12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Then
B esides my face ending up in the sand and Noah’s stupid little comment about my swimsuit, the rest of the afternoon has been really great. After Jordyn reassured me that I look fine in my suit, and then also confirmed that Noah is a jerk, we let loose and started having some fun.
We played some volleyball, made a few new friends, and have been laying out together for the past hour. There’s nothing better than talking and laughing with your best friend, while soaking in the last of the warm days before fall comes.
After a while, the sun starts to feel too hot on my face, and I become all too aware of all the places the sand is sticking to my skin. I squint into the sun and look out at the lake. The dark blue water is calling to me.
“I’m gonna go cool off for a bit,” I tell Jordyn, but the only response I get is a light snore. She’s out. I huff a little laugh and shade her with the umbrella. No one’s getting burnt while I’m around.
I slowly wade into the water and the coolness of it against my hot skin takes my breath away. Noah said the water would feel great, but now that I feel it, I’m not so sure we would agree on what the word great means. By the time it’s up to my middle, I have two choices. I can either play it safe and stay at this level or dip all the way in.
Counting to three, I take a big, deep breath in, then sink low into the cold water. Swimming deeper into the lake, I feel the weightlessness of my body start to calm my mind. Resurfacing, my hair falls into a heavy curtain down my back.
Wiping the water from my eyes, I see Noah swimming right in my direction. My initial reaction is to swim away from him, but I throw that idea out the window because I realize that would have me swimming deeper into the lake and farther from the shore. Not smart.
So, I make the entirely more awkward decision and just turn around. I’m treading water and blankly staring at the sky, hoping to God that maybe he’ll just swim past me. I hear his strokes getting closer and closer. Just as I think he’s going to pass me, his swimming stops, and I hear his ragged breath behind me.
“Hi, Jane.”
I turn around and face him. Beads of water slip off his brown hair and slide down his face. His big smile makes him look like a little kid. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy. Not that I’ve seen him much anyway, but he’s usually so…I don’t know, arrogant, smug, self-righteous…Definitely not like this.
“Um. Hi,” I say tentatively.
“So, how’s it going?”
“Fine.”
“Have you been to Horsetooth before?”
“No.”
“Have you ever been to any lake before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you usually respond to questions with one-word answers?”
“No. But for you I do,” I say, starting to swim toward the shore.
“Wait, why? Don’t you like me?” he asks with a big, puppy-dog pout, catching up to me.
I turn to face him again. “No.” Maybe .
“Woah, that stings, Jane Robins. What have I ever done to you for you to not like me?” He puts his hand against his chest feigning offense.
“It doesn’t matter what I think about you, Noah,” I say, shaking my head. “We’re not friends. We don’t have to like each other.”
A moment passes. I’m looking at the beach, but I can feel his gaze on me. I'm getting hot even with my body submerged in the cool water.
“Do you like debate?” His question takes me off guard.
Why does he care if I like debate or not? I open my mouth to say something but close it again.
“How long have you been doing it? I haven’t seen you at any tournaments before this year,” he says, water lapping against his chest.
“Yes, I like it. I love it actually. It just sort of clicks for me. I did it last year, but this is my first year competing in the tournaments.”
Now that I gave him something, I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s going to take more.
“So, you like arguing then?” he says, lazily swimming to my other side.
“Yes. Yes, I do. What about you, Mr. Fossil Ridge Debate Team Captain? Do you like debate?”
“Yeah, of course I do. That’s why I’m so good at it.” He winks. “Did you know that I actually beat our rival school’s debate team captain just a few weeks ago? I’d heard rumors that she’s pretty good, but honestly, I think I flustered her a little bit.” He looks at me through the sides of his eyes. “That’s what I like most about debate. I love pushing my opponent right to the edge. To unsettle them.”
I didn’t know it was possible, but the look he gives me makes my already racing heart beat even faster. Clenching my jaw, heat rushes through my entire body. I don’t know how he does it. I barely even know him, and yet somehow he has this innate ability to make me so entirely unbalanced. I don’t like that he continues to get a reaction out of me. I don’t like it at all.
“No, you didn’t! You didn’t fluster me! I was…sick. Just ask my coach. He’ll even tell you that I was ‘under-the-weather’ that tournament.” I splash his chest. “Besides, do you want to know what I heard? I heard that SHE beat you in the next debate. I heard that you were sweating up on the stage and that you even went over time on your last argument. What about that? Huh?”
He lets out a little laugh.
“What? Why are you laughing? I made you sweat, Noah Riley!” I swim closer to him and point my finger at his smug face. “Admit it!”
“You’re pretty cute when you’re flustered, Robins.”