Chapter 12 Lois #2
That’s a lie. My parents call me every week, and I always find a way of dodging the question.
My mom is all about expanding her store, my dad is obsessed with his matchstick models.
So far, they’ve been busy enough not to pry too hard.
Though now I’m terrified they’re going to run into Kirk’s parents.
The next few minutes are the longest of my life.
I struggle not to burst into tears, fighting hard to hold back sniffs, and by the time the coach sounds the whistle, and class is dismissed, my head is spinning.
Most students head straight for the locker room, but out of the corner of my eye, I spot Donovan and Lewis still hanging on the edge of the pool.
Kirk drifts off without a word, and I rub my eyes with the backs of my hands.
I stay back for a few minutes, frozen. Then, wiping my fingers down on my track pants, I take a deep breath and drum up the courage to swing around when I hear my name.
“Looois! Over here!” Donovan is calling me over to the pool, where he and Lewis have their elbows propped on the side. Considering the state I’m in, I’d rather drown than chat with these two, but my feet carry me over regardless.
“Were you just crying?” Don frowns.
“No.”
Lewis tilts his head. “Your eyes are red.”
“It’s no big deal—there’s menthol in the ointment.”
“Sure. So, nothing to do with seeing that asshat Kirk?”
They were watching me more intently than I thought, and though it’s weirdly touching, I find myself shutting down.
“Wanna grab lunch with us?” Don is treading water.
“Thanks, but I’m not all that hungry.”
“Why do you keep avoiding us?”
“What? I don’t. It’s just that…”
It’s just that it’s weird. I can’t describe the relationship I have with them. They’re Lane’s friends, and though they’re always at his place, and though I often see them around on campus, I wouldn’t really call them my friends.
“She doesn’t like us,” Lewis whines.
“It’s not that.”
If I tell them I’ve never had guy friends before, they’ll make fun of me. I always used to hang out with Kirk’s friends, and while some of them were cool, they were never my own—I’m not too sure how to handle the two weirdos in front of me.
“Hey, Lane!” Don cries out.
I blink and turn, following his gaze.
“What the hell are you guys doing? I heard you shout Lois’s name.”
“We’re trying to make friends with Lois, but she’s about to crap herself.”
“Oh, please!”
Lane laughs and walks over, tugging at a lock of hair. “You okay, Heartbreak?”
I wish so hard he would just drop that goddamn nickname.
“You don’t look okay.” He grabs hold of my chin and frowns. “What did you guys do to her?”
“It’s Kirk, man.”
“That piece of—”
“Stop,” I grumble, my face still clasped between Lane’s hands.
He squints at me. I do my best to avoid eye contact. I hate when they talk about Kirk like that. They don’t even know him. They’re all chronically single, anyway. What would they know?
“Just drop it already, okay?”
He curls a lip and glances over at his friends. I hear one of them pushing out of the pool behind me, but I’m too busy focusing on the light shifting in Lane’s eyes.
“Can I give you a piece of advice, Heartbreak?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“But—”
“I said I’m good!”
“Okay…”
He lets go of my face and raises his hands in a shrug as if to warn me I asked for this.
Before I know it, arms are snaking around my waist, and my feet are lifted off the ground.
I’m doing my best to cling to his chest, and the next thing I know, I’m underwater.
I resurface a second later, spluttering.
“F-Fuck!” I can’t stop gasping for air. I dog-paddle my way over to the side of the pool, where the guys are laughing. “Are you kidding me?”
As I struggle to heave myself out of the water, a hand catches hold of my ankle and pulls me back. Furious, I whip around to find Lewis laughing, splashing water straight into my face.
I lunge for him. “You’re fucking dead.”
I have younger brothers just as annoying as this guy, and though I know the only way to deal with it is to pretend they don’t exist, I’ve never actually been able to keep my cool.
I grab Lewis’s hair with one hand and press down on his head with the other, wrapping my legs around his hips, throwing all my weight into ducking him under.
“What is she doing?” Donovan asks from behind me.
“She can’t get enough of me!” gushes Lewis.
“Lois?” There’s a curious edge to Lane’s voice.
“Urgh!”
I take another shot at drowning him, but Lewis is way more ripped than my brothers, so I give up, dashing through the water to the opposite side of the pool, putting as much distance as I can between me and this bunch of jerks.
I walk along the poolside with my wet clothes clinging to me, and as if that isn’t embarrassing enough, I pass by Kirk, sitting still as a statue on the edge of the bleachers, his blue eyes pinning me to the ground. Great. He caught every second of that.
“Here!”
Donovan tosses a towel over my head, and I battle against the folds.
I start towel-drying my hair. “Proud of yourselves?”
They’re standing there in a row in front of me, arms folded over chests, sporting wide grins and nodding in time. I peer at them one by one, and despite myself, a smile is spreading over my face. Traitorous lips!
“You just made me look bad in front of Kirk,” I sigh, toweling down my arms.
I can feel the draft through my dripping clothes, and I shiver.
“Trust me, Lois: Kirk doesn’t think you look bad. Not today, anyway,” Lewis quips. He looks at me knowingly. “He just didn’t like how you had your thighs wrapped around my godlike body. Right, Lane? Tell her he was pissed.”
I glance over at Lane. He’s standing there in silence, his green eyes boring into me. Actually, they’re boring a couple of inches below my face.
Lewis grins. “Laney?”
“What are you staring at?” I bristle, knowing all too well what the problem is. I cross my arms over my chest and frown. “Are you kidding me?” I tap my foot. “Are you seriously staring at my boobs?”
He blinks and pulls a face. “No fucking way!”
“He’s using his X-ray vision to see under your T-shirt,” Lewis says.
“Or maybe he’s using his superpowers to dry it,” suggests Don.
“That kind of look usually gets them wet though…” Lewis waggles his eyebrows seductively.
“Oh fuck off. I wasn’t looking at her tits.” Lane punches Donovan’s arm. “I was thinking.”
Lewis laughs, scratching his chin. “Yeah, I spend a lot of time thinking, too.”
I wrap myself in the towel and watch them volley back and forth until I can’t take it anymore.
I turn on my heel. “Whatever, I’m going to get changed.”
Lane points at me. “I was not checking you out, Lois.”
“Fine!” I throw my hands into the air.
“And I’ll drive you home. No discussion. Meet me in the parking lot.”
“Fine!” I say in exactly the same tone.
I push open the door to the changing rooms and storm out.