Chapter Nine

“Is everyone ready?” Mrs. Hall’s voice calls out from downstairs. “We will be leaving in a few minutes!”

My friends and I had just finished brushing our teeth. We quickly went to my room to make sure that we had everything we would need for the trip packed.

As we started walking out the door, Dawn stopped for a moment. “Is anyone else nervous?”

“Nervous?” Ellen questioned. “Is it awkward? Yes. But the only one who should feel nervous is Bree.”

“Yeah, that’ true,” Dawn replied, opening the door.

“Why should I be nervous?” I am anxious, but I didn’t tell my friends about the encounter I had with Liam last night. The only reason I did not tell them was that I was afraid they would decide not to go with us or worse yet, confront him about it in front of everyone.

“You know why, don’t play dumb,” Ellen states.

“Has it really all just been an act?” Oscar’s condescending voice interjects. “She must be a great actress.” He continued, shoving his way past us.

“You little brat!” Ellen calls, ready to go after him.

“Don’t worry about it…” I respond, grabbing Ellen’s arm with sadness.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Dawn questions with unease. “Did what Oscar say upset you?”

“No, of course not,” I replied.

“You’ve been acting weird since last night.” She continued. “What’s going on?”

At the top of the staircase, I froze as I catch a glimpse of Liam. It was as though my heart had plummeted while my knees became weak. In that instant, I had come to realize that everything that I had ever fantasized about him was nothing more than a dream that would never happen in reality.

“Then what’s wrong?” Dawn questions, her gaze following mine to see Liam.

Liam then glares at us at the top of the staircase before heading out the front door.

“What did he do?” Dawn’s voice turned into irritation, ready for a fight.

“What?” I ask in confusion, before realizing what she had said. “Nothing… Let’s just go.”

“Hey girls!” My dad excitedly greets us at the front door. “Are you all ready?”

“Yes, Mr. Adams!” My friends chime together.

“Then what are we all waiting for? Let’s get going!” He continued, walking out the front door.

“Wow, I’ve never seen your father so happy and carefree before,” Ellen states, leading us outside.

“Yeah… I can’t even remember a time when he was this happy.” I state.

Our conversation ended as we all stare at the RV we would be taking to the lake. It was a massive vehicle. The outside was black with beige and brown decorative markings on the bottom, reaching the midway up the vehicle.

Upon first walking in, two beige comfy, recliner-style seats rested to the right where the driver and a passenger may sit. A full-sized, double-door steel refrigerator was standing immediately in front of you when you first climb in. A steel oven rested beside the fridge with a microwave hanging above it. Golden oak cabinets ran throughout the kitchen area, with a white tile countertop which also provided a sink.

The flooring was a shiny white tile that ran the whole length of the RV. The counters and trimming were all the same golden oak color.

A booth, with beige seating, was adjacent to the kitchen space to provide a dining area. A ceiling fixture was neatly placed above the table, while windows rested behind the booth to provide extra light. A matching couch sat directly behind the dining space, as the massive flat-screen TV was against the adjacent wall.

At the back of the RV, there was a door. Behind it was a bedroom with a massive bed and TV, which also contains a dresser and closet. The room had tan colored carpet.

The bathroom was a separate room in the bedroom and was small, with only enough standing room for one person. A standing shower was tucked into a corner with a toilet and sink immediately following it, against each wall. It was cramped, but luxurious for an RV.

“Whoa…” Ellen states after we all explore the vehicle.

Mr. Hall was sitting in the driver's seat with my dad sitting in the passenger seat next to him. The rest of us sat in the back. My friends and I sat at the booth with Mrs. Hall while Oscar and Liam sat on the couch.

Liam and Oscar spent the majority of the trip ignoring everyone else, with their noses stuck in their books.

“What would you girls like to play?” Mrs. Hall asks, shuffling a deck of cards.

“I’m not very familiar with card games besides solitaire,” Ellen announces.

“Me neither,” I replied, gloomily, as I regret every decision and choice I’ve ever made to have me stuck in a small room with Liam sitting directly behind me.

“Why not just play go fish, then…” Oscar states bored as his brother chuckles.

“Do you want me to come over there?” Mrs. Hall questions sternly.

“No ma’am,” he replies.

“That’s what I thought,” she continued. “So none of you have played blackjack?”

My friends and I shake our heads.

Mrs. Hall lets out a sigh. “Then how about war?”

“How do you play that?” Dawn questions.

