Christmas? What an idiot." Ester said through a mouth full of fries.
"Aren't you sweet to your family." Vivian said, chomping on her cheeseburger.
"I'm not so bad. Melody for example. She always hates on Dmitri, my boyfriend, her cousin." Ester smirks.
I wrinkle my nose "He's the idiot and you know it. Still have no clue why you're with him."
"He's hot. I'm a girl. It's called hormones."
"Ookay." I say, turning up the music.
I pull onto the highway and eat my food. I think it's about time I explain some of my undeniably and excruciatingly boring life.
My name, Melody Hope Saunders. Born and raised in the dreary town Las Vegas. Not the fun, big gambling Las Vegas everyone wants to go to spend thousands and hook up with strangers. The small one in New Mexico that's almost completely forgotten about. Most townsfolk love it here, but being a wild teen in a town with nothing to do, it sucks. Big time.
Grew up in the same house as my mother, and her mother, and her mother, and her mother. That list goes on forever. It's a simple farm house, nothing special. I used to share a room with my bratty older sister Jade, but last year my brother Peter left for Princeton (overachiever) . Giving his room to Jade and me my own space. Mom is a real estate agent, which makes enough money, considering she's a single mother supporting three kids.
Earlier Ester mentioned my cousin, Dmitri, who literally lives down the street. Dmitri and Ester have been that on-off couple since middle school. Currently, they're on, but I give it two more weeks before something happens and they call it off. Dmitri has a younger sister, Aliyah, who is my age. Aliyah is without a doubt my favorite cousin for three reasons. One, we share a lot of common interests. Two, she's the only female cousin I have. And three, I love the girl.
Ester and Vivian have been my best friends since first grade. Between me, Ester, Vivian, and Aliyah, we're closer than sisters. Must be that childhood bond we have that you can't replace.
Right then my phone beeps, causing me to jump slightly. I pull it out of my pocket and hand it to Ester. I refuse to text while driving; my car is too pretty to become a tree pretzel.
"It's a text from Declan. It says, 'This is Aliyah. Sucks I'm grounded. Have fun at the Dolphin.' Then there's a smiley face." Ester read.
"Text her back and tell her that's what happens when you get caught trying to sneak out for a late night swim." I said.
Grinning mischievously, she typed. A minute later my phone beeped again. Ester read, "'You sneak out all the time.' Unhappy face."
"Tell her I don't get caught." I laugh "And to give Declan his phone back."
Declan is Dmitri's best friend, and they have the biggest bromance I've ever seen. We all ship them, can you say otp? They've even been friends longer than Ester, Vivian, Aliyah, and I (on account of them being older by a year). A couple of years back Declan's mother passed away from a drunk driver. It was horrible really. She'd been a kind woman, always with a bright smile and a warm hug. Declan, born without a father, had been nine and was about to go to a foster home. That was when Dmitri and Aliyah's dad Mark stepped in. he legally adopted Declan, making him a permanent member of the family. Which kind of makes him my cousin. This is really awkward because he's had a massive crush on me since... way to long.
"You guys should really stop that. Sneaking out is so cliché." Vivian says.
"Like my mom would let me go to Storrie Lake at midnight just to swim. Plus nowhere else is open and I had to give Coach the key to the gym back." I reply.
"Still." Vivian's disappointment in me is clear.
I sigh. Sneaking out to go swimming is a ritual for me. Often Aliyah and Kyle join me, something we do together for fun. Ester, Vivian, Dmitri, and even Declan have come with us a few times but it never stuck with them. We do it because we love water. When school is in, we're on the swim team, a new development at our school. I'm the team captain with Kyle and Aliyah as my co-captains. We all go to WLVHS, but schools out for summer vacation and when it starts up again Ester, Kyle, Vivian, Aliyah and I will be juniors, Dmitri and Declan will be seniors.
Summer vacation began last week and as a celebration Aliyah, Kyle and I were planning one of our infamous late night swims. Sadly Aliyah got caught because her stupid step-moms stupid Shih Tzu just had to bark and spoil our plans. Nevertheless, Kyle and I still swam till the sun came up.
