Chapter 2

Nate’s POV:

I sipped the vodka and it burned my throat. I handed the bottle to the next person in the circle. We were sitting on the back deck and it was 10 pm. I’d spent the whole day with Derek and Kyle and their girlfriends. And also the new chick across the lake; she was a hot one. When she’d taken off her shirt then her shorts I knew I was fucked. She was so fucking hot I couldn’t help myself. My mind had raced ahead thinking about ripping her bikini off and doing her. I looked around at my brother's friends. They all went to north high not Dubstep High. I had no idea why my brother would want to go to north not Dubstep but at least I didn’t have to put up with his sorry ass but he brought over more girls that I knew I hadn’t done. New meat was what I looked for. I looked over a Natalie and noticed she’d been checking me out for the hundredth time tonight. I thought screw, I nodded to the house and she bit her lip nodding. I stood up and moved inside. A few people said good night but I didn’t care. I went up to my bedroom and looked back to see her following me. Once she was in the room she thrust herself onto me. She wasted no time and I wasn’t in the mood for all the flirting. She ripped off my clothes fast and I took hers off just as a fast. I hated it when girls were in control during sex, for some reason. She continually tried to take over but I kept refusing. After about half an hour I kicked her out of the room and pulled on my boxers. I got up and went to my window wall flicking on one of the lamps. The room lit up slightly. I glanced out to see her join her friends again. She glanced up and me and waved. I didn’t bother but looked across the lake again. I could see Stacy and Tracy swimming in their pool because they were splashing all over the place. I glanced at Arianna's house and saw her walk past and climb into bed. Humph. I felt like sleeping right now after watching her climb into bed. Instead, I pushed the thought from my head. I went downstairs and grabbed a bottle out of the cupboard and took it upstairs with me. I drank most of it then passed out in my bed.

When I woke finally the sun was bang in my eyes. I’d forgotten to pull the curtains closed last night. I was regretting it. I stood up and my world wobbled a little. I move over to my curtains and see Kyle, Derek, Stacy, Tracy and Arianna getting out of Kyles boat. I frowned and decided to shower. The shower wakes me up a little. I shake my head at last night’s decision to drink as I pulled on board shorts. Before I left the room I grabbed a shirt and looked at my room. It was a mess. I had clothes lying around, some of them probably not even mine, and I had books scattered across my desk from school. I spot Natalie’s underwear hanging from my lamp and I grab them running down the stairs. My brother was talking to Kyle and Derek, while the girls sat on the couch talking.

"He’s awake" Kyle said jokingly. I glare at him. They knew not to come here too early.

"Shut up Kyle. Oh, and these." I threw the underwear at him, and he dangled them in front of him. I pull on the shirt opening the fridge and look for an apple.

"Dude another?" Derek gasped closing the fridge for me.

"Hmm yeah that’s what happens when your free and single" I emphasised on the word single and he punch my arm. I groaned still feeling the hangover. I bit into the apple and sucked some of the juice up.

"So are we ready for another day on the lake?" Stacy was suddenly cuddling up to Kyle. Tracy made her way into Derek’s arms and I looked over at Arianna. She looked uncomfortable. I smiled and then realised it was uncomfortable as they began to kiss. Both couples. I groaned and walked out the back door towards the boat. Without a second thought Arianna followed me.

"Are they always like that?" she asks as I climb into the boat. I hold my hand out for her and this time she doesn’t hesitate. I make sure she keeps her footing before letting her go.

"Not all the time. Actually, they're really cool people to hang with. Let’s just say you chose wisely" I wink at her and she blushes a little. Maybe she was one of those easy girls who fell to her knees just looking at you. The odd feeling was that I felt like I would fall to my knees by looking at her. Today her hair was messy and up in a simple ponytail. She only wore a black bikini with board shorts. It was mesmerising watching as her chest rose and fell.

"My dad always did say I picked the best" she says raising her brow at me. That’s when I realised I’d been attentively watching her breasts. I look away and try and hide a grin.