“It’s very simple,” Mrs. Hall explains. “I deal all of the cards, next you stack your cards into a deck in front of you, then we all choose a card from the top of the deck and place it in the center, the person with the highest card wins the battle and takes the cards in play. But if one or more people draw the same card, we have to place three cards face down with the fourth facing up and the person with the highest card wins all the cards. The person with the most cards at the end wins the game.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Dawn replies.

After a few minutes, Ellen was the first one out. Then Dawn followed a few minutes after that. I was holding almost all of the cards by the end of the game, except for exactly five. Mrs. Hall and I draw the same card. We each place three of our cards face down with the last one up. Mrs. Hall then throws down a 10 of clubs, while I put down a King of Hearts.

“I win!” I shout standing up.

Dawn, Ellen, and Mrs. Hall start laughing while I do my little happy ‘I win’ dance.

“Are girls always like this?” Oscar’s voice cut in, startling me.

I stop dancing, embarrassed, and turn around to see an irritated look on Oscar’s face, while Liam smirked before quickly sharing the same look as his brother.

“Pretty much…” Liam responds to his brother.

I sit down, my face probably red from embarrassment. I was so enthralled in the game that I completely forgot that Liam was sitting right behind me.

“Oh, hush up you two! You’re embarrassing her!” Mrs. Hall shouted.

Nearly an hour into the trip, my friends and I started to become restless. It is difficult to stay locked up in a room with your crush. The tension was unbearable.

By the third hour, Dawn, Ellen, and I stole the couch to watch TV while Mrs. Hall went to the front to talk to Mr. Hall and my father. Oscar and Liam had to move to the booth, reading their books.

Soon we arrived at our destination.

“Okay, everyone! We have arrived at our destination!” Mr. Hall calls.

My friends and I stand up, stretching. We anxiously rushed out the door as soon as the RV stopped moving. Mr. Hall parked right in front of a quaint little lake house. For the second time today, my friends and I were staring dumbfounded.

The lake house looked as though it was made from Lincoln logs with a full wrap-around porch. The windows looked massive and somewhat narrow; appearing to be floor-to-ceiling windows to provide an excellent view of the lake. Several lake houses were surrounding the enormous lake, as well as a spot for RV camping. But the individual lake houses were spaced in such a way that they provided enough privacy from their neighbor.

Before we were allowed inside, Mrs. Hall announced the sleeping arrangements. “Girls, you will all share a room. And since there are three of you, Liam, you are bunking in Oscar’s room in this house.”

“What?” Liam started with annoyance.

“You’re room is bigger than Oscar’s. Three girls trump two boys.” She retorts.

“And your room is even bigger.” He continued, interrupting his mother. “There’s only two of you as well, so why not give them your room?”

Mrs. Hall stared at her son with fury. “Don’t get snarky with me.”

“Liam!” Mr. Hall’s voice thundered. “Don’t talk to your mother that way.”

“Now then, Tyler, you will have the bedroom in the RV all to yourself.”

“Thanks!” My dad responded happily.

“So, what are we all waiting for!” Mrs. Hall calls. “Let’s go get dressed and run down to the lake!”

Entering the lake house was magnificent. The log décor continued inside with the columns that separated the living room from the kitchen. Even the floors were made from the same wood as the walls and columns. Upon first entering, you are welcomed into the living room.

There was a gray couch, a matching loveseat, and a recliner resting on top of a white area rug. A small table sat beside the loveseat and recliner that held a lamp. The furniture was facing the big flat-screen television that rested above a stone fireplace. The kitchen was just past the living room.

The latest kitchen appliances were installed. There was an island, made of the same dark wood as the rest of the house, which held the kitchen sink. The counters were plenty, if not a bit much, but still provided more than enough space for cooking. It was a chef’s dream kitchen.

To the left, was Mr. and Mrs. Hall’s room, which I’m sure was equally immaculate, but I didn’t go in there. And the room off of the kitchen was Oscar’s, which we were not allowed in.

To the right of the living room was Liam’s room, which we girls would be invading. The bedroom was a bit bigger than the one I live in at the Hall’s residence. A queen-sized bed with a deep blue blanket and pillows was positioned against the center of the back wall. The carpet was a beige color, and the walls were wooden with stone trimming. The wall which faced the living room was nothing more than a built-in bookcase that housed books on each shelf.

As we stood in awe of the place, including the bedroom, Liam came up behind us.

“Do not mess up my room.” His voice was harsh.

Dawn shut the door in his face. “That takes care of that.”

