Another Saturday, another day wasted doing this stupid project for philosophy class. Honestly, I didn't mind too much. Wasting my day doing schoolwork was a much more enjoyable waste of time then listening to my mum flirt with random men all day or hang out with her snotty friends. Plus, I got to talk to Sienna.
We hadn't really talked much over the last week but I can tell she had forgiven me by the way she smiled when we passed in the corridor between lessons or made eye contact at lunch. I was grateful we were on good terms again, although I'm not sure why she was so angry at me in the first place. That's just how Sienna is, always looking out for other people and trying to make everyone happy. I was the complete opposite; if I had something to say, I would say it, regardless of if any feelings got hurt in the process. It's not my fault if other people are special snowflakes that can't handle the truth.
Currently I was squished in the back of Sienna's mum's car, sandwiched between Oliver and Sienna's friend Layan. I'm not sure why Layan was coming with us, seen as though she wasn't in our philosophy class, but I didn't argue with it. At least it wasn't Autumn coming with us, that girl seriously scared me and hated my guts for some reason. Sienna was sitting the front passenger seat, ignoring us as she fed her mum directions from her phone.
We were on our way to some kind of lake in the middle of nowhere, which was Sienna's choice of location to document about for our assignment. I'm not sure what a random body of water had to do with the meaning of life, but I didn't question it. I'm shit at philosophy, what would I know? Plus, as long as it gave me a chance to get into Sienna's good books, I didn't really care what we did.
The air in the car was humid; the kind of uncomfortable humidity that made your skin crawl and your back wet with sweat. My palms were clammy and my hair was already frazzled from the heat, despite my summer attire of light blue shorts and a white tank top. Beside me, Oliver sat dressed in black jeans and the same oversized hoodie he always wore. I'm not sure how he hadn't died from heat stroke yet. Maybe he was a vampire, that would make a lot of sense, and explain why he avoided everyone so much. Maybe the reason he sat alone at lunch wasn't because he was a loner with no friends, but rather to avoid sucking everyone's blood.
Holding back a laugh at my weird thoughts, I looked away from the small boy next to me and went back to looking out of the window. I sighed in relief when I spotted a sign for the lake, knowing it wouldn't be long until I could break free of this moving box of sweat known as a car. It was a miracle that England had stayed hot now for over three days straight, but I couldn't wait for winter to hit us again. I was seriously done with this heat.
We rolled into the car park and halted to a stop. As soon as the car stopped moving, the doors were being flung open and we were rushing to clamber out. I had to practically trample Layan to get outside, but it was worth it for the wave of fresh air that hit my body like tsunami. The light, cold breeze tousled my sweaty hair, making me sigh in relief as I breathed in the smell of summer.
Sienna's mum waved goodbye before driving off, leaving us alone at the lake. We began walking towards the small expanse of water, Sienna and I at the front whilst Oliver trailed behind the group almost reluctantly. As we walked, I felt soft fingertips gently graze against mine, and before I knew it I was holding Sienna's hand. I prayed to god that she didn't notice how sweaty and gross my palms were. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, my face turning pink (from the heat, I swear).
Once we got to the lake, Sienna dropped my hand so that she could get our her camera to take pictures. My smile dropped, but I looked away and brought my hand through my hair like I didn't even notice. She walked around the whole lake snapping shots from different angles, the rest of us following behind her like brainless sheep. None of us spoke, but it wasn't awkward, we were all just doing our own thing whilst we waited for Sienna to be done. Yes, we probably could have helped her but did it really take more than one person to get a couple of pictures of a lake?
Hands in my pockets, I kicked the gravel beneath my feet with the edge of my scruffy vans. Mind focused on my rock-kicking skills, I didn't even notice that I was waking straight into someone until our bodies collided. With a chorus of grunts, we both fell to the ground like bowling pins. I scraped the dirt from the back of my legs and hands before looking up, noticing that it was Oliver I had knocked down. Our gazes collided, neither of us looking away for what seemed like an eternity. I swear in that moment time halted, the world stopping its orbit for just one split second.
And then time began again, and we were both looking away awkwardly. His cheeks flushed red, hair falling over his glasses to hide his flustered state. I rolled my eyes before hoisting myself up, extending a hand for him to take like the Good Samaritan that I am. He gulped heavily before accepting my hand, gripping it so lightly like he was scared I would notice his touch at all. As his baby-soft skin touched mine, sparks of warmth pulsates through my skin. I let go quickly, shrugging off the weird feeling that I had never experienced before.
We looked at each other again, his brown eyes gleaming green and honey yellow in the blistering sun. I found myself lost in them, swimming in the shy beauty that they held. I could stare at his eyes forever....
"Hey guys, lets go for a swim!" Sienna called, breaking the trance that I was in. I shook my head, mentally slapping myself. What the hell was that Josh? What were you thinking? You don't like boys, let alone weird ones that don't talk! Eww!
I avoided Oliver's gaze as I ran towards where Sienna and Layan were near the edge of the lake. Gravel turned into soft blades of grass as I approached the water, almost tripping over my own feet as I noticed that Sienna had taken her shirt off and was now just in a bikini top. Keep your eyes on the face Josh, keep your eyes on the face.
"Can we even swim in here?" I asked, glancing around us with paranoid eyes. No one was at the lake except for a family having a picnic, but they were packing up their stuff to leave anyway. Still, I didn't want to get a criminal record for swimming in a fucking lake!
"Chill Josh, we come here all the time." Layan shrugged, kicking off her shoes and placing her glasses inside of them. She flicked back her long, dark hair, almost whipping me in the face with it as she tied it into a pony tail.