"Sorry" I said and I looked back to see her shrug. I looked at her waiting for more but the others decide to come out. I shake my head after they all climb in. We go out to the same spot we always went to. I could see some people who didn’t live here look excited to see us coming but then when we’d stopped their faces dropped. Why would we ever venture there when we have the whole lake to swim in? Like every other day for the last four days, we swam, sat in the boat, and then swam some more before going back to Tracy’s and Stacy’s for lunch. Then we’d hit the water again after about an hour of hanging or talking. By sundown we were still swimming. Tracy and Stacy had decided they wanted to swim tonight. I wasn’t in the mood for it so I climbed back onto the boat. When I grabbed my towel, I heard a sneeze beside me. I turned to see Arianna sitting on the edge of the boat wrapped up in her towel. I didn’t even realise she’d left the water. Considering I was focusing on thinking about her you’d think I’d been watching her too. I guess I hadn’t been.

"You cold?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Not really. Just from the swimming. Don’t worry I get it all the time"

"Oh well then"

"Do you know what the time is?"

I move to the front of the boat and look at the tiny clock located next to the steering wheel.

"It is 6:04 on the dot" I say smugly and look back at her to see her eyes go wide.

"Serious? My wants me home by 6"

"Well then naughty girl you’re in the shit" I twirl around pointing to myself.

"Bring it." She glared at me, and I was a taken aback. So she got the hidden message. I smile wickedly as I called the other guys onto the boat. As we pulled into her dock she raced off and inside. Tracy and Stacy got off the boat too. Kyle and Derek frowned moving towards them. I shook my head. Arianna was already inside the gate.

"We’re eating at Arianna's tonight" Tracy explained "Sorry big boys" Stacy said and they walked off inside Arianna’s yard. I frowned but backed up the boat. I’d decided I wanted to drive but Kyle really didn’t care. We drove back to mine and hanged for a while.

"So, Nate, you been checking out the new girl?" Kyle said as we waited for the pizza to show up. Derek turned his attention away from his phone and looked up too.

"Of course I am," I said proudly, sipping my coke. Just plain coke this time round.

"You reckon you could do it?" Derek seemed to lack in my duties. I looked at him with mock hurt.

"How dare you say that?" I growled still faking the hurt.

"Well I was just saying because it looks like Stacy and Tracy really want to be this girl’s friend. I mean look at them. People are gonna be shocked first day back"

"Yeah I suppose which is why it makes this task special and challenging. I like a challenge" I smirked finishing off the cup. Kyle poured me another. I was on the urge of having to pee soon. Soft drink always did this to me. Once you went you kept going back and back frequently. Stupid soft drink.

"Your Nate, you like anything" Derek continued

"Yeah and anyone" Kyle finished and poured them another drink. I shake my head and refuse to fight back. I wasn’t going to give into them. So when our pizza came, we sat on the back deck eating away. I couldn’t help but keep glancing at her house. Her back deck was lit up well and there they were. Stacy, Tracy and Arianna all sitting at the table. Probably eating a proper meal.

"So, Nate, how do you plan to get this one?" Kyle asked after a few minutes of bland silence.

"I have no idea. You know she caught me staring today"

"Oh, and the ship sinks," Derek says, scoring him a high-five from Kyle. I shake my head smiling.

"But she brushed it off"

"No way!" they both said at the same time.

"What were you staring at?" Kyle asks still shocked.

"Her chest" I said smirking.

"Ooh score for Nate" Derek says patting me on the back. Hmm that’s what had me confused. I didn’t really count it as I score for me because who knows what she actually meant by it. But all I know was that she caught me looking at her chest and she brushed it off like it happened all the time.

"Hey, you think maybe she has a boyfriend?" I ask them silently hoping she didn’t. That would make it so much harder. And if she did have a boyfriend then I’d probably give up. Who knows? Depends on the competition.