“Oh my God!” Ellen’s voice replied in surprise. “There’s a personal bathroom in here!”

Dawn and I came running to see Ellen’s discovery.

“Wow… Liam is spoiled.” Dawn replied astonished.

After placing our bags at the foot of the bed, we grabbed our swimsuits and got changed. Then we went outside, to the backyard to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Hall and my dad, who were all getting the grill ready to barbeque. Liam and Oscar sat in some chairs at the side of the back porch in T-shirts and swim trunks.

I was nervous walking around in front of everyone in a swimsuit. My suit was a two-piece with nothing revealing about it. The top was similar to a tank top, which is black with a design of blue butterfly wings, paired with very short black swim shorts. Dawn also wore a two-piece swimsuit. It was a little more revealing than mine, as the front came down more to show a little cleavage. She also had bottoms that belonged to a bikini. Ellen, on the other hand, wore a one-piece swimsuit that was a royal blue color, which was still more revealing than what I wore.

As we stood on the back porch, waiting for everyone to get ready to go down to the lake, I silently stand at the opposite side of the porch, away from Liam and Oscar. Remembering what Liam had said, my eyes fall to my chest, and I started to feel self-conscious again since all bathing suits fit so snug against your body, allowing for more details to show. But I quickly try to brush the thought away from my mind as Dawn and Ellen stood beside me.

“Oh my goodness! You girls look so cute!” Mrs. Hall gushes, walking over to us. She wore a black one-piece swimsuit with a sheer dress cover-up. “Liam, doesn’t Bree look adorable!”

Liam glances at me. “I didn’t know they made toddler clothing for adults.” He quipped before placing his nose back in his book.

I quickly grabbed a hold of Dawn and Ellen who were ready to start a fight.

Mrs. Hall cuts her eyes at her husband.

He lets out a sigh, “I’m on it…” Mr. Hall states. “Liam, come here!”

“Don’t you listen to him, dear,” Mrs. Hall says hugging me. “You are beautiful. I don’t know what’s wrong with that boy.”

“Thank you,” I respond with a weak smile.

“Why don’t you girls go down to the lake?” She starts. “We’ll come to get you when it is time to eat!”

We make our way down to the lake by following a dirt pathway.

“Why wouldn’t you let me hit him?” Dawn retorts. “He needs a good punch to the nose.”

“It’s not worth it,” I reply.

“Yes, yes it is.”

“But his parents’ invited all of us along.”

“So? It seems they wouldn’t mind.”

“It does seem like they want to hit him, too,” Ellen responds.

“Can we just not think about it?” I continue, as we reach the lake.

It was almost like a beach, with the water crashing onto the sand, Except more trees were surrounding the lake than there would ever be found at or near a beach.

We make our way into the water, which was freezing! We float around on our backs, splash each other, and play in the water. After a few minutes, Oscar and Liam come down, ignoring us, but staying somewhat close.

I would look in their direction a few times, and every time I caught sight of Liam, my heart would flutter. He was playing with Oscar in the water, splashing at him, and throwing him around. All the while with a smile on his face. That beautiful smile that I wish I could cause to display merrily on his lips.

As the day started to progress, more and more people started to show up to swim, fish, and boat. A few of them were probably the neighbors. By the time people started showing up, Oscar and Liam had left.

“Do you guys want to go in?” Ellen questions, obviously tired.

“Yeah, I need to rest,” Dawn replied. “Plus I don’t want to get a sunburn.”

“You two can go,” I state, sitting in the sand. “I want to stay here for a moment.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Dawn asks, concern tinting her voice.

“No, I’m fine. I just want a moment to myself is all.” I reply. “You two go ahead. I know you are both tired and hungry.”

“I think we should stay with you.”

“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself,” I respond defiantly.

“We could just sit here…”

“Please, just let me have a moment,” I state pleadingly.

Dawn lets out a sigh in defeat. “Fine, but we are going to come back down in a little bit to check on you.”

Ellen and Dawn make their way back up to the lake house, while I sit in silence, watching the water.

I become lost in thought, mainly thinking about Liam. Today was a great day. We had a lot of fun in the RV and down here at the lake, and I even got to see a new side of him today. A smile played on my lips thinking about how different he appeared in that moment while playing with his little brother. But as I continued to think, I started remembering all of the mean things he has said to me.

There were times when he wasn’t so cruel to me. Like when we sit outside late at night looking at the stars in the sky. At those times, we can speak like normal human beings. Then there are those rare instances when he is nice to me, like when he caught me before I fell.

