Chapter 8
Tommy
By the time I shower–washing that stupid bruise cream off me, because fuck Young-gi–and meet everyone outside, it’s late into the morning.
We’re back at the lake, but instead of a bonfire, it’s a day for watersports.
Further down the lake, almost too far away to see, a few of these rich kids are waterskiing, zipping around on a speedboat, while the rest of us stay closer to the dock to jet ski or just swim.
Well, I don’t swim, and neither does Kira. We’re sharing a huge lounge chair out on the wooden pier, a good distance away from the edge but close enough to see the racing.
It’s a good day for it. The weather is perfect: clear skies and sunshine and a wonderful breeze, and the lake looks so refreshing that I sort of regret the fact that Kira can’t swim.
I won’t go in without her, that wouldn’t be very ‘doting boyfriend’ of me, so I stay with her on the dock and watch/cheer with her as people take turns racing on their jet skis.
Lexie went earlier, and she’s dripping and laughing with a bottle of hard seltzer held to her smiling lips, occasionally flicking water onto Kira.
Janessa and another girl are outfitted and ready to go, standing off to the side of the dock with their lifejackets on, but they haven’t gone yet so they’re dry enough to take selfie after selfie after selfie after selfie… in clear view of Kira.
Kira’s been glancing at them. I’ve noticed because I’ve been watching her a little more closely now that I understand Janessa better. Janessa’s glances are filled with longing and pining and heartbreak.
Kira’s are more subtle, as if her uncle’s habit of hiding his emotions has rubbed off on her when it comes to these deeper, innermost feelings, but I can still see the hurt, the loneliness. Whether she felt romantically for Janessa or not, it’s clear she misses her.
And Lexie? That’s definitely more subtle. A realization kind of hit me belatedly this morning, and only once I’d had my realization did I see Lexie’s behavior for what it was.
I assumed Lexie is Kira’s best friend, but more importantly, I’d assumed Kira was hers.
At the very least, they’ve been friends longer than Janessa was around, from the way they talk about their past. But, if Janessa was as close to Kira as she implied, she would have been part of their trio, meaning she would’ve been Lexie’s friend, too.
And once I realize that, I see Lexie’s rage in everything she does when Janessa is around.
Her anger is an icy thing. It’s manipulative and bitter.
She’s usually a ball of mischievous laughter, but whenever Janessa is looking her laughter is suddenly louder, more dramatic and enthusiastic, more of a show.
A show that says ‘fuck you, you didn’t hurt us, we’re fine without you, you didn’t mean anything and neither does your betrayal’.
Whenever Janessa is looking, Lexie is the perfect supportive friend–she’s everything Kira needs, she’s making it clear that they are so over Janessa’s entire phase in their lives; basically, she’s sending Janessa some strong signals that say ‘you’re dead to me’.
She’s pretending she isn’t hurt, that she doesn’t care, but she clearly does.
She won’t even look at Janessa if she can help it. Any chance she gets to twist the knife, she takes it.
Like I’ve said before, her vindictive side appeals to me.
A roar from the jet skis signals the return of the most recent batch of riders.
Brian and his two cronies ride toward the shallows near the shore, way too close to the two girls swimming further out, sending waves crashing over them that travel all the way to the dock.
Their jet skis churn water as they come to a stop in ankle deep water so they can hop off their rides, laughing at the people that were dunked by their waves.
“Good job!” Janessa cheers for Brian, presumably for winning the race, but she stays at a safe distance.
Brian huffs at her, shaking his head in annoyance, but doesn’t rebuke her or point out her hot-and-cold routine.
He runs a hand through his wet hair, showing off, and looks around to make sure all eyes are on him.
He spots me, and scowls. Turns his back on me. His shoulders turn a little red, and I wonder if it’s from the sun or from humiliation. He really didn’t take getting his ass handed to him in the ring very well.
“Hey, Claremont!” Leonard shouts, kicking water toward the dock. “Greg’s being a bitch and calling it quits, I want to race again. Come on, let’s see who wins!”
He’s got a big, dopey smile on his face and I marvel at the dichotomy of rich idiots. They can be cruel and bullying, then turn around and expect friendship and manners. Such strange people.
“Nah.” I wave him away. “I’m good!”
“Oh, Tommy,” Kira turns toward me in our chair, cuddling into my side. “Don’t stay back on my account. Go have fun. Have you ever even been on a jet ski before?”