"No way dude. She might have left a few hanging, but I doubt it," Kyle says and Derek frowns at me. Who knew what I was thinking?

"I ain’t letting you give up that easy. Here I’ll make you a bet" Derek says and we both look at him waiting.

"I give Nate this school term to do it. You can do it however you want but we want witnesses"

"Yuck!" Kyle says and I groan. Was he serious? That was just nasty.

"No, you idiots. Witnesses to say they saw you go into a room and not come out for a while or they heard. Not actually watch. That’s just nasty"

"Oh, I get," Kyle said, and I nodded, going along with the idea.

"So what do you say? You got this?" Derek asks me and I feel both their eyes on me. I look over to the girls again and I nod several times.

"Yeah man I got this. Graduation sex here I come," I said, and the guys whooped. The feeling in my stomach sank a little making me feel even guiltier. I wasn’t actually that excited about it. I was thrilled at the idea of sleeping with her but I didn’t exactly want to make it a bet or anything. We finished off our pizzas and made our way into the lounge room. We got hooked on COD again and played for a couple of hours. Finally Kyle and Derek decided they wanted to go home around 10 pm, and so I was sitting there playing by myself. I doubt my brother would be coming home. Mum was still in Japan for like another month. The beauty of having a parent who wanted to constantly travel. Dad was still a no show in our lives and doubt he would be. I mean he lived on the other end of the lake but he never made the move so we never really gave a shit either. Just a worthless piece of junk. Eventually I gave up and switched the stuff off. I grab a shirt on my thongs and decide to go for a walk down to the park. It was almost 11 pm. I didn’t think many people would be down there. I take my time walking down there, casually glancing at her house often. For some reason she had me so intrigued in going after her. I wanted to take my time with this one, play at it a bit. Maybe she would be a challenge but I crossed my fingers that she didn’t have a boyfriend. If she did then I was in the shit. I’d ruined several relationships because I slept with girl who already had boyfriends. Sometimes it hurt to know that no one actually really wanted to keep me, just one time use. I longed for the feeling of seeing the same girl over and over, even waking up with her in my arms and falling asleep with her there too. I shook my head; no one ever really cared about a player. Always said I had no feelings and shit but I guess that’s why I mainly hung out with Kyle and Derek. They understood me. I look across the lake to see someone turn off the deck lights and I sighed. They were going back inside. I was kind of missing school already. We’d already had nearly a week off and I was missing it. Missing seeing my friends every day, although we hung out most days but my other friends. Like my football friends. Boy I couldn’t wait to get back out on that field. Could wait for coach to yell at me for checking out the cheerleaders. Then I realise it’s my last year. Last year of high school. The last year of everything being handed to you on a plate. I’d already been accepted into police academy for the start of next year. I was set and ready to go. I knew I’d have the money but I honestly didn’t give a shit about it. Mum had put money into my savings account and I knew she’d keep putting money in there. I would have enough for a lifetime. Mum was still making money. I had no idea how she did it when she travelled so much but she did it. Apparently we got 200 bucks a fortnight from our lame as father. Pathetic I think that he can’t even bother to come and see us. I finally reach a bench at the park and sit down. I watch the water and see a few people hanging around. Eventually I get bored and head back home. When I come in through the back I hear the doorbell. I open the door to see Janet standing there.

"What’s up Janet?" I lean against the door frame knowing she’s only here for one thing.

"Sup how you been?" she says making her way inside. I close the door and follow her into the lounge room. She pulls off her coat putting it on the bench along with her purse.

"Alright I suppose"

"Right so anyway I was just wondering what you’re doing tonight?"

"Clearly nothing."

"So you can take me away?" she moved closer to me and put her hands on my chest. I didn’t feel like it today. I grabbed her hands and pushed them off me. I moved away from her to the fridge. I pulled out the coke bottle and poured a glass, watching her face as she realised I'd let her down.

"Oh, come on, Nate. You never say no to me. Never."

