Matt
A week before the Fourth of July I was going for a swim in Addison’s pool while she lay out on the deck, sunning herself in a white bikini.
Vanessa was home with the flu or at least that’s what Addison had claimed. It seemed like she had been sick a lot lately and if I was a more paranoid person, I would have begun to think that she was avoiding me. Whatever the case may be, I missed having her around and hoped she got better soon so she could start hanging out again.
I drifted over to the edge of the pool where Addison was draped out on a bright pink towel, her eyes closed and her face tilted towards the sun. “Come on in,” I said giving her a little splash.
Her eyes flung open as she shrieked. “Matthew! That’s freezing cold!”
I laughed at her. “Don’t be so dramatic. Get in. I’m lonely.” I gave her my best sad, pouty face but she was completely immune to my charms.
Instead, she rolled over on her stomach, closing her eyes once more. “No. I’m mad at you,” she said lazily.
“You’re mad at me? Oh boy, what did I do now?” I could hardly resist smirking at her. She really had a flair for theatrics.
She cracked one eye open. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?”
“I do?” I smiled at her, amused. “How come I didn’t know about this? Is she here now?” I made a show of looking around.
“It’s not funny,” she said exasperated. “I saw you making out and rubbing up on that redheaded girl at the barbeque. I’m hurt that you don’t share these things with me, Matthew. I thought we were friends.”
”Oh. You mean Aimee?” I winced as I pushed off from the edge. “You saw that?”
She shrugged her sun-kissed shoulder. “I guess if that’s who that was. And yes, I saw that. It wasn’t exactly like you two were in private.”
I dunked my head in the cool liquid of the pool before re-emerging to answer her, running my fingers through my wet hair. “Well, she’s not my girlfriend. Never was.”
Addison stood up, coming over to dip her toes in the pool. As she kicked her legs back and forth, I noticed the bright yellow polish on her nails. What happened to nice neutral colors like beige or white? Did everything she do have to scream pay attention to me? She raised a curious brow at me. “So why were you making out with her then?”
I wrinkled my forehead at her. “Because she’s hot? What do you want me to say? Why do you think? The same reason you go around swapping spit with half the guys in your homeroom.” I swam back over to her, treading water as we spoke. “Anyways, can we not talk about this? Last time I checked, I didn’t need to clear it with you to kiss other girls.”
She glared at me as she splashed me in the face. “You don’t have to clear it with me, Matt. It’s just hurtful that you keep these things from us. You know, your friends?”
Coming in close, I placed my palms on the concrete on either side of her legs and glanced up into her deep green eyes. “I’m not hiding anything from you. Did I not just admit to making out with Aimee?”
Her gaze simmered as she raked it over me. “Only because I saw you, otherwise I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t have uttered a word about it.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Why do you care so much? You don’t get offended when I fail to tell you what I ate for dinner or what TV show I watched before going to bed.” She pursed her red lips together as she continued to stare at me. “So why does it upset you that I didn’t run and gush to you about this? Unless…maybe you saw something you didn’t like, perhaps?”
Taking one foot, she pressed it against my chest, shoving me away and causing me to lose my grip on the edge of the pool. “What?! No. Keep dreaming. It did not bother me. I just don’t like that you’re keeping secrets.”
Grinning, I laid out on my back so that I was floating amongst the refreshing water. The liquid felt nice on my scorching skin and I closed my eyes. “So what do you want to know then? Ask me anything.”
“Did she deflower you?”
I scrambled to stay afloat as the bluntness of her question sank in. When I said she could ask anything, I wasn’t anticipating that she would ask me that. I quickly regained my composure, finding my way to her once more. Her fingers curled around the edge of the pool as she studied me. Leaning against the pool wall, I propped my chin in my hand. “Ok, you want to talk about ‘these things’, let’s talk. I’ll answer your question but you have to answer some of mine first.”
She scoffed and jutted out her chin but she had a look of hesitation in her eyes. “Your questions don’t scare me. Bring it on.”
My smile grew wide. Game on. “I saw you flirting hard with Henry Walker last week. Does he make you feel things on your insides? Did you let him get to third base?” I shot out the questions to her at rapid-fire speed. “Oh, I know, I bet you two actually did it. What’s your number? Or wait,” I pointed a finger at her. “Are you still a virgin? If not, tell me what your first time was like. Did it hurt?”
“Ok!” She shouted, thumping me on the chest. “Enough. I get your point. God, you’re such an ass.”
I laughed at the flush staining her porcelain cheeks. “Tell you what Addison, when I get a girlfriend, you and Vanessa will be the first ones to know but for everything else, kindly mind your own business.”
Addison rolled her eyes. “I’m sure she will love that,” she muttered.
I furrowed my brows at her. “Huh?”
She kicked some water in my direction. “Nothing. Just go back to your swimming and kindly mind your own business.”
***
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