It was fun splashing around the pool for the next hour.
Eventually, Amber came out of the house and announced that she had ordered us a pizza and that we should probably not stay in the pool all night because we would look like prunes.
We had laughed and thanked her. "I have the pool house!" Screamed Jones as he shot out of the pool. I guess he is going to change in the pool house.
Kyle made his way inside to the bathroom. I slid out of the pool and wrapped myself in my towel, checking my phone and answering a message from my dad.
I dried myself with my towel and proceeded to get the rest of my stuff out of my bag so that I could use the pool house after Jones when I realized that I must have left my shirt at school. "Shit," I whispered.
I hope that no one takes it. I'll check the locker room right before class tomorrow.
"What?" Asks Eli, who was standing closer to me, then I thought.
"I forgot my shirt, and thanks to you, my dress is soaking wet," I said, picking it up and putting my dress in the baggy for my swimsuit.
"Well... You could not wear a shirt?" Eli suggested cheekily.
I glared at him, wrapping my towel tighter around my body.
He chuckled, "I'm kidding Betty, you can borrow one of mine."
I smiled, "You don't mind?"
"Not at all." He gestured for me to follow him upstairs. It felt strange to be going into his bedroom in such little clothing, but I guess it is not that weird. We HAD just been in the pool together.
His bedroom was a lot messier than I was expecting, after seeing his brother's perfectly clean bedroom.
"Sorry," he said, as I stepped on a pair of jeans that were lying on the middle of the floor.
I laughed, "The mess doesn't bother me, Eli." It was nice to see he wasn't as perfect as he looked. I mean, I already knew that, but I think he is still pretty close to perfect.
He laughed too, "that's good because I'm not actually that sorry."
He tossed me a large grey t-shirt. It smelled like him and laundry detergent. I had to stop myself from embarrassing myself and sniffing it.
"You can change in my bathroom," Eli said.
I closed the door to his ensuite, and I was happy to see that his bathroom was cleaner than his bedroom. I put on my underwear and my small black shorts - which I didn't forget, thank god. I then put on his shirt and inhaled deeply, now that he couldn't see me.
The shirt was huge, and it went way past my shorts, making it look like I wasn't wearing shorts at all.
I took my hair out of my ponytail and dried it as best as I could with the towel, brushing it out. I could remember a hairbrush and not my stupid shirt.
I put my bathing suit in the plastic bag that I had my wet dress in and then put that and my towel back in my bag. I looked down at my phone, one message.
Have a good dinner! - dad
I laughed. Despite how young my parents seem, they both still sign their text messages like grandparents. I couldn't break the habit.
I went to open the bathroom door and then stopped in my tracks. Eli might still be changing. Even though it is something I would like to see, I wouldn't be happy if he walked in on me changing.
So I knocked on the door. "You're changed, right?" I asked.
I heard him laugh, "Yes, I'm all good."
I walked out of the bathroom and saw the definition of hot standing in front of me. Eli had on a pair of grey sweatpants and a white shirt. His hair was tousled and still damp from the pool. I shivered.
"You cold?" He asked.
He looked down at my legs as if to check for goosebumps, but he lingered far too long.
"Woah," he whispered to himself. I snickered, and he blushed, acting as if he did not realize that he had said that out loud.
"You know I was wearing fewer clothes before, right?" I teased him.
He chuckled. "Shut up."
We walked downstairs and went straight to the basement. Kyle and Jones were already down there, eating pizza and drinking Pepsi. Brodie had joined them too, and he smiled and waved at me from the couch. He had his face stuffed with two pieces of pizza.
"Gross Brodie," said Eli. Brodie grinned at him; his mouth closed this time.
"What are we gonna watch?" I asked, assuming that is why the three of them were planted in front of the massive TV.
Kyle and Jones turned towards us, just noticing that I was standing behind Eli, and their eyes went straight to my legs. Okay, so maybe it's a guy thing. I moved behind Eli, feeling a little self-conscious, and both boys looked away sheepishly.
"We should watch Face Punch. It's new!" said Kyle happily!
"Doesn't that one have a lot of blood in it?" asked Jones, who suddenly looked a little bit nauseous.
"Yes, it'll be fun!" said Kyle.
Jones pushed his pizza away from him.
I had never heard of it before, but both Brodie and Eli seemed game to watch. I was never opposed to violent movies. Usually, I would prefer a supernatural horror rather than a gory movie called Face Punch, but who knows, it could be fun.