The tension fell from my shoulders as I slowly nodded, pulling my shirt over my head without hesitation. I was quite body confident, and proud of my physique. Yes, I may not have abs and I may still have some baby chub but did that mean I wasn't perfect? No, of course not. Everyone should love themselves, no matter what their bodies look like because at the end of the day, who really cares.
Sienna and Layan slipped into the lake, leaving Oliver and I stood together on the grass. He wrapped his arms around his chest tightly, not moving to take off his clothes. That left me confused, didn't he want to have fun with us? Who am I kidding, of course Oliver Sykes doesn't want to have fun! I doubt he'd know the meaning of the word even if someone slapped him with a dictionary.
I tore my eyes away from his slouched figure, taking off everything apart from my boxers before following the girls into the lake. The water was cold and refreshing against my sticky, hot skin. I sighed in relief, wading over to where Sienna was. We splashed around and joked in the water, me almost getting drowned at one point by an angry Layan who I splashed in the eyes. It was nice to relax and just have fun for once, school work and family drama forgotten. That reminds me, we are actually meant to be doing our philosophy project right now.
"Hey Sienna." I call, making her ebony eyes snap to mine. Her tanned skin gleams as thousands of droplets slowly roll down it. I've never wanted to be a droplet of water until now. "What does this lake have anything to do with the meaning of life?"
"For me, it represents happiness." She sighs with an infectious smile. "I use to come here all the time with my parents when I was younger."
I nod, smiling back at her. For some reason, my eyesight is pulled away from her and back to Oliver sitting alone on the grass. He looks sad, head resting on his pulled up knees. Maybe if I go talk to him Sienna will notice how nice and considerate I am? It's worth a try.
I quickly swim across the cold lake and walk back onto the grass. Water drips from my soaked hair and onto Oliver's shoes as I stand above him. He slowly looks up, squinting in the sunlight from beneath his chunky frames glasses. I smile at him nicely, hoping it didn't look as sarcastic as it felt.
"Hey, Oliver, why don't you come in the water with us?" I invite him. He shakes his head quickly, looking back down at the grass. Rude, I'm actually trying to be nice for once! I decide to take matters into my own hands, not taking no for an answer.
I grab his elbows and hoist him up from the ground, carefully grabbing his glasses from off his face and neatly folding them. He blinks a couple of time, blushing again as his fingers trace across the part of his face I just accidentally touched. Does he have a crush on me or am I just being narcissistic? I place his glasses on the ground before grabbing the long sleeves of his hoodie and quickly pulling it over his head.
He gasps loudly as his hoodie hits the ground, crossing his arms around himself as he takes a step back. He's wearing a long sleeved navy shirt that's tight around his figure. My eyes bulge when I spot toned muscles peaking through the sleeves of his top. Wow, who knew he was hiding so much muscle beneath that hoodie of his? He steps back again, eyes wide with fear and breathing laboured as his mouth falls open. He looks startled, like a child who suddenly realised they've lost their parents at the supermarket.
He gulps heavily, arms reaching out to grab his hoodie. I snatch it from the floor before he does, pulling it back over my head. He pleads me with his doe like eyes, mouth moving but no words coming out. The only sound he makes is a chocked hiccup.
"I'm not giving you it back until you come in the lake with us." I smile triumphantly. He swallows hard again, jumping up to reach the hoodie but I just put it higher in the air. Maybe I'm being too hard on him, but I'm just trying to do him a favour! It will be good for him to take off this stupid hoodie and let loose for once.
"P-please." He gasps like he's out of breath. His voice is the loudest I've ever heard it, and filled with desperation. I shake my head with a cocky smile.
"No come in the lake with us."
"Josh, p-please."
Something about the way he says my name makes my heart break, but ignore him still. He can't hide behind this hoodie forever, he needs to let go and learn how to have fun. From behind me, I hear Layan and Sienna clamber out of the lake. They stand at the edge of the water, silent.
"Josh, please I'll do anything." He begs again, voice high pitched and scratchy like he hasn't used it this much in years. Fuck, he probably hasn't. Still, I don't give in. I know he will thank me for this later, I just know it .
"Come in the lake then." I reply. He frowns, shrinking into himself even more. I don't get it, why does this mean so much to him? Also, why would someone so toned hide behind oversized clothing? Surely he would want people to know he's ripped, especially all the girls.
"I can't." He pleads softly. "Give it back now."
I shake my head again, waving the hoodie around in the air tauntingly. Something snaps inside of him, I can see it in his eyes that fill with darkness. Suddenly, my heads colliding with the floor and I've been knocked to the ground. My hands clutching my eye as hot pain travels through it. I groan loudly, feeling blood travel to my bruised skin instantly. Gasps come from around me, and in my hazy vision I spot Layan's face above me, the ends of her long hair dangling on my chest.
Sienna is holding Oliver's trembling body to her chest, his face red and blotchy. He's clutching his hoodie tightly, bruised fingers holding onto it for dear life. Hold on, he punched me! Why is he getting all the sympathy and attention? Hello, I'm the one who he just attacked like a savage, I'm the one in pain! Eventually, the ringing in my ears diffuses but the pain in my eye is still very much present.
Oliver is crying loudly now, I can hear it over the thumping in my injured skull. I don't understand why he's the one whose upset, he punched me, not the other way around. I sit up slowly, stars filling my vision as blood rushes to my head. God, will this headache ever end? I groan in pain again but everyone is too busy fussing over Oliver to care.
I sigh heavily. This is going to be one awkward trip back in Sienna's mums car.