"Maybe I felt like being different"

"Why? Got yourself a girlfriend? Hasn’t stopped you before" she moves around the bench and puts her hands on my shorts tugging at the waistband. She was being persistent tonight.

"Hey that doesn’t mean anything"

"Oh, come on, Nate. Stop talking and just take me away."

"I’d rather not."

"What?"

"I said I’d rather not." I down the coke in one go and watch as she steps back shocked.

"Are you saying no?"

"Have you been asleep the whole conversation?" I looked at her raising an eyebrow. Why couldn’t she just leave already?

"Look there are plenty of other guys are there who are willing to tap me" she grabs her coat and purse I thank god. She was leaving.

"Yeah unwillingly"

"Fuck you Nate"

"Didn’t I already say no?" I smile and she yells out. She stomps out slamming the front door. I laugh putting the coke away. I make my way upstairs and close my curtains. I didn’t want another bright wake-up. I jump into my bed and turn on my TV. I slowly drift asleep thinking of a way to get Arianna talking. No ideas popped up, but just as I fell asleep, the idea came. Surely I’d forget it. And I did.

I lay on my bed waiting for her. She pops her head in and then comes around the corner half naked. She still wore her lacy underwear and bra. I bit my lip and she climbs on top of me. I look up at Arianna and she moves forward and kisses me. Just as she does a bright light appear and I jump up realising it was only a dream. A seriously good one. I look over to see Kyle opening my curtains.

"What the fuck Kyle?" I groan blocking the sun from my eyes.

"Dude, it's 2 pm and you have a bet, remember? You can’t just be lying around in bed all day. Oh, and Stacy and Tracy are having a party tonight. You coming?" he turned and kicked a few clothes away from him. I smile deviously when he realises their girl’s clothes.

"Definitely if Arianna’s going?"

"Yeah I think she’s going"

"Then I’m there"

"Dude don’t you dare going all whipped on us. We still need you around"

"Dude I ain’t gonna get whipped. So it’s 2 pm, really?"

"Yep when did you go to sleep?"

"1 I think" I honestly couldn’t remember and I hadn’t drunk anything last night either.

"Dude you need to go to bed earlier if you want this to work out. Hey, I heard Janet came here last night."

"Hmm yeah she did. She wanted to get in my pants again"

"Let me guess you blew her off?" I look up at him frowning. Okay maybe Janet had told everyone I blew her off. That’s how he knew.

"How’d you know?" I ask trying to make sure.

"I know you dude. It’s written on your face"

"Oh, come on, I know Janet told you."

"Actually, no, she didn’t. She didn’t tell anyone, actually she’s telling everyone you slept with her again"

"Oh right, because I’m totally letting that happen."

"So your gonna dent your pride?"

"Dude dinting my pride is letting everyone think I slept with her again" I stand up pulling on a shirt. I follow him downstairs and see Derek sitting on the couch snuggled into Tracy. I groan and make my way to the cupboard.

"Dude your wake, so anything? Derek asked, still holding onto Tracy. They stand and make their way to the bench.

"Dude it started last night, give me a minute to breath" I growl and eat one of the chocolate bars hiding in the cupboard. After bar is finished I follow the out onto the deck. Kyle’s boat sits there waiting but we sit down on the deck keeping conversation up. I sit there thinking not talking. I couldn’t remember the idea I had been so close too. I was straining myself trying to remember it. Across the lake I could see Arianna getting out of a speedboat. A guy gets out first and pulls her with him. My mouth drops as he kisses her and she totally gets into it. I nudge Kyle and nod towards her.