I grabbed a slice of pizza and sat down at the farthest end of the couch, away from the boys. Pulling my legs up close to my chest and happily munching on my pizza while Eli set up the movie and Jones begged for the boys to choose something else.
My happy corner was short-lived, though because Brodie had decided that me sitting far away wasn't fun or chaotic enough for him, I suppose. He grabbed my leg and pulled me toward him. I almost fell off the couch, but Brodie had successfully dragged my body right next to his.
I grunted, but I moved upright and stayed where I was.
Eli sat next to me on the other side and threw a blanket over my legs. I looked at him, confused.
"You seemed cold earlier," he explained.
Oh. My shiver that Eli had mistaken for being cold. I would happily take the blanket, though, so I snuggled up in a ball, in between the two brothers.
Eli turned on the movie.
The movie kept me distracted until about halfway through. I guess I had scooted closer to Eli throughout the film, or maybe he came closer to me because I was now leaning against him, his arm around the back of the couch. I had not even noticed until I placed my head back slightly and felt it on his shoulder. I paused and felt his breath hitch.
I pulled my head up and looked at the screen, trying to ignore what had just happened.
There wasn't much room for Eli to move away, but he managed to scootch a little further down the couch.
I put my head down on what I thought was the back of the couch, but my head went to rest on Eli's arm this time, which he had not moved away.
"Sorry," I whispered, going to move away.
"You tired?" Eli whispered back.
I nodded, and Eli sighed, pulling me against him with his arm that had been behind me. He successfully trapped me against his body with his arm on top of mine.
I pulled the thin blanket around me and rested my head on Eli's shoulder. Well, I am not going to protest if he is going to let me use him as a pillow.
I glanced at Brodie, who was invested in the movie. I could not see Kyle or Jones clearly from this end of the couch, so, my heart racing, I snuggled in closer to Eli.
After that, it was hard for me to pay attention to the admittedly bad movie when Eli was using his thumb to draw light circles on my arm. It was like being in Bio, where he would torture me with small touches, and my heart would speed up, but at least this time, I could feel his heartbeat, and it was just as fast as mine.
I think Brodie noticed what was happening because he turned and stared at us as the movie was ending. My face was admittedly very flushed, and my stomach was turning - and it was not from the film.
"Enjoy the movie?" Brodie asked me, with a cheeky grin on his face.
I moved away from Eli and picked up a pizza box that had been on the ground, hitting Brodie with it in the arm. He looked at me, shocked before he started to laugh.
Before he could retaliate, a shaky breath came from the end of the couch. "Okay... so I am going to go home and never come here again."
"It wasn't THAT bad," said Kyle. I looked over, and poor Jones was white as a sheet. He gathered his things quickly, Kyle following him around the room arguing.
Eventually, they made their way upstairs, screaming their goodbyes and screaming at each other. Sometimes I can't tell if they hate or love each other.
As soon as the boys left, Brodie took one look at all of the empty pop cans and pizza boxes and rushed upstairs.
"Hey, aren't you going to help?" screamed Eli. The door slammed at the top of the stairs. I guess not.
I laughed and started picking up empty pop cans to throw in the recycling bin that he had in the basement. Eli grabbed the empty pizza boxes.
"Thanks for inviting me, that was a lot of fun," I said honestly. Even if we had not had that strange tension during the movie, which made things even better for me, I would have had a great night. I loved hanging out with them, and it was fun meeting Brodie too. I am sure that we would get along great, and he would be fun to have around to help me cause chaos in Eli's days.
Eli sat back down on the couch once we had finished tidying up. "Sorry, that was a bit weird, right?"
I paused, confused. "The movie?"
"No, me touching you like that. I should not have done that. You were tired, and I got a bit carried away."
My stomach turned, in a bad way, this time. "Oh, it was?"
"Yeah, sorry. I know we are just friends. I guess; usually, that is what I would do with a girl."
My breath caught, and my feet shifted.
"But not you. I shouldn't have done that."
Not me. Eli didn't see me like that. I had been reading him wrong this whole time.
He never wanted to hook up with me last time, and he did not want to do the stuff with me that he did with other girls. We were just friends.
I gulped. "It's okay, Eli. Can I give you back your shirt another time?"
"Yeah, of course, but you forgive me, right?"
He looked upset like I was going to be mad that he was rubbing my arm.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Eli."
---
1897
"Maybe
Your heart still stops when you see me
Maybe it's worth another try
Better place, better time" - HSMTMTS
let me how it is! :)