I can tell she doesn’t intend for the question to be condescending or high-handed, so I let it slide. “Nah, there aren’t any lakes where I live.”
“You should try it,” she encourages in a soft, sweet whisper, while Leonard begs a few more people to race him, loud and whiny. “You’ll have fun. Isn’t that what this week is for? You get to have a good time, eat good food, and get paid. Right?”
She isn’t wrong… but… It feels weird to leave her here. “Shouldn’t I stay with you?”
Lexie leans over us, dripping water onto us from above and making Kira squeal. “If you think Kira would want a guy suffocating her all the time, you’re wrong. Give her some breathing room, geez. Let me have your spot.”
“Ah, so the real motivation comes out,” I tease. I glance at the jet skis, looking fast and fun and oh-so-exciting. “Are you sure, Kira? You won’t mind? It won’t look bad for me to go?”
“It’s totally fine,” she smiles and starts nudging me off the chair. “Promise. Go have fun. And, um, you know,” she blushes bright red, “win the race, okay?”
Gah, she’s giving me cuteness aggression. I smack a kiss to her forehead, and she giggles as I stand up and stretch.
“Alright, Leonard,” I agree, and he perks up like a labrador promised a game of fetch. “Show me how to use it, and I’ll race you.”
“Whoo!” He crows, throwing his hands up.
I keep my sigh internal as I walk down the dock, onto the grass, and then into the shallow water where he’s waiting.
Brian stalks away from me toward the drink stand, leaving his jet ski behind, while Gregory hands his off to Janessa’s friend, flirting with her all the while.
“Okay, so here’s the deal.” Leonard captures my attention and gives me a quick rundown on how to ride a jet ski. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. Just pull the throttle, and I’m golden.
I climb aboard and almost fall right off again, not used to the way it bobs in the little waves lapping against the muddy banks. I look at Kira, second-guessing, but she gives me two thumbs up and Lexie claps for me. I roll my eyes, and settle on the machine.
I do a little test pull– “Whoa!”
The sudden jerk forward has me smiling manically as I let it coast to a stop again. I try it again, then turn it a bit. I putter around a little, my smile growing so big it hurts my face.
“Kira!” I beam at her, maybe twenty feet away now. “Look!”
“Go Tommy!” she cheers for me. Janessa is staring at her longingly, but no one notices except for me.
“Come on!” Leonard shouts, and guns his jet ski forward full blast, shooting water in his wake. I laugh, rough and predatory, and do the same. We head straight for some floating buoys in the center of the lake, bobbing bright orange on the surface.
They’re further away than they look, taking a good thirty seconds or more to get there.
Once I’m there, I test the breaks and almost fishtail off the damn thing.
Leonard laughs at me while I course correct, so I flip him off.
He laughs harder, like that was an acceptable response, so I think I might be getting the hang of this “rich kid” gig.
We tee up at the starting buoy, and I look toward the dock.
Kira is too far for me to see her eyes clearly, but her huge smile is unmistakable as she cups her hands around her mouth and cheers for me.
Her voice is nothing but a faint echo, and I can’t make out what she’s saying, only that she’s cheering.
When I wave to her, she jumps out of her chair, leaving it to a reclining Lexie, so she can stand and throw her hands up above her head, like now that I’ve waved to her she has to wave back but more. Her enthusiasm is adorable.
“Ready?” Leonard asks, wiping water and sweat from his forehead.
He juts his chin toward the buoy directly ahead of us, maybe sixty meters away.
In the far distance, the speedboat zips around with the water-skiers, but we aren’t anywhere near them, so we’re safe to go full speed.
“We’re going there, circling it, and coming back.
Don’t fucking circle to the right. Go left, alright?
Greg almost crashed into me going the wrong direction. ”
“Got it, go left.”
“Good!” He salutes me, his grin jaunty, smug, and a little condescending. He’s playing nice, but he’s still a giant asshole. “On three. One… Two… Three!” He shouts as we both go full speed ahead, churning the water beneath us and spraying it everywhere as we lurch forward.
I almost tumble backward off of it, and only the death grip I have on the handles saves me from immediately wiping out. Resettling in my seat, I lean forward and speed up.
I don’t even realize I’m laughing until the spraying water lands on my lips and teeth, cool pinpricks against my hot skin.
The wind blasts right into my eyes, and I’m going so fast. Just like on the plane, I start vibrating with a delicious surge of adrenaline because I know how easy it would be to get hurt while moving at this speed. I love it. I love it.