I love water, no point in sugarcoating it. Water is peaceful, it's calming. Merely thinking of water gives me chills. In all honestly, I'd rather be in water than at home. Once on vacation we went to Florida and visited the beach, and at no time have I ever seen anything more majestic (soon that becomes a lie). The waves crashing to the shore, the salty breeze, seagulls flying overhead, sand squishing in-between my toes. Then swimming in the beautiful place, I've never felt so at home. Gosh that week had been wonderful.
Aliyah and Kyle feel the same about water, a reason I get along with them so well. It's nice having two people share the same passions. When school is in Coach Sandy entrusts us with spare keys to the gym. I use mine every chance I get, it wasn't a surprise to see me late to class or walking the halls with damp hair. Much to our annoyance, Coach takes our keys at the end of every school year. Leaving us to fend for ourselves, that monster.
Highlands has too many hormonal guys in the summer and Storrie Lake is better for my night swims. That leaves going out of town. When I got my car, I found an amazing place in Santa Fe, The Dolphin, and lucky me, I got a membership. That's where we're headed now. Usually Aliyah or Kyle are with me, but the losers have other occupations.
I get off the highway when a song comes on, making Ester squeal. She turns the knob up, and started singing, "She was sittin' all alone over on the tailgate- tan legs swingin' by a Georgia plate..."
She sang on and Vivian joined her.
I lean into my set and enjoy their voices. Water to me is singing to them. They sound like angels, no joke. The two of them harmonize perfectly. Vivian's mom is always taking her to concerts to "build her experience" and she'll take us sometimes. I've learned that most people suck live, but when comes to Ester and Vivian, not even a studio booth would improve their voice. The sound of their combined voices washes a wave of calm over anyone within ear-shot (me included).
The song finishes and I drive into The Dolphins membership parking area.
Suddenly all my reason, common sense and brain went out the window (and no, Taylor Lautner isn't shirtless feet away). I barely parked my car before I jumped out and sprint to the doors. Ester and Vivian shout for me to stop, but I couldn't. My body wasn't in my control and my brain was too jumbled to be much use.
I reach the front desk, sign in and while swiping my membership card I told the worker I had two friends coming in and she nodded in understanding. I book it to the locker room.
I went to my locker, put in my combination and threw the lock off. Grabbing my practice suit, I spun around and went to the first open stall I could find and started to undress as quickly as I could.
"Mel! What's the rush?" Vivian asks, walking into the locker room.
"Yeah Melody! After the way you ran I'm surprised you don't own the track team too." Esters voice rang through.
I manage to get my blue one-piece on and I was finally ready for the water. I step out and found Ester and Vivian by my open locker. "Water. It's close. I need it."I quip.
"Okay Miss. Robot." Ester says.
I yank my fiery red hair into a messy bun. Have no idea what the hell's wrong with me. I'd been swimming just last night! And this did not happen. I'm losing it.
All I could think about was water. Every bone in my body ached, ached so much I thought it'd never go away. The water. Close. Water. So god damn close.
I got my matching cap and put it on my head. I reached for my goggles and put then over my cap and searched for my nose plug. "You two get changed. I wanta do my laps before I join you." I said, finding my nose plug and headed for the door I knew would take me to the pool.
I walk through the door and the smell of chlorine filled my nose. A couple of kids ran past me towards the kiddy area. As I served the room, I saw everything I expected.
Kids next to their parents with floaties. Teenagers splashing the water and lifeguards whistling while waving a finger. Round guys in wet t-shirts, and grandparents sitting on beach chairs taking pictures.
This is an indoor pool, which is why I didn't bother with sun screen. I made my way over to my usual spot where I could do my laps in the shallow end. I stared down at the water, which seemed to be saying my name, each little wave, slowly, seductively. Begging me to take the dive.
I couldn't resist temptation anymore. I literary felt myself weakening, wanting to give in. I pull my goggles down, covering my eyes, and put my nose plug on. Then drew a breath so deep I got lightheaded, and did a dive worthy of the Olympics into the cool, fresh water.