Soon, sitting down contemplating was good enough, so I started walking, deep in thought.

While I was deep in thought, contemplating how one minute Liam could be sweet to me, like helping me study while being a good listener, and then be a stubborn, arrogant jerk, I wasn’t watching where I was walking nor where was going. Still recollecting how he humiliated me in front of our classmates and parents, the hurtful comments he has said; why did he have to be like that?

As I continued aimlessly walking, I was taken out of my reverie by a whistle.

“Hey there, pretty girl. Where’d you come from?” A man’s voice called to me.

I look over at the sound. There were three men. The one calling to me looked to be about 25 years old, wearing a backward cap, sunglasses, a muscle shirt, and shorts. He was tanned and had bulging muscles. The other two sat on chairs in the sand and wore almost identical clothing. All of them were holding beer cans, while empty ones lay at their feet.

I stop in my tracks, becoming anxious and unable to speak. Where was I? How far did I walk?

“Steve, did you order me a beautiful woman for my birthday?” The guy states, starting to walk towards me.

“No, but it appears that one just wandered to you.” The man named Steve chuckles.

“Wow, you’re gorgeous.”

My heart started racing as I turned to start walking back the way I came. Surely I would eventually end up back at the lake house.

“Where are you going beautiful?” The men taunt me as they begin to follow.

“I want to show you something! Come back!”

“What are you going to show her?” One of the men continued, laughing.

“Don’t you want to have a party with three handsome guys?”

Their catcalling started to become nastier as I walked quicker. When it seemed like they weren’t going to stop, I get scared and begin to run.

“Oh, you want to play hard to get?” The same voice called. “I like that.”

“You’re going to get it when we catch you!”

They chase after me. It didn’t take them long to catch up to me, one grabbing my arm and pulling me into an embrace. My back was against his chest with his arms wrapped around my chest and stomach.

The man holding me dug his face in the nape of my neck. “You smell good.”

“Let go of me!” I shout.

He begins kissing my neck as the other guys watch, calling me unflattering names.

“Stop it!” I yell, but they don’t respond. “No, stop!”

“Let go of her, now!” A familiar voice which was equally annoyed and angry called.

The men look at the source of the voice.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Liam states, shaking with anger.

“We’re just having some fun, go get lost!” one of the guys states.

“This one is ours, if you want her, wait till we’re done.”

“It doesn’t look like she is having fun.” Liam continues. “So let her go now.”

“What are you going to do about it?” The one holding onto me states.

“Do you really want to find out?”

The men stare at each other for a moment. “There’s three of us.”

“And?” Liam responded, with rage.

One of the guys lunges at him, and Liam quickly blocks while tripping him. The other quickly follows after the first, swinging a fist, which Liam caught in the face. But he held his own, making the nameless pursuer lay on the ground next to his friend.

“Let her go!” Liam shouts at the man still holding me.

“Fine,” he finally retorts, shoving me towards my rescuer. “She isn’t worth all this trouble.”

I walk beside Liam in a daze as we head back to the lake house. We were quiet for most of the walk until he started.

“What are you doing out here?” He questions, angrily. “Do you know how stupid it is to just walk alone by yourself here?”

I didn’t respond.

“You are so aggravating…” Liam continued, annoyance growing in his voice.

With this statement, I fall to the ground, burying my head into my knees as I hug my legs and start to cry. I didn’t have the strength to hold it anymore. Maybe it was because of the sorry situation she had just found herself in combined with the things her crush had just said.

As I sit crying, Liam appears caught off guard by my sudden breakdown. He stands there quietly, unable to say a thing.

I felt stupid. How could I think he had changed in the least? Why do I feel this way? Why, out of all the people in the world, did I like someone who has been nothing more than cruel to me since I moved in?

“Wh—”

“Just leave!” I shout at him angrily through tears.

Just as Liam was about to try to say something again, Dawn and Ellen show up.

“Where have you been? We’ve been so worried!” Dawn starts before she realized I was crying. Turning toward Liam, she begins, “What did you do now?”

“Nothing!”

“Yeah, that’s a likely story,” She and Ellen start to help me off the ground, “You’re such an ass!”

While they helped me up the dirt path back to the Hall family lake house, Ellen started, “Bree, everyone has been so worried about you. Where did you go?”

“I just wanted to think…” I reply sadly through sobs.

“But what happened?” Dawn questioned.

“Not now…” I breathed, not wanting to relive everything just yet.