"Fuck me, you’re in for the shit" he says to me and Derek looks up. There was no way she could have a boyfriend, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was just a simple fling. Yep, just a simple little fling. I hoped. I see Stacy come out of her house and run down to Arianna. She talks with the mystery guy and then they go into Arianna’s house. I could feel my hopes declining by the second. I was losing this bet. I shake my head as we stand up and get in the boat. We travel to Derek’s house and hang for the rest of the day. I spent most of the time sitting next to Kyle thinking about Arianna. How the fuck was I going to do it now? Maybe I should just forfeit and give in. It’s not like I was going to lose anything, right? I shake my head and then Kyle hands me the controller. Tracy and Derek disappear, probably upstairs at it. Just half an hour later Kyle and I decide to ditch. They’d been up there for almost an hour and it was Kyle’s boat outside. So we went back to the usual swimming spot and swam for a bit. We had a man-to-man conversation about how I couldn’t back out of the bet. I lost and now was stuck doing it. Plus, it wasn’t like I had a choice. I knew I had to give it up but I didn’t want to. I still wanted to chase after her. At all cost’s I at least wanted to have fun with her. Shortly after we watch the mystery guy leave and then the boat comes back. Arianna climbs off with an older man who looked like her. Her father in the flesh. Kyle drives the boat next to the other side and we get off. Stacy climbs off the boat then and then runs into Kyle’s arm. They begin whispering things to each other and then Arianna comes back.

"Hey Nate" she says looking over the board happy.

"Hi" I say feeling a little out of place for some reason. I was usually used to them all making out but it felt weird not to be the only one. I follow Arianna into her yard and we sit on the deck watching the lake. Kyle and Stacy were still on the deck and talking close together.

"So how you been?" I ask her and she leans back breathing in deeply. Yep she was clearly satisfied with something. I had no idea what but I guessed it had to do with her boyfriend.

"Great. My boyfriend surprised me today. You should totally meet him" she says nudging me. She was acting a bit out of character. Overly optimistic but I liked it. I started laughing at how much she just sounded like the twins. They always said totally and made popping sounds with it. She had just done the same thing.

"What?" she says hiding a smile.

"Nothing it’s just you sound exactly like the twins with the totally" I tried to copy them with the popping sound but knew I failed miserably when she laughed.

"Oh god Nate, never try that again" she says touching my shoulder. My blood spiked and I shivered a little. She pulled her arm away suddenly and then stood up.

"Hey, want some strawberries and chocolate?" she asked, biting her lip. She held out her hand. I took it, and she attempted to help me up. I laughed when she almost fell into the pool. She seemed tipsy on happiness. Her boyfriend must have really done something. I frown kind of jealous. I follow her into the kitchen. We pass a guy dressed in a tux and a lady wearing a white shirt tucked into a pencil skirt. I frown at this but smile following. How you could smile and frown at the same time was beyond me, but I was doing both. She tells me to sit at the table and disappears. I sit down at the wooden table and look around the room. It was quite nice and stylish. Very modern but was definitely vintage. She returned with a white bowl fall of strawberries and a green bowl. She places them on the corner and sits down.

"We do it kind of differently but it’s still the same" she says dipping a strawberry into chocolate. She bites into it and I feel myself excite. Suddenly I heard a little giggle and look to see a little boy run in with an airplane in his hand. It was the boy from the first time we’d crossed paths. He climbs into the chair next to her and his face lightens up when he sees the chocolate. I pull the strawberry out of it and stick it in my mouth. I chop down and felt he flavour radiate through my body.

"Sup little man" Arianna says smiling brightly. Another lady walked in and smiled at us both. She left again and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Hey big sis" he greets her and she hands him a strawberry with chocolate dripping from it. A little bit drops onto the table.

"Hey big dude" he says waving at me. I wave back nodding. He was cute. Eww, did I just say he was cute? I wipe the thought from my head and go for another strawberry. They were actually really good. To think that, before this, I had never tried chocolate on strawberries. A little bit later Stacy and Kyle walk in. I lean back in the chair and Kyle gives me thumbs up. I shake my head hiding a devious grin. We spend a little longer eating the other strawberries and then we leave Arianna with her little bro. They drop me off and then leave me. I walk inside to find my mum standing in the doorway. She walks over and throws her arms around me and then I see another guy walk in. I groan and pretend to be happy. Yeah great!